Dear reader,
I can remember every single thing I’ve eaten since I landed in Dublin on Saturday, which says a lot about where I’m at mentally.
I live with my brother Marco now, who’s officially taken over my mother’s starring role in these newsletters. He actually knows how to cook, but since his work provides his meals, I’ve mostly been on my own. Saturday was meatballs from IKEA. Sunday was sausage and eggs for brunch. Then, from Saturday night through Monday night, I made my way through the leftover pizza from my welcome feast.
I love leftover pizza, but something in that fridge wasn’t right. The second I opened it, I was hit with an insane smell. It turns out Marco had peeled a bunch of bananas to "prep" them for banana bread, then just left them naked in the fridge. For three days, everything tasted faintly of banana: the pizza, cheese, milk, even the ranch sauce.
By Tuesday, Marco finally cooked. Pasta with meat, yogurt (we’re pretending it’s laban), and... tahini. The meat here tastes good, but it has a strong zankha smell. I’m also not a tahini fan, but I haven’t cooked a single meal yet, so I kept my mouth shut. I ate the leftovers yesterday with melted cheese, which still tasted like bananas.
I couldn't take it anymore. I cut a lemon in half, dumped baking soda on top and threw it in the fridge. I have no idea if this is actual science or just something my mother made up, but it totally worked. Or maybe seeing a lemon covered in baking soda just shamed Marco into finally baking the banana bread that night. I hate to admit it, but it was really good. The bananas were only victims all along just waiting to fulfill their purpose.
To top it all off, while cycling last night, I passed the only "Lebanese restaurant" I’ve seen so far. The menu was literally burgers, pizzas, and the dreaded 8 euro falafel sandwich. I’m trying to stay open-minded. But between banana infused pizza, zankha meat, and the overpriced falafel, I think my concerns so far are entirely valid.
Since the bananas eventually turned into something delicious, here’s Caline Chaoul’s banana cake recipe, in case you also have overripe bananas. Advice: do not keep them rotting in the fridge.
Melissa Manouchakian
Distribution editor
Our recipes:
- Kamal Mouzawak’s true tabbouleh
- Chef Amani’s Tripoli-style lahmeh bi aajin
- Caline Chaoul’s banana cake recipe
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