Street Eating...

I attended the first "Taste of Chicago." It took place about 20 years ago. They blocked off a couple of blocks on Michigan Avenue in front of Water Tower Place and set up some of the most amazing food. It was a grand affair. Classical music. The whole bit. They really tried to do it up right. I can recall lots of white tablecloths. I don't remember much about the food except that it was small portions. Exotic things I had never eaten and you paid very small amounts of money just for these little "tastes." There weren't a ton of people there. It was a really nice occasion. It was a great way for a young woman like me to "test" out really nice restaurants so I could save my money and know where I wanted to go--or tell my date where I wanted him to take me.

Now the "Taste of Chicago" is tied into the Blues Fest, it takes place in Grant Park, it's a full week long instead of a weekend, it happens over the 4th of July weekend when it's always blazing hot, there are millions of bodies crammed into the area, every grill in Chicago has some kind of rib cooking--and I wouldn't get caught dead there. The food is rumored to be expensive but I suppose you get more than you used to. When I see people interviewed on the news, they seem to be having a really good time but they are covered in sweat and barbecue sauce. This year the featured grilled item was alligator. Not my kind of scene.

I also attended the first "Taste of Madison" in Madison, Wisconsin. It was set up around our beautiful capital building with the streets around it blocked off so everyone had plenty of room to walk. They had bands set up around the capital, so on each intersection you could listen to a different kind of music. The restaurants set up their booths and made their food. It took place over Labor Day weekend. I remember the food well. Not as exciting as Chicago and not as much variety, but we were with good friends so we had a good time.

One thing sort of "set off" my husband, though. There weren't white tablecloths and places to sit like at the first "Taste of Chicago." There was nowhere to sit at all. At one point we bought a piece of pizza and decided we had to sit somewhere to eat it, mostly because our feet were tired but also because the slices were those huge triangles so it was impossible to maneuver the pizza and a drink. Something had to be put down while we ate. We found curb space to sit.

My husband made the killer observation. He looked down and realized he was eating spread-eagle over a sewer. He said, "Something is wrong with this picture. I'm eating pizza over a sewer." We all laughed but he's never attended the "Taste of Madison" again.

I hear it's about the same as always. There are the most popular bands they bring back every year, and the event is popular enough that they can bring in some pretty good acts. Sometimes they are the big acts of old that are now aging and relegated to playing fairs and food fests, but people love them. It still happens every Labor Day weekend. I'm usually on vacation in Canada that weekend. Go figure.

There was one food highlight of the first "Taste of Madison" I'll never forget. The Edgewater Hotel, one of the fanciest hotels in Madison at the time and still a perennial favorite with football fans, had set up their food stand on one corner. I thought it a bit odd at first that a hotel was participating, but they have a gourmet restaurant so it did make sense. They were featuring freshly made Bananas Foster. It had to be freshly made because the ice cream would immediately melt in the warm summer afternoon. They were even doing the whole flambé display! I, of course, was drawn to the flames and the smell of melting brown sugar! Well, one taste and I was hooked. This was way beyond the pizza I had just snarfed down by the sewer and made up for THAT whole experience! I told myself before I was finished that I HAD to figure out how to make Bananas Foster for myself. I memorized the series of ingredients and bottles on the tables and went home and got to work.

You, dear readers, are about to experience the results--that is, if you decide to make this dessert. It's so easy. If you're going to do the flambé thing, you'll have to be careful, but the flambé is not a must. It is a great, old-fashioned way to show off in front of your guests. Show them what a gourmet chef you are!

The secret in my book to eating Bananas Foster is to sort of squish the bananas between your tongue and the roof of your mouth, sort of rolling them around in the ice cream instead of biting them. Pretend you're toothless. It'll be a whole new experience. Okay, chew if you must. I don't want any choking going on. Maybe this will become your new Labor Day tradition. Who knows.

Bananas Foster a la Zola

Serves 4

1/4 cup Grand Marnier or Cointreau liqueur*
1/2 cup dark rum*
4 ripe bananas, sliced lengthwise and then cut in half so they are quartered
4 Tbl butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp banana flavoring
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Sprinkle of ground nutmeg
Ice cream (Flavor options include traditional vanilla, butter pecan, chocolate, banana or you choose.)

Measure the Grand Marnier and rum into one single cup and set aside.*

In a large sauté pan on low heat, melt the butter and add the brown sugar, banana flavoring and cinnamon. Stir to melt the sugar mixture and then add the bananas. Gently toss the melted sugar mixture over the bananas. All you are doing is coating the bananas with your caramel mixture and heating them up. You don't want them to get too mushy and you don't want the caramel to overcook too much or it will get crusty pieces in it. (If you do get crusty pieces, it's not all bad. They taste great.)

Now, for the interesting part. What I do is push the bananas over to the side. TURN OFF THE HEAT--ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A GAS STOVE!!! Pour in the liquor mixture. Now you're going to light it. The easiest way to do this is with one of those new long candle lighters. You can also use a match and hold it with a tongs or you can use a long fireplace match. In any case, BE CAREFUL. As you approach the pan, be ready for it to light. With the candle lighter turned on, as you get close to the liquor, it is bound to bounce into flame (even about 6 inches away from the pan!) and the flames will shoot up about 6 inches above the pan. It's a pretty dramatic sight. Just let the flames burn for a bit. Everyone watching can say Ooh and Ahh. The flames will start to jump around again as you stir the liquor, so put on your oven mitt for safety and DO NOT be tempted to stick your nose in for a smell. You're bound to catch your hair or your moustache on fire!

When the flames subside, you're ready to serve. Put the ice cream into pretty bowls and pour the banana mixture on top. Sprinkle on nutmeg (optional).

(*If you don't cook with liquor, you can instead use 1/4 cup orange juice and 2 teaspoons rum flavoring and 1/2 cup water. Skip the flaming process. Just stir, heat, and serve over ice cream.)