adaptive baking

The allure of a loaf of banana bread baking in the oven cannot be resisted. The scent of bananas that have been mashed with tenacity and then stirred gently into a lumpy batter, coupled with hints of cinnamon and coffee draws people from their desks and far off rooms into the kitchen. People slowly drift in armed with an array of well rehearsed nonchalant comments such as wow, that smells good and ooh what’s that – words heavy with the drop-a-hint tone. In the search for what to make, I ambled into the kitchen of the Smithsonian laboratory at Galeta in Panama. I took the sight of three black bananas slightly oozing on the as a not so subtle signal from the baking deities. I accepted the challenge and began mashing the bananas, an easy task since they were almost to the point where a straw could be inserted into the banana and the mushy fruit sucked out – a disgusting texture, one questionably loved by my father, yet still edible.

Once I removed the bread from the oven, the trickle of people wandering through the kitchen increased – guards, scientists, and Smithsonian employees made their presence known. I like to think my superb baking skills attracted the many people, but I know the truth. It is programmed into the genes of every person to follow their nose to a probable food source in the hopes that they will be rewarded. They were. Some people were even given, albeit grudgingly, two slices.


Banana Bread ala Panama
Barely modified from Orangette

This is not my favorite banana bread recipe, but it is astoundingly simple and requires few ingredients - a necessary attribute when traveling, for no one wants to cart around half a bottle of nutmeg or unused sticks of butter. I like to call it adaptive baking - assess what is available and then use it to create deliciousness. My favorite recipe can be found in Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, but in the mean time, if you are adventuring around the globe or have a severely depleted pantry, this recipe will more than satisfy the desire for a delicious slice of banana bread.

3 very ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-2tsp. instant coffee powder (or, if necessary, 1 tbsp of strong coffee)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chopped or chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a standard loaf pan or muffin tins.

In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork. Add the eggs and stir to combine. Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla and stir to mix. Add ¾ cup of the chocolate chips, and stir briefly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate on top of batter.


Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving or dig into it right away. Sometimes waiting is overrated.