BBq to BBP- Best Banana Pudding Recipe

This pudding is B-A-N-A-N-A-S...

I typically don't look to a BBQ cookbook for desserts but I am thinking that 

the new BBQ&A by Myron Mixon should be changed to BBP&A for Best Banana Pudding.

The book is full of amazing recipes and tips for the grill and it just so happens that this creamy pudding is the perfect accompaniment for a sweet treat after all of the smokiness.

and he insists it be served with Nilla Wafers... no exceptions.

Banana Pudding

6 servings

5 large egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

Dash of kosher salt

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons unsalted cold butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

18 Nilla Wafer cookies, coarsely crushed

3 ripe bananas, thinly sliced

IN a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch, sugar and salt.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, gradually bring the milk to a boil.  Gradually whisk the milk in to the egg yolks until smooth.  Transfer the pudding mixture to the saucepan.  Cook over moderate heat, whisking, until the pudding is thick, about 3 minutes.  Scrape the pudding into a owl and whisk in the cold butter and vanilla.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours, or overnight.

When you're ready to serve the pudding: Spoon the pudding into six bowls.  Garnish with the thinly sliced bananas and sprinkle all over with the crushed Nilla wafers.  Serve cold, right away.

Thank you to ABRAMS Books for sponsoring this post and for sending me an advanced copy of BBQ&A as part of the ABRAMS Dinner Party so there will be more wonderful recipes to come.

On Wednesdays we eat Pink! Bright Beet Hummus

There is nothing better than colorful, vibrant food.

It isn't often that you get to eat pink.

 I think the

Pink Beet Hummus from the new cookbook, Eat Clean Play Dirty 

by Danielle Duboise and Whitney Tingle is about to change all of that!

It's pretty, it's festive, it's healthy, it's full of antioxidants...

it makes me blush.
So just like in Mean Girls,
On Wednesdays we eat pink, and actually I could eat it any and every day.

Pink Beet Hummus

makes about 3 cups

1 pound red beens (about 2 medium)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Himalayan salt, or more to taste

1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup tahini

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon black and white sesame seeds, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2, Scrub the beets, drizzle them with 1 teaspoon of the oil and sprinkle with a pinch of the salt. Arrange them on a backing sheet and roast for 40-50 minutes or until you can easily pierce with a knife. Allow the beets to cool completely, then us your hands to gently slip off the skins.

3. Roughly chop the beets and add them to a food processor along with the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and a few cracks of pepper.  Add 1/4 cup of water and process until very smooth adding more water if you like a thinner hummus.  Store in fridge for up to 1 week.  Garnish with sesame seeds.

Thank you to ABRAMS Books for sponsoring this post and for sending me an advanced copy of East Clean Play Dirty as part of the ABRAMS Dinner Party so there will be more wonderful recipes to come.

Bacon-Blue Cheese Ranch Dip from The Bacon Bible

Summer is here and I am so ready to take a "dip", 

Bacon-Blue Cheese Ranch, that is!

This is actually a dressing from the amazing new book, 

The Bacon Bible by Peter Sherman, 

but it is so versatile and delicious it makes the perfect appetizer as well.

It is everything you can imagine it would be.

Cool, creamy, tangy and a kick of bacon...

My advise for the summer? 

Grab a chip and dive right in!

(it pairs perfectly with regular chips or BBQ flavor)

Show up with a jar of the dressing and homemade chips as a hostess gift 

and you know you will always be invited back!

Bacon-Blue Cheese Ranch

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup store bought mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 garlic cloves chopped
4 ounces blue cheese - I love Maytag
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
4 ounces thin sliced bacon cooked until crisp and chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly found black pepper


In a blender, combine the sour cream mayo, buttermilk, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, half of the cheese, the dill bacon and pepper and blend until smooth.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and fold in the remaining cheese.  Cover tightly and refrigerate for at list 30 minutes.  The dressing will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Use it on Wedge Salad, with a platter of chicken wings or as a base for potato salad or coleslaw as well.




Thank you to ABRAMS Books for sponsoring this post and for sending me an advanced copy of The  Bacon  Bible as part of the ABRAMS Dinner Party so there will be more wonderful recipes to come.