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 a place for my responses to the prompts from Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar |
Fun times never stop at "Invalid Item"  .
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| Read it in the Sunday Papers - Write about the first major news story you remember from your childhood. When I was a kid, the Cold War was in full swing. It was us against the USSR (or Russians, as we liked to link them all together). It was a time of rushing to see which country would make the next milestone in the Space Race and spies and espionage. Russia kicked ass in many different games in the Olympics more often than not and there was always a feeling of pride when our athletes out-performed theirs. It was the time of Mary Lou Retton, Wayne Gretzky, and Roger Clemens. It was the Reagan Era in the grand old U.S of A. Sports dominated the news alongside the goings on of the Cold War. The first major news story I remember vividly was when I was 13 years old, November 1989, the Berlin Wall finally fell. The news continued to show the clips from June 1987 when Ronald Reagan was quoted saying, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Then-President Ronald Reagan stood before hundreds of cameras in West Berlin and called for Mikhail Gorbachev to open the Berlin Wall, which had separated West and East Berlin since 1961. I remember images of the wall, covered in graffiti, being pulled down and the people cheering wildly. I honestly don't think that before that, I cared much for the news. Heck, I still don't today.  |
| In real life, my Saturday has been all about disc golf. Yeah, that's a real sport. Disc golf is like ball golf only different. Hear me out on this, we have the same basic rules and scoring system, we have out of bounds and bunkers and fairways and greens. But instead of hitting a tiny ball with an odd-shaped stick (or club if you'd rather be technical) toward a hole in the ground, our goal is to throw discs (like Frisbees only smaller) toward and ultimately into metal baskets which are stationed on/in the ground on poles. Just like ball golf has different clubs for different shots, we have different discs for different shots. We have putters, mid-ranges, and drivers. The drivers are over-stable, under-stable, or designed to go straight. Stability in the driver affects the turn of the disc in flight. Certain holes throughout the eighteen-hole course will curve left or right, so knowing which disc will go a certain direction when you throw it is very helpful in determining which disc to throw. Since the pandemic began, interest in disc golf has been on the rise. It is one of those sports that fit in with the demands of social distancing; a way for people to get out of the house and get some fresh air and exercise. Any person can play regardless of age, ability, etc. It's a walk in the park after all. You're primarily competing against yourself anyway. There are actually people in their 70's and 80's who still play. Disc golf is generally cheap to play compared to many other sports. For instance, most of the courses are public and do not require greens fees for a person to play like ball golf courses do. Disc golf isn't a new sport by any means. People have been playing disc golf since at least the early 1980's. However, due to the advancements in internet technology, it is being seen by wider and wider audiences. It ain't just pot smoking hippies that play anymore. We've gone professional and there are actually people who make their living throwing discs at baskets. Nowadays, bigger professional tournaments have been shown on ESPN, there are videos of tournaments and casual play galore on youtube. You can even find how-to videos online. For some, disc golf might be just a fad that they forget about after a while. But for those of us who've been playing for a while (half my life so far), disc golf is a way of life... Just a word to the wise, if you can't handle friendly shit-talking while playing a sport, disc golf might not be for you. It's just how most of us are and we like it that way. |
| You've just landed the job of restaurant reviewer for the local newspaper. Visit the other challengers' Banana Bar Fine Dining Establishments from their April 7th entries, then write a review for each of them. Review of jondakota's McBanana Bar & Grill Upon arrival at the McBanana Bar & Grill, I was immediately welcomed with bright colors and friendly characters from days of yore. I was transported back to my childhood. The employees were all very friendly and took my order with a smile and a "Thank You". As I waited on my order, I walked around looking at all the memorabilia from a time long gone. Then I sat down at a table and waited for one of the youths to bring me my meal and drink. When my food came, it was hot and true to my order, a plus in my opinion. The fries were deliciously salty and mysteriously addictive. The Quarter with cheese that I ordered tasted like a flashback to the 1980's, back when the meat products were actually some kind of meat (unknown as it might be). My bun was toasted to perfection and the veggies were fresh. The apple pie I ordered for dessert was crisp and cinnamony sweet. I give this restaurant 4 stars on the Fast Food Restaurant scale. The range of choices, freshness of the food, and friendliness of the employees all work together to make The McBanana Bar & Grill a Top 5 Fast Food Restaurant in our area. And kudos for bringing back all our favorite burger buds!  Review of QueenNormaJean Julyishereboom!'s Bistro Bengali All the hype about Chef Sunita Patel is just that, hype. Chef Patel could have done amazing things with an Indian restaurant at the Banana Bar, but she didn't. It begs the question, "Is she really a chef at all?" The samosas were bland, lacking any flavor other than the oil with which they were cooked. The meat inside questionable as to its origin. The tandoori chicken had an overabundance of spices, namely the turmeric, cayenne, and ginger, which made this dish unpalatable. The butter chicken was equally a bomb, as it was dry to the point of being mummified. The rice was decent, other than the fact that I could make better rice at home and the so-called chutney was simply chopped up fig particles mixed with brown sugar, ginger, and Hing. Hoping it would be the saving grace of the meal, I was let down by the flavor of the lassi, as it turned out to just be buttermilk seasoned with curry of all things. All in all, the best part of this meal was the food fight instigated by the monkey waiters in the so-called Bistro. It was a great time, but it took me almost a week to get over the food poisoning from the meal. I'd unfortunately have to give this establishment one star - and this is only because you cannot give establishments negative stars. My recommendation for the owner of this Bar and Fine Dining restaurant would be to find an actual chef to create your dishes. Any old monkey could have done a better job in the kitchen than Ms. Patel.  |
| You've just been hired as head chef at Andre's Banana Bar & Fine Dining. What changes do you make to the restaurant and menu? Write about your experience. Recently when I was out of the house, Ravyn took down a message for me from the crew at Andre's Banana Bar. When I arrived home, Ravyn could hardly get the message out, as she was so excited to tell me the good news. I'd been chosen for the newly created position of Head Chef for the restaurant they were changing over from a diner to fine dining. "I can't believe it," Ravyn gushed. "We're going to make so many delicious goodies for the Bar customers!" "I know," MJ retorted. "Think of all the sweets we'll get to taste while we're concocting new desserts!" I look at them both, a smile turning up the corners of my mouth at the thought that both my girls could actually be on the same page about something. "Who said you two would be helping me in the kitchens?" I ask them. MJ hung her head a little lower as she shoved her lower lip out in a pout. "But can't we just go sometimes? You know, to give you ideas and all." "We'll see. Now, I have to start designing the new menu as well as coming up with what I am going to serve for the Grand Re-Opening meal. Would you girls like to help me with that? Let's start with the re-opening meal and go from there. Maybe we can get some ideas of what we can serve on the menu while we're thinking of what to create for it." "Bananas Foster! That's a great dessert and it fits in with the whole Banana Bar theme and all!" MJ said, once again excited about being able to give her two cents worth. "That sounds good." Ravyn said. "Can I choose the sides for the meals?" "Sure, but I have to okay everything before we decide to keep them in the line-up. " I respond to Ravyn. I couldn't have asked for better help from the two of them. I mean, if I had asked, at least one of them wouldn't have been willing to help. It's a good thing I have these girls as muses! This is a lot of work for one woman to think up and create all on her own. "Let me start with the appetizers," I say out loud to myself. "What are some good offerings for a fine dining restaurant?" "How about some calamari? That stuff is good!" Ravyn says, eyes still focused on the side dish recipes I had saved to my Cloud. "Good! That's one appetizer to add to the list! Maybe some duck and onion chutney canapes would be nice too." I say. I look at my collection of recipes to find more delectable ideas. After a day of brain bending thought, I believe the girls and I found the perfect menu and starter meal. Grand Re-Opening Meal Appetizer: choice of two amongst fig and olive tapenade, duck and onion chutney canapes, stuffed mushrooms, salt cod croquettes, calamari, French onion & Gruyere mini boule, not-so-traditional shrimp cocktail, or blue cheese and pear tartlets Main Dish: choose one grilled steak of lamb, Vegan lasagna, portobello steak, cabbage rolls with mushrooms and wild rice stuffing, filet mignon, maple and orange pork, or duck roulade Sides: choose two: roasted asparagus with cheese sauce, grilled portabellas sauteed in wine, fried stuffed squash blossoms, Moroccan couscous, or a Sicilian grilled vegetable salad Desserts: the Bar Special - Bananas Foster, Japanese mochi, vegan lemon cake made with olive oil, or sugar roasted peached with burrata and honey These will be the starters of our menu, which will be continuously added to until such time as we have an enticing menu for even the most discerning of tastebuds. We will also have a selection of Vegan offerings for those who do not eat animal products. The kick-off night went great! Well, other than MJ and Lil' Lime Squeeze taking their munchies out on all of the desserts, so more desserts had to be made frequently throughout the night. The crowd loved the dishes offered. The favorites ordered were the Duck Roulade with roasted asparagus and fried squash blossoms as the sides. The appetizers were all a great hit, but personally, my favorite (since as Head Chef I had to taste everything before I would allow any to leave the kitchen) was French onion and Gruyere boule. The duck and onion chutney was pretty pleasing too. As far as desserts, the mochi was most ordered, as it is difficult to find good mochi in the West. The mochi was closely followed by out House Specialty, the Bananas Foster, however. Which, if you ask MJ, was one of her favorites too. The Re-Opening night went off so well, it landed the Banana Bar on the front page of The Daily Chattering, a global news source for everything monkey related. In the middle of the article, there was a picture of me and Andre standing in front of the Banana Bar, holding plates of our new dishes out to the camera. We did it! Now to see how long this streak lasts... |
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