recipe 64: grilled banana boats!

So I think the jig is up on the birthday weekend decadence and revelry. After an amazing dinner at Babbo http://www.babbonyc.com/ last night where Tristan and I may or may not have eaten, among four other courses of food- EEK- pig jowls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanciale), and a decadent brunch with my family today, I think it's time to do some sort of cleanse! But first, some words on chocolate bocconotti. Bocconotti from Lucibello's (http://www.lucibellospastry.com/index.php) was definitely my favorite dessert growing up. My parents brought me some today and I think the cleanse really starts after I finish eating them. Here's what one looks like:

totally, totally my favorite dessert

When I was little, my grandpa used to always bring a big box of chocolate and vanilla bocconotti to birthday parties and holidays. I assumed it was every child's favorite dessert. I was shocked out of my mind to find out that other than my family, apparently nobody else on earth has heard of this. Bocconotti is virtually impossible to find outside of my family's little corner of Connecticut. In fact, I've never seen these outside of two Italian bakeries in New Haven. They're so good. So, so good! Maybe I'll learn how to make them one day. It looks like they might be a little difficult to whip up (what with all of that complicated-looking pastry dough and complicated-looking chocolate filling), so this project is on the back-burner.

And speaking of desserts, here's another grummer recipe courtesy of Stacey, courtesy, I believe, of this Whole Foods recipe: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2564.

GRILLED BANANA BOATS (serves 4)
Ingredients:
-4 bananas (leave the skins on)
-chocolate chips
-peanut butter chips
-sliced strawberries
-graham cracker crumbs
-mini-marshmallows
-chopped walnuts

Instructions:
1) heat the grill
2) slice each banana lengthwise through the top of the peel without cutting through the bottom side
3) pry open the bananas and arrange some (or all!) of the above toppings inside, making sure the marshmallows are on top
4) make foil bowls around each banana, leaving the top open
5) grill the bananas for about ten minutes, or until the toppings are starting to look melty

YUM!!!