3 Cheers for Saint Patrick's Day and BANOFFEE!! My brother, Jake Scott, picked this recipe up while living in Ireland, it's an Irish and English favorite. Jake has modified the recipe over the years, so he's made this UK favorite one of his own. It's literally banana and toffee with a cookie crust. It's rich, it's over-the-top, and everyone seems to like it. My one suggestion is to keep the serving size small, because this might overpower a lesser sweet tooth.

Banoffee Pie

From the kitchen of Jake "the great" Scott Makes 12-16 servings Prep: 2 (incredibly low-key) hours  Chill: 1 14 ounces crunchy chocolate chip cookies 1/2 cup Butter, softened 2 -14 ounce cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk 3-4 Bananas 1 pint of heavy whipped cream 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar 1 teaspoon of vanilla (optional) 1 bar of chocolate Filling: Place two cans of sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan deeper than the height of the cans. Fill the sauce pan about 3/4 full of water. Cover and place over medium heat. Boil the sweetened condensed milk for 1 and 1/2 hours. Periodically add water to the saucepan to maintain the water between 1/2 and 3/4 full. The sweetened condensed milk will cook to a toffee state. Remove from heat. Pie: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, smash the cookies into pea-sized crumbs, and mix thoroughly with butter. Press mixture into the bottom of the 9x13 pan (or 2 standard pie pans) to form the cookie crust. Bake at 350ºF for 8 minutes. Cool. Whip cream and add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Remove the sweetened condensed milk cans from the saucepan and open. Be sure to place a tea towel over the top of the can opener while opening to prevent spills and/or burns. Pour most of the toffee over the cookie crust and spread evenly. Chill. Just before serving: slice bananas and distribute evenly over top of the toffee, spread whipped cream on top and serve. Garnish with grated chocolate and remaining toffee and bananas. Jake’s notes: I used the Chips Ahoy cookies that have chocolate and peanut butter chips. My notes: I opted out of adding the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla to the whipped cream, since the toffee filling is so sweet. I halved the recipe and it all fit perfectly into a standard pie pan. I also used the Peanut Chunky Chips Ahoy cookies, and it was delicious. •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     •     • The savory (while a huge favorite) wasn't nearly as exciting to make as the Banoffee, but a great way to spruce up dinner vegetables. Nearly a year ago, I came across an article in Cook's Illustrated magazine that has revolutionized my dinner plate. Roasting vegetables brings out a richer flavor by caramelizing them and revitalizes fridge-old produce.

Roasted Veggies

4 servings Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 30 min 2 generous cups of vegetables, sliced or julienned* 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or butter garlic salt, to taste Preheat the oven to 425ºF. In a large bowl, toss vegetables with oil and garlic salt. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and place in the middle rack of the oven. Cook for 30 minutes turning the vegetables every 10 minutes or so. Cook until slightly shriveled and browned. *green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and sunchokes are fabulous in the oven. Even Romaine hearts can be roasted!