Tapioca Flour Sticks

Once upon a time, a long time ago, when I thought I would never be able to bake well,  someone told me that making "biscoitos de polvilho" was a impossible mission. One of my grandma's friends told me that I had to have lots of patience and time. And sometimes even some good luck.

On a wet Tuesday afternoon that seemed to be what I had: Time, patience, tapioca flour (from Bob's Mill)  and luck to be in the mood to bake.  I thought that maybe the four boys would get interested to play with the supposed to be very gooey mix - something like white glue papier machê- and make shapes with them while squeezing the dough out of the bag.

It didn't happen. But the three of them couldn't stop eating the crunchy, savory and irresistible sticks as they came straight from the oven. Darienne was the perfect partner to make those crazy shapes.
This recipe is adapted from the original by Dona Maria José da Silva, a Brazilian wise lady who specializes on making all sorts of baked goods, from crackers to cookies.
During the whole process I was puzzled by the texture of the batter, and even dared to play with some ingredients, adding less milk than recommended and jazzing it up with some spices. The result was great. On the next day, best friends arrived from Brazil for a short visit - and were happy to try those,  which were served as a starter for a very long and delicious lunch.

Tapioca Flour Sticks (Biscoito de Polvilho Seco) 

You can store in a sealed plastic bag for about a couple of days. This recipe makes about 100 sticks or less, depending on how wide is the cut you make on the tip of the plastic bag. 

4 1/2 to 6  cups tapioca flour
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup boiling water
1 large egg, beaten
3  to 4 cups of milk
1 teaspoon garlic (optional)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 390 F. In a very large bowl, mix tapioca flour, salt, oil and cover the ingredients with boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon. When cool enough to the touch, start kneading the mix with your hands. When the mix is looking even - but coarse - add egg and then milk little by little, using your hands to mix. If it gets too liquid, keep adding more flour up to when it looks like it's going to keep a texture to be squeezed from bag.You can add the garlic and the Parmesan after baking half of a batch without them, so to taste the whole tapioca as it is. Transfer fair amounts of batter to a plastic bag and make a small hole in it. Line baking sheets with silicone liner and distribute the stripes of dough in the manner you wish. Bake the sticks for about 20 minutes or more, up to when golden. Let them cool down for a while and enjoy!

Crocodile's Fool Banana Bonbons

So, what if a kid-crocodile wakes up in the mood for eating a child?

Maybe he will have a banana. Maybe he won't eat anything!

Right? Maybe. Here's a big thanks to this creative writer, who wrote this quirky and hilarious book that may raise your kids' appetite for a banana or banana inspired recipe! Or maybe, really, anything edible to make him/her to grow up.

This is one of my kid's favorite book. I'd Really Like to Eat a Child, by Sylvianne Donnio, was given by Darienne to one of my kids, two years ago, as a birthday gift. They always have a blast reading it. And when I am upset by their sporadic hunger strike (yes, believe me, they all do have a period to refuse to eat), this is the book I read to my kids.

So, last time I was looking for inspiration for the Cooking Club at school, I found it in this story. The initial idea was to make some healthy bites that would include banana and other ingredients to make a kind of surprising "candy."

The first time we tried to develop the recipe was during our playdate with our four boys. They again enjoyed listening to the story, read by Darienne. After that we all played with making the dough, and coating the little balls with chocolate sprinkles, white chocolate chips, and even rice crisps. Some thought the mix was too gooey and baby food-like. Others enjoyed the whole process and the product.

At school, for the Cooking Club,  I added another step to the recipe: with a toy hammer, kids had the chance of smashing a bag full of vanilla wafers to turn them into crumbs. We also swapped the original extra cup of oatmeal for nice, crisp granola. This gave more texture to the bonbons so that we didn't even have to bring them to the fridge to make them firmer. Some kids just couldn't eat enough of them. Others, just like the crocodile with his bananas, were not so enthusiastic about the final product. But they all enjoyed using the hammer and imagining if we would fool the crocodile with our banana bonbons.

Banana Bonbons

Good reviews may come even from the kids who don't care for bananas. You can play with it as well -- nuts might be a wonderful addition, as well as any kind of dried fruit.

1 1/2 large or 2 medium ripe bananas
1 cup quick oatmeal
1 cup your favorite granola
2 tablespoons dulce de leche (cooked condensed milk) or nut butter
1 cup crushed vanilla wafers, in crumbs (I used Trader Joe's brand, which is free of high-fructose corn syrup)
1 tablespoon raisins
1/4 teaspoon cocoa
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
For rolling and topping:
Shredded coconut, toasted or not
Chocolate sprinkles
Chocolate chips, to put on the top of bonbons.

Mash bananas with the help of a fork. Kids can help with that process. After , they will love to crush the vanilla wafers inside a plastic bag, using a meat hammer or even a plastic toy hammer. Mix everything to an even  texture and roll in the covering of your choice. Cool them in freezer for about 15 minutes to firm texture, if needed. Enjoy! (... And save some for Achilles, the kid-croc...)

Spring Pea Dip

The kids didn't go for this easy, healthy dip. They're crazy. Just meant more for me, and I couldn't stop scooping it up. Peas, an added boost from spinach, a burst of lemon, and a kiss of nutmeg -- yum! This looks and tastes like spring to me.

Set this out as a dip for raw veggies, slather it on Melba toast, or spread it in a pita as a base for a veggie sandwich. It takes just a few minutes to whip up.

Spring Pea Dip

To play with the flavor, try adding a handful of fresh herbs -- mint, cilantro, or parsley would work nicely.

2 cups peas, frozen or fresh
1/2 cup water
generous handful of baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
a pinch or two of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Combine water and peas in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and cook for 5 minutes. Strain peas, reserving cooking liquid.

Combine peas and remaining ingredients and blend thoroughly in a food processor or blender. Add a tablespoon or more of the cooking liquid and keep blending until you reach the desired consistency.

Serve dip with fresh vegetables, bread, or crackers.