Bananas Foster

Bananas Foster for Four

¼ C (1/2 stick) butter
1C brown sugar
½ t cinnamon
¼ C banana liqueur
4 bananas cut in half lengthwise, then halved
¼ C rum
4 scoops of vanilla ice cream

1. Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a sauté pan. Place the pan over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves.
2. Carefully add the banana liqueur and the rum then place the bananas in the pan.
3. After the flames subside and the sauce has started to caramelize, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.

Four Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with Sautéed Red Grapes in Chardonnay Beurre Blanc Sauce

At the restaurant, we use a free-range “airline” (has the wing attached) chicken breast and serve this over hazelnut orzo accompanied by haricots vertes in a brown butter sauce. The stuffing can be varied using other cheeses to suite your taste but should be quite thick at room temperature. I like the sauce because, after you get the hang of it, it is very easy to make and very tasty.