BaltimOregon to Maine

I don’t bake nearly enough. But the results are always so instantly gratifying. There’s the real before-and-after sense, with the magic between batter and baked good happening behind the closed door of the oven. Cooking on the stove, on the other hand, is a gradual transformation that unfolds before your eyes.

This is a fabulous Banana Banana Bread recipe, simple and moist and redolent of the pureed fruit, topped with a delicate crushed walnut-turbinado sugar crust. It’s easy to see why it’s a top-rated recipe on Allrecipes.com. Lacking a loaf pan, I used a square one instead, which happily yielded more browned chewy corners. I added vanilla to the batter. Next time, I’ll throw in chocolate chips for Dan. But I prefer the unadulterated banana flavor.