recipe

What is SPAM good for? Well, it may be an acquired taste, but before "spam" became an online nuisance, it was a food. Remember? And while some snooty foodies will heap ridicule upon those of us lowbrow commoners who consider SPAM a legitimate ingredient, I have to say to anyone who is judging SPAM by its reputation alone, "Try it. You might like it." Seriously! For example, here is a photo of some delicious fried rice I made the other day. Maybe I'll call it SPAM Rice Royale, or something else that sounds tempting and exotic. See the lovely, tender onions and green peppers? The authentic leftover steamed Japanese white rice? Notice the beautifully browned SPAM cubes? That's the secret! The SPAM must be diced and browned, so that at least two sides of the cubes are carmelized and a bit crisp. That's what makes this such a tasty treat! Additionally, I sprinkle the rice with a little bit of seasoned salt, garlic powder, fresh ground pepper, and a splash of Kikkoman shoyu (soy sauce). And if it were up to me, I'd also add some carrots and frozen peas, but Hubby doesn't eat those. And since I'm so nice, I usually leave them out. And there you have it. GeekMom's SPAM Rice Royale. For the record, Hubby is a picky eater, and he had seconds for dinner, and took the rest to work for lunch the next day. Try it. You might like it!

Making a perfect pie crust is a skill that can take years to perfect. How can something made from such simple ingredients be so difficult to master? I don't know! That's why I always buy pre-made crusts! But this year, I am going to figure out the magic and mystery behind homemade pie crust. I have gathered some helpful video tutorials on pie crust making, along with some highly-rated recipes, and put them all together on this page. I've included video from Alton Brown and Cat Cora, as well as some home cooks. It's amazing how you can conjure such a delicious, tender, flaky, golden, crispy, soft, beautiful crust from just flour, fat, salt, and water. Sure, some people add extra stuff, but the basics are always the same. I've never had great success with pie crust. Maybe it's because I'm too impatient to mix the cold fat with the flour properly. Or maybe it's because my hands are always warm, so the dough gets sticky and overworked. I don't know. But I hope I can figure it out this season. Otherwise, it's back to the frozen crusts for good!

Every time I make this, people ask for the recipe. Thought I'd share it here.

• 1 c. sugar1 stick margarine, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• dash of salt
• dash of nutmeg
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to about 350 and grease or spray pans (loaf, cake or muffin). Cream margarine and sugar together. Add eggs and blend. Mix together dry ingredients in separate bowl and then add to margarine mixture, and mix. Add mashed bananas and vanilla. Scrape down bowl and mix. Pour into pans and bake until toothpick comes out clean (approx. 60 min for large loaf; approx. 18 min for muffins). Do not overbake. Remove from pans and cool on racks. Then wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.