Dinner for Two

Jan's Banana-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cake

Serves 8 to 10

Jan likes to serve this, on occasion, with homemade Blue Bell vanilla on top. If you aren't a fan of peanut butter frosting, Jan says to frost instead with the dark chocolate frosting made with the recipe on the Ghirardelli cocoa can. In the cake recipe, Jan prefers to use organic sugar, thanks to its slight molasses flavor.

Cake:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray for baking

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 cups sugar (organic, preferred)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (usually two bananas)

1 cup sour cream

1 (6-ounce) package mini chocolate chips

Frosting:

Makes 3 1/2 cups

2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (6-ounce) package chocolate chips, if desired

1. To make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 or 3 (8-inch) cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; coat paper with spray, too.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl. Beat in vanilla.

4. Add dry ingredients; beat on low speed just to blend. Add bananas and sour cream; beat just to blend. Divide batter evenly among pans; smooth tops.

5. Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-45 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; peel off parchment and let cool completely.

6. To make frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl until light and fluffy frosting forms. Spread on cooled cake. You can decorate with dark chocolate chips, mini chips, and/or chocolate kisses.

See our website for their Basil Pesto recipe. Devin says a better pesto can't be found.

Tuscan Bean Soup

Serves 6 to 8

Jan says it's OK to substitute canned beans if you're short on time. If you're not a fan of spicy sausage, use a mild version instead. Find the Pomi tomatoes at Central Market, Market Street or World Market stores.

1/2 pound dried cannellini beans (or Great Northern)

1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage

1 chopped yellow or white onion

1 chopped red bell pepper

2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

1 (26.4-ounce) package Pomi chopped tomatoes

4 cups organic chicken stock

1 large zucchini, chopped bite-size

1 to 2 cups tightly packed fresh spinach or chard leaves

1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

1/2 (12-ounce) box tube or seashell pasta, cooked

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 or 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, or to taste

1. Cook the beans in water until just done (probably about 1 1/2 hours). Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook the sausage, onion, red pepper and garlic until sausage is just pink.

2. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and zucchini. Bring back to a simmer and add beans (with just a little cooking liquid), greens and herbs until thoroughly heated, about 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Add cooked, drained pasta and heat through, another 3 to 4 minutes. Salt and pepper as desired. Ladle into big bowls and garnish with Parmesan; serve with some crusty bread and European butter, homemade pesto and/or rich Italian cheese, as well as some freshly grated Parmesan on the side.

Basil Pesto

Makes 6 servings

Devin says a better pesto recipe can’t be found.

6 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons pine nuts

2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

Salt to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons freshly grated Romano cheese

3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1. Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water and gently pat it thoroughly dry.

2. Place the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic and ample pinch of salt in the food processor. Process to a uniform, creamy consistency.

3. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the two grated cheeses. When the cheese has been evenly combined with the other ingredients, mix in the softened butter, distributing it uniformly into mixture. Toss the pesto with pasta or spread it on bread, toasted or room temperature. You can freeze the pesto, leaving out the cheese and butter, up to one month.

— from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan (Alfred A. Knopf, $35)