Map Unavailable

Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/01/2021
All Day

A monthly cooking challenge to spice up your kitchen… Try something new for dinner! Each month, pick up a FREE spice sample. The packet will also include a simple recipe and a list of cookbooks with additional recipes using the featured spice. Post a photo of your completed dish on Facebook or email it to jdickenson@polklibrary.org for an entry into our monthly gift card drawing.

April’s Spice: Chinese Five Spice
Although the exact origins of five-spice powder are lost to history, there is some thought that the Chinese were attempting to produce a “wonder powder” encompassing all of the five elements—wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. These elements are represented by the five flavors sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty. A standard recipe calls for fennel, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns. However, you’ll also find five-spice powder made with cassia, ginger, nutmeg, and even licorice.

Recipe: Chinese Five Spice Banana Bread
INGREDIENTS

  • 1/3 cup butter, plus extra for the pan
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Butter a 4×8 inch loaf pan.
  3. Melt the butter in a microwave in a large bowl.
  4. Add the bananas and mash with a fork till they are broken down and fully combined with the butter.
  5. Add the Chinese Five Spice, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine.
  6. Add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine. Then add the flour and stir just till fully combined.
  7. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked through. Use a wooden skewer to crumb test.
  8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing and slicing.

Cookbooks with other Chinese Five Spice recipes:

    • The Spice and Herb Bible by Ian Hemphill
    • How to Grill by Steven Raichlen
    • Authentic Recipes from Vietnam by Trieu Thi Choi and Marcel Isaak
    • River Cottage Veg by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
    • Chinese Heritage Cooking From My American Kitchen by Shirley Chung

Categories