Ho, Ho, Ho and a Bottle of Rum!

Bananas Caribbean

I first had this dessert at an unassuming little French restaurant called "La Vie", run by Vietnamese, in a strip mall in Rosemead of all places. The food is classic French, no "nouvelle cuisine" here. You get a soup, salad and  main course for right around $20. The Bananas Caribbean is probably an extra $4.  One taste and I knew I had to have the recipe. I asked the chef if he would share.While most chefs won't share the exact recipe, he gave me all the ingredients and I tinkered with it until I got the right flavor. It's dead easy and a great dinner party dessert, but don't wait for a dinner party, have it tonight! Perfect for a summer solstice evening!



Bananas Caribbean
1/2 of a ripe banana per person (approximately)
1 1/2 Tbl. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbl. unsalted butter
2-3 Tbl. rum

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced bananas and cook a couple of minutes until everything is carmelized and bubbly. Add the rum and cook another minute or two.
Spoon over vanilla bean ice cream. Top with toasted coconut.