Recipes from Old Cookbooks: Chiquita Banana's Recipe Book

Chiquita Banana's Recipe Book was published in 1954 by the Home Economics Department of the United Fruit Company of New York 6, New York. The booklet is a virtual banana how-to book. In the early 1950s bananas we fairly new to supermarket and customers were confused about what they were and how to use them. Chiquita was there to answer their queries.

The booklet is 26 pages and is loaded with all sorts of banana recipes for things like Baked Bananas or Ham Banana Rolls. The recipe I chose from this booklet is for everybody's favorite:

BANANA SCALLOPS
Melted fat or salad oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, slightly beaten, or
1/3 cup undiluted evaporated milk
4 firm bananas*
1/2 cup fine corn flake crumbs, bread or cracker crumbs or corn meal

*Use all-yellow or slightly green-tipped bananas

To deep-fry, have deep kettle 1/2 to 2/3 full of melted fat or oil. To shallow-fry, have 1 inch of melted fat or oil in frying pan. Heat fat to 375°F., or until a 1-inch cube of bread will brown in about 40 seconds. Add salt to egg or milk. Peel bananas and slice crosswise into pieces 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Dig into egg or milk. Drain. Roll in crumbs or corn meal. Deep-fry or shallow-fry in the hot fat 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until brown and tender. Drain well. Serve hot as a vegetable. Four serving/

IMPORTANT: Besure fat is at correct temperature (375°F.) before frying.