Catching a break in the kitchen, the banana at long last is king. Years of average scores amongst consumers, barely a look-in, the banana now stands tall and proud amongst the legumes, the apples and the vegan meat substitutes. The fruit market avocados, who once were a formidable force, now wait to soften and cave into themselves, soon to be discarded in a tower of mulch and kitchen roll. It is now the trusty banana- sturdy and protein packed, that takes centre stage.
The spotlight is earned by the endless waiting and lurking, kept away from other fruit for fear that the banana may accelerate the ageing process of its peers; the plum, the orange, the grape. It is now the banana who is ageing fast, but in its final days, when its skin is bruised and soft and peeling, the banana is much desired. Oh to be desired in old age. For the banana, maturity its advantageous in the kitchen climate. Bursting out of its skin, the yolk yellow, gooey flesh oozes out in small eruptions. Skin removed, this goop is placed in a bowl and the meditative process of mashing begins.
The consumer delves into the internet abyss of ‘Top ten ways to snazz up your cooking’ and clicks on BANANA BREAD- the pandemic’s shining star, and scours the recipe for such elixirs as TURMERIC, CARDAMOM AND CINNAMON. The more vitamins, cancer fighting abilities, radiance enhancing nutrients, the better. The recipe demands that sugar be replaced by agave nectar, but cautions against too many components, the banana must be the star.
Salt in moderation, place in oven, wait for results.
Once baked- the warm, sweet aroma of the goopy flesh permeates the kitchen. The bread sits and rests on the counter. During this period, it is carefully observed by its creator who insists that it ‘must be left alone to cool!’, but for the devoted cook the clock seems to slow and the anticipation of result grows urgent and all consuming. The chef paces with the angst of a teenager, shooting desperate glances at the baking tin.
Catching a break in the kitchen, the banana at long last is king. Years of average scores amongst consumers, barely a look-in, the banana now stands tall and proud amongst the legumes, the apples and the vegan meat substitutes. The fruit market avocados, who once were a formidable force, now wait to soften and cave into themselves, soon to be discarded in a tower of mulch and kitchen roll. It is now the trusty banana- sturdy and protein packed, that takes centre stage.
Nearby, a bowl of fresh new bananas wait in rest, eager to enlist. The new recruits are leathery and firm. They have not yet weathered the effects of time and stand strong, thrusting from their shared stalk.
Once the bread is cooled, members of the household, kitchen dwellers and friends of the chef, gawp as the knife sinks into the bread. Much like a broadway show, each banana bread eater congratulates the chef with phrases and questions like;
THAT IS THE BEST BANANA BREAD I HAVE EVER HAD!
IS THIS YOUR OWN RECIPE?
YOU’RE A VERY TALENTED COOK
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT BANANA BREAD COULD BE SO GOOD!
The air is thick with praise, bouncing around the echo chamber of the Covid- Era kitchen.
The young recruits beam and blush as the fridge hums and moans in the stillness of the post banana bread consumption. Each drawer, level and Tupperware box is packed full of prospective newcomers or has-been superstars hoping for a resurrection. The gherkin wonders if it’s pickled nutrients will ever cure cancer, the egg prays for the continuation of bottomless brunch. In the cheese drawer, the halloumi confides in the feta it’s fears that the courgette may have peaked in the days of the Spiralizer. Years old cans of chickpeas long to be ground into a hummus. A mutual resentment towards the banana is palpable.
Much is uncertain but the banana rests easy for now. It’s time is not over yet; It has not yet aged, it is not even ripe. Surveying the kitchen, with an understanding of the imminent heat death that awaits, the current kitchen alpha peacefully reigns without trepidation. For the banana, the knowledge that it is desired is enough. Meanwhile its peers, piled on top of one another in the dusty cupboards or crammed into a drawer, grow ever more lonely, bitter, anxious and old.