WAGS' BANANA BREAD RECIPE

3/4 cup margarine or butter-flavored Crisco.

1 1/2 cup sugar.

1 1/2 cup mashed banana (approx. three bananas).

2 eggs, beaten.

1 tsp. vanilla.

2 cups flour.

1 tsp. soda.

1/2 tsp. salt.

1/2 cup buttermilk. NOTE: This is the KEY ingredient...and what makes the recipe superb. Don't shortcut this.

Mix margarine and sugar; add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in Bananas. Add flour, soda, and salt. After everything else is mixed well, add buttermilk. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. (Or drive around for 40 minutes with the bread pan on Ellen's hot manifold.

Car Chef Dan revealing Wags' Banana Bread at Kari Toyota's shop.

The middle pic shows Dan's Rube Goldberg fashioning of the "new" warming oven he's building into the dash where the glove box used to be. We bought an aftermarket transmission cooler and Dan's plumbing it into the cooling system to keep the various stages of the meals warm and toasty.

Bottom shows the nasty ply sep that kept Ellen thumping and whumping down the highway.

I'D WATCH THAT

Jimmy Cooper of the Fractals said, "I'd actually watch this once a week."

Steve's gf said after seeing a clip of COTC, "This is hilarious. I'd actually watch it!" Sweet.

We're seeing a 20 episode season with a seven to eight year run on CBS, NBC, ABC, The Food Network, or, you know, wouldn't it be great if HBO picked COTC? Acronym heaven, man, acronym heaven.

KARI TOYOTA ADVENTURE

Well, Ellen has been getting a lot of attention this week. Master Mechanic, Diligent Dan Dresser, did double duty defraying disabilities on the road by rebuilding the entire front end with the able help of Jody Miller. Then Kari Toyota volunteered four new tires and a whole bunch of parts that are needed to get Ellen into shape for the vaunted trip to New Orleans scheduled to launch on Jan. 19th. See a folio of fun fotos at the Cooking on the Car FACEBOOK GROUP page. Jason, Dan, and Ellen made Manifold Banana Bread for the crew at Kari. 'Twas fun indeed.

PS: Note Ellen's nastily bent antenna.

4 TRACK = FIVE STAR

Carl Sauer, cameraman for 4 Track Films gets the COTC Purple Heart for surviving motion sickness last Sunday as he shot scenes for the upcoming pilot. Meanwhile Jason Page of 4 Track made a Five Star effort getting the "crane shot" and Erin McConnell brought it all together beautifully by providing utinsils so the crew didn't have to eat "finger food." Most Excellent Work Everyone!

Nothing like rosemary potatoes and 16 valves to satisfy road trip hunger.

ON THE ROAD WITH JASON DAVIS AND 4 TRACK FILMS

Well, it's all official. Jason Davis, famed producer of KSTP's "On the Road with Jason Davis" series came up and did a four hour "interview" with Jason and Dan and Ellen. Everyone had a blast. Ellen cooked up rib eye with asparagus and feta cheese and potatoes and carrots. It was delicious!! The segment is going to air in the Twin Cities on KSTP Sunday Jan. 3rd at 10:30 p.m. and on Monday the 4th on WDIO here in Duluth.

Then in January, somewhere 'round the middle thereof, the "Carbeque Crew" sets off for New Orleans and the "Pilot Episode Shoot" with 4 Track Films. It's going to be another rousing trip with stops in Memphis so Dan and Jason can play music, St. Louis for a meal under the Gateway Arch, and possibly a tailgate party at the SuperDome when the Vikes beat the Saints in the NFC playoff game. Won't that be fun!

It's too bad we won't be going to Burbank to challenge Jay Leno to a cook-off, but, maybe later. And, remember, if you have any great recipe suggetions...SEND THEM IN