Alana Breen Composition 13 Dec. 2001 Light My Fire Of all my memories growing up as a child, the most vivid are those of the elaborate dinner parties my parents threw. They are definitely some of my fondest because they included three very important components: family, fun and food! For the most part, my mother would create marvelous dishes, and my father would thrill our guests. They could have charged an entrance fee because they were so entertaining. Our guests were always dazzled by my mom's amazing food and my dad's stories and music. Unfortunately, at one of the parties, my dad took the entertainment too far; he lit the dog on fire. Dinner was perfect as usual-delicious-the conversations engaging, and my dad entertaining. As the main course was coming to an end, everyone began to get excited about dessert. This was also my dad's area of expertise, and it had become somewhat of a tradition for him to make flambéed bananas. Flambé means "to set on fire," and one can probably guess it is the bananas engulfed in flames. This was definitely the biggest highlight of the night as everyone, including our Chihuahua, Girly, looked forward to the spectacle. Once dinner was over, dad set up his stage. First, he placed the large portable grill on the table and turned on the heat. Once it was hot, he placed butter on it. After the butter had melted, bananas, which were sliced in half, were placed on the grill. As they began to heat and change color, brown sugar was sprinkled all over them; then, they were flipped to ensure both sides were coated evenly. Everyone waited with anticipation as the best part of the show was about to begin. My dad poured orange brandy and lit a match which ignited the whole grill of bananas into flames. Usually, while flambéing, dad would stun the crowd with a few cool tricks. The bananas would then be enjoyed on top of vanilla ice cream. Well, I guess I forgot to mention that along with our guests, our Chihuahua enjoys watching the bursting flames. Dad got a bit carried away entertaining everyone, and flipped a flaming banana high into the air. Unfortunately, for our dog, it landed right on top of her. My mom burst into screams of horror as she urgently tried to extinguish the flames covering her baby. Many of our guests burst into laughter. It took only a few moments to put out the flames, but Girly was traumatized. Fortunately, she only had a few black spots and eventually her hair grew back. Everyone loved dessert, and the night was definitely memorable. Unfortunately, flambéed bananas are rarely prepared in our house anymore, and they are not even mentioned when my mom or Girly are present. That night was definitely a memorable event in my life, and I miss the flambéed bananas at our dinner parties. I would definitely recommend them if you want to entertain your guests and cook up something good to eat. But whatever you do, don't light the dog on fire: maybe go for your uncle's toupee instead. |