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What does this delicious but decadent dessert signify?  Well, following the Elian Gonzalez "rescue" by armed feds just before Easter Sunday,  Miami's City Hall celebrated by joining the fracas.  The Mayor, dubbed "Crazy Joe" by his detractors, demanded the City Manager fire the Police Chief, apparently for not declaring war on the Federal Government.  The City Manager, with a soft spot for the police department since HE used to be Police Chief himself, refused.  The Mayor thereupon fired the City Manager.  The Police Chief resigned in protest.  The City Manager immediately swore in a new Police Chief, his personal assistant, before the firing became official.  This didn't set well with the Mayor, who wanted to choose a new Police Chief himself.  They all began to threaten each other.   

Some wag fastened a huge, beautiful glossy banner across the front of City Hall one night, greeting early arrivals with the legend "Banana Republic".  Since then, detractors have taken to driving by City Hall and throwing bananas at the front door.  Whole bunches of bananas.  They won't stop.   The police won't arrest them for littering.  The Mayor wishes they'd quit monkeying around.  City workers are eating the bananas for lunch (really!)  Most of the rest go to feed the large homeless population (really!) and the pigeons. 

"Loco" and "nuts" are words often bandied about Miami these days.  Everybody, for one reason or another, thinks City Halls' high jinks are a rum deal.  Well, we have to use up those bananas somehow.  Everyone must have a treat at the circus, right?  Here's ours...

The Miami Sundae         
For each sundae:

1 parfait glass
1 fully ripe but still firm banana
2 scoops vanilla ice cream, ice milk or frozen yogurt  (Note)
1 heaping tablespoon orange marmalade
1 tablespoon rum   (optional but recommended)
1/4 cup walnut or pecan pieces
whipped topping   (Note)
chocolate syrup

Peel the banana and cut in half crossways.   Cut one half into quarters the long way.  Place the long strips on end in the parfait glass, evenly spaced, with the thicker end down.

Add one scoop of ice cream in the middle of the strips.   Top with the orange marmalade.  Slice the rest of the banana in thin slices and arrange half of them on top of the marmalade.

Put in another scoop of ice cream, and top with the rest of the banana slices.  Add the rum, sprinkling it evenly over the ice cream and bananas.  Add another tablespoon of rum if you live in Miami.

Grate or finely chop the nuts (a Mouli grater works great).  Sprinkle half over the ice cream.  Pile on whipped topping to taste.  Drizzle artistically with chocolate syrup and sprinkle with the rest of the nuts.   Voila!

Free Survey

Little paper umbrellas are optional.   Top it with a cherry?  Naaaah.   Should be obvious that Miami lost it long ago.

Note:  The State of Florida had to threaten the city with takeover a couple of years ago before the city agreed to cut the fat, but you can do better than that.  Cut out quite a few fat calories by using low-fat ice milk or frozen yogurt.  Likewise for the whipped topping.