A reminder that this week’s discussion is inspired by Mark’s time in Rome — we’ll focus on our favorite travel destinations and the dishes we associate with them. Members can tune in tomorrow, March 24, from 1 to 3 p.m. EST.

Welcome to Day 2 of quick breads on The Bittman Project, where we pick up on a vintage post on banana bread. (You can find Day 1 here.) We’re also including Mark’s zucchini bread recipe and an alternative to yesterday’s original banana bread recipe.

Why is it that every March, banana bread sees a revival — especially in post-pandemic home kitchens? Some responses…

Kerri: … Because bananas are inexpensive, kids like them, it’s easy to make, and keeps for days. It’s what you make the other 10 months of the year when you don’t feel like eating pumpkin bread. But actually, Mark would probably say, if you can find fresh or canned pumpkin, make that instead.

Kate: I hate bananas but love banana bread. A lot of people have been posting their Bittman banana bread, though….

Daniel: If you replace half of the bananas with chocolate chips and criminally underbake it, that’s my jam.

Annie: I love banana bread, but banana bread without nuts is disgusting. Even fully baked, banana bread often seems underbaked. I feel like a crunchy element is essential.

Kerri: I love this thread! If you’ve got any cranberries left from the holidays taking up valuable freezer space, pulse them in the food processor (or chop them up a bit) and use them in place of some or all of the bananas. If you don’t like tartness, up the sugar ¼ cup.

Mark: The thing is that because bananas are good, cheap, ubiquitous, and still in good supply (does anyone hear Chiquita or Dole complaining?), and because we almost always buy more bananas than we eat … there’s almost always a good reason to make banana bread. (Come to think of it…) It’s twice as good with coconut in it.