The Allure of the Claw - Shrimp with Green Bananas

"The claw is our master." It is one of my favorite lines from the movie Toy Story. Those cute little aliens are looking up at the claw while in the giant toy machine. They don't realize the menace in this giant claw. The claw machine is one of my favorites at the arcade. It has the same powerful draw for me as for the little aliens. Maybe we all look up to the sky for different reasons.

Years ago, when G and I first met, one of our first dates was at the arcade. The claw machine was like an addiction for me and still is. I am certain I can win a toy. I love moving the joystick, positioning it just so over the perfect toy, hitting the button, watching the claw descend, and then picking up said toy and depositing it into the bin. What a sense of satisfaction reaching into your spoils of victory. On the other hand, G argues that it is a giant scam. They take thirty dollars from you only to get a woefully small stuffed animal worth fifty cents.

To be clear, I have won several stuffed animals, and it's not like my hard work has gone to waste. I won a tweety bird that was dressed like the statue of liberty. And an orange clown with a rainbow bib. All stuffed animals that the kids now love. Unfortunately, I did not win any toys with G. Perhaps I am a little distracted.

And so, when there was a kid's birthday party this weekend, I was excited that I would get another crack at the claw machine. Their friend's party was at a place aptly named Rascal's Fun Zone. It lived up to its name with a mini race track, bumper cars, and an arcade. We tried to steer the kids towards the race track, but the allure of the arcade was too strong.

Poet's singular focus was collecting as many tickets as possible to take to the counter and claim a toy. He initially wanted a set of knockoff matchbox cars that required 2500 tickets, which is pretty near impossible. I think they keep it in the case to torture little kids. Flower, on the other hand, was mesmerized by the claw. She put token after token in, hoping to win a stuffed animal. But no luck. We finally had to cut her off. Not only did she not win a stuffed animal, but there were no tickets to be had either, leaving Poet short on tickets for a prize. G headed for ski ball, his favorite.

We finally headed for some ticket-heavy games. The kids enjoyed pulling on a giant lever, and the handle stopped at a ticket value. It reminded me of the giant wheel on the Price is Right. And there was also a giant Plinko-like game where you dropped the ball from the top, and it would hopscotch down into a bowl of prizes.

We collected as many as we could before becoming simply tired. Poet and Flower collected enough tickets to get pretty decent prizes. Poet got a giant tub of pink cotton candy that he promptly ate in one fell swoop. And Flower got a little flower fidget spinner, which I found is remarkably fun to spin. But Flower still had not won a stuffed animal. We all enjoyed birthday cake with our friends. The kids left tired but happy.

Flower was disappointed not to have won at the claw game. Not to be on this trip, but perhaps next time. Maybe we'll both win something.

Shrimp with Green Bananas (Jhinga aor Kaacha Mouz)

This is a spicy Indian dish with green bananas and shrimp. Its not too spicy with fresh cilantro, coriander powder and turmeric. I love green bananas because they are not too sweet and offer a nice balance to the shrimp.

Green bananas are unripe bananas. They are less sweet and have a good amount of fiber. You can also use plantains for this recipe which are part of the banana family too.

Serves 4

• 2 medium green bananas or plantains - quartered and cut in 1/4" pieces
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1/2 lb shrimp
• 4 tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• 4 cardamon
• 2 green chilis (chopped)
• 1 inch ginger (minced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 medium tomato (chopped)
• 3/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons salt

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the cinnamon, cardamon, cloves. Give it a few stirs. Add the onions and green chilis. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until it sticks and just begins to brown.
3. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric, and salt. Saute until tomatoes are soft.
4. Add coconut powder and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the green bananas and shrimp. Bring to boil then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until bananas are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Serve with roti or rice.