A friend of his back in Pennsylvania held a pan too close to the dining room curtains and whoosh!

So Smith, the chef and kitchen manager at Tupelo's in Hillsborough, is glad that he gets to keep the flames in the kitchen when making that classic flambeed dessert, Bananas Foster.

A New Orleans specialty, Bananas Foster is one of the most popular desserts on the menu at Tupelo's, which specializes in upscale Southern food with a Big Easy twist. Think "Bayou Voodoo" shrimp in a spicy beer reduction or grilled sirloin with crawfish etouffee sauce, served in a cozy dining room hung with Mardi Gras posters, the large windows overlooking downtown Churton Street.

Though making Bananas Foster is as simple as it gets, the flames that leap up when the cook pours banana liqueur and rum into the pan full of hot sugar and butter makes it showy enough for the holidays.

Working quickly, Smith, a wiry man with a stubbly gray beard and a baseball cap, melted dark brown sugar and butter in a heavy pan. He squeezed half an orange into the mixture and whisked it briskly. As the caramel bubbled, Smith poured in a slug of banana liqueur and the pan erupted in two-foot high flames, sending a surge of heat through the small kitchen.

Smith is a fan of Bananas Foster himself; though he quit drinking a while back, he still enjoys the taste of alcohol, much of which burns off in the cooking process.

"I love it," he said, pouring the banana mixture over two enormous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Your holiday dinner guests will love it too. Provided you don't set the curtains on fire.