When two become one

No, I am not referencing the Spice Girls song (but if that’s what came to your mind when you read the title then I’m glad we’re friends).

I’ve decided that I’m going to combine this blog with my other one: The World According to Ree.  I’m finding that I don’t post nearly as much as I would like to (case in point, my last post on here was months ago), so having two blogs doesn’t exactly make sense for me. Seeing as how this is a food-only blog I figured I would shut this one down and only post on The World According to Ree, which has more topics than just food.

It might take a little while for me to transfer all of my posts on here over to the new one, but I think that will make the most sense for me going forward.

Thoughts? Yay? Nay? No more referencing the Spice Girls?  If anyone has an opinion I would love to know your thoughts on it!

The strangest thing I’ve ever eaten

I like to take pride in the fact that I will try (and often enjoy) almost any food. This is certainly not how it has always been seeing as how I was a very, very  picky eater as a child. Up until about the age of 15 or so I never wanted to eat anything other than fettucini alfredo and ice cream. My mom would tell me that everything that was green on my plate was “just parsley”, and if it had an onion in it I went running for the hills.

Nowadays though I find that I am trying new and crazy items that previously would have made me gag. I’ve even grown to love foods like foie gras, sweetbreads and escargot. But to me these things are not strange or unusual, just delicious. Recently I’ve had the opportunity to try chicken hearts (tasted like chicken) and in the past I’ve also tried such things as raw squid (very, very, VERY chewy). But on my most recent trip to New York City I tried what I think is perhaps the most strange item yet: stingray fin.

I’m not thinking of “strange” in the sense of “Ewww I can’t believe someone would actually eat that!”. No, I’m thinking of “strange” being more along the lines of “Wait, that’s something that you can actually eat?” Never have I looked at a stingray and thought that it’s fins looked tasty, or edible. So you can imagine my surprise when we sat down to dinner at Village Yokocho in the East Village and I saw grilled stingray fin on the menu.

The Russian is usually the instigator when it comes to all of the new and strange foods that I’ve tried (he is the one behind the raw squid and chicken hearts), and that was no different this time. As we were looking over the menu he decided that we had to try the grilled stingray fin, and although I was very intrigued I had no idea what to expect. When the dish came out it was served as small slivers of the cut up fin that had been grilled with a nice char on the outside. There was a side of some sort of aioli, but after taking the first bite of the fin I paid no attention to the sauce.

In one word I would describe the fin as this: INCREDIBLE. It might even have been (dare I say it!) one of the best dishes that I have ever had. The meat had an odd texture: it was a little chewy and tough (but not in the raw squid kind of way), but the flavor was out of this world. The fin was sweet and had an ever so slight fish taste, and the char from the grill gave it a smoky flavor that seemed to just enhance the taste of the meat.

After the first bite we both looked at each other and proclaimed how we couldn’t believe that the dish was so good! I would have been happy eating nothing but that for the rest of the meal, but the squid balls and noodle bowl that we also ordered were already on their way.

If I ever see stingray fin on a menu I will not hesitate to order it, and if I’m ever back at the Village Yokocho the first thing I’m going to do is look for that dish as a special again.  I never would have thought that one of the best things I’ve ever eaten would come in the form of grilled stingray fin, but man oh man was it amazing.

This experience has only motivated me even more to try new and different foods, and although I know that not everything I try will be as delicious as the stingray fin, I can only hope that there will be more amazing dishes in my future. Long gone are the days of fettucini alfredo, my 15 year old self would be shocked.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red velvet cake is one of my favorite desserts, but I love it even more in cupcake form. These cupcakes always get great reviews whenever I make them for Christmas parties, birthdays, etc.  While I am still on the search for the perfect red velvet recipe, this one has been my favorite so far.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12 cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla with a handheld mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins and fill about 2/3 way. Bake for about 20-22 minutes, turning  the pans once halfway through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick to see if they are done. Remove and cool completely before frosting.

For frosting: in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add sugar and on low speed beat until incorporated. Increase speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

Not only is this a great side dish, but it is also one of those recipes that you will always have the ingredients for the sauce in your pantry.

Ingredients

• 20-30 asparagus spears, trimmed
• cooking spray (butter flavor)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Directions
Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet, spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until crisp tender.

Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat; cook until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce and vinegar. Drizzle over asparagus, tossing well to coat.

Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix

I first made this dip mix for a Christmas Eve gathering with family, and it was such a huge hit that every last bit was eaten! It works great as a dip for veggies, but pretzels or crackers would be good as well.

Ingredients

• 8 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup buttermilk

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR DIP:

• 1 cup sour cream

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.

To prepare dressing: In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon mix with mayonnaise and buttermilk, refrigerate.

To prepare dip: In a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon mix with sour cream; refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Salsa All’amatriciana

This is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe that is a great substitution for traditional marinara sauce. My sister even raved that it is quite possibly the best pasta sauce that she has ever had (rivaling my aunts famous marinara sauce, now that’s a compliment!)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, diced
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions
In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil over a medium flame. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrent, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomato puree and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Double Chocolate Snack Cake

I LOVE this cake. Love, love, love it. As with most of my recipes that are my favorite, it is super easy but also very delicious. You can also add just about any flavor of chocolate chips to it that you would like. I most recently made it with mint chocolate chips, but if you can find raspberry chocolate chips those are the best!

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable OR canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small mixing bowl combine first 5 ingredients. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour in to greased 8×8 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.  Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Ziti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

I first had this recipe when my aunt made it for the family, and I could not get enough of it! This is also the recipe that sparked my love for smoked mozzarella, but if you don’t care for it feel free to use regular. Although the ingredient list is short and the directions are simple this pasta is full of flavor.

Ingredients

• 8oz ziti or other tubular pasta
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut in to 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to tast
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 3 ounces smoked mozzarella, diced
• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the ziti and cook for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until it is tender crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and asparagus, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute about 20 seconds. Add the pasta, asparagus, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and the 1 cup reserved cooking liquid, and toss to coat.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the mozzarella, prosciutto and basil and toss to combine. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Thai Shrimp and Chicken Soup

This is one of my favorite soups that is super easy and only uses one pot (easy clean up? yes please!)

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon red curry paste
• 1 (8oz) package pre-sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast cut in to 1 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 (13.5 oz) can light coconut milk

Directions
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large pot, stirring with a whisk. Add mushrooms and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, 4 minutes. Add shrimp and chicken and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice and remaining ingredients. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

A few of my favorite things

Watching the Academy Awards this year got me thinking about which recipes I’ve made before that I would give high praises to. Although I do love to try new recipes as often as possible, there are always those that I will go back to over and over again. They are indeed some of my favorites and they never fail to be delicious.

I hope to continue to add recipes to this list, but for now here are a few of my favorites (actual recipes are their own posts in the “Recipes” category):

• Thai Shrimp and Chicken Soup
• Ziti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto
• Double Chocolate Snack Cake
• Salsa All’amatriciana
• Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix
• Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter
• Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting