Asian Food; Contemporary, Traditional, or Both?

The Asian culture is rich with food traditions and history. The culture reflects the diversity of experiences with their history. As deep in tradition as the culture is, Asian cuisine is still evolving and changing to become more contemporary. Take Sweet Basil, a local restaurant in the Crescent Springs area of Kentucky, for example. Sweet Basil has an array of curries that are exactly as one would find in Thailand. Sweet Basil has Panang Curry that is so warm and inviting it’s a crowd favorite. With any choice of meat or tofu in Panang Curry sauce, over a bed of steamed broccoli and garnished with lime leaves. The Curry transports the diner directly to Thailand for an unbelievably authentic meal. But don’t count Sweet Basil out of the evolving aspect of the American-Asian food wars. Being located in Kentucky, Sweet Basil saw that the blood of their city runs blue! UK Wildcat blue; so they came up with a sushi roll for the local blue bloods. The Wild Cat Roll consists of spicy tuna, cucumber and avocado, topped with super white tuna tempura flake, honey, and wasabi sauce. This roll gives the diner “nothin’ but net.” In conclusion, Asian food is a new American tradition and it’s popping up everywhere. Any diner, weather looking for a traditional or contemporary experience will have one more local favorite to add to the repertoire.

My First Guest Post!

I can not tell you how excited I am to have my first guest blogger! Katie S. is a take no prisoners mom that not only sews, but cooks, crafts, volunteers, and so much more. So without further a-do here is Katie's amazing recipe! Thanks Katie! A family favorite: Skyline Pie One of my most beloved cookbooks is Betty Crocker’s Passion for Pasta. I have a slight addiction to all things pasta, so this cookbook is well-loved, to the point that it is falling apart. I’ve had it since before I was married (ahem, more than ten years). I’ve tried so many recipes in this book, and love many of them, but our favorite recipe in the book is for “Cincinnati Spaghetti Pie”. I make this recipe so often that the page is actually falling out of the book, and wow, you should see all the spots and splashes on it! If you are from the Cincinnati area, you are aware of the phenomena that is “Cincinnati style” chili. It’s a bit sweet thanks to cinnamon & some say that there’s chocolate involved at one of the popular chains. And unless you add beans, it’s a much thinner chili than the hearty variations that most people are familiar with. If you decide to make this recipe, please don’t skip the meat part and just add a can of your favorite Cincinnati-style chili, because it just won’t do the trick. The addition of kidney beans in this recipe makes the pie hearty and thick, not mushy and runny. This spaghetti pie is simple to make, and the reason our family calls it “Skyline Pie” is because we really think it tastes like a 4-way at Skyline Chili. When I make this I always double or even triple the recipe, and put the pies into aluminum pans and freeze a couple. They freeze really well, and taste just as good after defrosting and cooking. I hope you enjoy this recipe! Cincinnati Spaghetti Pie From Betty Crocker’s Passion for Pasta Prep: 25 min Bake: 25 min 6 Servings Ingredients: 6 ounces uncooked spaghetti 2 eggs 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese 1 lb. ground beef 1/2 cup chopped onion 8 oz. can tomato sauce 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1/2 tsp.ground cumin 1/2 tsp. garlic salt 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 3/4 cup cooked red kidney beans 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese Heat oven to 350. Spray pie plate (10x1 1/2 inches) with cooking spray. Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on box. Beat eggs in large bowl, using fork. Stir in Parmesan Cheese. Toss egg mixture and spaghetti; pour into pie plate. Pat in bottom and up sides of pie plate, using back of spoon or rubber spatula. Cook beef and onion in 12 inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except beans and cheese; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Stir in beans. Spoon beef mixture into spaghetti crust. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges begin to brown.