Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star…

Twinkle twinkle little star, How I wonder what you are…

Who doesn’t want to be a star? I’ve always wanted to be one. Not literally,  of course, but figuratively. I wanted to be looked up upon, someone who shone out, someone who was superior and outstanding.

But you know what? We are all stars. God created each and every one of us in His most unique and personalized hands…Everyone is outstanding. Everyone is extraordinary in their own way. I realized that again today in my college prayer group.

One thing I really love about our prayer group is how freaking different every one of us is. We’ve got the talkative, friendly Allen, the intelligent, brooding George, the fiery, humorous Joanna, the sweet, sensitive Joyce, my carefree, good-natured brother, the stoic, yet gentle Mark, the bright, cheerful Colleen, and of course, the oh-so-fabbity fab fab ME.

We’re all so different with completely individualized backgrounds and personalities, but somehow…we blend well together. We all bring our own unique flavor into the group, and though there are a few individuals who appear to stand out more than others, I think the group would lack a bit of flavor with any one of us missing.

You don’t have to try to be “dominant” or “striking” to be a star. You just have to be you, the single, unique person that you are, to be appreciated and accepted by others. Because what’s more important than standing out in a group is to be able to blend in and be part of the complementing flavor of the group, and to ultimately be a positive contribution.

Which brings us to this week’s BSI ingredient, feta. Oh, feta. I just adore feta…

Why? Because it’s so…individual and unique, yet it blends so incredibly well with a myriad of dishes. We should all be like feta! It’s just so…creamy and crumbly and tangy and stinky (Not that we should be stinky, but you know what I mean!). Just a little bit of feta goes a long way, and it is extremely versatile in that it works with pretty much any ingredients.

Need proof? Check out my recipe for this week’s BSI, hosted by Zoe. Usually when you say feta you would think Greek, but I decided to flaunt my Asian roots and use feta to accent an Asian-fusion dish…with a bit of unexpected twists here and there…

Earthy Feta Raviolis in Feta-Rosemary Broth

For the ravioli filling:

• oil or butter
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 small shallot, minced
• 4 large shitake mushrooms, chopped
• handful of dried figs, sliced
• handful grape tomatoes, sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• juice of half an orange
• salt and pepper

For making ravioli:

• 20 wonton wrappers
• water
• big chunk of feta, crumbled

For broth:

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• fresh ground black pepper
• handful of crumbled feta

For the ravioli filling, first heat up the butter or oil, then toss in the garlic, shallots, and mushrooms.
Cook until soft and fragrant. Stir in the figs, tomatoes, and rosemary, stir to cook through. Squeeze in the fresh orange juice, drizzle in a bit of balsamic vinegar to taste, season with salt and pepper.

Cook for about 5 minutes more, then set aside.

Next to make the ravioli, lay out a stack of wonton wrappers and prepare a small bowl of water.

Spoon a tablespoonful of the filling on top of one wrapper, top with a teaspoon of feta.

Dip your finger into the bowl of water, wet the sides of the wonton wrapper. Then take another piece of wrapper, wet one side of it, and press it down on top with the wet side down. Repeat until you use up all the filling.

Then heat the broth in a small saucepan with the garlic and rosemary. When it starts to boil, drop in the raviolis until cooked. Remove the rosemary sprig and the cooked raviolis.
Place the ravioli on a serving plate, then pour the remaining broth all over. Top with more feta cheese, sprinkle on some fresh-ground black pepper.
Wowee~

This is a feta-worshipping dish, through and through. The broth was infused with the fragrance of garlic and rosemary, but feta was clearly the star of the broth as it melted slowly into it.
And even with such glorious filling of mushrooms, tomatoes, and figs, it was the feta that really rounded it up to a perfect balance.
Definitely, the taste was sort of Asian-fusion with the earthy shitake mushrooms and the wonton wrappers, but it really worked.
I loved the slippery slurp of raviolis, and it was extra-flavorful together with the rich broth.
One huge bite to make me happy…

Oh yeah. Feta rocks. Notice how it becomes a star in this dish without even trying too hard? Just in its pure, natural form, used in appropriate amounts, and it really makes the dish…pop.

All right, girls (and guys, if there’s any), let’s go on shining! Shine and radiate with your individual-ness (that should totally be a word)!

Question of the day: What do you think is your own individual quality that makes you…pop?

P.S. WHAT IS UP WITH BLOGGER? I’m having some trouble commenting on people’s blogs because of the word verification that is cut off by the boxes! Anyone else having such problems?