Meet My Latest Addiction

Sriracha, Thai-style hot sauce

Chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt
{Really good on eggs and a bunch of other things, too}

First of all, I've never been a hot sauce person. I usually dislike anything with a biting heat because I feel it ruins a dish. I'm sure plenty of hot sauce enthusiasts would argue otherwise, but that's just me.

My husband and stepson on the other hand, LOVE hot sauce. And when I say love, I mean borderline obsessed.

If my husband goes grocery shopping with me, he inevitably ends up in the aisle with the hot sauces. He collects them. I have four bottles of hot sauce in my refrigerator right now -- everything from your basic Tabasco sauce, to Chipotle hot pepper sauce, and even a "Sunshine" Habanero Hot Sauce {Habaneros being one of the spiciest of the hot peppers}.

A couple of months ago, with FOUR hot sauces already in the fridge, my husband yells at me as I'm walking out the door to Whole Foods, "See if you can find a new hot sauce!" I mean, can you believe this? I wasn't about to buy another bottle of sauce given the array of condiments already taking up residence in our refrigerator. At the rate we're going, we could start charging those bottles rent.

Well, without even realizing it, I ended up on the hot sauce aisle as I looked for ketchup. The first thing I noticed was the enormous bottle of Sriracha. I couldn't stop fixating on the size of the bottle, blatantly oversized when compared to the other, rather tiny bottles of sauce on both sides of the shelf. I reluctantly tossed the Sriracha into the cart, realizing our condiment supply was totally out of control. And the funny thing is, that bottle sat in our fridge for a few weeks without anyone giving it a second thought. Then I decided to give it a whirl. First I tried it on eggs. Then on a baked potato. And then over some rice. That's when I realized why the bottle is so big! This stuff is just downright addictive.

Not too long after bringing the Sriracha home I saw Giada on the Food Network {what, you're not on a first-name basis with her yet?} cooking a shrimp dish called "Nonna Luna's Rice" with her Aunt Raffy. {Have I lost you yet?}

Nonna Luna, as it turns out, was Giada's maternal grandmother. Nonna apparently was the first person to show Giada the moon, and so Giada grew up calling her Nonna {grandmother} Luna {Italian for moon}. The day Nonna Luna passed away, Raffy explained in her grief she suddenly found herself in the kitchen making a shrimp and rice dish that her mother would make when she was growing up. It was such a touching story that it made me want to try it.

And so, that's where the Sriracha comes in. This dish calls for a tablespoon of hot sauce. A tablespoon is a lot of hot sauce, so I always start with a teaspoon, taste the sauce, and then add more if needed. As someone who doesn't like hot sauce, this dish is divine. And my husband and stepson can't get enough.

Image from foodnetwork.com

Nonna Luna's Rice
Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis & her Aunt Raffy

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature
• 2 cups parboiled long-grain rice, such as Uncle Ben's
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced {Note: I like to add a little more garlic than this}
  
• 2 pounds small shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat 1/2 of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Stir in the cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using a fork, fluff the rice and arrange on a platter. Spoon the shrimp cream sauce over the rice and serve.