Raspberries

This delicious fruit, by far my favorite food in general, has many uses in a plethora of forms.  That is why for this post, I want to inform you about the varying uses of this extravagant ingredient.

The inspiration for this post arose just hours ago when I was in Redifer Dining Commons.  For some reason, I had the desire to drink some hot chocolate.  I was slightly worried that my location would inhibit this request.  I then realized that not only could I get hot chocolate at the cafe, but I could also put a flavor in it.  I knew immediately which flavor I would choose.  When I ordered, the cashier looked at me as if I had a lightbulb over my head.  The drink, was by far, the best hot chocolate I have ever had.  The slightly bitter taste of the chocolate contrasting with the sweet and fruity flavor of the raspberries created the perfect drink.

In addition to hot chocolate, raspberries can be incorporated into almost any dish.  They are fantastic on cold fruit pies, or any pie with a custard.  Furthermore, berry pies are often difficult to master, but adding raspberries can make the difference between a good pie and an excellent one.

I am excited that I chose this food to write about because research revealed many facts that I did not know.  First and foremost, there are numerous health benefits to this fruit.

• They are high in fiber and antioxidants
• Some of the qualities of raspberries have the potential to fight cancer, aging, inflammation, and even neurodegenerative diseases.  If you want to get technical, here are some phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals that raspberries are high in: anthocyanins, ellagic acid (tannin), quercetin, gallic acid, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid.
• High levels of Vitamin A, C, and E
• Top ranked for ORAC, oxygen radical absorbance capacity.

These are just a few of the health benefits, but as you can see the list would continue for many more bullets.

Since my passion is cooking, I figured I would enlighten you with some recipes involving raspberries.  First, for any dessert that you are making that involves icing, never be afraid to make your own icing.  Best part, it is super easy!  All you need is confectioners sugar, butter, raspberries, vanilla extract, and salt.  If you combine these ingredients in the proper ratios, as seen here, you cannot go wrong with a sweet and delicious topping.  Second, strawberry shortcake is a classic that is always available for adaptive changes.  Such a change could be switching the strawberries to various fruits, of course raspberries.  If you are interested in eating this delicious dish, as seen here, don’t be afraid to try and make it wherever you are!

Of course the dishes I named are only desserts, but there is no need to stop here.  I once made a tofu dish with macerated raspberries and pistachios in a hard shell for a main course.  They were absolutely delicious, and surprisingly tasted nothing like tofu!  These truly special fruit can turn any dish into one you will never forget.  So never be afraid to experiment with them, or even just eat them plain.