Hes celebrating his survival and identity this year for Pride with these colorful Rice Krispie Treats.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
Theres a certain expectation of fabulousness when someone finds out you are gay.
I fully blame RuPauls Drag Race and Queer Eye for this sort of reductive laziness.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
But also, I have been known to accidentally live up to that fabulousness on more than one occasion.
But being gay (as well as Asian) means I view life through a specific lens.
A very specific lens.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
And though it can be a struggle some days, its a core part of who I am.
That means I can either shrink back and fade away or stand up and shout out loud my identity.
When forced to choose, I often pick up a bullhorn and start shouting.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
Of course, I wasnt always like this.
I grew up in the southern-adjacent Midwest town of St. Louis.
Or rather, a suburb of St. Louis, one that was predominantly white.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
I was one of two Asian kids in my grade school.
And I dealt with micro-aggressions my entire childhood through college.
Being perceived as foreign, even if you were born in the U.S., wasnt fun.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
But ask anyone what it was like to be gay in the 80s and the response might be different.
Some dont want to revisit that time period at all.
For others it was a time of anger and horror.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
Its absolutely not fair to compare being gay versus being a child of an immigrant.
Theyre both difficult in utterly different ways.
But living through the AIDS pandemic as a gay man was devastating.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
I came of age and came out when an HIV positive diagnosis was a death sentence.
I didnt know a time before that.
I feel echoes of that panic and fear nowadays with COVID.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
Being in the same room with a stranger is dangerous.
It was back then, and it can feel that way now.
But part of being gay is overcoming those stigmas and learning to adapt.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
Every year in June, the entire LGBTQIA+ community celebrates something called Pride.
Folks are celebrating all the trials and difficulties that we, as a community, had to overcome.
Theyre celebrating that new drugs can keep folks from dying of HIV, or even prevent HIV transmission.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
Theyre celebrating the fact that they can now legally marry someone theyve loved for years.
Theyre celebrating finding a chosen family with friends after their own biological family turned their backs on them.
Theyre celebrating surviving and being alive one more year.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
So this year, I chose to make these Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats as a jubilant celebration.
He never made a single dime off of it.
Its the kind that comes 4 to a set, in those tear-dropped shaped bottles.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
But keep in mind that all artificial food coloring does darken and become more vibrant over time.
Youll notice the next day that the rice krispie treats are more vibrant.
If you want more vibrant, richer colors, get some gel food coloring.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
Its much more intense and will give you more saturated colors.
Theres a delicate balance between being fabulous and being a bitter jaded queen.
I always attempt to err on the side of fabulous.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
you might make a run at use natural-based food colorings with this recipe if you wish.
Theyre becoming increasingly easier to find at well-stocked grocery stores, upscale markets oronline.
The minimal heat from the melted marshmallows should not affect the natural-based food colorings.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
I do this for a few reasons.
First, its convenient to just microwave for a minute.
Third, I can heat the marshmallows in a clear glass bowl or a white bowl.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
Continue the recipe as directed.
Cooking Spray is Best
Cooking spray is your friend in this recipe.
Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats
If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of kosher salt.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
you could use pure vanilla exact if you prefer it over imitation vanilla.
This will help you lift the rice krispie treats out of the pan.
Lightly spray the parchment paper.
Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
Lightly spray a large microwave safe bowl and a silicon spatula with cooking spray.
Place 2 1/2 ounces (about 12) marshmallows and 1 tablespoon butter in the bowl.
Microwave on high for 1 minute or until the marshmallows are big and puffy.
Immediately add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and stir it with the oiled spatula until most of the marshmallows are melted.
Add 1 1/4 cups cereal and stir to fully incorporate.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
The parchment paper will move around while you do this.
Just try your best to hold it into place or adjust it as needed.
Respray your hands if they get sticky.
take a stab at work quickly before the mixture hardens.
Wash and dry the bowl and spatula.
Repeat this process starting with step #2 above.
Place it on a cutting board and peel off the parchment paper.
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