A Word About Chili Oil

I used to loathe spice - now I'm obsessed.

Is that from getting a bit older?  All I ever used to crave was sweets, sugar, things of that nature.  Now its spice, salt and texture.  I can't even really eat tempeh, soy crumbles, fake shit any longer.  It's more like I take real stuff and jack them up with fire. 

Homemade chili oil is so easy to make.  Roast a few in the oven on high, sling them in the processor with peanut oil and voila...something to drench on everything, which a liberal sling of salt.  This mixed with mayo takes a late night scrambled egg sandwich to a new level.  It's like I have to Dish Doctor up everything.  Should be my next show.  Take a chef's special dish...and ramp it up to the next level.  What fun.

Been on the hunt for Schezuan food everywhere I land these days.  It's a spot in China that's so damn frigid, they have to blaze up their food to trick themselves into believing they are warm.  They use liberal amounts of the Sichuan peppercorn which is wild in the mouth.  Like a tingling/numbness that's difficult to describe.  Hot pots filled to the brim with the most delicious aromas hit up the table at authentic Schezuan joints.  Frogs legs in chile oil.  Pan fried noodles in chili oil.  Baby dumplings in sweet/spicy chili oil. 

It's all about this dang oil.  Throw in a bit of brown sugar...my God, it's enough to drive someone mad with desire.

 

 

Comments

[Roberta]

Ahh I still love your blog, five years later! Wanderlust and passion for plain old good food, all rolled into a bundle. My fav is chili oil and rice vinegar drizzled over thai beef jerky (nuea tod--I think that's how it's spelled) and sticky rice. Soul completeness.

[shane C.]

Home on the water and spices! Life is good!

[Cowgirl]

Yessssss...some do like it hot!