Letters from an Aspiring Sous #6
Szechuan chili oil
I’m fully aware that this is slowly becoming a newsletter about a dog with a recipe appended. While that is not my intention, it is a fairly accurate reflection of our lives at the moment. This tiny golden tornado has upended much of our daily routine, from when and where we sleep (it’s hard to keep any of us awake past 8pm), to what we eat (cereal made its debut for breakfast, lunch and dinner last week), to what we do for fun (we went to a bakery because it was across the street from the vet).
Another weekly ritual effortlessly cast aside has been movie night. I like to think that I come from a long line of cinephiles. My grandfather, who is 90 years old, can still recite the movies he’s seen each year for the past 30 years, the order in which he’s seen them and the rating he’s given to each. He’s like our family’s own geriatric Rotten Tomatoes. These past few weeks, however, each time I’ve considered searching the boundless catalogue of streaming video, a beloved ritual of watching previews, reading reviews and cross-referencing the actual Rotten Tomatoes, the lights slowly dim and I submit to sitting quietly in silence.
Last weekend, in the middle of the afternoon and with Nala asleep on my lap, I took advantage of the daylight hours by closing the curtains and turning on HBO Max. Warner Bros.’ decision last December to release its entire 2021 roster of films direct to HBO Max at the same time as their theater release is, in my opinion, one of the great silver linings of this past year. It was a blissful two and half hours, interrupted only once for a backyard pee. After mentioning to Alex later in the day that I had watched the new crime drama, The Little Things, starring Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto, she sat down to watch the preview herself.
Alex: But who was Jared Leto? The one with the long hair? I must have been confusing him with Jared Leno.
Me: You mean Jay Leno? The host of The Tonight Show?
Alex: WHO IS JARED LETO? NOBODY KNOWS WHO JARED LETO IS!
Me: Wait, were you expecting to see Jay Leno in that preview?
Alex and I do not share the same love of cinema. She would probably say that she spends her time on more important things such as baking sourdough bagels and studying cardiovascular physiology, which I find hard to pronounce with a sourdough bagel in my mouth. What we do share, however, is a deep love of spicy food (this is admittedly a rough segue, but hey, you get what you pay for and this newsletter is free). The first time Alex made homemade chili oil for me, we became inseparable. I took that little jar of crushed peppercorns with me everywhere — to my weekly dinner party at the Woodhull’s, the Mexican restaurant down the street, even to work.
Alex: You were obsessed. You’d put it on everything. Spoonfuls and spoonfuls… you would drink it. It got to the point where I was concerned.
Me: Concerned about what?
Alex: All the oil was going directly to your coronaries; that you’d lose your taste buds; that there wouldn’t be any left for me…
I’ve never put it on popcorn before but I’m convinced that this chili oil can accompany literally anything to great fanfare. This is another Alison Roman adaptation (page 20 of Dining In). It’s also a staple in our pantry and takes about 30 minutes to prep.
Szechuan (popcorn-worthy) chili oil
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sesame seeds
3 tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns, coarsely ground (we use an old coffee grinder; you can also chop them)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Heat the vegetable oil, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds and peppercorns in a small pot over that low heat — low and slow. Keep an ear out for a sizzle, at which point it should be another 10 to 15 minutes. You’re looking for dark red pepper flakes and slightly toasted sesame seeds. Toss the garlic in with a few minutes left to keep from burning. Remove from heat and add a few pinches of salt. Let cool completely before chilling.
All of our seeds (and most everything else in our pantry) come from Thrive Market. Their prices are low, quality is high and every annual membership sponsors a free one for a family in need. They also play a pivotal role in our 5-year strategic plan to never visit a grocery store again.
Can confidently drizzle on…
Pasta, soup, eggs, avocado toast, old takeout, steamed greens, cold vegetables, roast beef sandwiches, sushi, burritos, tacos and likely anything else. Enjoy!