Very Carole King

Today I'm cooking with very little effort.

Here we are, five and a half years after the whole internet made their own chili crisp at home, and this morning I finally tried it. My honest review? The end result is great, but the process filled me with terror. I can hardly remember ever being more scared of spilling something and/or oil burns! My plan sounded simple in theory: a huge pile of shallots sliced thin and slow fried until golden, then strained over a bowl of Sichuan peppercorns, er jing tiao chili, ginger, douchi, sesame seeds, cracked whole cinnamon and star anise. In practice it wasn’t simple at all. By the time the chili base cooled and I mixed the crispy shallots back in, I had dwindling enthusiasm for cooking dinner.

So tonight, a mostly hands-off soup— pre-sliced frozen shiitake mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, a jar of turkey/apple/leek stock leftover from Thanksgiving, wild + brown rice simmered in the rice cooker and spinach from the garden. A very Carole King dish, if you will. On the side, a lemon Spindrift.