homemade sriracha

those who know me,

know that i will never get

over the thrill - a thrill that

is probably only mine - of making

something in my kitchen that

a saner person would settle for

coming out of a bottle, box or bakery.

so, i appreciate my small doses of joy,

making marshmallows and quince paste

and preserved lemons, and other things

like beer mustard, grape nuts,

graham crackers and sesame-topped

hamburger buns, which

i don't think i've ever told you about.

(scratch that - i did talk briefly about

the buns.) i always keep my eyes

open for the next homemade adventure.

i discovered the newest project to

make my family ask why,

(why, brooke, why?

you know you can just buy that, right?)

several months ago,

tucked into the finalist page of

food52. the contest was

your best condiment and

the candidate i was instantly

drawn to was

fresh sriracha (aka, homemade "rooster").

to be honest, this one was chosen as the

runner up and i cannot remember what won.

(ok, to be fair (or maybe meaner?),

i just looked up the winner.

it is called

dead guy sauce.

maybe i never knew?

i think i would have remembered

something with a name like that.)

but, i've digressed.

back to the rooster.

we are a family who

always has sriracha in the fridge door

(along with too many other hot sauces,

mustards and other condiments to count),

so how could i pass up the opportunity to

make a from-scratch batch?

there was only one roadblock:

red fresno chilies. i could not find

them anywhere and when a recipe

only has 5 ingredients, i think it's

a pretty good idea to stick closely

to the original.

i looked in my local grocery stores.

i looked in my asian markets.

i asked people, from my friends to

my boss, to keep an eye out for red fresnos,

promising that i'd pay them back and

give them sriracha for their troubles.

my (now former) boss said ok,

but i think he was surprised and tried,

as was his right to do, to promptly

forget the request.

and then, because everything has

just been slightly easier over the past

couple weeks, i turned around in

a new-to-me market and realized

i was staring at a basket of them.

i grabbed three handfuls and headed

to the scale, shocked that i had

pulled exactly 1/2 pound and thinking

maybe this was a sign that the recipe

was meant to be.

when i got home,

i set to work seeding and chopping

the peppers using my wing and a prayer

method: don't use gloves and then

cross your fingers that you don't

accidentally touch your eyes.

i tossed them into a container with

a few giant cloves of garlic,

distilled white vinegar and kosher salt.

i shook it a couple times, because

i can't leave well enough alone, and

faced the consequences the next morning

when i accidentally tipped a good tablespoon

or two onto the counter.

later that next day,

i tossed the whole lot into a

small saucepot with a few tablespoons

of tropical, gooey palm sugar, let the whole

thing simmer for five minutes and then,

waited really impatiently for the

mixture to cool. after 10 minutes,

steam was still rising from the top.

so, i transferred it to the blender,

hoping it would cool faster outside

of the hot pot. after 10 more minutes,

i couldn't take it. i wanted out of the

kitchen. sometimes i get like that.

so, i took my chances, tossed a dish towel

over the blender, hit puree and pressed on the lid

with all my might, praying that larry wouldn't

come home to me and our schoolhouse slate-colored

walls, covered in chili sauce. he didn't have to.

and two minutes into the blending, i gathered

up the nerve to let go and take a picture.

i almost didn't strain the mixture.

it seemed like the right consistency, and frankly,

i have a certain hatred for straining, especially

when recipes instruct you to press hard to

extract all the liquids. but i did and it was

barely any work.

and, then, i tasted the sriracha,

worried that i would be forced to admit

that i should have, for once,

just left well enough

alone and continued to buy our

standard squeeze bottle.

but, happily, that is not the case.

this recipe does everything it promises -

delivering the same flavor we expect

from our asian chili sauce, but significantly

fresher, less salty and, as i already knew

from the ingredients, without the

crazy preservatives.

and, i'm sure you'll be shocked to know:

i think it was totally worth it.

homemade sriracha

adapted from edamame2003 via food52

i wasn't sure if i was meant to seed the peppers or not - it didn't say in the recipe (which i think most people would take to mean, don't seed). i opted to take the seeds out, worried about the potential spice level if they were kept in. but, i did make the decision not to sweat it if some seeds made their way into the vinegar. i was very happy with the spice level, but for a spicier sauce, i'm guessing you could keep them all in.

also - as i think you can see from the picture, the chili sauce was slightly foamy when first made. that went away after it spent a night in the fridge.

1/2 pound red fresno chili peppers

4 large cloves garlic, peeled and trimmed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons palm sugar

halve peppers; seed (or don't - see note). chop peppers. place in jar or container with lid; add garlic, salt and vinegar. stir; cover tightly. let sit overnight.

the next day, transfer mixture to small saucepot; add palm sugar and stir to combine. over high heat, bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. let simmer 5 minutes. remove from heat; let cool.

transfer cooled mixture to blender; puree 5 minutes, or until smooth and mixture is an orange-reddish color. pour into strainer set in bowl; pressing to release as much liquid as possible. (it may seem a little thin, but it will thicken up in the fridge.)

transfer chili sauce to a jar, bottle or squeeze container. the mixture should keep for about 1 month.

shiitake turkey burgers with scallion-sesame mayo and pickled korean radishes

i saw a really delicious-sounding recipe

last weekend for shrimp burgers.

on wednesday, i really wanted to use

the pickled korean radishes

that i had just made for something

more than snacking.

so, i did the only thing that made sense:

i made turkey burgers.

clearly, burgers were on my brain

and i kept thinking about traditional

cheeseburgers (why? i'm not sure):

beef,

cheese,

ketchup

and, usually, pickles.

so, instead i strayed:

korean-inspired turkey burgers

(that quickly made the leap to asian

burgers when i started tossing every

sauce in my fridge into the bowl),

enhanced with shiitake mushrooms

and topped with a

sesame-scallion mayo instead of ketchup.

skip the cheese.

and instead of the cucumber pickles,

neon pink radish wedges.

i decided to wing it,

buying whatever looked good to me

in the produce department, from

gigantic shiitake mushrooms,

to scallions, a firm jalapeno

and knobby ginger.

when i got home, i diced the mushrooms,

and reasoned that in spite of the fact

that i just didn't want to dirty another

pan, i really should saute them first.

so, i heated a bit of oil, added the

mushrooms, followed by the ginger,

jalapeno and garlic, cooking them all until they

were just tender and fragrant.

as soon as the mixture was out of the pan,

i stirred in the scallions,

sesame seeds,

sriracha,

sesame oil

hoisin and

oyster sauce.

the made-up mixture was spicy,

and even though i reasoned that

all the turkey would mellow it,

i still opted to make a very

gently-flavored spread to

smear over the burger:

mayonnaise,

scallions,

garlic

and sesame oil.

it was...fine.

yes, on it's own, it was

ok. with the burger, it

was better. is it worth it

to make again? i really

don't know. i do know that

i wanted it to be fabulous.

but, sometimes, as in life,

things just aren't.

it was a good burger.

still spicy after cooking,

moist thanks to the mushrooms

and packed with all of my favorites.

but, i wasn't as original

as i believed i was.

while assembling, i

realized that they were a

clear imitations of one of my

very favorites: turkey meatball banh mi.

but, these tasted even better because we

ate them in the daylight.

and that?

that was fabulous.

shiitake turkey burgers with scallion-sesame mayo and pickled korean radishes

i made some interesting choices with these burgers. an avid lover of sticky sweet hoisin sauce, i added a spoonful before considering the consequences. it was already stirred in before i thought about the fact that these burgers were sure to burn, thanks to the sugars in the sauce. since i had already taken a wrong turn, i thought stirring in equally sugary oyster sauce seemed like a good idea. i also added in sesame seeds, which i loved - but i'm pretty sure some of those burned, too. at that point, the more the merrier, right? if you worry that the burgers charring a few minutes before they're finished will bother you, maybe think about removing these ingredients from the turkey and instead, adding the sauces to mayo. maybe.

a note about the toasted sesame seeds. i buy them from the asian markets, toasted, in large quantities and on the cheap. totally worth it.

scallion-sesame mayo

i think it's safe to say that you will have more mayonnaise than you need. that's ok - even not-so-exciting mayo has it's uses.

3 large scallions, trimmed and sliced

2 small cloves garlic, peeled and halved

2/3 cup reduced-fat mayo

1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

in mini food processor, pulse scallions and garlic 10 times, or until finely chopped. add mayo, sesame oil and a pinch of kosher salt. process 30 seconds, or until well combined, scraping down sides, if necessary. taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.

shiitake turkey burgers

2 teaspoons grapeseed or canola oil

6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into 1/4" dice

1 (1-inch piece) gingerroot, peeled and finely diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (use only half if you want to tone down the spice)

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced

3 large scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 heaping tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon hot chili sauce, like sriracha

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 1/4 pounds ground dark turkey

4 buns, halved (it's a nice echo if they're sesame buns)

scallion-sesame mayo

pickled korean purple radishes, dried with a paper towel

in medium skillet over medium heat, heat oil 30 seconds, or until shimmering. add mushrooms; cook 2 minutes, or until softened, stirring often. add ginger and jalapeno; cook 1 minute, more. add garlic; cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. remove from heat and immediately transfer to large mixing bowl. stir in scallions, sesame seeds, soy, hoisin, oyster and chili sauces and sesame oil; season gently with salt and black pepper. let cool completely.

add turkey to bowl; using hands, mix just until combined. separate into four equal patties.

heat grill or grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. add burgers. cook 10 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, turning once. transfer to plate. place buns on grill and cook 1 minute, or until toasted and golden brown (do yourself a favor and check them midway through in case your grill runs hot).

to assemble: place one burger on bottom of each bun. top with pickled radishes. spread top bun with mayo and place on burger. if you happen to have made baked sweet potato fries during this whole thing - all the better. put those on the other side of your plate. you may find yourself thinking the scallion-sesame mayo isn't all that bad on the tip of a fry.

pickled korean purple radish

we moved 11 months ago.

it was the right decision,

no doubt.

but, it has been a really

difficult 11 months in so many

different ways and i feel like i've

earned my share in the what

doesn't kill you, makes you

stronger belief, 10 times over.

but, last week, i started a new

phase in my life and, i really

think i'm starting to see the

proverbial light. yes, i'm still

in the midst of...stuff. i'm still

dealing, all the time. but, i took

a step toward a life more rewarding

with a new job, so much closer to home.

ok, it's the same job, but instead of traveling

1 1/2 to 2 hours each way every day, i'm now

responsible for a 20 minute trek.

and, it's so unbelievable that

when people ask me

how much i'm loving my commute,

i find myself going mute.

because how do you describe

what it's like to recover 3-4 hours

of your day 5 times a week?

how do you explain

that it makes you want to cry to

realize that you don't have to engage

in a mini marathon every morning because

for a year, you've refused to set your alarm

earlier than 5 am, even though an hour is

not enough time for you to get ready for work?

how do you explain

that you're no longer freaking

out - as much - over the rising gas prices because

you had to fill your tank 3 times a week, while

also traveling on two major toll rides, twice a day?

how do you explain

that just thinking about a job

near your home, makes you automatically think

straighter and saner?

how do you explain

that this doesn't just feel

like a fresh start, but the true

beginning of a lot of somethings?

so, i usually find myself speaking,

in a stream of conscious way, about it being great

and having to give up books on CDs and that

in the morning, the travel time is still unpredictable

because i keep getting stopped by a train.

why can't i just say it's wonderful?

because, it is, you know.

but, somewhere deep down, i'm a little sad.

when we moved last year, it was hard for me

to give up the first place we lived together,

the place we came home to the day after our wedding,

the place that we solidified that we would be us.

but, i knew that i was not really leaving.

i would still work 10 minutes from our apartment.

i would drive every day to a place that was,

surprisingly, much more familiar than our new

town was and i would still hold onto a piece

of who we were when we first started out.

i could still see the hudson river every day,

marvel daily at my proximity to nyc and

i could visit my favorite places

and people whenever i wanted.

and, now.

that part of my life is really my past.

it's good. really good.

but, i will miss things, like meeting

my former work friends for dinner,

the guy at the gas station who has

given me an incredibly friendly hello

for the past nine years and visiting

the asian markets that became

a very regular part of my life while

living in northern new jersey.

so, last week, following my second to

last day at work, i stopped in on the

korean market one last time to

pick up black garlic, some noodles,

seaweed, very firm red roe,

tiny spicy anchovies and, as

it turns out, this:

it's a korean purple radish. and this one,

at 1.25 pounds, was the smallest one there.

it was so true to the crazy impulses that i've

always experienced in these asian markets

to find something totally random,

something that i had no idea what to do with

and decide that i had to have it. (it's also true,

i also impulsively bought honey powder and

still have zero idea what to do with that.)

and last sunday, two days after my last day,

i did what i do best:

washed it,

thinly sliced it,

quartered it

and pickled it.

it was a good move. i thought that the

radish would be spicy and deeply flavored,

maybe bitter, like daikon. but, this - it was

very crunchy and tasted like nothing.

the slices were screaming for pickling.

i imagined bright purple.

but, as you can see, what i ended up with

was pink. neon pick.

this radish, though -

it's a flavor magnet, quickly sucking

up the spicy, garlicky brine.

within 10 minutes, they were already

singing a new, exciting tune and 20 minutes

later, they were nearing addictive.

in three days, the thin wedges

were extremely bright

in both color and flavor.

we've mostly been eating them as is.

wednesday, though, determined to have a reason

to enjoy them - i created an entire meal around

the pickles. (that, i will tell you about soon.)

but, what made me happy was this: i had

time - real, unrushed time - to leisurely

cook dinner without stress.

and that feeling, unrecognizable, but so welcome,

makes it ok that i may never have the

opportunity to buy another

korean purple radish again.

pickled korean purple radish

if you don't foresee yourself coming across a purple radish any time soon, i think you'll still be ok. i assume it's safe to say that any firm radish you come across can handle this treatment. i made up the recipe using whatever was already in the house, including the three leftover scallions from mashed potatoes i had made an hour earlier. when i finished, i googled korean purple radish (why hadn't i done that first?) and found this recipe, that coincidentally, also called for scallions. the point? there isn't one, except that maybe the two together offer a nice combination.

also, i didn't peel the radish, which i knew could be weird, but i wasn't sure what i would find underneath, and i wanted to make sure that there was still purple on the pickles. i washed the skin well and once pickled, i didn't mind the extra layer at all. i originally planned to pickle them in full rounds, but afterward, realized how large they would be and opted to quarter them. even though the pictures do not depict it, i'm writing the recipe in a more user friendly way.

1 jalapeno pepper, quartered and seeded

3 large cloves garlic, peeled, halved and smashed

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (i measured generously)

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)

16 ounces seasoned rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 purple korean radish (about 1.25 pounds), scrubbed

3 scallions, trimmed

in small saucepot, whisk together jalapeno pepper, garlic, sugar, salt, coriander, rice wine vinegar and water. bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking to dissolve salt and sugar. let boil 5 minutes. remove from heat; let cool 15 minutes.

meanwhile, trim radish. quarter radish lengthwise. thinly slice. place in large container. cut scallions into 1-inch lengths. add to container. pour vinegar mixture over radishes; stir several times or until they begin to soften and are fully submerged. let sit 1-2 hours at room temperature. cover and store in the fridge.