Red Stuff

Enough with the sweets, already. Let's talk savory. And spicy!

In our house, in our fridge, there are places of high honor accorded the Red Roosters. Garlicky, smooth Sriracha and her more vinegary, pasty, and hotter big brother, Sambal Oelek, live there. To me, breakfast isn't worth getting up for unless there is an egg involved. And an egg doesn't sit on my plate unless one of the Huy Fong kids is close at hand.

You can buy these two condiments at most groceries in our area. And while they seem, at first blush, to be exotic and imported, they are actually made in California. I started with Sriracha. It was probably an innocent substitution for ketchup set on a breakfast table at some Seattle restaurant. Considering how I feel about Sriracha now, it MUST have been love at first bite.

But Sriracha was nothing but a gateway drug for me. While I was scared of it, I was also strangely drawn to Sambal Oelek. Like something the naughty girls would brag about, secretly knowing full-well that they were too naive for this bad boy. Even the tiniest dab seemed overwhelming.

Yeah. . . You should see how I pile it on now! By the soup spoonful. If I wasn't enjoying myself and my breakfast and the quinoa that I made for dinner tonight and the bean burger that I might have tomorrow - all slathered in Mr. Oelek - I might even feel a little embarrassed by my behavior.

The next step is sure to be Ema Datshi, the fiery hot national dish of Bhutan. Rumor has it that its chili heat will make you weep the entire time you're eating it, and its too good to stop. I'm ready. I've trained with the Roosters.