If you have Amazon Prime, there’s still time to order some last minute kitchen gifts for the chef or gourmand who, like you and me, has become obsessed with Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty and all things Sichuan:
Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp (Chili Oil Sauce) – 7.41 Ounce+ Only one NineChef Spoon. This chili sauce has its own fanatics who love the bits of fried chili skin mixed in with the spicy (but not fiery) oil. You’ll pay more than at an Asian market, but your recipient can enjoy the bonus of a NineChef Spoon, whatever that is. Another bonus: the picture of the grumpy housewife who came up with the recipe and has her own large following on the internet, sort of like last year’s Grumpy Cat.
Gold Plum Chinkiang Vinegar. If you are like most of us, you have a bottle of Chinese black vinegar with a yellow label you shake onto dumplings, or combine with soy for a dipping sauce. That stuff is basically white vinegar with caramel coloring and, compared to it, Gold Plum Chinkiang Vinegar is a revelation, rich and complex like an aged balsamic. (You may find yourself experimenting with it as a substitute with non-Asian dishes.) It’s currently available as an add-on item, which means you’re going to have to pad your shopping cart with some other treats.
Enjoy these last minute kitchen gifts, and happy holidays.
