Red chili oil and apres storm

This was an interesting journey, making red chili oil from scratch. It's going to be an ingredient itself, but first, to make it.

One of the pleasures of working with spices is the wonderful series of smells you experience. This is one reason, a  chef told me, why she wears whites and hats. To avoid getting  hair and  skin permeated with the scents. My house was a different story.

Anyway here's the deal.

I didn't have the kind of pepper Will Yeung uses, so I subbed my red long pepper, which is hot and very fruity. I needed five tsps, so I used the grinder. 

And here's the cast of characters, scallions, garlic, red onions, hot peppers, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, long red pepper, salt, all smelling like a symphony 

Toasting the spices 

Cooking in avocado oil 

Adding in the spices 

Straining the solids, which are now frozen for future use, since they're far from exhausted. 

And here's the result, stick of cinnamon left in to continue flavoring the oil.

Yeung makes a much bigger recipe, but I cut it to one third, figuring this is enough for now.

This is an ingredient for several recipes, worth the advance prep when I was in a mood for it.

Today Debby has moved on, leaving evidence 

Puffballs 

A lot of downed foliage, trees bent down with the weight of water. The pond was very high, all the banks now submerged, so I couldn't see frogs, probably under water.

Twigs in camo

On the patio 

New friends appearing. I have a lot more foliage than flowers, but when they appear, they get a warm welcome and pictures 

The thyme is flowering.

This is such a good time, after a storm, the trees swept clear of dead branches, flowers continuing, unconcerned. 

Happy day, everyone.  Enjoy your plans for the day.

Here's a summery thing for Escher aficionadas