四川辣椒脆脆食譜書

The James Beard award on the cover caught my eye, and after cooking through three recipes, I get it—Jing Gao’s breakdown of layering the chili crisp’s heat and crunch is genuinely instructive. Even the intro on toasting spices made me rethink my pantry.

I’m a cookbook collector and this one’s already dog-eared—the way Jing Gao breaks down layering chili crisp into everything from eggs to braises genuinely changed my weeknight dinners. It earned that Beard award, no question.

Got this as a gift for a friend who's obsessed with spicy food, and she hasn't stopped cooking from it since. The way Jing Gao breaks down building layers of heat and umami makes even a simple weeknight stir-fry feel intentional. I've already pre-ordered a second copy for myself.