One of the most annoying things in my work as a recipe developer is titling the recipes—giving them an appealing name so people will want to make the recipes and eat the food. Nowadays it’s not enough to call a recipe by its name; you have to add a keyword that will lure people to it like a moth to a cashmere sweater. For example, “the best hot sauce ever,” or “my grandmother’s secret recipe.” It must be a name that the SEO approves.
I told the SEO, “I am not playing this game with you.”
“Good luck then! I am not going to put your recipe anywhere near the top of Google search,” said the new God.”
So I obeyed because who doesn’t want to be in heaven – earning money doing what they love doing?
The competition is fierce, and it makes you want to quit—filming, photographing, writing, posting— but then you remind yourself why you started blogging in the first place. For me, well, I wanted to leave behind something valuable to my offspring. I wanted them to have my recipes, like I have my grandmother’s recipes. I wanted them to know a thing or two about their family—about their creative grandma and her delicious food. Just in case their parents are too busy to tell them or just forgot. I want them to have access to the recipes whenever they want, unlike me. I had to call my mother every day to ask her how she made this and that.
Maybe I’m being overly optimistic. Maybe my gen-z boys won’t even have kids of their own or maybe they won’t even curry my culinary ways or maybe the blog won’t survive an apocalyptic crisis. Who knows?
The truth is that I haven’t made a penny from the blog since I started it seven years ago, yet I keep blogging. Without the challenge of writing and documenting our life—food is our life—my brain would have demented a long time ago. Also, I would feel empty like an old Coca-Cola bottle.
And you my dear readers, you are what motivates me and keeps me positive.
Knowing that my recipes make a difference in someone’s life is what keeps me going . Who wants to run a marathon without all the crowd cheering them on? Who wants to perform without an audience? I need you like a grandmother needs to feel needed.
It was hard to come up with a title for this hot, lazy, harissa-adobo-inspired condiment. Therefore, I settled on “Easy To Make Homemade Spicy Condiment.” Everyone was satisfied, including SEO/God. It loves when you use the word “easy.” People love easy. And I totally understand them. Would you click on “Difficult Homemade Bread”? I certainly wouldn’t.
Now, about this humble yet Truman Capote-sophisticated condiment. I called it a condiment but it’s more than that. It’s also a marinade that turns any roasted veggie into a serenade. And a chili oil that you add to braised dishes to make them sassy and spicy. It’s also a sauce that turns a boring grassy steamed kale into a “Wow, this is amazing! I never liked kale before.”
Don’t be afraid to make extra, it keeps in the fridge for up to 60 days.
Now go make this Easy To Make Homemade Spicy Condiment and let us know what you thought.
Easy To Make Spicy Condiment
Equipment
- 1 6oz. jar
- Blender
- scissors
Ingredients
- 5 dried California chilies or another sweet type
- 3 jalapeños
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup avocado or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 bunch of kale
Instructions
- Use scissors to cut the dried chilies stems, remove the seeds and discard. Put them in a heatproof bowl and cover them with boiled water. Place a plate smaller than the bowl over the dried peppers to keep them submerged.
- Remove the kale’s stems and discard them. Chop the kale and put it in a steamer. Steam for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer, put the kale in a skillet with 1 cup water and saute until soft but still chewy.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the jalapeños. If you like spicy, keep some of the seeds. Chop the jalapeños roughly and put in a blender with the garlic, olive oil, and salt.
- Squeeze the California chilies with your hands to get rid of excess water and add them to the blender. Blend until the sauce is smooth.
- Put the steamed kale in a bowl, add 1-2 tablespoons of the spicy mixture and toss. Serve as it is as a salad, mezze or side, or over a toast.
- Store the rest in a jar in the fridge for up to 3 months (don’t double dip! Always use a clean spoon when using it).
