Diana Kuan Satisfies Readers’ Appetite for Spicy with a Hot New Book of Asian Sauce Recipes

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RED HOT KITCHEN  by trained chef and culinary instructor Diana Kuan is a hot sauce manifesto focused on homemade Asian chili sauces and delectable dishes that highlight their flavor. Many diners who have spent years eating Chinese, Thai, and Japanese food are now exploring and craving Korean, Indonesian, and other Asian cuisines that feature red hot flavors. Kuan has seen this hunger firsthand; her cooking classes that focus on spicy food sell out the fastest. RED HOT KITCHEN speaks to the burgeoning hot sauce trend and provides a solution to satiate readers’ appetites.

From Thai Sriracha to Indonesian sambal to Korean gochujang and other fiery favorites, Asian chili sauces add a palate-pleasing subtle kick or a scorching burn to stir-fries, appetizers, and noodle dishes. Kuan teaches readers how to recreate these enticing flavors with fresh, all-natural ingredients. The sauces in this book will appeal to home cooks who prefer to avoid store-bought, processed ingredients. 

Kuan offers more than 100 easy-to-follow recipes for nine sauces fundamental to Asian cooking, along with a “Know Your Chili Pepper” chart, so foodies can easily shop for the ingredients they need and personalize the heat level of each sauce. Each chapter then offers recipes incorporating each spicy sauce, broadening the range of Asian dishes to make at home. From Kung Pao Sweet Potatoes to Spicy Beef Bulgogi—and even Sriracha Sea Salt Brownies—Kuan fills RED HOT KITCHEN with customizable, creative recipes.

Diana Kuan is a food writer and photographer based in Brooklyn. She is the author of The Chinese Takeout Cookbook, on Chinese food and culture in America. Her work has also appeared in Food & Wine, Time Out New York, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and Epicurious. In addition to writing and photography, Diana has taught cooking classes for the past ten years in both Beijing and New York. Her favorite foods are dumplings, ramen, and tacos, usually with hot sauce on the side.

Image credit: Penguin Random House

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