Chili oil

I am still daydreaming about this avocado on toast I had for dinner last night.

It all started with a post on The Hungry Tiger a couple of months ago. Said post described a sandwich very much like this one. I was especially taken with the idea of chili oil infused with ginger, Szechuan pepper, star anise and other delicious things. Then I forgot about it, until I was racking my brain trying to come up with some homemade Xmas presents. I made the oil, and then tested it on this sandwich. Perfect! (Note the chili flakes: I couldn't even wait to strain the oil before using it, it smelled so good.) (The oil recipe is from Mark Bittman, who apparently got it from the proprietors of Szechuan Gourmet. But, like the Hungry Tiger, I left out the scallions.)
Xmas present problem solved. But now I need to make more!

No Oil Cake?

Carrot cake with pineapple (crushed, drained) and buttermilk and applesauce is dense. No coconut lightness, no walnut chunks... but this cake made my kitchen smell like spiced donuts. Where does that "fry" smell come from? Was it the 2 egg whites, and one whole egg? Was it the mix of spices and a longing for "fry"?
I think the next time I do carrot cake, it'll be with some oil. Or butter. The crumb was too dense, and even though my head knew it was "healthy," I wanted something that was more like cake.
I got the golden raisins here at a little shop I stumbled into in Philadelphia. They are sugary sweet -- too much for my taste. But aren't the lovely?