The Sriracha Cookbook: 50 "Rooster Sauce" Recipes that Pack a Punch

by Randy Clemens

You’ve drizzled the addictively spicy chili sauce over your breakfast eggs, noodles, and French fries, but now it’s time to take your Sriracha obsession to bold, new heights. Food writer and trained chef Randy Clemens presents 50 palate-expanding recipes that make the most of Sriracha’s savory punch, such Spicy Ceviche, Honey-Sriracha Glazed Buffalo Wings, Bacon-Sriracha Cornbread, the Ultimate Sriracha Burger, Peach-Sriracha Sorbet, and more.

Named Bon Appétit’s Ingredient of the Year for 2010, the piquant pureé of chili peppers is one of the few kitchen standbys adored by adventurous cooks of all stripes—from star chefs to college freshmen—who appreciate its vibrant, versatile balance of ketchup-like sweetness, garlicky pungency, and just the right amount of spice. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a recent convert to the revered “rooster sauce,” you’ll love adding heat, depth, and an intriguing Southeast Asian twist to your dishes beyond just a tableside squeeze.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference, Food and Drink, Asian Literature

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2011

Reviews

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 This was a birthday gift from an amazing friend. It was informational about so many things to do with Sriracha. Clemens uses the sauce for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yum! I'm only giving it a 3.5 bc idk how many recipes I would actually use. My favorite recipe was the homemade Sriracha sauce.. knowing how to make the original of anything is always my goal. Anyway, have fun if you decide to try any!

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

All I can say is that the recipes are HEAVY on Sriracha. We made the tzatziki sauce tonight using HALF of the amount called for and it was spicy. Not inedible, as we love spicy but at the full amount, it would have been. All of the recipes seem this way honestly. Although the recipes look interesting, nothing is really "ooo, I must try that. And to be quite honest, most of the recipes seemed more like ideas on what to add Sriracha too, nothing truly original.

[Kelly Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little cookbook if you like Sriracha. Not all the recipes are very original or interesting, but sometimes it's easy to forget that adding Sriracha to a simple recipe, can make it that much better. Now, I can't eat tater tots without Sriracha ketchup, and Ruffles chips have to be eaten with Sriracha sour cream. Get this cookbook if you want reminders of all the foods you can easily add a little Sriracha to make it that much better.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just thinking about this cookbook makes my mouth water! I made the canned green beans a month ago and opened a can this week (yes, I waited to post to see if the recipe was any good)-- they were fantastic! Having been a fan of Rooster Sauce (as we call it because of the rooster on the label) for years, all I can say it hooray for its novel perspective on cooking! Now I have more reasons than ever to enjoy it.

A daring, darling little cookbook. Very imagniative.

[Kevin Magpoc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is it fair to review a cookbook before actually trying any of the recipes? Usually I would say "no." But as previous reviewers have pointed out, just reading through the recipes is enough to realize that most, if not all of, the recipes come across more as suggestions of things to add Sriracha to rather than terribly insightful Srirevelations. There's a recipe for cheddar cheese bread, but nothing more interesting than that. I would've liked to see more recipes for Srirecipes that I'd want to try but would require a tested recipe for me to reference (like if there was, say, sriracha ice cream). Otherwise, if the amount of sauce used can be adjusted for taste anyway, is there a need to keep the book around at all (especially if one happens to already have a reliable formula for something like mac & cheese)?
I can't help but compare this to the "101 Things to Do With..." books, which had the better idea of theming a cookbook around a base ingredient (ramen noodles, cake mix, etc) rather than, well, a condiment.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most cookbooks organized around a single ingredient contain a few good recipes and a lot of others that are just silly. The questions "I wonder how go-ju-jang would go on Cheerios" and "Do you think maple syrup would add anything to broccolini?" just shouldn't be asked. Randy Clemens' book on Sriracha (an Asian spicy red chili sauce which comes in a distinctive plastic squeeze bottle) is an exception. There are several things about Sriracha which are interesting. One is that that it is found on the tables of Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and other Asian restaurants. Such ubiquity is rare in Asian cuisine. Another is that it has become widely popular in the United States and has "crossed over" into distinctly Western dishes such as cornbread, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, chili con carne and buffalo wings. This is one of those few one-ingredient cookbooks which contain sufficient good suggestions to justify its place in the home cook's library.

[Andrew Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cookbook. Awesome pictures (always a plus for me in a cookbook). Creative and extremely tasty recipes. A nice history of the product and some nice cooking tips. I have a high spice tolerance and most of the recipes are a good and challenging level of heat for me, but absolutely burst through other peoples' tolerance levels (some recipes call for more than a half a cup of the Rooster Sauce for very few servings). My one major complaint: I wish the book was longer!

[Kelly Bragg · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, so I read this one & The Veggie-Lover's Sriracha Cookbook: 50 Vegan "Rooster Sauce" Recipes that Pack a Punch (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...)

Interestingly I liked this one the best of the 2. Though there were some good recipes in The Veggie-Lover's Sriracha Cookbook, this one had FAR MORE recipes that I can't wait to try. Might have to purchase this one...

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really answers the question "What else can I use this sauce for besides breakfast burritos and cold pizza". Sriracha is a tangy, spicy, hot sauce that is used in Asian cooking. The Rooster brand comes in a handy squeeze bottle. The recipes I did copy are Sriracha Slaw (it uses peanut butter)and Sriracha Ceviche. I reccomend this book and sauce if you like spicier foods.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read. And, incidentally, a ton of delicious stuff. *grin*

[Jennifer Hayes-vucetic · Rating 5 out of 5]

If other people's hot is your mild this book is for you! Working or eating my way through the book. Ultimate Sriracha Burger is a delicious 10 napkin meal!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sriracha fried rice. Sriracha ranch dressing. These are beautiful and necessary things.

[Katey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't really give this more or less than 2 stars, as while I've read all the wordy bits and browsed the recipes, I've made none of them and probably won't, since this book is very meat and dairy centric. There are a few in the appetizer/snack and soups sections that seem like they can be modified, but overall, this is a book for people who love sriracha sauce and eating animals.

Or you may be inspired to squirt sriracha sauce directly into your mouth. Either/or.

[hissi · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing book! even for someone who doesn't like the heat, i purchased this spicy condiment with all the hypethat's been going on around it, and not knowing what to do with it really i found this awesome book that really did not disappoint. its versatile from breads to sorbets using the spice, i thought it would be boring, showing you how to add it as a condiment but the book upgraded this to a whole new level indeed!.

[Elsa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bummer! I love this sauce and was totally looking forward to some new and interesting recipies. Not so-there is one for a cole slaw I may try, but, really.....macaroni and cheese with hot sauce??--you need a recipie for that??....that's the only way I can eat that stuff.

[Sarah Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This doesn't seem to be a very extensive collection of recipes, but then, there's only so much you can do with Sriracha. I made the Sriracha mayo and have used it on sandwiches. It's pretty hot! But it tastes good. I think anyone who enjoys Sriracha would probably enjoy this cookbook.

[Serge Pierro · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who are just starting to use Sriracha, this book could be of interest. Unfortunately, many of the "recipes" are common variations. (Sriracha Mayo, Sriracha Deviled Eggs, etc.) . There are some ideas that people may find interesting, but I was hoping for more interesting recipes.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have liked to give this a 3.5. It has some tasty recipes & gave me some ideas. The Sriracha cheddar bread will be made.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made the Mac&Cheese, and while it was good, it really just tasted like Mac&Cheese with Sriracha in it. Did I expect more?! May try recipe for the homemade Sriracha, but may not!

[Benny · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you can stand the heat, you'll like this book.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little cookbook. It would be a nice gift for anyone obsessed with sriracha.

[Katherine]

Disappointingly unoriginal. I was hoping for more information and something a little more interesting then just "add sriracha to these common dishes".

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Worth the price just for the recipe for Sriracha salt which I gave away during the holidays.

[Kim Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is silly and a little bit ridiculous, but as a fan of all things sriracha, this book offers a fun twist for home meals.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I will never make sriracha from scratch, the chili recipe sounds interesting.

[Tsia · Rating 5 out of 5]

highly recommend!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE.

[Philbeert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great sounding recipes and some delicious looking photos to go with them. Rating is for the book only, I'll update if necessary after trying a few recipes.

[Mark Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for the lovers of Sriracha.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mac N Cheese recipe is phenomenal.