[CH] Red Lion Blast!

mstevens@exit109.com
Mon, 24 Sep 2001 18:03:58 GMT 

Reporting on the success of the 3rd annual Red Lion Hotluck!  A fine time was 
had by all involved.  Approximately 50 folks showed up, and there was hotsauce, 
salsa and adult beverages flowing freely.  I brought Thai Spiced grilled shrimp 
and my bro made a curried chicken with nuts and raisins.  Doug had a cassarole 
of shredded potatoes and the chile and cheese stuffed sausage he had introduced 
at Bowers (I meant to post some photos of the Chile Festival but got 
sidetracked by subsequent events...).  There was some great spicy hummous, 
chili, mango habanero salsa and other dishes too numerous for me to remember.  
A photo of the sauce selection:

http://www.exit109.com/~mstevens/lionsauce.jpg

There was also a lot of dry spices, candy, Blairs Death Rain potato chips and a 
couple dozen door prizes that ranged from the Biker Billy Cookbook (B.B. is not 
currently on Doug's "A" list...) to sauces, Pickled Garlic, chile oven mits and 
tote bags, etc...

At each hotluck there is usually a standout dish that blows everyone away, this 
time was also the case, but with a twist...   In Chip's extensive chile garden 
was an unassuming little plant with small, upright little chiles about the size 
and shape of corn kernals.  When bitten they had a lemony citrus like flavor 
which was pleasant but unassuming.  Thoughts would then go elswhere and you 
almost forgot you had eaten the tiny little thing (Quote: "They certainly don't 
look dangerous..."), but a minute to 90 seconds later heat would begin to 
assert itself and would continue to do so for like 5 minutes.  It was the most 
delayed reaction burn I had ever expeienced and approached the intensity of a 
hab.  This would go on for nearly 10 minutes, and at the peak could only be 
tolerated with an ice cube in the mouth!  Two of these eaten about 5 minutes 
apart even had Chile King Doug on the mat!  At one point we had Chip, Doug, my 
bro Rich and Andy B. eat them in unison.  Talk about a ring of fire!  Chip was 
red as a fire engine and cursing Doug for talking him into it...   With all of 
this, we could not even figure out what the little @#$%&$ were!  If anyone 
wants to try to identify them I have a picture of them at:

http://www.exit109.com/~mstevens/tinyblast.jpg

All in all it was a great time that went on well past midnight.  Can't wait 
till next year!

=Mark