[CH] Some like it HOT

Linda Hutchinson (lipant@sympatico.ca)
Thu, 25 Aug 2005 17:37:50 -0400 

Posted on Wed, Aug. 24, 2005



Some like it HOT

Time for lip service to heat with spices that will make your 
tongue beg for mercy
By Jane Snow
Beacon Journal food writer

If you can't stand the heat, get into the kitchen and make 
something spicy-hot. It will cool you off.
Yes, tongue-tingling foods loaded with chili peppers really can 
make you feel cooler. That's one of the reasons spicy cuisine is 
popular in sweltering climates. For proof, look no farther than 
the scorching harissa sauce of Tunisia in Northern Africa, the 
tongue-taming tomato and tomatillo salsas of Mexico, the Sichuan 
stir frys of China, the jerked meat of Jamaica, the curries of 
Thailand and the tandoori barbecues of India.
The weather we've had this summer places us right in that lineup. 
With temperatures edging into the 90s for days on end, we could 
use a bit of culinary advice from the tropics on how to keep 
cool.
Here it is: The chili peppers in spicy foods contain capsaicin, a 
substance that not only makes your tongue tingle but dilates your 
capillaries. This increases the blood flow and causes you to 
perspire, which cools you off.
So dig in. Currently, local supermarkets are stocking fresh 
jalapeno, poblano, Hungarian hot, serrano and habanero chili 
peppers. The harvest is just starting, though. In coming weeks 
you can expect to find a slew of other hot peppers in stores, 
from New Mexico long greens to fiery, finger-sized Thais.
Be forewarned, though. After you develop a taste for chili 
peppers, you may never be satisfied with bland foods again. Chili 
peppers aren't physically addictive, but they may be 
psychologically addictive. After salt, they're the most popular 
seasoning on earth. One reason, researchers surmise, is that they 
help prevent foods from spoiling. Capsicums, including chilies 
and other hot peppers, can kill or inhibit up to 75 percent of 
food-borne bacteria, according to research conducted by Paul 
Sherman and Jennifer Billing at Cornell University.
Before refrigeration, this was particularly important in hot 
climates, and may be why spicy cuisine is popular in hot spots 
around the globe, Sherman and Billing concluded. Until recently, 
people didn't know about the antibacterial properties of chilies, 
of course, but those who developed a taste for spicy foods tended 
to live longer -- and reproduce more -- than those who didn't. So 
the preference for spicy foods spread.
If you like your foods hot but not too hot, clean the chili 
peppers thoroughly. The volatile capsaicin oils are found inside 
the chilies, in the ribs where the seeds are attached. Removing 
the ribs can dampen the heat considerably.
Choosing the right chili pepper can control the heat, too, 
although there are no guarantees. Generally, smaller peppers are 
hotter than larger peppers, although the heat level can vary 
widely even among chili peppers of the same variety, depending on 
the climate and soil conditions where the chili was grown.
The heat is rated according to a scale developed by Wilbur 
Scoville and a panel of tasters in 1912. Jalapenos can vary from 
4,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units, according to tests conducted 
at the New Mexico State University. Habaneros top the list at 
more than 200,000 Scoville units. Poblanos, Anaheims and New 
Mexico peppers are considered just mildly hot.
If you do set your mouth on fire, don't take a swig of water or 
beer, which merely spreads the heat. Instead, bite off a hunk of 
bread to soak up the volatile oils, or drink some milk. Also, 
researchers have found that capsaicin breaks down in fats, so ice 
cream would be ideal for dousing the fire in your mouth.
Hot peppers not only will wake you up and cool you down, they're 
good for you, too. They are a good source of Vitamins C, E and A, 
and are rich in folic acid and magnesium.
Some recipes call for roasting peppers, which sweetens the flavor 
and softens the texture. Peppers may be roasted over a charcoal 
fire for a wonderful, smoky flavor, or on a gas grill or over a 
gas or electric stove burner. Watch the peppers closely, because 
they burn quickly. The object is to char the skin without burning 
through the pepper walls. Turn the pepper as the skin chars. When 
blackened and blistered all over, quickly place the peppers in a 
paper bag and close tightly to steam for a few minutes. Then peel 
off the skins under running water.
Hot peppers come in many other forms besides fresh -- dried, 
canned, powdered (cayenne pepper), and steeped (hot pepper 
sauce), to name a few. All have a place in the kitchen. The 
following recipes use a variety of chili peppers and pepper 
products. They'll help spice up your dinner and cool you down.
SPICY AVOCADO SPREAD
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature

1cup sour cream

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 can (4 oz.) sliced jalapeno chilies with their liquid
10 green olives, chopped
In a blender, combine cream cheese, avocado and chilies with 
their liquid. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl, 
cover the top with olives and serve immediately with tortilla 
chips. Makes 4 cups.
SPICY HASH BROWNS

½cup vegetable oil

4 potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick

½cup chopped onion
¾cup diced tomatoes

2 to 3 serrano chilies (or to taste), thinly sliced
1 ½ cups shredded Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook potatoes for 4 
to 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer 
with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet. Place over 
medium heat and add potatoes, onion, tomatoes and chilies. Cook 
until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Scatter cheese over 
the potatoes. Let stand off the heat until cheese melts. Makes 6 
servings.
HOT LIPS SPICED SHRIMP

2quarts water

1 bottle (12 oz.) dark beer
10 small dried red chilies, such as de arbol or japones
8 whole unpeeled garlic cloves
1 tbsp. mustard seeds (yellow)

4bay leaves

¼ cup prepared horseradish
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

1/3cup olive oil

1 ½ lbs. (about 30) large shrimp, peeled, tails left on
1 large lemon, sliced thin

1tbsp. salt

Combine water, beer, chilies, garlic, mustard seeds and bay 
leaves in a large pan over medium heat. Bring to a brisk simmer. 
Partially cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk horseradish, Worcestershire 
sauce and hot pepper sauce. Whisk in olive oil.
Add shrimp, lemon slices and salt to the simmering beer mixture 
and cook, stirring once or twice, until shrimp are pink and 
curled, about 3 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer and drain 
well. Transfer to a large bowl. Add horseradish mixture and toss. 
Cool to room temperature before serving.
TANDOORI CHICKEN

4tsp. ground cayenne
3tsp. ground paprika

1 small onion, chopped

5cloves garlic

1 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
2 tsp. coriander seeds

1tsp. cumin seeds
½tsp. turmeric
½cup lime juice
1cup plain yogurt

1 chicken (3 lbs.), skin removed
Combine cayenne, paprika, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin 
and turmeric in a blender. Add enough lime juice to puree to a 
smooth paste. Stir in the remaining lime juice and yogurt.
Make deep gashes in the flesh of the chicken and stuff with the 
yogurt mixture. Rub remaining mixture over chicken and marinate 
for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Bake the chicken with the marinade, uncovered at 350 degrees for 
one hour or until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. 
Or smoke-grill the chicken over charcoal until done. Makes 4 
servings.
Gerlach.
JALAPENO CORN BREAD

1cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

2tsp. sugar
1tsp. baking soda
1tsp. baking powder
1tsp. salt
1 ½cups buttermilk

4 tbsp. minced fresh jalapenos
2 cloves garlic, minced

1cup chopped onion
2eggs, beaten

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
3 tbsp. bacon drippings or shortening, melted
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Heat buttermilk with the 
jalapenos, garlic and onions just until small bubbles form around 
the edges. Remove from heat and let cool.
Combine eggs, cheese, buttermilk mixture and shortening and blend 
well. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir 
until smooth. Pour into a greased, 9-inch-square pan. Bake at 425 
degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Linda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me - I want 
people to know WHY I look this way: I've traveled a long way and 
some of the roads weren't paved.