for all you "HOT" lovers -

[Mama Mangia]

scorchingly hot, so use with caution as a condiment with grilled meats and poultry or add to soups and stews.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes


14 dried Piquin chiles, stems removed
2 Tablespoons ground cayenne
2 Tablespoons ground paprika
4 whole cardamom pods
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 Tablespoons oil


Toast the cardamom, cumin, peppercorns, and fenugreek in a hot skillet, shaking constantly, for a couple of minutes, until they start to crackle and "pop." Grind these spices to form a powder.

Combine the onions, garlic, and 1/2 cup water in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the chiles, cayenne, paprika, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves, continuing to blend. Slowly add the remaining water and oil and blend until smooth.

Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes to blend the flavors and thicken.

Serving Suggestions: Serve sparingly as a condiment with grilled meats and poultry or add to soups and stews.

Yield: 1 cup


ENJOY!!!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

MamaM you really got my attention with that heading hee-hee, I was sayin' to myself "Yeah I'm a real Hot Lover I wonder what kinda good stuff Mama's got for me?
OK I'll shut-up now, dang thanks for sharing!

You know that sounds like a Ras-el-Hanout recipe sort of only you use liquid in yours. I am going to be giving this a try for sure! Thanks for sharing.

[Mama Mangia]

Of course - it was posted with you in mind!

Do let me know if you like it!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

I'd say you're a nut Mama, but then I know what you'd say back something along the lines of it takes one to know one...hee-hee.

Seriously this sounds so tasty and I will def. let you know how I like it!

[mrsjimmyp]

LOL...I''m Hot but can't take those Hot peppers !

[KYHeirloomer]

And a nat'ral born redhead to boot----which is money in the bank anywhere!

[Mama Mangia]

you can use any peppers you want - I'm a "heat-only-once-in-a-while" person myself

[mrsjimmyp]

lol...Ky....

I love the taste of peppers just not the heat.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Dang, mama! A guy sure don't want to go scratchin' anywhere after mixing up a batch of this HOT, spicy stuff! YOWZA! Hee-Hee!

[KYHeirloomer]

Francie, there are several ways of enjoying the taste of chilies without the heat getting to you.

First, as Pepperman has mentioned, remove the ribs and seeds. About 90% of the capsaicin (which is where the heat is) is found in the ribs (technically the placenta). It's contained in tiny, oil-filled sacks. When these rupture (such as when you cut open the pod) the capsaicin gets onto the seeds---which is why it is often erroneously reported that you get rid of the heat by getting rid of the seeds. It's actually the ribs that carry it.

Second, again as Pepperman says, searing the outside will reduce some of the apparent heat.

Next, choose varieties that are low on the heat scale. Heat in chilies is measured in Scoville Heat Units, and ranges from 0 (for bell peppers) to 700,000 (for the hottest known pepper). If you are heat sensitive, anything up to 1000 you'll hardly notice. If you can handle a little heat, up to about 1500. After that, it's variety by variety because even with a lot of heat, if the Brix number is also high the sugar tends to mask the capsaicin.

For what it's worth, poblano, fresno, some of the cherry types, cubanelle some of the New Mexican, and pasilla are some of those that have heat levels below 1,500 SHUs.

Finally, there is a whole world of normally hot chilies that lack capsaicin. You can, therefore, find non-hot jalapenos; non-hot habaneros; non-hot baccatums.

To me, if you take the heat away from jalapenos, all you have left is a sort of green taste. So I don't care for them all that much. However, if you take the heat away from C. chinense (basically, habaneros) what's left is a smoky, tropical fruit flavor. Take the heat away from C. baccatum and you're left with citrusy undertones.

Don't forget, too, that you don't have to use an entire chili. A snippit of a habanero, say, in a pot of beans, brings a new level of flavor without the overpowering heat habs are known for.