The Emporia Gazette

February 12, 2012

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January 16 is “International Hot and Spicy Foods Day!” I don’t know why, but it sounds like fun.

I did some research and no one wants to claim coming up with the idea. The United Nations Web site doesn’t seem to indicate any official involvement. So I assume it is a culinary movement of the people, propagated by the interconnectivity of the World Wide Web. Or maybe it’s a sales technique for the guys who grow hot peppers.

When I think hot, I think East Indian food. Thai is probably even hotter, and so is Szechwan--but I can only go so far, so Indian is usually my limit.

I love the way Indian cuisine combines all kinds of spices to attain certain flavors and heat. The primary heat sources appear to be ginger, garlic, black pepper and red chiles.

Peppers came to India the long way around — it’s amusing that Europeans found the new world by looking for spices from India, found the native American peppers and took them back to influence Indian (and most Asian) cooking. In fact, India is now home to the official “world’s hottest pepper,” the bhut jolokia, whose one million Scoville Units are comparable to mace. The pepper spray, not the spice. I know I should have given you a vindaloo recipe, but even I don’t dare to eat vindaloo--it’s just too hot.

CHICKEN VARUVAL

Canola or olive oil

1/4 tsp. fenugreek

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

10 red chiles

2 tsp. ginger, grated

2 tsp. garlic paste

1 tsp. curry leaves (or 1/2 tsp. powder)

1 tsp. mustard seeds

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 lb. chicken, skinned, chopped

5 tsp. garam masala

2 tsp. turmeric

2 tsp. coriander, ground

Heat some oil in a pan and add the fenugreek seeds, fry them for a few seconds, then add the diced onions and fry until they turn golden brown. Next add the red chilies, ginger, garlic paste and curry leaves. Saute for 1 minute, then allow to cool slightly before you grind it all into a paste. You can use a food processor or a mortar and pestle.

In a fresh saucepan with a lid, heat some more oil and saute the mustard seeds. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic; fry them till they turn golden brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes, cook for about three minutes, and then add the cut chicken. Keep sautéing for another three minutes, then add the garam masala, turmeric and coriander.

Close the lid, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir it every five minutes. When you’re done it will look like juicy, fried chicken (no sauce). Serve your tasty Chicken Varuval hot with rice and chapatis (crispy flat bread).

I once worked with an Indian-American called Sammi at his restaurant in Memphis. He always mixed his spice groups together in a bowl before adding them to the dish. Sammi said it worked better that way. And Indian food usually calls for the spices to be heated in oil before you go to the next step. This releases their flavors for immediate impact as the dish begins to cook.

This next dish is great in the summer or as an appetizer. It is not raw: the citrus juice cooks the shrimp as it marinates. If you use larger shrimp, cut them into bite-size pieces. If you have the patience to peel them, buy small shrimps and use them whole, which is more aesthetically pleasing.

SHRIMP AND JALAPEÑO CEVICHE

1 lb. shrimp

2 jalapeños, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. white onion, minced

2 medium, firm tomatoes, diced

1 Tbsp. fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

1 cup fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Peel and devein the shrimp and wash under cold running water. Place the shrimp in a glass bowl (do not use metal or the citrus juice will interact and taint the flavor). Add the jalapeños, onion, tomatoes, and parsley, then pour the lime juice and lemon juice over the shrimp and toss lightly. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Serve very cold on lettuce leaves or in a fun piece of stemware (margarita glass, maybe?). Tortilla strips make a great garnish and accompaniment, or water crackers or lavash.

African food can be very, very hot. If the weather is hot and you want to cool down, you eat something hot and it makes you perspire. Seems counterintuitive, but centuries of cuisine in the equatorial regions cannot be wrong.

Briefly in college I had a Nigerian roommate, and she would make us this treat. It serves two, and is very easy.

AMA’S NIGERIAN

PEANUT SOUP

2 cubes of instant chicken bouillon

2 cups water

1 1/2 small dried green chilis, finely chopped

1/4 cup each green bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup onion, diced

3 Tbsp. chunky peanut butter

Dissolve bouillon in water; add chili peppers and bring to a boil. Stir in bell pepper and onion; return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the peanut butter and cook, stirring constantly, until it is melted and well blended. Serve with mashed potatoes.

In fact, Ama’s family ATE with mashed potatoes. They would sit on a mat around the food--one pot of potatoes, and one of peanut soup, spoon up about a half cup of potatoes into one hand and form it into an egg-shape. They would dip one end of it in the soup and take a bite. They continue to reshape the potatoes for a second or a third bite, then go for another scoop of potatoes. This certainly saved on washing dishes!

GREEN CHILE CHILI

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. cubed pork

1-1/2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

1/4 cup chopped jalapeños

1 cup chopped canned green chiles

2 cups canned chicken broth

1-2/3 cups water

28 oz. canned tomatillos, drained and crushed

1 Tbsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1-1/2 Tbsp. Ancho chile powder

Brown the pork and onion in the olive oil, add garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for one to two hours depending how thick you like it. Serve with warm tortillas (and for me, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese).

This chili recipe derives its heat from jalepeños and Anchos, but you could crank it up even more by throwing in some Asian peppers or a well-diced habañero.

This next one is Spanish in origin, and it is hot in a wonderful, wintertime way. Great “as is” on a buffet menu, you can also serve these albóndigas over rice or a hearty pasta. Try using different combinations of meat like buffalo and beef, or chicken and chorizo--yowza!

MEATBALLS IN

CHIPOTLE SAUCE

Meatballs:

1/2 lb. finely ground beef

1/2 lb. finely ground pork

1/3 cup finely chopped onions

2 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. fresh minced cilantro

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1 egg, beaten

Sauce:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup tomato sauce

2 chipotle peppers, canned in adobo sauce, stemmed and chopped

2 tablespoons chipotle adobo sauce

1/2 cup beef broth

Combine all the meatball ingredients and mix well. Form into one and a half inch meatballs. Brown the meatballs in a little oil, remove and keep warm.

To make the sauce, add the oil to the pan and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce is thickened.

Place the sauce in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan, add the meatballs, and heat through. Delicious!

Are you sweating yet? Remember, you can control the heat either way by reducing and increasing the hot elements, so don’t be afraid to try a couple of these recipes.

Next week I’ll have some recipes to help you stretch the contents of this month’s Angel Food box. A lot of people take advantage of that program, but since it’s designed to feed a family of four for one week, it would be helpful to have some low-cost techniques for making it go just a little farther! Let’s Get Cooking!