My advice to anyone suffering ailments of any kind has been to ingest natural capsiacin sources. The capsiacin source has to be “just over your nominal pain threshold” in order to work. If it is not painful enough your body will fail to produce the needed natural steamroller of hormonal and antibody defense antigens. When you ingest a host of natural capsiacin, it inflicts pain a) during ingestion; 2) as it passes through the gastronomical system and c) when it passes as a waste product.

The degree of pain can be measured in Scoville units regarding the vegetable peppers: Bells (0 units); Cherry, New Mexico (500u); Acho, Pasilla (1,500u); Jalapeno (5,000u); Cayenne, Serrano, Tabasco (50,000u); Thai (100,000u) and finally the Habenero (300,000u). Apparently a cross-hybrid version called the Red Sorvino Habenero has been reported at 500,000u!

Upon ingestion the mouth and throat burn. The heartbeat kicks up a notch, sweat glands flood. Your body is registering an attack. Your body scrambles for fight or flight. If you continue in a sustained ingestion (well over your pain threshold) the body begins to flood with hormonal endorphin pain killers (which create the euphoric “high” enjoyed by regular mouth surfers). The immune system kicks in and the white blood cell count rises along with genetic antibody cells.

As this hell train passes through your gastronomic system it attacks anything foriegn and, in my words, anything that can get out of your body, will get out…and often in the passing of a diarrheal form of capsiacin magma laden acid. HEY! I never said it was pretty! But then, as in the Poltergeist flick, you can confidently say, “I pronounce this house clean!”

Works great if you go to this Defcon defense immediately (or within 6 hours) after you feel “something viral” jump you. But be careful and note your physicians restrictions for capsiacin!

FINANCIAL EXPRESS
Indu Bhan
NEW DELHI

The Delhi High Court has barred Nestle from claiming exclusive or vested right to the name of its sauce variant, ‘Chilli Garlic.’However, it has upheld Nestle’s exclusive right to its other two sauce brands, ‘Masala Chilli’ and ‘Hot & Sweet’.

Nestle had filed a petition averring violation of intellectual property rights on account of Gopal Agencies’ ‘malafide’ imitation of 200 gm bottles with identical three variants ‘Hot and Sweet,’ ‘Chilli Garlic’ and ‘Masala Chilli’. While Nestle had launched these variants between 1985 and 1987, Gopal Agencies started marketing these from April 2003.

While pronouncing its judgement, Justice Mukul Mudgal held, “The sauce ‘Chilli Garlic’ comprises of ingredients chilli and garlic and both the words are generic and descriptive of the contents and the quality of the product.’ Consequently, Nestle cannot claim any exclusively or vested rights in it.”

It further said that the visual representation of two competing bottles indicates that an average customer was not likely to be misled into buying the specialised sauces. The customer to be reckoned here is one of average and not sub-average intelligence, it added. However, Gopal Agencies agreed to market its cap without stirations similar to the Nestle on the cap.

About ‘Masala Chilli’ and ‘Hot and Sweet’, the court said that the Nestle’s products by being in the market for almost two decades had acquired a descriptive and seconday reputation. Besides, the fonts and placement of letters of competing bottles were identical with that of Nestle’s. “Accordingly the defendants are restrained from using the sub-brands ‘Masala Chilli’ and ‘Hot & Sweet’ in respect of their sauces during the pendency of the suit,” the court said.

Petitioner’s counsel Partibha M Singh had contented that Nestle being a worldwide company had built an enviable reputation due to extensive advertising. And the defendant was resorting to unfair competition by adapting identical shape, labels and packaging and was using petitioners goodwill to enrich itself unjustly.

© 2004 The Indian Express Online Media Ltd.

JOSEPH GARCIA
Tucson Citizen

I await the angry phone calls, e-mails and letters to the editor.

I half expect an organized protest at the newspaper’s front doors, maybe even getting called into the publisher’s office to explain the firestorm.

But the truth is the truth, and I believe it must be stated, even – or perhaps especially – when it’s hard to swallow.

And the truth is:

You just can’t get good green chile in Tucson.

There, I said it.

Sorry, but Arizona is a red state when it comes to chile. It just can’t compete with its neighbor New Mexico, a green state if ever there was one.

No offense, but most Mexican restaurants in the Old Pueblo wouldn’t know what to do with a green chile except to wait for the pepper to turn red.

So, what makes me an expert on green chiles (besides knowing they’re part of the Capsicum genus, like eggplant and tomatoes, and – sorry, Christopher Columbus – not a pepper any more than Native Americans are “Indians”)?

Well, first off, my ancestors are from northern New Mexico, which was introduced to green chiles in the 1500s. They lived in a little farming community named Alameda just north of Albuquerque, long before the hungry city swallowed it up.

There’s a “Garcia Street” street sign in Alameda, named after my grandfather, who grew chiles. My late father even had a little chile garden in his back yard in Los Angeles.

From an early age, we were taught that few things are more sacred or magical on this planet than green chile.

Loaded with vitamin C (one green chile pod can contain six times as much vitamin C as an orange, according to the New Mexico Journal of Science) and provitamin A, E, B, (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin), green chiles should be in any recipe for health and happiness.

Aztec medicine men knew green chile can prevent/cure everything from the common cold to poor blood circulation to migraines to infidelity. (Good cooks of green chile are rarely divorced, at least not for long.)

But beware: Like pure excitement, green chile was never intended for the meek. Hot green chile can burn your mouth. And when you’re roasting and peeling them, they can burn your eyes – or any other body part you might inadvertently touch or rub.

Purists will tell you to cook green chile with pork (I prefer beef), the perfect complement to beans or eggs – or simply eaten “as is” with a warm flour tortilla. But green chiles are versatile. Strips are perfect for cheeseburgers, and chopped green chiles are great when mixed with corn and meat for a Mexican stir-fry. You can even add diced green chiles to New England clam chowder, transforming it into New Mexi-land clam chowder (my invention). And what would chile rellenos be without, well, a chile?

Recipes abound (my mom’s are the best, of course).
But please, please, don’t call it “chili.” That’s Texas talk, where they mix dried chili pods, tomato paste, ground beef, onions, celery, kidney beans and God know what else into a strange stew. Maybe that’s all they had to eat at the Alamo as a last supper.

When you’re talking chile, you’re talking New Mexico. Every Labor Day weekend, the Hatch Chile Festival celebrates the latest crop, which last year amounted to 85,000 tons and $200 million in revenue, according to the New Mexico Agricultural Statistics Service.

Hey, if red chile is your thing – “better red, than dead” – God bless you. You should feel right at home in red-hot Tucson. (Personally, red chile makes the insides of my belly boil.)

Just don’t put “green chile” on the menu, because to green chile lovers, it’s a disappointment bordering on false advertisement. Sort of like selling New York pizza in Benson.

Tucson may be the big enchilada when it comes to most Mexican food, but not when it comes to green chile.

No, I’m not going to move to New Mexico, thank you. I’ll just continue to order the chicken chimichanga like I always do and say nothing more on the matter, politely chewing with my mouth closed.

Senior Editor Joseph Garcia’s column appears Mondays. Contact him at 573-4561 or at jgarcia@tucsoncitizen.com.

Those involved with the Chile Pepper Festival are mourning the loss of three workers who died as a result of an accident Thursday morning at the University of Arkansas Cross Country Course, race founder Joe Fennel said Friday, but the region’s oldest and largest cross country event will go on as planned. “Yesterday was a terrible, terrible day for our [Chile Pepper] family,” Fennel said in a prepared statement, read at the site of the accident. “More importantly, yesterday was a horrendous day for the families of the men who were killed or injured in the accident. Nothing we can say here will soothe the loss for the families who lost loved ones.”

Fennel said the race will be ran in honor of the three men who died — Kevin D. White of Fayetteville, Roderick M. Cook of Cave Springs and David G. Koch of Springdale. Each of the men were employees of Party InTents, a local company hired to assemble tents for the event.

White, Cook and Koch died from injuries suffered when a tent support pole came into contact with a high voltage wire.

Three others, Anthony McEntire of Fayetteville, Chris Wilson of Huntsville and Bruce Dunn of Fayetteville, were injured in the accident. All three were treated and released from Washington Regional Medical Center on Friday.

Dunn, a local promoter, has served as the event’s race director for the past year. “We ask everyone involved in the Chile Pepper to pray for those families and to support them in any way we can,” Fennel said. “These were all fine men who were simply doing their job.

” Our hearts mourn for these families in the loss of their loved ones. We all hope that our friends injured yesterday will fully recover from this tragedy. “

More than 3,000 runners are expected to compete in the event which begins today with an open 5k race and fun run/walk at 8 a.m.

A number of collegiate and high school races follow, featuring several local teams. The event should wrap up around 1 p.m. with an awards ceremony.

The Chile Pepper Festival is an event that takes yearlong planning. More than 120 high school teams, 71 collegiate squads and 600 individuals from across the nation are registered to race.

Fennel said there was never a thought of canceling the event to his knowledge.

Fennel, a local restaurateur, said the accident victims will be appropriately honored at the event and asked that all competitors and spectators to wear a black ribbon in honor the men who were killed.

Fennel, Randy Rhine and Kelly O’Meara founded the event 16 years ago in an effort to raise funds for local high school cross country teams.

Fennel courted Arkansas ’ cross country teams to hold their home meet in conjunction with the event and ever since the festival has been one of the few annual home events for the Razorbacks and Lady Razorbacks ’ nationally known cross country squads.

” The Chile Pepper is always the highlight of our regular season schedule, “said legendary Razorback cross country and track coach John McDonnell.” It is always two weeks before our conference meet and is a great barometer for where our team is at. “

UA women’s cross country coach Lance Harter said the Chile Pepper race has set the standard for such events around the country.

” The Chile Pepper is a great event that others have tried to copy, “said Harter, who was recently inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame.” They have tried a similar event at Stanford and North Carolina, but they are not on par with the Chile Pepper. You’re lucky to get any water there. Here, they feed everyone. As for results at those races, good luck finding them. ”

Chile Pepper parking will be located at Washington County Fairgrounds, the Whittaker Equine Center and Agri Park, which are all located on Arkansas 112.

UA transit buses will shuttle participants from the parking lots to the drop-off point near the course from 6:30-10:30 a.m. It is a halfmile walk from the parking area to the starting line.

2004 Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival 8 a.m., Chile Pepper Open (10k) 8:05 a.m., Fun run/Walk (1 mile) 9 a.m., Open Awards Ceremony 9:30 p.m., Men’s Collegiate Race (10k) 10:30 p.m., Women’s Collegiate Race (6k) 11 a.m., High School Boy’s Open (5k) 11:05 a.m., Collegiate Awards Ceremony 11:30 a.m., High School Girls Open (4k) 12 p.m., High School Girl’s Open (4k) , Junior High Girls Division (4k) 12:30 p.m., High School Girl’s Invitational (4k) 1 p.m., High School Awards Ceremony

November 10, 2004

The wrap that ate L.A.
It’s not just rice and beans anymore. These days, burritos are positively stylin’.
By Carolynn Carreño, Special to The Times

Armchair authorities on Mexican cuisine are fond of saying that burritos aren’t really Mexican. It means “little donkey,” they argue. It’s not little, it’s not a donkey — so it couldn’t possibly be auténtico. As if we care.

Like pizza, which supposedly comes from Naples, or that all-American phenomenon, the hamburger, invented, so they say, by some fancy-pants in Germany, burritos have transcended their roots, real or supposed. And unlike the chile relleno, the enchilada, or even the soft taco, which, if made “correctly” should be pretty much the same wherever you go, burritos, regardless of their origin, are not mired in tradition. The burrito as we know it is puro Californiano and, like all things Californian, a product of innovation and reinvention.

San Francisco’s whopping Mission-style burritos are legendary, of course, giant packages of saucy meat, beans and rice. For San Diegans, carne asada burritos are as integral to the experience of the place as a slice of pie is to a New Yorker — what you grab when you want something cheap, easy to eat, and in the wee morning hours, allegedly capable of reversing the effects of alcohol (and even of curing them the next day).

But though the taco has long eclipsed the burrito’s fame in Los Angeles, we do in fact have a burrito culture, and then some. You’ve always been able to find great burritos here in town — at least as long as burritos have been around. But sometime in the last decade, burritos evolved into something so varied, so delicious and so ubiquitous that it would seem as though the burrito might one day replace the hamburger as L.A.’s signature bite.

Generally speaking, the little donkey we Angelenos know and love is a big, messy, hand-held monster. You find it in every neighborhood, from Boyle Heights to Northridge to Beverly Hills-adjacent; it emerges from colorful, corner burrito joints, from stalwart taco stands, from the trucks that pull up in front of construction sites or pull up in front of parks — even from sit-down restaurants.

What gets handed over the counter at these places is a warm (steamed or quickly grilled) 12-inch flour tortilla, into which any variety and combination of Mexican culinary components — meat, rice, beans, cilantro, onions, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo and hot sauce — might be layered. (Order it con todo, and you’ll get the works.) The sides of the tender, pliable tortilla are folded over the filling and the whole shebang is then rolled in the other direction, creating a nicely sealed, neat and clean log: a self-contained Mexican meal.

That is, except when it’s a burrito mojado, a “wet burrito” that comes on a plate, drenched in sauce. While there are some who insist that a burrito isn’t a burrito unless they can hold it in their hands, these less common hybrids have their fans (the author of this story being one).

A great burrito, as opposed to a merely good one, has a certain gestalt, in which every element adds up to something so delicious it can’t exactly be explained, except to say you know it like you know a good PB & J.

The quality of the ingredients is important, of course, especially for the tortilla. It should be tender, floury and redolent of the salty, almost meaty scent of lard. But even more, a great burrito depends on striking just the right contrast of flavors and textures: spicy meat set off by cool crema or guacamole, the perfect proportion of filling to tortilla, and of rice and beans to the primary ingredient.

But when it comes to burritos, any aficionado knows that god is in the filling, be it the most delicious carnitas, moist chunks of beef in a red chili sauce, or juicy, smoky carne asada.

The classic carne asada burrito is a rare find these days, as the moist chunks of grilled meat are usually replaced with what seems to be stew meat, cut before it’s marinated within an inch of its life, and cooked. But you can still find the real deal in a few taquerías and restaurants, among them El Parian in Pico-Union, which has one of the best carne asada burritos in town. There, the high-quality meat is cooked on the grill.

Creative stuffings

Carnitas, those delicious little morsels of long-cooked pork, also make a mean burrito. Those that fill the burritos at El Diablo and Benito’s Taco Shop are moist and tender with crispy edges, just the way they should be. Slathered with extra shots of salsa verde, there’s nothing like them.

And machaca, a traditional Sonoran specialty of dried, shredded beef that is stewed to make it juicy and flavorful is a draw at Burrito King, the Silver Lake stand that’s been making them since 1969. They’re as compelling as ever.

But more and more, L.A.’s burrito makers have started thinking outside of box. If chicken mole poblano or albondigas are delicious on a plate, why not roll them up in a flour tortilla?

Yuca’s, the ever-popular Los Feliz spot — a tiny free-standing box in which as many as five cooks cram to meet the lunchtime rush — is one of them. Among popular choices is cochinita pibil, a traditional preparation from the Yucatan, where chunks of pork are seasoned, wrapped in banana leaves and roasted for hours until succulent and tender. Here, the tortillas are velvety soft; the burritos folded over only once, so they lie flat on the plate and require a knife and fork to dig in.

At ¡Lotería! Grill in the Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax, you’ll find some of the most adventurous — and delicious — burritos around. Some are filled with traditional regional dishes, like chicharrones (fried pig skin) in salsa verde, or tinga (chicken stewed with chipotle peppers and chorizo).

Others are more modern takes on classic dishes, like albondigas (meatballs) in chipotle sauce or corn and squash succotash. In any case, the burritos are large, and come with a corner of them “wet” — just enough sauce to require a knife and fork, but not so much as to be considered a hybrid.

Lately the most popular kid on the block is the chile relleno burrito. Although it sounds somewhat redundant — something stuffed inside a wrap — the flour tortilla blanket is actually a nice way to eat a chile relleno. Because it doesn’t have the customary tomato sauce, you can really taste the relleno’s roasted poblano and gooey melted cheese inside the burrito. Tere’s Mexican Grill in Los Angeles makes a great one, but you can find them in taquerías all over town.

For some burrito fans, a transcendent burrito experience is as much about what’s on top of the burrito as what’s inside it. If you’re a fan of the wet burrito, you can ask for one served mojado just about anywhere. Depending on what’s inside, you might find your burrito drenched with enchilada sauce, salsa verde (tomatillo sauce), mole, chile colorado, or chile verde sauce.

But certain burritos mojados stand out. At El Nopal, a popular hole-in-the-wall in West L.A. known as “the home of the pregnant burrito,” the name that drew the moniker is a heifer of a creation, a whole plateful, filled with shredded chicken, sliced avocado and minced white onion, all smothered in enchilada sauce and melted cheese.

Casa Diaz, a cheerful, bright red and yellow spot in Hollywood, is known for its chicken mole loco burrito. Filled with shredded chicken, smothered in rich mole poblano sauce, topped with slices of avocado and giant scoops of sour cream, this rich mountain redefines the burrito altogether.

Is this a good thing?

So is it possible for the burrito to go too far? Since the fish taco craze, which traveled north from Baja California via surfers and Rubio’s, seafood is now fair game in Burritoville. But is it right? Do we really want shrimp in there with our beans and rice?

The answer is, it depends. The whole point of fish tacos is fish that’s battered and deep-fried. Thus, in the burrito tradition of using the flour tortilla to fold up traditional Mexican ingredients, the fish for fish burritos must be batter-fried. Lobster burritos? Think Puerto Nuevo, to go. It could be great.

This may sound overly radical even to an Angeleno, but hey — so did the albondigas burrito until, er, 10 minutes ago. In San Diego, the guacamole gateway to the U.S., these are just a part of breezy, laid-back, burrito-eating life. San Diegans have lately moved on from carne asada to Philly Cheesesteak burritos and “California burritos” — carne asada, guacamole, sour cream and, you guessed it, French fries. Maybe they should have dubbed it a steak-frites burrito.

¡Ay, caramba!