Quite sometime ago I received a 1 page mailer informing me of a new ‘hot’ cookbook. I have hundreds of ‘hot’ cookbooks and adding another one to the pile was not in my best interest, so I admit it, I ignored the mailer and went on my merry way. Fast forward 4 months and while talking with Marie Dalby (editor of Chile Pepper Magazine) and she asked me if I’ve ever heard of ‘Some Like It Hot’ by Clifford Wright. Yes, I replied, but I had not yet had the chance to get my hands on a copy. She went on to rave about the book, going so far to call it “one of the best spicy cookbooks ever published” and I made a mental note to pick up a copy as soon as I could.

Now I have my very own copy and have kicked myself ever since for not picking it up sooner. You see, unlike most ‘hot’ cookbooks that boast about how incendiary their recipes are and how the author is the world’s biggest chilehead, Clifford plainly states that he is not a chilehead – he’s simply a spicy food connoisseur.

Make no mistake; there is nothing about this book that a true chilehead won’t love. Just about every recipe uses either fresh or dried pepper & each recipe is rated on a heat scale so that you know what your getting into before you give everyone within a 5 mile radius coughing fits due to the fumes coming out of your kitchen. (That’s what I call good cooking!)

Clifford Wright really knows his stuff and his knowledge of spices is sprinkled throughout the book. Not many authors can describe the history of poblano & ancho chiles and also describe Punjabi cuisine. And, as if that wasn’t enough, there’s a long list of internet resources in the back of the book in order to help you find those far out ingredients that your local market may not carry.

Book Description:
If you are one of those spicy-food lovers who constantly strives to test your heat capacity — or if you’re just one of those people who really appreciates the nuances of piquant cuisines, this fun and feisty collection of recipes is for you. Author Cliff Wright has followed the equator in search of authentically spicy dishes, and he recreates them here with Meat-Stuffed Chiles from Peru, Chile Verde from New Mexico, “Tablecloth Stainer” from Oaxaca, Egusi Soup from Nigeria, “Sauce that Dances” from Algeria, Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup from Thailand, “Ants Climbing a Tree” from China, and about 300 more deliciously fiery foods.

Each recipe has a heat index, so you know what’s going to be subtly spicy and what’s truly incendiary. If you are looking for that next “hot” thing, this is where you’ll find it.

If you like hot food, this book is a must. If you are simply a foodie, this book is a must read, as Wright rarely missteps in his analysis of culinary matters.