At the request of several readers, we’re bringing back the off topic thread. You can use and abuse this thread as needed or feel free to go into the forums and cause mayhem there.

Question of the Day: Can Spicy Foods Kill You?
Discussion Starter from Mental Floss

I’m learning how to cook, which has been an adventure. The other night, after an encounter with some particularly spicy Italian sausage combined with even spicier barbecue sauce, my roommates and I found ourselves wondering if eating spicy foods could kill you. I mean, it can certainly cause intense pain and chest tightness; so can too much spicy food kill you?

Well, according to everything I could find on the internet, probably not. I could only dig up a few cases where pepper killed and none of them were typical. In one, a four-year-old with pica (a penchant for eating things that aren’t necessarily nutritious) breathed pepper in and experienced respiratory failure. This medical study documents eight known cases of pepper deaths, seven of them homicides. Other research has shown that in high doses, consuming pepper can be lethal, but even I don’t put enough pepper in our food to qualify as a lethal dose. Even spice allergies are generally mild. In fact, spiciness is pretty tame; it doesn’t even kill your taste buds, since it registers in the pain sensors on our tongue. Spicy food doesn’t even cause ulcers, as we used to think, but it actually can help secrete new stomach lining and help treat them.

Pepper spray is a different beast, though. It’s not meant to be lethal (it’s often hailed as the best non-deadly defense weapon), but it can be in extreme cases. Earlier this month, a Bel Air man died after police used pepper spray to restrain him after he threatened to kill his family. However, examiners said the effects of the pepper spray were exacerbated by his 550-pound girth and high stress, which led to breathing problems and made the pepper spray lethal. Also, asthmatics and people with intense allergies can experience respiratory problems from pepper spray, which can sometimes result in death.

Overall, though, it looks like spiciness may do more good than harm. They may not kill people, but new research shows that they can help kill cancer cells. Spices can also help kill bacteria and prevent food from spoiling, which explains why some ancient cultures were so fond of piling on the pepper (I’m looking at you, Thailand). All in all, it looks like we ought to rethink the names of the world’s hottest peppers – Bih Jolokia, which translates to “poison chili pepper” and Bhut Jolokia, which means “ghost chili pepper.” Still, with an astronomic 855,000 and 1,001,304 Scoville units respectively (compared to 30,000 for cayenne and 300,000 for the habanero), it doesn’t sound like anything I’ll be using for salsa anytime soon.

Dear ChiliPal,
Just yesterday I returned from Central America. My Journey was an amazing one for sure. I set out on a quest to find the best Chili Farm on the planet. I have returned to say:

I FOUND IT!

I met a 7th Generation farmer just north of the Equator. The journey down there was long but well worth it, These photos were taken by my Driver / Translator It was amazing to meet this farmer Mr.Bonilla, His life is so pure, He wakes up with the Sun and works his farm. He knows not of the internet , cell phones, or the things most of us take for granted each day. In an odd way I found that to be so wonderfully amazing. In fact he has no address , You simply have to ask one of the locals where his farm his. He only uses a land line phone once a week in town (Population 247) to arrange for his Peppers to be picked up. So, I decided to ask him about a partnership, I agreed to purchase 92 of his 880 acres (37.23 hectares). We Will change nothing he has been doing on this amazing farm. Nothing. The money will help him purchase some needed equipment and the land cannot be sold by me for 99 years unless back to him at no profit.

In exchange for this , He will begin to grow a very specific species of Habanero for Blair’s Sauces and Snacks, as well as test new Peppers in this amazing Rich soil with Sun that pounds down so strong that the Habanero Plants you see me in front of are almost 5 feet tall when standing straight up. They bear fruit almost continuously in fact the very plants I am in front of had been picked only 5 days earlier, and as you can see are ready for more, Plus each Habanero is the size of a small melon with Flavor and heat that make my mouth water.

As a Chilihead for life I guess I can only compare this trip to a 5 year old going to Disney. The greatest place on earth. I wanted to share it with you.

FEEL ALIVE!

Your chilipal,
Blair

**UPDATE – More Pics**

Chipotle Honey Glazed Chicken Wings with Toasted Sesame Seeds and Green Onion

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Though this version of hot wings is healthier than the classic — which is deep-fried and tossed in lots of butter and hot sauce — it’s every bit as tasty.

Ingredients:
1 cup honey
2 to 3 tablespoons puréed canned chipotle chiles in adobo
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
4 tablespoons ancho chile powder, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
3 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Directions:

Heat your grill to medium-high.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chipotle purée, 1 tablespoon of the mustard, 1 tablespoon of the ancho powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small bowl. Divide the glaze evenly between 2 bowls, one small and the other large.

In another small bowl stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of ancho powder with the coriander, cumin and paprika.

Rinse the chicken wings under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the tips off the wings and discard (or freeze and use for making chicken stock). Cut each wing into 2 pieces through the joint.

Place the chicken wings in a large bowl, add the spice rub and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and place the wings on the grill in an even layer. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat of the grill to medium, turn the wings over, and close the lid of the grill. Continue grilling until just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes longer, brushing with the small bowl of glaze every few minutes and turning once during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Transfer the wings to the large bowl, brush with the reserved glaze, and toss to coat. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions before serving.

From “Grill It! By Bobby Flay” (Clarkson Potter, $35).

Peppers – as received from ChilePlants.com – 4/10/2008

Spacing them out – 4/11/2008

Day 1 – Planted – 4/11/2008

2 weeks later – 5/1/2008

Tomatoes – 5/1/2008

Tomatoes & peppers – 5/8/2008

Superfantastic Tomato – 5/8/2008

Red Savina – 5/1/2008

Red Savina – 5/8/2008

Saturday is gardening day here in TX – and with the exception of last Saturday when I was in California, I’ve been outside tending to the garden as much as I can on the weekends. As you can see from the pictures above, things are growing like crazy. In fact, today I’m going to have to stake the tomato plants in addition to their cages because they are growing so tall the cages aren’t enough to support them. All the tomato plants have fruit on them with the exception of the 4 I recieved from ChilePlants.com – those are taking a bit longer but they did start about 4 weeks later.

The peppers are taking off – I couldn’t believe the difference in the plants in just a week. The habaneros in particular have seem to become a salad fest for a few bugs – so I’m going to use an insecticide soap to see if that helps. No other problems with bids or squirrels (yet). Only found one tomato worm about 2 weeks ago – and I’m happy to see that the beds are actually getting some earthworm activity as well.

Still have not had a water line dug so that there’s a water source nearby – but it’s been raining at least once a week here and when I need to, I’ve been dragging the hose from the front to the back. I’m thinking of waiting on the water line until the fall before I plant the winter crops – that way I can install an entire watering system at the same time. Anyone have experience with those?

**UPDATE**

Shed in a box – ala Lowes

Before

After

Spent Sunday getting a shed from Lowes and putting it together. This one is a Duraworx 8×6 model – I was originally going to go for a smaller one as we don’t have that much that needed to be stored, but it’s Texas and bigger is always the better choice. Assembly was easy – about 2.5 hours with 2 people. Only tool required was a drill – providing that your space is already leveled.

Pepper Fest is being held at Sand Key Park, 1060 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater, FL on Saturday, June 7, 2008 from 10am til 4pm. Hot & Spicy Foods & Sauces to
Sample & Purchase along with Pepper Plants & BBQ too! FREE Parking! FREE Admission! Call 727-423-8433 for more info or email us at PepperFest@Hotmail.com

I’m a changed man.

A few months ago, after reading a review for Ass Murdering Hot Sauce, I posted a comment that said, “I refuse to buy anything, no matter how good it is, that mixes references to bodily functions with the food I’m going to eat”. Several like-minded chiliheads chimed in, but many others responded with comments that characterized me as a narrow-minded prude. DK (alias Gatorman) even called me an “anal snob”.

DK….you were right.

I might never have tasted that Ass-Murdering sauce, if not for a good-natured challenge lobbed at me by its maker, better known on the HSB as Turk. He sent me a “re-packaged” version of the same sauce, with a label designed for….well…anal snobs like me. He asserted that if I could just get past my hang-up with the theme on the label, I would see (and taste) what I was missing.

How could I say no when I saw the bottle? For the sample he sent me, Turk playfully re-named his product “Warm Fuzzy Thoughts” Hot Sauce, and created a label depicting a cute animal frolicking among the flowers.

I got the point, so I cracked it open. In an instant, Turk’s point was proven! I’m an ass man from now on. Go ahead! Bring on the sauces with labels making reference to “that region” of the anatomy. I still might hesitate to buy something that mentions certain afflictions of the ass, or the bodily systems attached thereto. I have my limits. But everything else is fair game, thanks to Turk, a guy who has a great sense of humor…and such incredible pride in his excellent products!

There have been two recent favorable reviews of Ass Murdering Hot Sauce (AMHS) on HSB, (INSERT LINKS TO REVIEWS HERE) so there is no need to repeat what was said. I concur with those reviews, with the exception that I find it plenty hot for my taste (which is a good thing!) and I can say unreservedly that I truly love this sauce! So, in appreciation for Turk not only opening my eyes to prejudices that a hot sauce reviewer should not have, but also to a damn good sauce, I offer the following recipe.

I didn’t think up this recipe until I had immersed myself in AMHS – tasting it straight from the bottle, putting it in soups, sauces, stews, putting it on cue, rice dishes, pasta, sandwiches; you name it! After several weeks of burning myself and thinking about the attributes of AMHS, I came up with a recipe so simple, it’s almost embarrassing… but wait till you taste it!

To make Tandoori-Style Ass Murdering Chicken, I first took chicken thighs and drumsticks and patted them dry with paper towels. AMHS has a great underlying garlic flavor, but before marinating, I just wanted to give the chicken an extra shot of garlic and a little salt, so I rubbed each piece with Adobo seasoning.

You can find Adobo seasoning in many different flavors, usually at your local Latin or Filipino grocery store, or in the spice or ethnic foods section of your supermarket. For this recipe, I just wanted the basic Adobo. Give the pieces a good coating and let them sit for a few minutes while you make the marinade.

Now here’s the ridiculously simple recipe. Remember, AMHS has a lot going on. It’s piquant from the mustard and plenty hot from the peppers. I didn’t want to mask any of its qualities; just provide a medium for helping it do the best possible job on the chicken that I was going to grill later. So, it’s one part AMHS and one part SOUR CREAM. That’s it.

A whole bottle of AMHS and a half pint (1 cup) of Sour Cream (Oh, Important! Use whole Sour Cream, NOT low-fat or non-fat) will coat 8 pieces of chix just fine. And the only other thing you might want to add would be a few dozen whole black peppercorns and/ or some crushed dried red chiles, as shown here:

Marinating time: This batch marinated for two hours and the flavor was great. But I think the best time range for this to really do its job would be 6 to 8 hours.

Grilling heat: Pretty hot. This a Tandoori style grilling method, meaning that the meat is supposed to cook more quickly at high heat, leaving it nicely cooked (not too burnt) on the outside and incredibly tender and moist on the inside.

Why Sour Cream? The addition of a dairy product to marinades is used extensively in places like India and the Middle East. I theorize that it is for three reasons; first, there are enzymes in dairy that seem to help tenderize meat. Second, dairy imparts a rich flavor to the marinade. After you mix AMHS with the sour cream, take a whiff and you will see what I mean. Heavenly! (Quite honestly, before throwing the chix in the marinade, I was tempted to dip some potato chips in it!) Third, it seems to protect the meat from drying out while it’s grilling. Here is the finished product sitting by a few of my newly-planted peppers; Cubanelles on the left, Habs on the right.

I loved this Tandoori-Style Ass Murdering Chicken so much, I can’t wait to try the same marinade on…well…almost everything! Using the same method of rubbing with Adobo, then marinating, I believe it’s going to be a home run on wings, pork loin, pork tenderloin, pork ribs, tiger shrimp, firm grilling fish like Swordfish or Rockfish, loin lamb chops and rack of lamb. Chiliheads, order a mess of this stuff for your summer grilling, not to mention that it’s a great condiment for burgers, dogs, cue, etc..

So, my friends, not to belabor the moral of the story, but I was guilty as charged of not opening my mind to certain sauces because of my personal dislike for crass labels. I admit it – I’ve been an ass! DK and others, good on ya for putting me in my place. I deserved that kick in the ass. Turk, your passion for peppers and sauce-making is an inspiration.

Additional information and ordering instructions at www.bisummo.com

First Impression: Ooo, the black label! Is this like Scotch, is there a blue, a red, a green? Whatever the case, with the fancy cursive font and the no-nonsense design, Borderline Gourmet is targeting a more refined BBQ set with this Chipotle sauce/marinade. But if we are to take the name “Borderline” to mean “almost,” then there is also a refreshing self-awareness and humor present, as if to say, “it’s only sauce, let’s not get carried away here.”

Oh man, then they have to go and defeat that argument by getting carried away on the back blurb: “Created with the most selective of palates in mind and the most dedicated grillers to heart, we have taken the taste of an outdoor feast to new heights…When they ask where you found such a unique flavor simply say ‘From the Borderline!”

Ingredients: Water, tomato concentrate (water, tomato paste), corn syrup, vinegar, onions, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, honey, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle peppers, sugar, brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice, salt, garlic, cumin, soy sauce, jalapeno peppers, chile arbol, black pepper, onion powder, and spices

Smell: It smells warm and sweet, with a tanginess that tickles the nose a little, but I can’t imagine something like this being very hot, and I don’t think it will be. It’s a complex smell, but a very recognizable BBQ smell at the same time. I can look at that list of ingredients and visualize about half of them as I sniff the contents of the bottle. The tomato, the garlic, the mustard, the smoke, and the brown sugar stand out especially well.

Appearance: The sauce appears pretty glazy. Nothing really separates as you move it around, but it’s quite runny. There are sparse seeds, as well as some black pepper flecks and red strands of vegetable. The overarching color is a classic BBQ red-orange.

Taste: This sauce is powerfully sweet at first, with sweetening agents like molasses and brown sugar highlighting the generous garlic. After a few seconds, the tangy notes come out of the woodwork, the chiles, the lemon juice, the mustard, the vinegar. The smoke flavor also comes in at this point, and lingers with the tang and some light heat for quite a while. Although I was a bit alarmed and disheartened by the initial sweetness, I was happy with where the flavor ended up. I’m not sure what would make this different from many other traditional BBQ sauce/marinades, except that I do think a little more care was taken in the blending and proportion of ingredients than your typical grocery store brand.

Heat: Just a bit, middle of the tongue. I think it could be even better with a lot more intensity, but it also doesn’t need it. This is more of a flavor sauce, and I can accept that.

Overall: It’s pretty good, I’m feeling it. Not as ridiculously unique or elite as they would have you believe, but still an impressive showing of flavor. I can’t wait to get my rooftop grill up and running so I can use it appropriately. I marinated some chicken legs in it, baked them, and garnished the whole thing with some homemade salsa that I made the night before and was equally proud of. Twas a satisfying meal of BBQ goodness, indeed. I really want to try this stuff on ribs, beef or pork, it don’t matter.

Contact:
Gourmet Resources
3913 Todd Lane #213
Austin, TX, USA
512-326-2526
www.gourmetresources.net
gourmetresources@sbcglobal.net

By now your seeds have sprouted and are now seedlings. If you have sown your seeds in 48 or 72 cell seedling trays, and your plants have a few good sets of leaves on them then it is probably time to give these little guys (or girls) a new, larger environment to grow.

Transplanting can be very shocking and potentially fatal to a young seedling which is why you don’t want to do it too soon, and you don’t want to do it too often. If you notice little roots protruding from the bottom of the holes or slats in the current container, then it is time to transplant.

To begin transplanting, it is important that you are going to move up to a home that will get them buy for a month or so, while some might be ready in the warmer climates to transplant directly into their gardens, others will be simply moving up to a larger container.

At this stage for me, I will be moving my seedlings from a 48 cell container to their own 4 inch square or round pot. This will be the second last time I transplant. After they have been in these containers for a month or so, it will be time to put them in their permanent home.

First thing we need to do to begin our transplanting procedure is to ensure that everything is ready. For successful transplanting you will need the following (I must admit I learned most of this from Pepper Joe www.pepperjoe.com – his FAQs and gardening tips are amazing, I recommend checking out his site for other tips and tricks);

• New soil. Preferably a good potting soil with a pretty even ratio of soil and sand. The sand encourages the roots to continue growing and keeps the soil loose enough for the newly transplanted seedlings to keep growing
• New containers. As mentioned, they need to continue to grow and build a strong root foundation (this holds up the rest of the plant remember) so we need substantially larger containers.
• Fish Emulsion and powdered sulfur. Fish Emulsion, diluted in water is an excellent source of Nitrogen and is excellent for root growth. Sulfur, available in powdered form from your local pharmacy is also good for this. If you can’t find it, it isn’t the end of the world. Pepper Joe also recommends fanning out a book of paper matches under the seedling if you are planting directly out doors. We want to encourage as much new root growth in our new location as possible.
• Time. We don’t want to rush this, if you are like me you have 30 to 40 seedlings that you are going to transplant. We do not want to rush this procedure and hastily damage everything we have accomplished so far.

How to Transplant

Now that you have everything ready and laid out, we are going to work in batches.

1. Water your seedlings about an hour before starting, this will ensure that our soil doesn’t fall apart when attempting to move it.
2. Lay out 5 or 6 of your new containers on a few sheets of newspaper. Add soil to fill almost ¾ of each container. Make sure it is loose, do not pack it down.
3. Make a little indentation in the center, just about as large as one of your seedling tray cells.
4. Sprinkle a little sulfur into the indentation you have made.
5. Carefully remove the whole ‘plug’ from your seedling tray, do not grab the plant from the stem. If needed, try pushing the seedling up from from underneath. Remember most seedling trays only cost about $2, if you wreck it trying to get the seedlings out, I’d say it is worth the cause. Be very, very careful with the root system, do not try to break it up.
6. Place the plug into the indentation that you made in the new container. Do not force it, you don’t want to damage the root system.
7. Gently add some more soil around the newly transplanted seedling topping off the container ensuring that the new soil height is actually higher than what it was in the seedling tray. New roots will grow from this newly submerged part of the stem (encouraging even further growth)
8. Next, we water, but with the Diluted Fish Emulsion mixture. To make the mixture, typically dilute 1 -2 tablespoons of the solution with one gallon of water. The Fish Emulsion bottle will have instructions on this for that particular brand. Gently water the seedling, ensuring that the soil is nice and moist through out. Let it drain.
9. Continue on with the remaining seedlings.

Remember, be gentle and patient. The time now will pay off ten fold when you are reaping harvest after harvest of beautiful little peppers.

–Jay

Curt’s Special Recipe Salsa Extra Hot

Anytime I get a salsa in a box to review it will most likely be the first bottle opened, I absolutely love it and was excited to see this in my newest package from nick. The label is nothing fancy, just extra hot special recipe curts salsa on a white label, but still I like it though. I shook it around and the consistency is about the same as a store bought bottle of tostino’s salsa which is thick and chunky but with enough juice in it to easily slosh around in the bottle. I take a closer look and see good size chunks of tomato, medium chunks of onion small chunks of green peppers and lots of seeds.

My favorite way to eat salsa is just on some corn chips, it’s a great snack and works good for a review because I don’t really have any other flavors from the food to interfere with the product being reviewed. I poured some into a bowl to dip my chips better and it smelled and tasted great, it reminded me of the fresh salsa that is often served at Mexican restaurants as an appetizer and made me miss chi chi’s. the spice mix in it is also similar to the Tostitos brand salsa that I used to love but this one has something that Tostitos didn’t, the reason I quit eating Tostitos because it didn’t have and that’s the fresh flavor of it.

It really tastes more like a fresh made salsa than a canned one. The chunks of tomato in this salsa seam to just be filled with juice that bursts open in your mouth when you chomp on them. I finished the jar up quick and was sad when it was gone. I looked up the website and they don’t sell it from the website there is just a list of stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin that sell it, but they do have an email address to contact if you want to buy or sell it yourself. I also didn’t see any info about there other products but I see a bottle of salsa labeled hot on the main page so I know they have at least 2 different salsas. I was kind of hoping for a black bean and corn.

Ingredients: tomatoes, onions, peppers, vinegar, habanero peppers, water, salt, spices, phosphoric acid, calcium chloride, sodium benzoate, sodium metabisulfite (preservative), yellow #5.

Email: info@curtssalsa.com
www.curtssalsa.com
distributed by Montero distributing inc Stillwater, mn 55082

Flavor: 9/10 I really liked the fresh taste of this salsa, and would recommend it.

Heat: I was a little disappointed in the heat level but it was still a great product. I know that if my wife eats it with me that its not hot and she loved this stuff.

Thickness/ consistency: just right

Overall: 9/10

Weekend Warrior Meat Grilling Thermometers

Leave-in thermometers indicate when food is cooked to taste. Set of 4 includes 2 beef, 1 poultry and 1 pork thermometer. Glow-in-the-dark dial accents make thermometers easy to read during nighttime grilling. Stainless steel construction is safe for grill or oven use.

Weekend Warrior Digital Fork Thermometer

Measures temperature ranges from 0°F to 220°F or -18°C to 104°C. Ideal for grill, oven or stovetop use. Bright blue LCD backlight is easy to read in the dark. Display hold feature. On/Off switch and auto shut off to extend battery life. Rubberized comfort grip handle with convenient temperature guide printed on back. Stainless steel tines. Operates on 1 AAA battery (not included).

Laura & I got back into TX Sunday morning (1am) and promptly crashed – but when we finally started to wake up and move around the house, I was excited to see that a package had arrived with a bunch of BBQ tools to try out. I decided to do something that would require very little energy, but would also put these gadgets to the test, so off to the market to pick up a boston butt I went.

To me, the thermometer is a little on the short side – but it’s very sturdy and clear to read – all very important since it’s going to be smoked for 8 hours.

No special recipe for the pork butt – I went with it because I’m planning on using the meat to make carnitas for Cinco de Mayo today – and I was still jet lagged. Simply salt and pepper on the butt – with beer in the tray underneath it. The fire was set up with hardwood and left over hickory chunks. Set the fire to 225 and forget it until dinner time.

6 hours later and the little thermometer is showing that the pork butt is done – so I also double checked with the fork – both read over 170 – though there was some variation between the two. But all signs point to done, so we pulled it off the grill.

I will definitely be using the thermometers again – but like a lot of BBQ fanatics, I have issues with the fork. I just don’t want to be jabbing a ton of holes in my meat and letting out all the juices. However, I can see how it’s useful for a quick temp test – and it does double as a tool to help you lift things off the grill. Both tools are excellent for the weekend grill master, it just all depends on how you use them.

Taylor Precision Products
Corporate Headquarters
2311 W. 22nd Street
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Telephone – 630-954-1250
Fax – 630-954-1275
Weekend Warrior Line