The most obvious
use of chile cheeses is to replace your standard cheeses with them in snacking and cooking.
This is a recipe that was collected by Sharon Hudgins on one of her trips researching
the use of chile peppers in the area.
«Taken moderately, chile helps and comforts the stomach for digestion,» wrote José de Acosta, the Jesuit priest and historian, in 1590, which is probably the first written indication of
the use of chile as a stomachic, or digestive tonic.
Such usage recalls
the use of chile smoke as a fumigant for vermin.
The Mendocino Codex also reveals an early
use of chile peppers as form of punishment.
An entry from the journal of Priddy Meeks, a doctor in mid-nineteenth century Utah, sets the scene for our special report on the medicinal
uses of chile peppers:
by Melissa T. Stock and Kellye Hunter «And the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine» (Ezekiel 47:12) An entry from the journal of Priddy Meeks, a doctor in mid-nineteenth century Utah, sets the scene for our special report on the medicinal
uses of chile peppers: «He reached Parowan with both feet frozen above...
Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan monk living in Mexico in the sixteenth century, noted
the use of chiles for: «An injury to the tongue, biting of the tongue, laceration of the tongue.
One of the most pervasive
uses of chiles I found at this end of the body was as a treatment for hemorrhoids.
Needless to say, I am sobered by these wholly (and holistically) impure
uses of chiles.
Use of chiles and peppers specifically has increased on all menus and across several cuisines.
Perhaps the principal
use of chiles in this part of Asia is in sauces called sambals which are commonly spread over rice or used as a dip for satays, which are small chunks of either beef, chicken, or pork which have been marinated and grilled.
It should be noted that the primary
use of chiles as an aphrodisiac is internal; that is, they are eaten, not rubbed on the genitalia.
Hopefully, this will be a better way to demonstrate
the use of chiles with both native African ingredients and the imported New World foods.
Not exact matches
Used just a fraction
of the cayenne but also added a dried red
chile or two.
The immense quantity
of chile, «red pepper,»
used in cooking gives everything cooked more the appearance
of being submerged in a paint - bucket
of oil and red lead than eatable gravy.
The most common
use of the red New Mexican
chiles is to hang them in long strings, or ristras, until they are ready to be
used in cooking.
This method
of making
chile sauce differs from others
using fresh New Mexican
chiles because these
chiles aren't roasted and peeled first.
So where are those huge amounts
of chiles growing that are
used in dishes at home and at restaurants, that are sold on markets, and
used to manufacture all those delicious peperoncino products?
Down here at the tip
of the Baja California peninsula, I have stumbled across an pre-Hispanic
chile pepper soup that
uses river stones as the heat for cooking.
Just about any green
chile works well in this dish, so try
using jalapeños, serranos, or poblanos in place
of the New Mexican green.
Below is an overview
of the
chiles most commonly
used in chili.
Contrary to popular belief, there is not just one «Thai
chile,» but rather dozens
of varieties
used in cooking.
Frozen
chiles will keep for nine months to a year at zero degrees F. All
of the small peppers can be frozen whole with no further processing needed, and their texture holds up surprisingly well in the freezer — especially for
use in chili.
Any chili cook can look up heat levels
of the various
chiles and make a guestimate about the amount
of any certain variety to
use in a recipe, but such information will only be useful in a general sense.
For a green version
of this sauce,
use serrano, jalapeño, or Thai
chiles in their green stage, instead
of the red varieties called for below.
The guajillos, a shortened and hotter version
of the New Mexican
chiles, but grown in Mexico, are commonly
used with anchos in chili - like stews in northern Mexico.
Two key curry pastes are the heart
of Thai cooking; a red curry paste, called nam prik gaeng ped,
uses red
chiles, lemon grass, galangal and a number
of herbs.
Atolli, a preparation
of maize varying in consistence from gruel to mush, and
used both as liquid or solid food, was made
of corn, stripped
of the husk, mashed, mixed with water, boiled down as required, and sweetened or seasoned according to taste, with honey,
chile, or saltpetre.
Adjust the heat
of the turkey by the amount
of, and type
of red
chile you
use to rub on the skin..
(Some
of us
use chile pods, but
chile powder is just as good.)
Vary the flavor
of the salsa by
using different
chiles as they become available.
«Pasta e Fagioli»: A popular Italian way
of using beans is their combination with pasta, and the local Ristorante Bersagio served a delish one - pot dish with pasta,
chile and beans in tomato sauce at their booth.
(Anaheim is actually a variety
of New Mexico
chile, as are Sandia, Big Jim, etc.) These same green
chiles are the immature stage
of the New Mexico red
chiles, which are
used to make
chile ristras, and when dried, are ground into red
chile powder.
The Mexicans seem to have stomachs made from leather judging from the way they endure excessive drinking, smoking (both men and women indulging in both), and the amount
of chile they
use.
The
chiles he
used were reminiscent
of Thai peppers but not quite as hot.
To
use up a lot
of chiles, triple the recipe.
Generously stuff the
chiles with the fresh coconut,
using only the white part
of the coconut.
For a taste
of green
chile, chicken enchiladas in a soup bowl, just
use green
chile salsa and chicken.
Note the West Indian trait
of using a curry paste, and then adding
chiles to the curry.
The Aztec market in the capital, Tenochtitlan, contained a large number
of chiles, and most
of those had been collected as tribute, a form
of taxation
used by the Toltecs and Aztecs and later adopted by the Spanish.
The Aztec versions
of tamales often
used banana leaves as a wrapper to steam combinations
of masa dough, chicken, and the
chiles of choice.
A variety
of small hot
chiles can be
used, so don't limit yourself to...
I substituted a blend
of sharp white cheddar and deliciously smoky gouda for traditional cheddar, and
used roasted hatch
chiles instead
of pimentos because «tis the season for hatch
chiles.
The date paste is
used as a sweetener indeed and
of course, you can leave the
chile out!
1 stalk lemongrass, finely sliced (
use only the bottom 6»
of the stalk) 1 teaspoon lime zest, preferably kaffir lime 1 - 2 dried Thai bird
chiles, seeds removed 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 cardamom pods, husked 1-1/4 teaspoons turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 tablespoon fresh galangal or ginger root, minced (see Chef's Note) 1 tablespoon coconut milk (optional)
Added black beans to the sauté mixture and
used a can
of diced tomatoes with
chiles for the topping before popping in the oven with cheese.
I
used extra coconut flour instead
of arrowroot, left out the
chile and
used almond butter in the icing because that's what I had.
Remember that the number
of chiles is up to you; if you findthe paste too hot, simply reduce the number
of chiles used.
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 packet taco seasoning
of your choice 1 small can (4.5 oz) mild diced green
chiles, drained 1.5 cups salsa
of your choice (I typically
use Private Selection Restaurant Style Salsa)