Q: Dear Dave,I’ve made a taco dip that is REALLY spicy hot. I’m taking it to a party and fear that it’s too hot for some of the senior citizens. Is there anything I can add to cool it down? It has hot salsa, hot sausage and green chiles in it.Thank you, Judy A: Hello Judy:Here’s a suggestion: Take half of …
Ancho vs. Poblano
Q: Dave,I’ve always thought that an ancho chile was simply a dried poblano. Most of the time when I run across ancho chiles this tends to be correct. Occasionally, however, I’ll run across references to ancho as its own variety of pepper. So, my question is: Is an ancho chile its own variety or is it simply a dried version …
How To Cut Down the Heat Without Affecting the Flavor
Q: Dave,Although I enjoy the burn, my family does not. My sauces sometimes end up too hot for everyone to enjoy, especially when made with home-grown chiles. Is there something that can lessen the burn without affecting the flavor?Thanks, Stewart A: Hello Stewart:It would be helpful to know precisely what you are cooking. Generally speaking, there are only three ways to …
How to Ferment Red Peppers in Salt
Q: Dear Dave,I’m looking for a method to ferment ground sweet-to-medium red peppers in salt. When fermented, the stuff is stored in bottles with a bit of olive oil poured over the top. I tasted this in a Portuguese household here in Canada–the people who make it (and use it in everything) came to Canada from the Azores, so it …
To Refrigerate or Not to Refrigerate?
Q: Hello Dave!I’m a beginning chilehead and have found many of your resources and books very helpful in my quest to learn about and experiment with flavorful fire. However, the answer to one seemingly simple question has eluded me: How should I decide whether or not to refrigerate a particular hot sauce? Some sauce bottles say, "refrigerate after opening,” but …