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 …
Heat Level of Calabrian Peppers
Q: Hi Dave,Here in Italy most people believe that the peppers grown in Calabria are the absolute hottest. I know that’s not true (ex: habaneros), but at what Scoville level are Calabrian peppers and generally what kind of peppers do they grow there? Thanks in advance.–Christian A: Hello Christian:Since there are so many different varieties of Calabrian peppers, it is …
Looking for a Chile Smoker
Q: Hello Dave, I am a hot pepper lover and I want to start a small commercial production of hot pepper smoking. I’m looking for machines or smokers, or instructions on how to build my own pepper-smoking system. Please advise.Thank you, Taieb Dridi A: Hello Taieb:As far as I know, there are no commercial chile smokers being manufactured, so you will …
Cooking with Alcoholic vs. Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Q: Hi Dave!I have a friend who cannot have any alcohol. What is a good substitution when a recipe calls for using wine, beer or sherry? Would non-alcoholic wines/beers work? Are there other suggestions in case they are not comfortable with non-alcoholic stuff?Thanks! –Cheryl A: Hello Cheryl:When cooking with alcoholic beverages, the alcohol evaporates very quickly, leaving only the flavor of …
Storing Roasted Red Peppers in Oil
Q: Hi Dave,Earlier you told me that if I store roasted red peppers in olive oil, “bacteria will grow and spoil everything.” But you can buy them like that at the store, can you not?Thanks, Cheryl A: Hello Cheryl:Good question, but I haven’t seen roasted red peppers in oil. I’ve seen peppers like that packed in water and vinegar, which …