Here is my version of the classic hot sauce of Rodrigues Island. It is very thick, so feel free to thin with more water if you want. You’d think that this sauce might be sour, but it’s not–the sugar in the red chiles seems to temper it. Any fresh red chiles can be used, and you can adjust the heat level to your liking. The yield is high here, but the color is so beautiful that you should put the excess in decorative bottles as gifts for your friends. It will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. Serve it over fish or other seafood.

Ingredients

• 6 cups water

• 10 lemons, thickly sliced, seeds removed (or substitute limes for a different color)

• 8 to 10 red jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, halved

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Place the water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the lemon slices and boil for 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the water.

Place the jalapeños in a blender and add the oil. Puree to make a thick paste. Add the lemon slices, a few at a time, along with 3 cups of the reserved water, a half cup at a time. You may have to do this in batches in you don’t have a large blender. Puree to a thick sauce. Pour into bottles and label.

Make brews to tasteas strong as possible, but not too sweet.

Ingredients

salt, lemon juice, water, cayenne pepper, clove.

Instructions

From Michael Castleman’s The Healing Herbs, this is an alternative to menthol or other warming oils designed to help bruising.

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil, warmed
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

Instructions

Mix the cayenne into the oil. One day after the initial injury, (the first day apply ice), gently rub the oil onto the affected area several times a day until the bruise clears. However, make sure you do not apply this to an area with broken skin.

‘Here is the classic version of posole as prepared in northern New Mexico. Serving the chile caribe as a side dish instead of mixing it with the posole allows guests to adjust the heat to their own taste. ‘

Ingredients

polsole corn, pork lion, garlic, onion, water

Instructions

Posole is corn that has been treated with lime to remove the outer shell of the kernel. In the South, it’s called hominy corn. Here is the classic version of Southwestern posole as prepared in northern New Mexico.

The Posole:

• 2 dried red New Mexican chiles, stems and seeds removed (Chimayó preferred)

• 8 ounces frozen posole corn or dry posole corn that has been soaked in water overnight

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 6 cups water

• 1 pound pork loin, cut in ½-inch cubes

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot except the pork and boil at medium heat for about 3 hours or until the posole is tender, adding more water if necessary.

Add the pork and continue cooking for ½ hour, or until the pork is tender but not falling apart. The result should resemble a soup more than a stew.

The Chile Caribe:

• 6 dried red New Mexican chiles, stems and seeds removed (Chimayó preferred)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

In a large pot, boil the chile pods in two quarts of water for 15 minutes. Remove the pods, combine with the garlic powder, and puree in a blender. Transfer to a serving bowl and allow to cool.

Note: For really hot chile caribe, add dried red chile piquins, cayenne chiles, or chiles de arbol to the New Mexican pods.

The posole should be served in soup bowls accompanied by warm flour tortillas. Three bowls of garnishes should be provided: the chile caribe, freshly minced cilantro, and freshly chopped onion. Each guest can then adjust the pungency of the posole according to individual taste.

Yield : 4 servings

Heat Scale: Medium, but varies according to the amount of chile caribe added.