Hot Summer Entrees Cooking up fiery dishes is easy with so many chili varieties to choose from
L
ike any lover of spicy food will tell you, not all chili peppers are created equally. As one of the oldest
cultivated crops in the Americas, chili peppers have been a part of the human diet since approximately
7500 B.C., and the heat they bring to cuisine ranges from mild and sweet to dangerously hot and spicy. The human fascination with heat boils down to hormones. When you eat a chili, the pain receptors in your mouth, nose and stomach are alerted—these cells tell the brain to release endorphins into the body. Dan May, the author of the “Red Hot Cookbook,” says that this hormone release creates the thrill chili eaters love so much: “The rush of these natural painkillers often produces a feeling of great well-being, and it’s this sensation that frequent consumers of hot chilies can become addicted to.” As a bonus, chilies have dietary benefits, too. They are cholesterol free, low sodium, low calorie, and a good source of folic acid, potassium and vitamin E. Green chilies have about twice as much vitamin C in comparison to citrus fruit, and red chilies contain more vitamin A than carrots. When it comes to measuring heat, chili
PEPPERS PIXEL-SHOT - ADOBE STOCK
peppers are rated on the internationally recognized Scoville Heat Units (SHU), so you can know what to expect before purchasing or consuming. From the mild piquillo (with no heat at all) and the jalapeño pepper (2,500 to 8,000 SHU) to the on-fire Scotch Bonnet (80,000 to 400,000 SHU), there is a pepper out there for everyone’s comfort level. To add some spice to your own summer menu, try these recipes from the “Red Hot Cookbook.” If you’re hosting a get-together, make sure to prepare your guests for the heat—and keep cold milk on hand if it gets to be a little too much. —Katie Ballalatak RECIPES AND PHOTOS FROM “THE RED HOT COOKBOOK: FABULOUSLY FIERY RECIPES FOR SPICY FOOD” BY DAN MAY © 2019 REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF RYLAND PETERS & SMALL. PHOTOS BY PETER CASSIDY.
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