Spicy foods

[JHaris]

Help!

I know the trend is toward the seasonings of the southwest and Thai menus, but I have a real problem of tackling recipes which sound terrific, but seem very hot and spicy.

I need to modify the "hot" gauge of many of the meals for DH. His tastes have definitly gone away from the spicy, but not bland. He is the one when bragging to my mom when we were engaged how he loved to eat the horseradish flavored dishes that his mom made in Budapest. So my mom got some plain horseradish and he, being a good sport, not wanting to hurt her feelings since he was wanting to get on her good side(this was before even the idea of marriage had come up) ate the whole portion that she dished out, all the time saying how great it was in spite of the tears flowing down his face. It was certainly going above and beyond the line of duty in trying to win her over.

Anyway, later on when we used to travel to Budapest while his parents were alive, many dishes were seasoned with HOT paprika which can knock your socks off. He loved the food. I had to be careful, because hot is not something I like. With the passing years though, he has been going farther and farther away from the very spicy seasonings....etc. His stomach doesnt' seem to tolerate the very spicy any more which has a tendency to curb my creativity. Do you all think I will be destroying many recipes if I leave out the hot peppers, chilis, etc.?

What started this post was reading all the background posts on Jewel's fabulous chili roasted chicken. I have the rotisserie that you used, Jewel, and am planning to cook a chicken this weekend. Jewel, did you use very spicy chili powder?

The recipe sounds so delicious and would give an extra boost to just plain rotisserie chicken.

Joan

[Gail]

Joan,

Obviously, I can't answer for you on the subject of the chicken recipe Jewel posted, nor can I give you a hard and fast rule as to the usage of chiles. Sometimes, a tad is used, just to give a recipe a bit of a perk. In those cases, you can probably leave it out, though you might want to look into cutting the amount down rather than cutting it out entirely. In other cases, where the chiles are an integral part of the flavor, it becomes more problematic. In some Mexican dishes where green chiles are suggested, you might substitute a very mild pepper, such as an Anaheim for a spicier jalapeño or serrano-- that'd give the chile flavor without the heat. In other cases, you may get by with something like a bell pepper. Really, the subbing depends upon the particular recipe...

Sorry I can't give you a more definitive answer.

[beckms]

I made the chicken recipe last week, and I used regular old chili powder that I had on hand. I assume it was the mild kind, because my chicken wasn't spicy at all (I'm also wary of spicy foods). I also by accident used three times the amount called for, and it was still excellent. So if you use a mild chilipowder, you get a wonderfully moist, smoky-tasting chicken without the heat associated with hot peppers. When you make the rub, taste a little of it to test for spiciness (or taste a dash of your powder).

Don't miss out on this recipe! It's so good!

[JHaris]

Originally posted by beckms
Don't miss out on this recipe! It's so good!

Even though it is pouring rain right now in PA I am going out to get chicken and try the recipe for DH. Salivating just thinking about it.

Thanks Beckms. I usually have chili powder on hand because I make a BBQ sauce that uses this spice. Usually have to 4x the recipe so to freeze for my children to take home but that's another story.

Joan

[Jewel]

Originally posted by JHaris
What started this post was reading all the background posts on Jewel's fabulous chili roasted chicken. I have the rotisserie that you used, Jewel, and am planning to cook a chicken this weekend. Jewel, did you use very spicy chili powder?


Hi Joan! Sorry, I didn't see my name in there! :o Next time put my name on the subject line and I'll high-tail it over here! :D:D:D The advice you got from Gail and beckms was right on! I have some very good chili powder that I got from Penzeys, and it is in no way 'hot'. It's got a great flavor, but not much heat. We DO like Spicy, however, so I used half ground New Mexico Chiles, and it STILL wasn't really 'hot'. Keep in mind actual chili powder that you buy in the store is a blend. It's paprika, chiles, cumin (I think) and a few other spices blended together. I wouldn't miss out on this dish! I added cayenne pepper to mine too, but you could probably leave that out! :D Keep in mind also that this rub paste is on the outside of the chicken and just under the skin, and that doesn't really affect the meat inside. Don't skimp on the gravy though! It's wonderful, and not too spicy at all! Hope this helps!