The Red Hot Cookbook

Book excerpt: A fiery and fun collection of more than 60 delicious recipes that showcase the flavor and heat of chile peppers, perfect for fans of world food and tastebud-tingling heat. In this fabulous book, chile guru Dan May shares his favorite recipes celebrating chiles in all their varieties and strengths. Acquaint yourself first with the history of chiles, how to grow them at home, how to identify the key varieties and understand what gives them their distinctive heat. Next, there are ideas here for every kind of dish: Soups & Salads; Nibbles & Sharing Plates; Main Dishes; Side Dishes; Sauces, Salsas & Marinades; Sweet Things & Drinks. Each recipe comes with a recommendation for the best variety of chile to use so that you get the best flavor and heat. Mouth-watering recipes include Thai Beef Noodle Soup; Chile-marinated Salmon Gravadlax; bite-size Jalapeño Poppers; Moroccan Spiced Lamb Burgers with Pickled Cucumber & Yogurt Dressing; Texas Marinated Steak with Stuffed Mushrooms; Sweet Chile-glazed Ham; Fruity African Bean Stew; Chile-brushed Roast Potatoes with Garlic & Rosemary; Quick Chile Lime Mayo; three fiery pasta sauces; Chile Pecan Brownies; and The Perfect Bloody Mary. If you know your Anchos from your Chipotles—or if you want to learn—you’ll love these hot recipes. Whether you prefer just a touch of spice or you like things seriously hot, The Red Hot Cookbook is guaranteed to breathe new life into your home cooking.