My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
Small amopunts of a strong sweet pepper, say. In effect it's a chilli without the heat. Use a mild curry powder - they're not all hot. Or make your own without using chilli, ginger or pepper. That way you can find out exactly what she can't take, and make a curry powder with the rest.
-- Tim.
If the human brain were simple enough that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn't.
"richard gams" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
Thanks.
Omit the heat while cooking to satisfy your wife, and add the heat tableside. Those chiles you describe don't alter the basic flavor of dishes they're used in.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
My wife is unable to eat hot stuff, but not from illness, she's just a wuss. I learned that when I want something spicey I need to make two batches and add spice to my half.
"richard gams" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
Thanks.
Richard
Sorry to hear about your wife; hope it turns out okay. I suppose you might try substituting a fairly mild chili and see whether your wife can tolerate it. For example ancho chilis rate 3000 on the Scoville scale whereas the cayenne is 40000. BTW this scale refers to the number of times that the extracts of chilis dissolved in alcohol can be diluted with sugar water before the capsaicin (the hot stuff) can no longer be tasted. Arriving at the ratings must have been quite a process! Good luck.
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
I like the 'adventure' of fresh hot peppers, but they are hard to predict, and sometimes I don't get them out soon enough. When I am feeling wimpy, I sometimes use a predictable hot sauce instead.
I find I can get some depth into many dishes before any heat becomes directly perceptible.
Try a little green Tabasco, adding it as if it were habanero at first, and see how it goes.
[email hidden] (richard gams) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
Thanks.
Richard
Thanks to everyone who replied - very good suggestion. I'll give them all a try.
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
Thanks.
Richard
You can try substituting sweet paprika. That way, you're getting some added flavor, but not adding any real spice to the dish. -- Donna A pessimist believes all women are bad. An optimist hopes they are.
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
Thanks.
Richard
Not possible. The capsaicin (the hot part) is part of the characteristic chile flavour. Leave the hot spices out and add garam masala or chile sauce at the table to suit yourself. Use other herbs etc and spices that you know won't be uncomfortable for your wife. We do this all the time for the chile/curry haters.
On Tue, 09 Mar 2004 17:04:03 -0700, Arri London <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
richard gams said:
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
Thanks.
Richard
Not possible. The capsaicin (the hot part) is part of the characteristic chile flavour. Leave the hot spices out and add garam masala or chile sauce at the table to suit yourself. Use other herbs etc and spices that you know won't be uncomfortable for your wife. We do this all the time for the chile/curry haters.
I beg to differ, a little. Some of the extreme chilis (habaneros) have a fruitiness that isn't capsaicin. A farmer in PA has managed to breed some peppers that have that aspect of the originals with less heat.
Unfortunately, they are even more unpredictable than normal chili peppers. Some are quite hot, although nothing like habaneros or scotch bonnets.
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
Thanks.
Richard
Not possible. The capsaicin (the hot part) is part of the characteristic chile flavour. Leave the hot spices out and add garam masala or chile sauce at the table to suit yourself. Use other herbs etc and spices that you know won't be uncomfortable for your wife. We do this all the time for the chile/curry haters.
I beg to differ, a little. Some of the extreme chilis (habaneros) have a fruitiness that isn't capsaicin. A farmer in PA has managed to breed some peppers that have that aspect of the originals with less heat.
Yes I've eaten those and 'heatless' jalapenos. Most of the fruitiness/other flavour is completely gone. The sum total of the chile flavour includes the capsaicin. Breeding out the heat takes out some of the other flavours as well (genes are probably linked in some way). Not much point there.
Quoted message said:
Unfortunately, they are even more unpredictable than normal chili peppers. Some are quite hot, although nothing like habaneros or scotch bonnets.
Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a
They are pretty useless, but then people will buy anything anyway.
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
Quoted message said:
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Quoted message said:
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper.
True, but many recipes do not call for any cayenne or red pepper so just cook those instead of the recipes that call for hot spices or simply exclude those spices from your recipes.
Quoted message said:
Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have learned a lot.
Quoted message said:
I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.
Quoted message said:
Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed red pepper.
True, but many recipes do not call for any cayenne or red pepper so just cook those instead of the recipes that call for hot spices or simply exclude those spices from your recipes.
Quoted message said:
Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste without the heat?
