Yep, those things can ruin a meal if you are not careful. I suppose, like
150 rum in some fruity drinks, there are legitimate uses for habaneros,
but for most people, substitutes may work as well.
However, I have used one or two razor-thin slices of habaneros on baked
fish with success and 1/4 of a one for an entire batch of chili. (The
missus still couldn't eat it.)
Sensitive readers please stop reading now.......
When I worked in a "casual dining restaurant" (read - bad chain food), I
had a few bad encounters with habaneros and jalepenos.
1. We realized that when recipes call for wearing gloves when dealing
with hot peppers, they were serious. I never had problems with my hands,
but I trained a prep cook who actually broke out in a rash ABOVE where
the rubber gloves reached because of how the juice splashed. In fact, it
looked more like a burn than a rash and she had to go home for the day.
It gets worse.
2. ALWAYS wash your hands very very well before you go to the bathroom.
Sensitive areas can get very irritated from the oils.
3. Lastly, one of the hispanic prep cooks sheepishly admitted that after
working a shift, he went home at lunch for a "quicky" with his
girlfriend. Needless to say, that after he worked with hot peppers all
morning, his girlfriend began shrieking when he tried to touch her. There
are ways one should not try to warm up a friend for intimate activities.
