If you love spicy food you really should get "Some Like It Hot" by Clifford Wright. It's an exploration of all the spicy cuisines around the world. It's full of interesting information, historical tidbits, and of course lots of recipes. It's not a "chili head" book - that is, it's not about hotness for hotness sake. The recipes are rated from "piquant" to "thermonuclear." I haven't tried anything yet but will soon - for example, the Szechuan recipe for chili chicken that calls for 2 lb of chicken wings and 2 cups of dried red chilis.
-- Peter Aitken Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm
If you love spicy food you really should get "Some Like It Hot" by Clifford Wright. It's an exploration of all the spicy cuisines around the world. It's full of interesting information, historical tidbits, and of course lots of recipes. It's not a "chili head" book - that is, it's not about hotness for hotness sake. The recipes are rated from "piquant" to "thermonuclear." I haven't tried anything yet but will soon - for example, the Szechuan recipe for chili chicken that calls for 2 lb of chicken wings and 2 cups of dried red chilis.
Thank you for the recommendation. Clifford Wright is a good food writer.
That Szechuan recipe sounds a lot like what they serve at the most excellent Grand Sichuan on 2nd Ave. in Manhattan. The dish I had was made with frog legs rather than chicken, though. As long as you don't actually chew on those chilies (and I don't think you are supposed to do that) instead of concentrating on the chicken or whatever, the dish is not nearly as hot as it appears.
