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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 28, 2004 The Kitchen Coach Dowsing a chile's flame Rebecca Wood Chilies are the world's most highly consumed spice thanks to a single gene, the fiery and to be respected, capsaicin. It's a lack of this gene that keeps sweet peppers cool. And it's a high percentage of this alkaloid that makes a habanero flame. While the fire-quotient can range dramatically from one habanero to the next as from one chili variety to another, there's a general guide for determining heat. A chili with broad shoulders at the stem and rounded or box-like at the blossom end is milder than one with narrow shoulders and a pointed end. On a chili heat scale from mild to intolerable, jalapenos are a mid-range chili with aji, Scotch bonnets and habaneros boasting the greatest heat. Chilies may literally burn the skin, especially the eyes, nose, lips, and even the gastro-intestinal tract. Nearly 90 percent of their capsaisin is concentrated in the white, placental tissues to which the seeds are attached. One way to moderate the flame, is to exclude or include these membranes in your cooking. But, consider the following instant. One bite into a chili and your single desire is to douse the blaze. What do you reach for? Some people say dairy soothes, some say bread or rice and others claim that sweet is a chile antidote. To determine the most effective remedy, let's examine capsaicin. It's a fast-acting vasodilator that - upon contact - widens our blood vessels. Thus, ingest a smidgen of jalapeno and almost instantly capsaisin is in the blood stream. Imagine holding a chunk of carrot or bread in your mouth for a minute. Not much happens as few whole foods are fast acting. So, to find our remedy, let's consider slow-acting foods. Fats and oil are the slowest foods to assimilate, second only to meat. Additionally, oil quickly coats the mouth and thus retards chili absorption. While we can't recall the fire that's already surging through our blood, we can slow down the entry of more. The most effective flame tamer, therefore, would be a gulp of oil. Or, a fatty, soft food such as cream cheese, yogurt, refried beans, or guacamole because you can quickly swirl it around your mouth to retard capsaisin uptake. If such foods aren't at hand then any solid food, like bread or rice, will help but take longer to coat the mouth. I'd pass on sugary foods as sugar is quickly absorbed. However, if there's not a glug of oil nearby, don't despair. Capsaisin dilates our blood vessels triggering an increase in blood circulation. This causes a rise in body temperature. A quick temperature jump triggers perspiration that cools us back down. So give it a minute, relief is moments away. Chicken Soup with Roasted Jalapeno Chiles The fresh, wide-awake flavors and colors of this light soup make it a stellar beginning to any meal. It's hot with a round, pleasing aftertaste. For a moderately hot soup, use one jalapeno. 2 jalapeno chiles 2 tablespoons unrefined sesame oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 chicken breast, cubed 1 cup diced bell pepper 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 6 cups chicken stock 1 tablespoon organic sugar 1/4 cup naturally fermented soy sauce Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 cup bean sprouts 1/2 cup chopped cilantro Lay the jalapeno chiles on a medium-hot, ungreased griddle or skillet and turn until the jalapenos are soft and blackened. Wrap in a plastic or paper bag and set aside to steam for 10 minutes. Cut or break off their stems, split in half lengthwise, then remove and discard the veins and seeds. (If you've sensitive skin, wear rubber gloves when handling the jalapeno.) Dice jalapenos and set aside. Warm the sesame oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium high heat. When warm, add the onion and saut� for about 10 minutes, or until well browned and very sweet to the taste. Add and briefly saut� the chicken breast, pepper, jalapenos and garlic. Add stock, sugar, soy sauce, sea salt and pepper and bring to a boil. With your fingertips, press the grated ginger to extract 1 teaspoon of ginger juice and add juice (discard ginger pulp). Cover, lower heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the limejuice, bean sprouts, and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Ladle into serving bowls. Serves 4. Local author Rebecca Wood is a Personal Chef and offers individual kitchen coaching. Her book, "The Splendid Grain," won both Julia Child and James Beard Cookbook Awards. You may reach Rebecca or visit her many recipes and articles, at www.rwood.com DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams