New Blog Posts
Chili Pepper Madness Featured on Pinterest
The Chili Pepper Madness Pinterest Board was featured on the Pinterest blog recently, and I participated in a Twitter chat for Pinterest for Cinco de Mayo. I hope you were able to join!
5 Recipes for a Spicy Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo (May 5th, that is) is a time for celebration for Mexicans and non-Mexicans alike. The date commemorates the victory of the Mexican army in 1862 over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). While Mexico does not recognize it as a major holiday, Americans have embraced it as a day to appreciate what Mexican culture has brought to us, and a large part of that is Mexican cuisine.
How to Make Homemade Corn Tortillas
Homemade corn tortillas are essential to authentic Mexican cuisine. Sure, you can purchase a pack cheap from the local grocer, but the homemade version has a fresh corn flavor that brings the meal home. They’re also extremely easy to make.
Chili Pepper Gardening – May
May is nearly upon us and as the aphorism goes, “April showers bring May flowers”, which means it’s time to be thinking about the garden. Pretty much no matter where you live in the US, you should have already started your chili peppers from seeds unless you’ll be buying seedlings for your garden. We are in the Chicago area (zone 5) and still have several weeks prior to transplanting but we have plenty going on inside with about a dozen different types of chili peppers going.
Plant Chili Peppers for Earth Day
Happy Earth Day, everyone! We know that most of you will be encouraged to plant a tree in honor of Earth Day. While you’re at it, try your hand at gardening as well. A garden is a wonderful way to support the Earth and also for eating fresh and healthy. Chili peppers are a perfect garden choice, delivering a huge variety, numerous health benefits of chili peppers, idea flavors and addictive spice. Plant your chili peppers today for Earth Day!
Cooking with the Maras Biber Chili Pepper
A pepper grower recently sent along to me a container of Maras Biber chili pepper flakes, which I can’t quite get enough of lately. The pepper flakes themselves are not very spicy, running from 2000-5000 Scoville Heat Units, a bit lower than your typical jalapeno pepper, but they are high in pungency. Take a good whiff and you’re greeted with a stark, almost sweet aroma and a flavor that compliments many dishes. The peppers, also known as the Marash pepper, are harvested in Turkey. They typically come in flake or paste form due to lack of refrigeration in Turkey, though they will soon be grown in the United States.
Spice Rubbed Smoked Ham
With the weather turning, I finally got a good opportunity to fire up the smoker and cook up some proper smoked ham. Sure, you can smoke meats and grill in the winter, but there are so many cold weather recipes for those days and months. There is something about warmer weather, sunny days and standing outside with the smoker, even though you can just let it go.
Check out more at our Chili Pepper Madness Blog.
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