Mexican Cooking Tips (2 Of 6)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

CHILI:  Chilies are native to the Americas.  They have been known in
North America for some time but are said to have traveled north by a
circuitous route; apparently they found their way from Mexico to the
Western world with Christopher Columbus, then to the East and finally
back to North America. New strains of chilies are developed
frequently, bred for hardiness, sweetness, hotness and so forth. But
chilies are full of surprises; two chilies picked from the same plant
may vary widely in hotness.  To quench the fire of a too-spicy
mouthful, do not reach for a water glass.  Water will only spread the
capsaicin (the compound that our tongues register as "hot") around.
Instead, take a large mouthful of something starchy; corn chips,
beans, bread or rice.  Sometimes finding fresh chilies is difficult.
This probably isn't a question of distribution, but of perishability.
Canned and dried chilies are usually available.  The Following is a
short list of peppers and what they are.  TYPES OF PEPPERS:  ANAHEIM
CHILIES: (California Green Chilies) are slim between five and  eight
inches long and of various light shades of green. these mildly  hot
chilies are sometimes twisted in appearance.  They are  occasionally
stuffed, but their flesh is thin and more fragile than  that of the
poblano chilies. The Anaheims cultivated in New Mexico--  where the
name is Chili Verde--are reputedly hotter. A ripe red  Anaheim is
sometimes known as a chili Colorado. Anaheim chilies are  dried and
tied in wreathes (ristras) and ground and blended in  commercial chili
powder mixtures. They may be purchased in cans as  "mild green
chilies". These chilies were named after the town that at  the turn of
the century, was the site of a chili cannery.  ANCHO refers to a
ripened, dried poblano chili.  CASCABEL CHILIES:  True ones are scarcer
than hens' teeth in most  parts of the United States.  Sometimes dried
Anaheim Chilies are  labeled "cascabel," but they are very different
from the authentic  item. Fresh cascabel chilies are hot and have a
distinctive flavor.  They are round and 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Dried, the cascabel  chili has a nutlike flavor.  CAYENNE CHILIES: are
thin and tapered, three to seven inches long.  Dark green (unripe) or
bright red (ripe), the cayenne is incendiary  and well known to Asian
kitchens. The red ones are dried and ground  to make cayenne pepper
("ground red pepper"). This product adds heat  and just a little chili
flavor.  CHIPOTLE CHILIES: are smoked, dried Jalapenos with a very
wrinkled  appearance.  Fresh jalapenos are vibrant green but they turn
brown  when smoked. Chipotles can be purchased loose (dry) or canned in
Adobo sauce. The canned variety is especially convenient as it saves
having to soak and soften them.  GUAJILLO CHILIES: (Mirasol Chilies)
have a vegetal flavor that shines  even though the drying process.
Guajillos are orange-red, skinny and  about two to three inches long.
JALAPENO CHILIES: range from hot to very hot.  They are dark green,
fat and about two to three inches long with a characteristically
rounded tip. Watch out for the little ones, which are the hottest.
Jalapenos ripen to red. Use them fresh or pickled.  PASILLA CHILIES:
are hot and brown (almost black when dried, which is  how they are
commonly found.)  They have a dusky flavor.  POBLANO: is the chili most
frequently used for CHILIES RELLANOS.  It  is a suave dark green and
ranges from mild to hot. Shaped like a long  bell pepper, the poblano
has a nice shape for stuffing.  RED PEPPER FLAKES: are just that;
flaked, dried ripe chilies. Most red  pepper flake mixtures are quite
hot.  SERRANO CHILIES: are a sort of middling green, developing to
brilliant red when ripe.  Extremely hot (as hot as any chili), this
chili is usually shorter and thinner than the jalapeno.  From Gemini's
MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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