Hot Stuff

I love chilies, my Mum tells me that whilst pregnant with me she liked to munch on pickled chilies. When I was young, no matter what the meal, she would always get out the the cayenne pepper to add a bit of zing. So it's not surprising that I take after her in my love for hot food of all kinds!

I love the slow building burn of an Indian curry that only really hits you after you have made it through half a plate.
I adore the fresh hit of chilies in Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese food, a different burn that dissipates after a swig of beer or mouthful of rice.
I can't get enough of the proper chili chocolate that Montezuma make, hot enough that more than two pieces is too much.
Encona sauce with scrambled eggs and a very generous shake of Tabasco in a Bloody Mary is my perfect hangover cure!

If you like the chili like I do you might enjoy this fascinating article, found via BoingBoing, about why it should be that chilies evolved to contain capsaicin, the compound in the plant that causes the sensation of heat.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Whats-So-Hot-About-Chili-Peppers.html