Burnin' Ribs           Scott Ashkenaz

9 racks of baby-back pork ribs

Dry Rub

3 parts curry powder

1 part kosher salt

5 parts brown sugar

3 parts ground cumin

2 parts ground paprika

1 part ground cayenne

6 parts ground Red Savina™ habanero (or more (never less!), to taste)

3 parts curry powder

4 parts allspice

3 parts powdered ginger

1 part granulated garlic (not garlic salt)

2 parts freshly ground black pepper

Mop
2 parts pomegranate molasses
2 parts white vinegar
3 parts chicken broth
2 part Indonesian soy sauce
1 part olive oil

Peel membrane from ribs and rinse and dry meat. Mix dry ingredients together, and rub into both sides and ends of meat. Allow meat to rest for at least 8 hours in a refrigerator. Smoke ribs, meat side up, until meat is tender and pulls off the bone, approximately 10 hours. Periodically baste with mop sauce. Slice apart and get the hell out of the way.

Texas Brisket           Scott Ashkenaz

24 pounds beef brisket, trimmed, but with the layer of fat remaining on one side

Yellow mustard
Pomegranate molasses

Dry Rub
3 parts kosher salt

3 parts sugar

6 parts brown sugar

6 parts ground cumin

3 parts chile powder

4 parts ground paprika

3 parts ground ancho chile

3 parts ground pasilla chile

6 parts ground Red Savina™ habanero (or more (never less!), to taste)

6 parts ground black pepper

Slather brisket with yellow mustard and pomegranate molasses. Liberally sprinkle on dry rub and rub it in. Let rest in a refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Smoke over wood for 14 to 20 hours, until meat is tender. Let rest for about 20 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain. It don't need no stinkin' sauce.

Vinita's Tofu Kheema Peas           Vinita Singh

Serves 6 people

2 packets Yves Meatless Ground Tofu (Trader Joe's)
1 lb. frozen green peas
2 medium yellow onions
4 medium tomatoes
8 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger root
1 Tbsp Garam masala (curry powder)
1 tsp turmeric
4 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp red chile powder (or less or more to taste)

Chop the onions and garlic quite fine and fry in oil till golden brown -- start the onions first then add garlic when onions are light brown. Add the garam masala, turmeric and chili powder, a little water and fry till brown but do not burn. (Add water as needed to fry the onion and spices nicely moist, not liquid and not burned) Add the tofu and fry in the spice mixture about 5 minutes with stirring, then add chopped tomatoes and thawed peas, grated ginger and salt to taste, bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Add a little water to keep it moist but not too liquid. Stir occasionally.

Goes well with Naan or rice and dhal and other veggie dishes like beans or cauliflower.

Note: Kheema literally means ground meat so you could make a non veg dish in the same way using lean ground beef (or lamb or goat) instead of Tofu, but be sure to cook the ground meat properly (longer than the 5 minutes we do for tofu).

All ingredients and instructions are approximate -- experimentation and improvisation are encouraged.

Nitro-poached Chile Rellenos           Scott Ashkenaz

Inspired by the Fat Duck's Nitro-poached green tea and lime mousse

500 g (about one dozen) roasted Hatch green chiles, roasted, peeled, cleaned
150 g heavy cream
20 g cheddar cheese, finely grated
150 g Demon Rum (habaneros steeped in 151 rum)
500 g water
6.5 g agar-agar
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Habanero powder to taste

Liquid Nitrogen

Puree chiles, cream, cheese, water, until very smooth. Strain through a medium-fine tamis. Bring to a boil and add agar-agar; ensure that it boils at at least 90°C. Adjust seasoning and chill.

Once the solution has chilled and set, use a hand blender to break it up and make a thick mousse. If it is too thick, add a little water. If it's too thin, add a pinch of xanthan gum. Pour into an ISI whipped cream dispenser and charge with one or two cartridges. Warm the dispenser in a warm water bath to about 40°C.

Using proper safety equipment, pour liquid nitrogen into an appropriate container to a depth of about 2 inches. Dispense a blob of mousse onto a spoon and drop it into the bath. Using a slotted spoon to stir the LN₂, poach the mousse until it is hard, then remove. Let it cool for a few minutes, then eat.

Yukon Gold Potato Salad With Chiles           Chris Barker

From Bon Appétit | July 2008, by Rick Rodgers

In this side dish, the vegetables are dressed in a classic red wine vinaigrette. Chiles add smoky heat.
Yield: Makes 8 servings

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ears of corn, husked
3 large fresh poblano chiles or Anaheim chiles*
2 large red bell peppers
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 pounds unpeeled baby Yukon Gold potatoes or baby Dutch yellow potatoes
6 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk vinegar and garlic in small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place corn, chiles, and bell peppers on grill. Cover and grill until corn kernels are tender and chiles and bell peppers are blackened on all sides, turning frequently, about 5 minutes for corn and 12 minutes for chiles and bell peppers.

Transfer vegetables to 2 baking pans. Cover chiles and bell peppers; let stand until cool. Cut corn kernels off cobs; transfer to medium bowl. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop chiles and bell peppers; add to bowl with corn.

Note: Vinaigrette and vegetables can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.

Bring vinaigrette to room temperature and rewhisk before using.
Stir cumin seeds in small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to small bowl; set aside.
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water just until tender when pierced with knife, about 20 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain and cool slightly.
Cut potatoes into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer to large bowl. Add grilled vegetables and vinaigrette; toss to coat. Add cumin seeds, green onions, and cilantro and toss. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Cover; chill at least 2 hours.

Note: Can be made 8 hours ahead.

Keep refrigerated. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Lettuce bundles with spicy peanut noodles           Gianni & Lauren Leonarduzzi

2 boneless whole duck or chicken breasts
1/2 cup soy sauce, plus 3 tbsp for peanut sauce
1 large clove garlic
1 three-quarter inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut in half
2 1/4 tsp ground fresh chile paste
7 tbsp good, smooth peanut butter
3 tbsp sugar
4.5 tbsp peanut oil
1 lime, juiced
6 oz. vermicelli or capellini noodles
1/2 cup roughly chopped Spanish or other peanuts
2 oz. garlic chives or scallions, cut into 4" lengths
1 Japanese or Kirby cucumber, thinly sliced
2 heads Boston or other butterhead lettuce, leaves separated

1. Place breasts into resealable bag with 1/2 cup soy sauce and let marinate for 1 hour. Heat a lightly oiled grill or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Grill breasts until cooked through. Let cool slightly, then shred with your fingers, or cut into 1/2" wide strips with a knife.
2. In a food processor, pulse garlic and ginger until finely chopped. Add chile paste, peanut butter, 3 tbsp. soy sauce, sugar, peanut oil, lime juice, and 4.5 tbsp water; pulse until smooth.
3. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Dress the noodles with 1/2 cup of the peanut sauce and transfer to a medium serving bowl. Arrange peanuts, remaining sauce, and prepared fillings in various serving dishes. Guests can create their own rolls by wrapping noodles, a little sauce, and meat fillings into a lettuce leaf.

Russian Roulette (Deviled quail eggs)           Scott Ashkenaz

4 dozen quail eggs
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
4 caper berries, finely chopped
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp chile powder, plus some for dusting
1/4 tsp habanero powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Red Savina powder
Backdraft hot sauce

Carefully place the quail eggs into a pot of cold water with the vinegar. Bring to a boil, occasionally stirring the water to keep the yolks in the center of the eggs. Boil for 4 minutes, then carefully place the eggs into an ice bath. Once cooled, peel the eggs. Cut them in half, collecting the yolks. Place approximately 1/3 of the egg whites on a separate dish.

Combine the yolks, mayo, caper berries, mustard, and chile powders, mashing and mixing. Add water if needed to get a good consistency. Adjust seasoning. Put this mixture into a piping bag or pastry press.

For the separated half eggs, place a pinch of Red Savina powder in the hole, being careful to not get any outside; you want to make sure that there are no clues as to which eggs contain the surprise. I found it helpful to use tweezers. Choose about half of these and put in a drop of hot sauce.

Using the pastry press or piping bag, put filling into each egg, being careful to cover the hidden payloads. Combine all the eggs onto one platter, making sure to randomize the arrangement. Dust everything with chile powder. Garnish with parsley and whole caper berries or olives.

Roll the dice.

Spicy cabbage(s)           Laramie Trevino

medium/hot heat

2 halves of two different types of green cabbage, chopped (can use one variety of cabbage)
4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
sea salt
olive oil to coat bottom of frying pan
4 oz of red chile sauce
several tablespoons of water

Pour oil on pan and allow to warm up, pour in crushed chile flakes and shake them around in pan, add chopped cabbage, sprinkle sea salt over mix. Cook covered for about 10 minutes and then uncover and toss about in pan w/ spoon for a few minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed.
Mix in the chile sauce and cover mix in the pan and continue cooking another 5-6 minutes w/ occasional stirring.
Let sit covered on stove for 10 minutes or so and toss before serving. Can be served over rice, or on tostada shells.

Rajas           Peter Ashkenaz

6 dozen roasted Hatch green chiles, roasted, peeled, cleaned, sliced into strips (rajas)
1/2 onion, cut into thin half slices
1 bulb garlic, crushed and chopped

2 habaneros, roasted, cleaned, and chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb Asadero cheese, coarsely chopped
1 tsp sugar
Salt, pepper to taste

Sautée chile rajas, habaneros, onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in the cheese and cook until melted. Add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve with warm tortillas, chips, or bread.

Sheila’s Tomatoes Cooked in the Bengali Style           Alan and Carole Stivers

Taken from Madhur Jaffrey’s World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking.
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs. red-ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into ¾ inch pieces
• 3 Tbsp. pure mustard oil
• 1½ tsp. panchphoran. Panchphoran is a spice mixture available at JJ&F Market in Palo Alto and at Indian markets.
• 1 dried hot red pepper (We used a 1½ inch-long Red Savina. This is enough for moderate spiciness, i.e., your whole mouth will feel the spice, but will not burn.)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/16 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ tsp. brown sugar

Important: work under a hood, and open your kitchen windows. Hot mustard oil can release an irritating gas.

Directions:
Heat the mustard oil in a heavy stainless-steel or porcelain-lined pot over a medium-high to high flame. When hot, put in the panchphoran and cover the pot. As soon as the mustard seeds in the panchphoran pop, put in the red pepper, stir once, then add the cut-up tomatoes and immediately re-cover the pot. Turn the heat to medium. When the tomatoes stop making noises from inside the pot, take off the lid and add the salt, black pepper and brown sugar. Cover again, turn the heat to low and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.

Long Beans           Diana Lum and Dave Gomberg

Chinese long beans, cut into lengths of 1.5 to 2 inches
Minced garlic
Salt
Pepper
Dave's bubba rub (salt, pepper, garlic, onions, herbs, any herb salt plus some onions minced fine could be substituted)
Olive oil
Mama Lil's Kick Butt peppers (these are goathorn peppers from a small packer in Washington State)
Powdered red savina habaneros

Blanch beans in water seasoned with a little salt, pepper, and garlic, for one to two minutes. Remove water. Add cold water to stop cooking. Drain. In pan, heat olive oil. Lightly brown minced garlic. Add beans and other ingredients; toss and cook until done (minutes). (I like beans al dente.) Season to desired taste and heat.

Krakatoa Kugel           Marty & Jane

6 medium baking potatoes, peeled (about 4 pounds)
1 large onion, peeled
2 large eggs
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon Penzey's "Northwoods Fire" seasoning
6 tablespoons (2/3 stick) nondairy or regular margarine or butter, melted
2 tablespoons matzah meal

Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

To make Kugel: Grate the potatoes and onion in a food processor with the shredding disk or with a hand grater. Place in a colander and drain well, squeezing out excess moisture. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, salt, melted margarine, and matzah meal. Stir in potatoes until well combined.

We divided the recipe in half adding
8 minced Thai peppers (for the Medium hot) half and
4 Habaneros (for the HOT) half.
Divide into muffin tins (sprayed with Pam, or greased).
Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. And continue baking for 45 more minutes or until tops are crisp.

Torturellini Salad           Marty & Jane

1 1/2 lbs fresh cheese tortellini
2 red, yellow & orange bell peppers, 6 poblano peppers, 6 jalapeno peppers and 3 serrano peppers, all roasted, peeled & chopped
6 minced Thai peppers
4 minced habanero peppers
1 bulb roasted garlic (peeled)
3 large cloves fresh garlic (crushed)
1 jar jalapeno stuffed olives, chopped
1 yellow onion & 2 Japanese eggplant, chopped and sautéed in olive oil
1 jar marinated artichokes chopped
balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, tomato paste & olive oil (to taste)
Salt & ground chipotles (to taste)
Minced fresh basil leaves

Cook tortellini in boiling salted water. Drain and combine with all other ingredients. Taste frequently and adjust seasonings as needed.

Tzatziki (Greek yogurt sauce)     (adapted from original from Greece via Cornelia Engel in Germany)           Roswitha Remling

1/2 quart sour cream

1/2 quart yogurt

3 bulbs garlic, crushed and chopped

5 large cucumbers, peeled and shredded

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt, white pepper to taste

Mix sour cream and yogurt.
Add chopped garlic, cucumbers, and seasonings and mix well.
Allow to sit for at least 1 hour in refrigerator before serving.

Raita (Indian yogurt salad, as interpreted by an Austrian)               Roswitha Remling

1 quart plain yogurt, extra-rich or Russian or Mediterranean, if possible

1 quart sour cream

6 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

4 medium green peppers, coarsely chopped

1 medium sweet onion, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp mint, fresh and finely chopped

1 tbsp coriander, fresh and finely chopped

1 tsp grated lemon or lime zest

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

Salt to taste

Mix yogurt and sour cream.
Add vegetables, fresh herbs, lemon, and olive oil. Mix well.
Mix seeds, dry roast them until just getting fragrant, crush them and add them to yogurt mixture.
Add salt to taste, and let rest for at least 2 hours in refrigerator (preferably over night).

Smoky Bloody Mary Mix              Tom Kessler

32 Oz Tomato Juice
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp celery seeds
1/4 cup horseradish
1 cup Cayenne Pepper sauce (Franks', etc.)
2 Tbsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp Smoked Chile powder

In this batch I used smoked Anchos that I ground up. Habaneros, Jalapeños, also work well and can add a little variety.

Spicy fruit dots              Roswitha Remling

Buddhacello-habanero amarettis              Roswitha Remling