HOT AND SPICY

by Marlena Spieler ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 7, 1985

A book for only the most adventurous cooks and palates, those willing to explore a whole new spectrum of taste ""sensations."" The recipes come from all over the world, or rather from all the places that tend to fire up their food. The heat-rendering ingredient for most of the dishes is the chile, which exists in approximately 200 varieties that are commonly eaten. Recipes include Indonesian Chicken with Chiles in Peanut Sauce, Spanish Garlic Soup (spiced with dried reed chiles), Peruvian Chili-Garlic Paste (""lethally hot""), and Middle Eastern Fish Baked with Tomatoes and Sweet Hot Peppers. There are also some dishes that derive their fiery flavors from herbs and spices--e.g., Burmese Pork, Potato and Pea Curry, Moroccan Chicken with Olives and Lemon, Kenyan Eggplant with Keema (spiced meat), and West African Abala (curry-spiced rice puree). This is a collection of recipes that's fun to experiment with; the foods are exotic and in most cases it is difficult to judge just how hot the final product will be. The author combines different cuisines for many of her original recipes, ending up with some intriguing selections: Curried Stuffed Potato, Chevre and Poblano Calzone, Red Chili Pasta in Cumin-Scented Cream Sauce. She has obviously done a fair amount of experimenting herself. Information about various nuances of particular cuisines and ingredients (as well as menu and beverage recommendations) are helpful and make for on interesting read. In sum: an eclectic, unusual, and appealing group of recipes.

Pub Date: Oct. 7, 1985

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Tarcher--dist. by St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1985

Categories: NONFICTION