Cooking thread

Quote: Mosca

You alluded to not removing the seeds and veins properly, but I was unsure; do you think that was why the poblanos were hot? Otherwise, you know that peppers can pollinate across varieties... you must have gotten poblanos with a whack of habanero!

I can't take a growth hsitory of produce, you know :)

What makes chiles hot are caustic chemicals known as capsacin. I do know that. If you've chopped any chile and any kind of bell pepper, you'll notice they are anatomically similar. Only bell peppers don't produce capsacin. Anyway, the chemical is supposed to be most concentrated in the veins and seeds. I even tried a half-cooked seed first, and found it very mildly hot. Evidently they add up.

Quote:

The poblano soup sounds really good. I might give that a try sometime. I'd be thinking: poblano, onion, garlic, chicken broth, salt & pepper, sour cream, and rice.

Wait til I post the recipe on my blog, sometime later today. Preparing the chiles is a bit complicated. and to do it properly you need a blender.

Oh, I'm into chiles. They are my favorite food. We used to have a garden and grew them. We'd occasionally get crosses; not often, but we'd get them. I'm assuming you are referring to charring, blistering, and peeling?

I envision a creamy chicken broth with chunks of peppers in it. Maybe cheese.

Quote: Mosca

I'm assuming you are referring to charring, blistering, and peeling?

Yes. I thought that was rather obscure knowledge.

I use my oven broiler set on high. How do you do it?

Either with the broiler, or if I want some smokiness I use the charcoal grill. But mostly the broiler. And I agree, it is obscure knowledge that we share!

Quote: Mosca

And I agree, it is obscure knowledge that we share!

I've considered using the stove, aither directly on the flame or with an old, perforated campfire type grill, but that does seem like way too much work.

This time I just left them in a bowl to cool. Someone at the office told me to put them in a paper bag to cool for no less than 30 minutes. She claims the chiles will "sweat" and be easier to skin. I hope I'll remember to do that in a few weeks when/if I attempt this again.

I learned to put them in a plastic bag for 15 minutes. I don't know if it makes any difference because I've never done it any other way.

Finally:

http://kathyscookingcorner.blogspot.mx/2013/01/cream-of-chile-poblano.html

I'll make it up for the delay by posting my Tomato Soup recipe in a few minutes.

My all time favorite: cream of tomato:

http://kathyscookingcorner.blogspot.mx/2013/01/cream-of-tomato-soup.html

I love it served any way, but I adore it with plain, boiled white rice and a little lime. Half the enjoyment of soup is adding stuff to it before eating it.

For next week I want to make Enchiladas rojas and give home made spaghetti sauce another try. I figure I just need to get 2-3 kilos of tomatoes,a nd I can cook them all together. Then I can split a portion for salsa and the rest for sauce (there! I've litreally said "I can split some for sauce and the rest for sauce"). I want to try using dry morita chiles this time.

Any ideas for spices for the Spaghetti sauce? I've used fine herbs and oregano with some success, but something is missing. I also want to see whether I can skip using a blender altogether.

Spaghetti sauce: 12 packets of pepper, four packets of ketchup, one packet of salt, one packet of relish. (They are all free at fast food places). Add just a bit of malt vinegar if you want to be adventurous.