Spiciness

richard gams said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her
illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices.
A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small
amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed
red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they
are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate
the taste without the heat?

Small amopunts of a strong sweet pepper, say. In effect it's
a chilli without the heat. Use a mild curry powder - they're
not all hot. Or make your own without using chilli, ginger
or pepper. That way you can find out exactly what she can't
take, and make a curry powder with the rest.

--
Tim.

If the human brain were simple enough that we could
understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn't.

"richard gams" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her
illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices.
A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small
amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed
red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they
are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate
the taste without the heat?

Thanks.

Omit the heat while cooking to satisfy your wife, and add
the heat tableside. Those chiles you describe don't alter
the basic flavor of dishes they're used in.

Jack Cap

richard gams said:

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed
red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they
are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate
the taste without the heat?

My wife is unable to eat hot stuff, but not from illness,
she's just a wuss. I learned that when I want something
spicey I need to make two batches and add spice to my half.

--
John Gaughan johngaughan.netjohngaughan.netOpen ↗
[email hidden]

"richard gams" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her
illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices.
A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small
amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed
red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they
are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate
the taste without the heat?

Thanks.

Richard

Sorry to hear about your wife; hope it turns out okay. I
suppose you might try substituting a fairly mild chili and
see whether your wife can tolerate it. For example ancho
chilis rate 3000 on the Scoville scale whereas the cayenne
is 40000. BTW this scale refers to the number of times that
the extracts of chilis dissolved in alcohol can be diluted
with sugar water before the capsaicin (the hot stuff) can no
longer be tasted. Arriving at the ratings must have been
quite a process! Good luck.

richard gams wrote: .

Quoted message said:

Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there
for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste
without the heat?

Substitute sweet red or green bell peppers. Hot sauces often
have vinegar and/or salt so you might add a little of them.

--Lia

(richard gams) said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her
illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices. A
quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small
amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed
red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they
are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the
taste without the heat?

I like the 'adventure' of fresh hot peppers, but they are
hard to predict, and sometimes I don't get them out soon
enough. When I am feeling wimpy, I sometimes use a
predictable hot sauce instead.

I find I can get some depth into many dishes before any heat
becomes directly perceptible.

Try a little green Tabasco, adding it as if it were habanero
at first, and see how it goes.

Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

Smoking in a bar is like peeing in a punchbowl.

[email hidden] (richard gams) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her
illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices.
A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small
amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed
red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they
are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate
the taste without the heat?

Thanks.

Richard

Thanks to everyone who replied - very good suggestion. I'll
give them all a try.

Richard

In article
<[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her
illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices.
A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small
amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed
red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they
are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate
the taste without the heat?

Thanks.

Richard

You can try substituting sweet paprika. That way, you're
getting some added flavor, but not adding any real spice
to the dish.
--
Donna A pessimist believes all women are bad. An optimist
hopes they are.

richard gams said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her
illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices.
A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small
amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed
red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out, but they
are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate
the taste without the heat?

Thanks.

Richard

Not possible. The capsaicin (the hot part) is part of the
characteristic chile flavour. Leave the hot spices out and
add garam masala or chile sauce at the table to suit
yourself. Use other herbs etc and spices that you know won't
be uncomfortable for your wife. We do this all the time for
the chile/curry haters.

Kudos to your efforts!

On Tue, 09 Mar 2004 17:04:03 -0700, Arri London <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

richard gams said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her
illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices.
A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a
small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or
crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them out,
but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to how to
simulate the taste without the heat?

Thanks.

Richard

Not possible. The capsaicin (the hot part) is part of the
characteristic chile flavour. Leave the hot spices out and
add garam masala or chile sauce at the table to suit
yourself. Use other herbs etc and spices that you know
won't be uncomfortable for your wife. We do this all the
time for the chile/curry haters.

I beg to differ, a little. Some of the extreme chilis
(habaneros) have a fruitiness that isn't capsaicin. A farmer
in PA has managed to breed some peppers that have that
aspect of the originals with less heat.

Unfortunately, they are even more unpredictable than normal
chili peppers. Some are quite hot, although nothing like
habaneros or scotch bonnets.

Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

Smoking in a bar is like peeing in a punchbowl.

Rodney Myrvaagnes said:

Arri London said:

richard gams said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of
her illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot
spices. A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers
or a small amount of curry powder sets her mouth on
fire.

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or
crushed red pepper. Of course, I can just leave them
out, but they are there for a reason. Any hints as to
how to simulate the taste without the heat?

Thanks.

Richard

Not possible. The capsaicin (the hot part) is part of the
characteristic chile flavour. Leave the hot spices out
and add garam masala or chile sauce at the table to suit
yourself. Use other herbs etc and spices that you know
won't be uncomfortable for your wife. We do this all the
time for the chile/curry haters.

I beg to differ, a little. Some of the extreme chilis
(habaneros) have a fruitiness that isn't capsaicin. A
farmer in PA has managed to breed some peppers that have
that aspect of the originals with less heat.

Yes I've eaten those and 'heatless' jalapenos. Most of the
fruitiness/other flavour is completely gone. The sum total
of the chile flavour includes the capsaicin. Breeding out
the heat takes out some of the other flavours as well (genes
are probably linked in some way). Not much point there.

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately, they are even more unpredictable than
normal chili peppers. Some are quite hot, although nothing
like habaneros or scotch bonnets.

Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

They are pretty useless, but then people will buy
anything anyway.

richard gams said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

Quoted message said:

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her
illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices.
A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small
amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.

Quoted message said:

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed
red pepper.

True, but many recipes do not call for any cayenne or red
pepper so just cook those instead of the recipes that
call for hot spices or simply exclude those spices from
your recipes.

Quoted message said:

Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there
for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste
without the heat?

Sure. Use herbs instead of spices.

richard gams said:

My wife has become disabled and I have taken over all
the cooking. I find I thoroughly enjoy this and have
learned a lot.

Quoted message said:

I do have a problem I need some help with. As part of her
illness, my wife has become very sensitive to hot spices.
A quarter tsp of cayenne or crushed red peppers or a small
amount of curry powder sets her mouth on fire.

Quoted message said:

Many recipes call for a small amount of cayenne or crushed
red pepper.

True, but many recipes do not call for any cayenne or red
pepper so just cook those instead of the recipes that
call for hot spices or simply exclude those spices from
your recipes.

Quoted message said:

Of course, I can just leave them out, but they are there
for a reason. Any hints as to how to simulate the taste
without the heat?

Sure. Use herbs instead of spices.