Cooking tips for dealing with ciliies and hot stuff

Chilies have oils and if you get it on your skin, contacts (ouch!) they will irritate them. To make sure things don't go badly

(1) use rubber gloves
(2) never touch face, eyes but if you do wash with soapy water not just water (trust me water itself does not work)

Control the heat by
(1) Using larger chunks of chilies. Mincing frees the capsasin compunds so it makes things hotter (if that is what you want).

(2) adding a bit of sugar or vinegar helps

(3) to mellow the heat, put jalapenos slices in a pan and simmer with 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 cup sugar and 2 cups water. The cooking liquid has a lot of flavor and can be used in different ways for appetizers, chicken, beef and much more

The heat is on: your mouth is on fire- what can you do?

Once in Ann Arbor, I was eating in a local Mexican restaurant. I asked for for hot sauce. They brought out a plastic grate with about 20. I started trying many. However within a few minutes, one of them was hitting me hard and I ran to the bathroom. I say on the toilet as sweat dripped down my face like a gushing stream. But I was fine. So what can you do if a food has too much fire?

(1) Water does not help as the fiery capsein, found in the hot peppers, is not water soluble but in oil and alcohol. So water won't help unless rinse you mouth with water for aboutg 11 minutes.

(2) Olive oil only helps a little

(3) fruit syrup only helps a little too

(4) Milk does much better because the solution acts like a " detergent" removing the heat capsein from the nerve receptor sites in your mouth.