I want your best spicy recipes. Preferably vegetarian, but I can modify things to make them as such. My nose has been clogged often lately, and today it's just horrible. I just ate half of a raw onion covered in tabasco sauce in an attempt to open up my nostrils. It helped a little, but I'd like a little variety.
Um. Wash your nose with this solution: 8 oz of saline plus a pinch of baking soda. Use those Neti-pot thingies...it's been proven to help and is the "newest" thing for allergy docs to recommend, though it's been a practice in "other cultures" for years. We use a syringe-bottle thing here in our house, and it reduces colds in half and has all but taken away my kid's asthmatic run-ins with allergies.
yeah I saw that somewhere on the internet, but I don't have a neti-pot(though I'll buy one soon). So for now I'm just going with the spicy foods, everything else I tried led me nowhere. Plus I have to eat.
:lol: Ok. Well, you can add cayenne to just about anything and kick it up. Spaghetti sauces and other tomato-based dishes take to that flavoring really well. Adding peppers to any Asiain dish does the same thing.
Quote from: NWC on March 29, 2010, 08:16:34 PM
yeah I saw that somewhere on the internet, but I don't have a neti-pot(though I'll buy one soon). So for now I'm just going with the spicy foods, everything else I tried led me nowhere. Plus I have to eat.
PROTIP: Don't buy a neti pot. Just bend a corner into a paper cup, or set aside a small measuring cup with a rounded pouring lip for the task.
As for food. Curries, vinadaloos, etc. Even if you just chicken + olive oil + seasoning power, and serve over rice. Add sriacha FTW.
Chewing gum, strong peppermints, tea, and steamy showers too.
Neti-pots are awesome. I've never been able to use any other device (other than a syringe) to irrigate my sinuses that thoroughly, so if you need to do it often I very much recommend spending the $12. Very convenient. I use tap water, a bit of sea salt, and a bit of baking soda (mitigates the stinging).
Another neti-pot alternative is simply to mix up a warm (not hot!) mix of what Nigel suggested, although I use table salt, put it in a glass, stick your nose in, and snort. It's a very weird sensation and people outside the bathroom may ask why it sounded like you were hacking up a sea cucumber, but the results are well worth it.
As for spicy, sambal oelek chili paste goes well on nearly everything, I've discovered. Good spiciness, and the flavor is great IMO.
Blend habaneros up in oil, and mix that into some mayo. Have sandwiches.
This idea, mere seconds from Sig's brain onto the internet, is untested. DO IT.
I will be soon.
I should find my recipe for thai yellow curry, it had something like half a cup of minced garlic and like 12 dried thai chiles. Though strangely enough it tasted mostly of ginger, and burning. The garlic just kind of oozed out of my pores afterwards.
I have a theory that enough garlic in one place does that. It kept happening to me when I was getting artichokes regularly in Cali.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Squirrel-mace-Ok-fine-repellent./
- wear gloves
- blend habaneros into a fine paste
- mix with vodka
- wait overnight
- sieve out solids
- let settle for 2-3 hours
- it seperates into 2 layers, lower is vodka with added flavor and top is near pure capsaicin oil.
- use turkey baster to seperate the two (or pour very gently)
- put oil in mister
- spray oilmist on food to as hot as you want it
WARNING: one spray makes it retardedly hot, dont start out thinking 'i like hot food' and spray twenty times.
PS also useful as a personal defence item.
awesome :D I've been meaning to make this for a while. you can also use spiritus (denatured alcohol) if you're just intending it for personal defense or pest control, which is a lot cheaper than vodka.
another variation, a Thai friend of mine told me they use the same procedure with (sunflower?) oil instead of alcohol to create a traditional mega hot condiment. Although I am not clear on whether this would separate into two layers, or just extract the capsaicin into the oil.
capsaicin = oil, so it should work that way too, but when using oil as extraction fluid you cant remove the extraction fluid (no two layers (ok maybe a little, from the water in the plants)) so you end up with a more dilute product.
Not only can you use denatured alcohol, you ca use any type of alcohol.
Even Methanol, for that added braindamage when using your pepperspray.
just remember that for that to work you need to put both layers in your spraybottle and shake before use.
Don't get caught doing this btw.
Nowait: just don't do it.
methanol spray doesnt mean immediate brain damage, does it? also where'd you buy pure methanol? I'm a go with spiritus, which is available in the supermarket :)
Sig, enough garlic, enough onions, and you can forget breathing in a confined space. When my husband cooks, he uses so much garlic and onions that I can FEEL the burning in the back of my eyes by the time I open the door to the garage to put my car in if I've been away while he's chopping.
Quote from: Cainad on March 30, 2010, 05:44:30 AM
Another neti-pot alternative is simply to mix up a warm (not hot!) mix of what Nigel suggested, although I use table salt, put it in a glass, stick your nose in, and snort. It's a very weird sensation and people outside the bathroom may ask why it sounded like you were hacking up a sea cucumber, but the results are well worth it.
As for spicy, sambal oelek chili paste goes well on nearly everything, I've discovered. Good spiciness, and the flavor is great IMO.
I've heard table salt is a bad idea because most of it comes with anti-caking agents. So you might want to look into that. Sea salt as Nigel said will probably dissolve easiest, and kosher salt should with a little stirring in that lukewarm water.
Quote from: Triple Zero on March 30, 2010, 03:37:41 PM
methanol spray doesnt mean immediate brain damage, does it? also where'd you buy pure methanol? I'm a go with spiritus, which is available in the supermarket :)
I don't know man, i just don't want it anywhere near me.
i vaguely remember seeing proper ethanol available in some supermarkets(the bigger AH)
ETA Got my hands on a mister.
Will get some neutral tasting vodka next tuesday.
Attempt one will use dried peppers.
Attempt two pickled peppers.
And if those both have funny side effects or just dont work then i will have to actually buy fresh peppers.
Go find yourself a spice mix called 'Ras el hanout'. It's likely available at many middle eastern shops (though its technically Moroccan so if you have a Moroccan shop, its a sure bet). If you can't find it, then do the following:
Get the following whole spices if you can:
cardamom, clove, cinnamon, chili peppers (dried birds eye peppers are awesome), coriander, cumin, nutmeg, peppercorn, and turmeric
Whatever whole spices you find, roast them in the oven (toaster oven works great)... basically toss them on a cookie sheet and stick them in a 350 oven for a bit until they smell awesome and are nice and toasty.
Next, grind them all together, you can play with the mix based on which flavors you like the most. Generally I go light on the tumeric (cause its bitter) and then play with the mix until I like it.
Now, keep that mix in a jar and use it on anything you like. Here are some examples:
Coat a turkey/chicken/goose (under the skin and on the skin) or use it with pieces (breast etc)
Cover a roast or steak with it
Mix it in your hamburger for awesome hamburgers
It's awesome to kick up most soups
wonderful on lamb or goat
Personally, I like to give whatever meat a good coating of the spices and then baste it in something sweet while it roasts, like honey, agave nectar, fruit jelly etc.
The result is 100% win and as spicy as you like it.
EDIT: Sjaantze says don't forget grains of paradise.
Lots of awesome, possibly delicious, possibly painful, possibly ingenious ideas in this thread, thank you!
I'm going to invest in a neti pot yeah, when I see one. There's a health food/hippy remedy store in my town that I'll check. Meanwhile my sinus infection or whatever it was is mostly gone, and I survived it with half a bottle of tabasco and a lot of raw garlic(which I love anyway, but can usually only eat when my girlfriend isn't there).
And there hasn't been any goddamn curry at the grocery store for 2 weeks now! Really not cool.
And yeah Cainad I tried sticking warm salt water up my nose with my finger, but I didn't have any baking soda, so it kindof hurt and just seemed really weird.
Quote from: Jenne on March 30, 2010, 03:59:51 PM
Sig, enough garlic, enough onions, and you can forget breathing in a confined space. When my husband cooks, he uses so much garlic and onions that I can FEEL the burning in the back of my eyes by the time I open the door to the garage to put my car in if I've been away while he's chopping.
Depends from person to person. When I was cooking in a restaurant, everyone would leave the part of the kitchen I was cooking in when I made the roasted pablano salsa, where I had to roast about 40 of them, as well as cut 30 onions and a couple garlic bulbs. People the the next room would be tearing up, while the only affect it had on my was my mouth watering :)
Quote from: Ratatosk on March 31, 2010, 03:37:52 PM
Go find yourself a spice mix called 'Ras el hanout'. It's likely available at many middle eastern shops (though its technically Moroccan so if you have a Moroccan shop, its a sure bet). If you can't find it, then do the following:
Get the following whole spices if you can:
cardamom, clove, cinnamon, chili peppers (dried birds eye peppers are awesome), coriander, cumin, nutmeg, peppercorn, and turmeric
Whatever whole spices you find, roast them in the oven (toaster oven works great)... basically toss them on a cookie sheet and stick them in a 350 oven for a bit until they smell awesome and are nice and toasty.
Next, grind them all together, you can play with the mix based on which flavors you like the most. Generally I go light on the tumeric (cause its bitter) and then play with the mix until I like it.
Now, keep that mix in a jar and use it on anything you like. Here are some examples:
Coat a turkey/chicken/goose (under the skin and on the skin) or use it with pieces (breast etc)
Cover a roast or steak with it
Mix it in your hamburger for awesome hamburgers
It's awesome to kick up most soups
wonderful on lamb or goat
Personally, I like to give whatever meat a good coating of the spices and then baste it in something sweet while it roasts, like honey, agave nectar, fruit jelly etc.
The result is 100% win and as spicy as you like it.
them, and there was a
EDIT: Sjaantze says don't forget grains of paradise.
Sounds amazing, thanks. And this place has tons of Moroccans, there are at least 3 Moroccan stores in my town. And I know one of the owners too. I will check this out today/tomorrow.
Also, garlic can be made even more awesome by the following:
Chop the top off the garlic bulb(just to where you can see the cloves)
Wrap the bulb in foil leaving the top exposed for now.
pour a little olive oil into the bulb.
cover the top.
Stick it in an oven at 400 for about an hour.
The result is that all of the cloves turn into a soft squeezable paste that you can squish out and add to anything. It's as awesome as garlic, and then some. If you want to complete the 16th century Italian version, you also chop a few fresh cloves very fine and add them to the paste. It was called "Agliata" and there are several variations, including some that add bread to thicken it and a little red wine/vinegar.
It is awesome and can be used on anything. At the feast we ran in October, the sauce accidentally hit the tables early. It was supposed to be for the lamb, but many people put it on their salads, as a dressing... just pure garlic... and they all loved it. Scadians are weird!
If I put this in a jar and then in the fridge(or freezer), will it stay for a long enough time? This sounds like something I want to make alot of and eat forever, so it'd be easier to make alot at once.
Quote from: NWC on March 31, 2010, 03:41:06 PM
Depends from person to person. When I was cooking in a restaurant, everyone would leave the part of the kitchen I was cooking in when I made the roasted pablano salsa, where I had to roast about 40 of them, as well as cut 30 onions and a couple garlic bulbs. People the the next room would be tearing up, while the only affect it had on my was my mouth watering :)
Might've been some clogging goin' on in your pipes, then... ;) But you're right, if you're used to it, it's not so bad.
Afghans have this street kababi recipe that's ALLLLLL raw onion juice. NOT the onions but the JUICE of them, chopped finely, and sieved through cheesecloth. HOODOGGIE that's some powerful schtank. But the kababs melt in your mouf.
Quote from: Ratatosk on March 31, 2010, 03:48:34 PM
Also, garlic can be made even more awesome by the following:
Chop the top off the garlic bulb(just to where you can see the cloves)
Wrap the bulb in foil leaving the top exposed for now.
pour a little olive oil into the bulb.
cover the top.
Stick it in an oven at 400 for about an hour.
The result is that all of the cloves turn into a soft squeezable paste that you can squish out and add to anything. It's as awesome as garlic, and then some. If you want to complete the 16th century Italian version, you also chop a few fresh cloves very fine and add them to the paste. It was called "Agliata" and there are several variations, including some that add bread to thicken it and a little red wine/vinegar.
It is awesome and can be used on anything. At the feast we ran in October, the sauce accidentally hit the tables early. It was supposed to be for the lamb, but many people put it on their salads, as a dressing... just pure garlic... and they all loved it. Scadians are weird!
Yup. LOVE this method...putting it in potatoes and sauces is my favorite technique.
Quote from: NWC on March 31, 2010, 03:51:34 PM
If I put this in a jar and then in the fridge(or freezer), will it stay for a long enough time? This sounds like something I want to make alot of and eat forever, so it'd be easier to make alot at once.
No.
Garlic, even cooked garlic, carries a risk of botulism. This risk increases the longer you store it after preparing. Always use fresh garlic, and consume it within a day or two.
Ok so I'll make lots
and then consume it in a day or two. Cool.
Quote from: LMNO on March 31, 2010, 03:56:16 PM
Quote from: NWC on March 31, 2010, 03:51:34 PM
If I put this in a jar and then in the fridge(or freezer), will it stay for a long enough time? This sounds like something I want to make alot of and eat forever, so it'd be easier to make alot at once.
No.
Garlic, even cooked garlic, carries a risk of botulism. This risk increases the longer you store it after preparing. Always use fresh garlic, and consume it within a day or two.
Correct Motorcycle!
However, the work is really about 10 mins, and then an hour of waiting. So its not a big inconvenience and you get the added bonus of an awesome smelling house.
Quote from: LMNO on March 31, 2010, 03:56:16 PM
Quote from: NWC on March 31, 2010, 03:51:34 PM
If I put this in a jar and then in the fridge(or freezer), will it stay for a long enough time? This sounds like something I want to make alot of and eat forever, so it'd be easier to make alot at once.
No.
Garlic, even cooked garlic, carries a risk of botulism. This risk increases the longer you store it after preparing. Always use fresh garlic, and consume it within a day or two.
Well. I did not know this. I haven't done this before, but I did not know that about cooked garlic. If that is the case, how long is it ok to store/use fresh garlic even? This is probably a dumb question, but i am curious now since I do love garlic
Fresh garlic is fine for a long time, it's just putting botulinum in an anaerobic environment that is dangerous.
I wanted fries but I have no ketchup, all of the stores are closed cos of lundi de pâques, so I'm going to try this
Quote from: Ratatosk on March 31, 2010, 03:48:34 PM
Also, garlic can be made even more awesome by the following:
Chop the top off the garlic bulb(just to where you can see the cloves)
Wrap the bulb in foil leaving the top exposed for now.
pour a little olive oil into the bulb.
cover the top.
Stick it in an oven at 400 for about an hour.
I'm going to mix half with vinegar like you said, and mix half with cream and fresh ground black pepper, which I think will be more conducive to fry-dipping.
Edit: ended up talking to a candian friend, and I was thus inspired to make poutine. I used the entire bulb of garlic in the sauce and it was absolutely delicious
If you have an egg yolk and a cup of oil you can make garlic aoli. Squashify garlic, add egg yolk and maybe some mustard, then whisk in the oil one tiny dribble at a time. At the end add some lemon juice or other acid to taste. Let sit for like 20 minutes, then eat.
Quote from: Regret on March 31, 2010, 03:27:45 PM
ETA Got my hands on a mister.
Will get some neutral tasting vodka next tuesday.
Attempt one will use dried peppers.
Attempt two pickled peppers.
And if those both have funny side effects or just dont work then i will have to actually buy fresh peppers.
Mister?
Dried peppers might work. But save the pickled ones for your sandwiches. If they are the usual green variety I often see in NL, they're hardly hot at all, so I doubt you're going to get much out of that.
But really, fresh peppers shouldnt be hard to come by for cheap. Just skip the supermarket and go to your friendly neighbourhood turk/morrocan/indian/asian smelly toko :) Try to get the "Madame Chenet" ones, they look like tiny wrinkled up bell peppers (paprikas), usually yellow or red, they are the most hot peppers for a reasonable price you can find in most places I have found.
Quote from: Triple Zero on April 07, 2010, 12:55:10 PM
Quote from: Regret on March 31, 2010, 03:27:45 PM
ETA Got my hands on a mister.
Will get some neutral tasting vodka next tuesday.
Attempt one will use dried peppers.
Attempt two pickled peppers.
And if those both have funny side effects or just dont work then i will have to actually buy fresh peppers.
Mister?
Dried peppers might work. But save the pickled ones for your sandwiches. If they are the usual green variety I often see in NL, they're hardly hot at all, so I doubt you're going to get much out of that.
But really, fresh peppers shouldnt be hard to come by for cheap. Just skip the supermarket and go to your friendly neighbourhood turk/morrocan/indian/asian smelly toko :) Try to get the "Madame Chenet" ones, they look like tiny wrinkled up bell peppers (paprikas), usually yellow or red, they are the most hot peppers for a reasonable price you can find in most places I have found.
Mister, a device for creating mist. (plantenspuit)
I tested a few and most don't spray well on the first try. This makes it a crappy pepperspray.
yes. better get a squirt gun. (waterpistool)
I wonder if you could effectively mace an entire building by getting that stuff into the air system. But probably not without some sort of aerosolizing system so the droplets are fine enough to drift through the air without falling and sticking to the ducts....hmm.
Can of sterno + cast iron skillet + a handful of dried chili pods (habanero and hotter).
put the whole thing in an airduct, and you'll get the entire building.
Aromatherapy dishes.
The oil could make a nice little addition for anyone who insists on running one too...
Quote from: LMNO on April 08, 2010, 02:19:57 PM
Can of sterno + cast iron skillet + a handful of dried chili pods (habanero and hotter).
put the whole thing in an airduct, and you'll get the entire building.
this. the aerosol agent would be the smoke particles.
which makes me wonder about whether the smoke detector would flip.
otoh, I wonder what would flip first, the people in the building or the smoke detector.
this is a pretty bad prank to pull :)
Oh, I wouldn't do it because I'm not a dick. But it's fun to think about.
I like my spicy Jamaican style. It makes me smile. Yes I find the proceedure kinds masochistic, but I loves it.
Mmm saltfish fritters.