Longtime silent partner of salt, black pepper has a spicy history

Longtime silent partner of salt, black pepper has a spicy history of Fort Francis Times - Salt and pepper have been partners for so long that hardly anyone questions how they happened to form such a lasting relationship. The matchup began in the days when salting was the only way to preserve meat and fish. Pepper was added before eating Hispanic dads must bite the pepper San Jose Mercury News - Like the three wise men who brought precious gifts to the Christ child, Latino dads must bear special presents to their children. The gifts that Latino youths require to avoid dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, gang violence, drug use and Endangered List Created for Native Foods NPR News - Weekend Edition - Sunday , December 18, 2005 Political boundaries often seem artificial, based on a long-ago treaty or current party registration. The boundaries of North America's cornbread, salmon and clambake nations are rooted in climate Hmong cuisine beckons Fresno Bee - When: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and 6-11:30 p.m. today through Sunday. Food is sold during daytime hours only. The temptation of sausage led to the Hmong International New Year this week at the Fresno Fairground. Hmong community leader Ben Vue enticed me with

Mexican Barbecue Recipes - Oh, what a meal it would be

Chile Pepper News & Reviews

Oh, what a meal it would be Arizona Daily Star, AZ - Dec 28, 2005... The rice noodle dish with tender bits of chicken bursts with the flavors of tamarind, fresh lime, a touch of garlic, a bit of chile pepper, and just enough ... 'Simple' dishes require hard work in kitchen Indianapolis Star, United States - Dec 14, 2005... get rid of excess liquid. Crumble the bread and add it to the soup, along with the chile pepper. Cook, stirring with a wooden ... HISPANICS HAVE A CULTURE WITH RHYTHM AND GOOD FOOD American Chronicle, CA - Dec 5, 2005... Latin America countries use spices, such as oregano, garlic, onions, bay leaves, cumin, chile, pepper and salt to flavor the fine dish that is being cooked. ... Hot sauces and cool cheeses do SC proud The State, SC - Nov 30, 2005... ZestFest is an international competition sponsored by Chile Pepper magazine. I m including two recipes from the Riffle s Web site, pepperpotions.com. ... Pepper part of our history Toronto Star, Canada - Dec 31, 2005... In previous books, DeWitt has focused on chili pepper, of which he became such an aficionado that he founded Chile Pepper magazine and later Fiery Foods ... Winter Sun 10K draws record number of runners Moab Times Independent, UT - Dec 8, 2005... raffle drawing that included cool prizes from local merchants Zeal Optics, Arches Book Company, Canyon Voyages, Poison Spider Bike Shop, Chile Pepper Bike Shop ...

Mexican Barbecue Recipes - Pan Seared Shrimp

Pan-Seared Shrimp Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/4 teaspoon salt plus additional to taste 1/4 teaspoon pepper plus additional to taste 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley Lemon wedges (for garnish) Directions

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, then season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the sugar. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add half of the shrimp to the pan in a single layer. Cook until the shrimp are curled and pink on both sides, about 2 minutes.

Note: Do not overcook. It is very important to use very hot oil to seal the shrimp and prevent them from getting tough and rubbery.

Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and cover with foil. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp. Turn off the heat, return all of the shrimp to the warm skillet. Add the butter, lemon juice and parsley and toss to coat until the butter melts. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Chipotle-lime variation

Omit the butter, lemon juice and parsley. Combine 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 1 minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, 4 teaspoons firmly packed brown sugar and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce. After returning all of the shrimp to the skillet, add the chipotle mixture and toss to combine. Test kitchen tip: Shrimp take only 2 minutes to cook through. Cook them any longer and you'll wind up with tough, rubbery bits that have zero flavor. The key to searing shrimp in such a short time is to use a very hot skillet and to sprinkle the shrimp with a little sugar before cooking.

-- From "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook"

Reviews, News, and Other Useful Info

The Chronicle's Top Bargain Wines of 2005

San Francisco Chronicle, USA - Dec 29, 2005... pineapple and passion fruit jump from the glass, with notes of grass, apricot and white pepper. Sauvignon Blanc is still relatively rare in Chile, but this ...

FLEMING'S PRIME STEAKHOUSE & WINE BAR

Austin 360 (subscription), TX - Dec 7, 2005... For starters, the sweet chile calamari ($10.50) was such a conceptually flawed dish ... completely lump crabmeat, with an accompanying roasted red pepper and lime ...

Give a vintage gift - a worldwide sampler Arizona Daily Star, AZ - Dec 6, 2005... Chile is one of the real hot spots today for value-priced wine ... It's a dry, weighty white with tastes of white pepper and all sorts of citrus and tropical fruits ... The history of posole El Defensor Chieftain, NM - Nov 30, 2005... also introduced were olive oil, cinnamon, parsley, coriander, oregano, and black pepper. ... Serve the posole with additional chile sauce on the side for guests to ... Dip into cheese, chile for your holiday shindig El Paso Times, TX - Dec 21, 2005... Vivaldo will even settle for a chile con queso because of the cold weather, but she ... swiss and cheddar cheese, beer or white wine, and salt and pepper to create ...