And chiles for purchase at grocery stores were also limited. Those with the inclination for experimentation found only jalapenos and Anaheims, which are just a mild green chile. Barb Fenzl , cooking authority, owner of Les Gourmettes Cooking School in Phoenix and author of two cookbooks, Southwest the Beautiful and Savor the Southwest, counts the chipotle chile as her favorite. The one I like the most and the one that s the most versatile is the chipotle, says Fenzl, just because it s not so hot that it knocks peoples socks off, but still adds a lot of zing to things. I love to use chipotles in grilled potato salad, mashed potatoes and mayonnaise, and I m using it in a buttermilk dressing.
Chiles contain capsaicin, oil that can be irritating to the skin.
Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling chiles or wear rubber or disposable latex gloves. Those who have experienced the burn after cutting, dicing or slicing chiles know it can be painful. Should you mistakenly dive right into the slicing, dicing or chopping of chiles, Fenzl says she has found that aloe gel takes the burn away quickly. While the natural fire extinguisher grabbed by most is water, soda, beer or a margarita seized from another table medical emergency, of course Fenzl says to skip those. Such products only fan the flames.