Dammit, Jon...... I really don't need that kind of encouragement.
There's a bar down in Rochester, MN that has a burger with something like 3 cloves of fresh garlic in it. I sweated garlic for 2 days.
Oh, that sounds good!
My wife hates it when I go to Mongolian BBQ (which I try to do about quarterly - gotta etch the lining out of my stomach and start again...) since I smell strongly of hot pepper and garlic for about a week! Not my breath, but my whole body...
But, apart from my own kitchen, it's the only place where I can get decently-spiced food. My granddad spent the best part of thirty years trying to find something too hot for me to eat - he found a few things that were too hot for
him, but nothing that stonkered me.
First time in a Japanese restaurant, I ate the wasabi ball. Then I asked for something spicy to follow it with.
In Chinese restaurants, I have to ask several times to get the
good hot mustard - the stuff they keep for themselves.
I've out-
chiled Latino friends of mine, eaten hotter curry than most people from Asia Minor could stand; and I find that a good five-year batch of
kimchi can really clear my sinuses when I need it to (that's about the entire physical effect of the stuff. Apart from that, I'll wolf the stuff down.)
I found out recently that mum left a bowl of jalapenos down where I could reach them when I was three. She had to run off to do something - when she came back, she found me sitting on the floor with about half the bowl left. And a
huge smile on my face.
Reminds me, I need to get my hands on another bottle or two of Great Red Shark - it's something my oldest son brought back for me from his honeymoon on Maui (same place his mother and I went - but I wasn't looking for hot sauces then...) I'll usually pick up a couple of new varieties when we drive to Arizona as well.
I find Tabasco weak - I do five alarms with Insanity instead (One of my old party tricks was to drink Tabasco by the shotglass, and then dare other people to do it. I could usually lay a little action on myself, and clean up. As could people who knew me well - my kids would usually clean up watching me do it when their buddies first met me.)
One of these days, I want to do a pepper-infused rum (can't decide if I want to use typical Captain Morgan, or go with Bacardi 151. The 151 is promising, but I'd think the Morgan would complement it better. Although the idea of trying it with Spyritus would be interesting - 195-proof engine degreaser and paint stripper. Remi - y'listening? I still haven't found that stuff up here...)
I love it. Real hot, but excellent flavor. Even my wife likes it and she hates all things spicy. She just likes it in smaller doses...
