Hot and Spicy

In the beginning, there was Mexican food. Next came sizzling Sichuan and Hunan dishes. Then the Thais brought in their fiery chiles and curry pastes. Meanwhile, hotly seasoned Korean, Vietnamese and Indonesian cuisines gained a foothold. And now Indian food is on the rise. As if that weren’t enough, peppery Cajun dishes appeared, and Mexican food has entered a new and trendy Southwestern phase.

In short, hot foods have become old hat in Los Angeles. Bland may not be bad, but for many it can’t compete with the zesty foods dispensed by the city’s ethnic and regional restaurants.

Markets too have changed in response to the tastes of new waves of immigrants. Asian stores have become hotbeds of spicy seasonings--Thai curry pastes, Chinese chile oil, Korean ground red pepper, fiery Indonesian sambals, Japanese wasabi, the green horseradish that sears nasal passages when taken too liberally, fresh red chiles, which once were hard to find, and much more.

Gourmet shops stock herb and spice blends for Cajun cooking along with specialty mixes for southwestern chili. Supermarkets are sources of many hot and spicy seasonings including fresh and dried chiles, salsas and other Mexican products, cayenne pepper, mustard, horseradish, fresh ginger root and common black pepper, which, in large quantities, can be very hot.

These seasonings add pep to an astonishing variety of foods. The accompanying recipes, selected by members of the Food staff, range from contemporary American favorites such as jalapeno jelly and Mexican-style potato skins to an authentic Indian curry and a recipe from Manila for the spicy sausage called Longanisa. Other recipes represent Sichuan and Hunan cooking.

Part of the charm of the jalapeno jelly, a recipe from Saint Estephe restaurant in Manhattan Beach, is the restaurant’s elegant presentation. Served as an appetizer at a showing of New Mexican art, the jelly was placed in a gleaming silver bowl and topped with plump fresh red chiles. Guests could eat it spooned onto a sopaipilla or with blue corn tortilla chips and cream cheese. For home use, crackers could be substituted for the corn chips and sopaipillas.

Genuine Indian curries are not seasoned with pre-mixed curry powders but with spices individually blended to suit the ingredients of the dish. An example is a chicken curry recipe provided by Sunil Vora, manager of Gaylord India restaurant. The curry requires many spices: turmeric, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and ginger root. Still more spices go into the accompanying dish of basmati rice, a variety that is known for its long grains and distinctive flavor.

Philippine Longanisa sausage is sweet and spicy, the sweet coming from sugar and the spice from crushed dried chiles, pepper, allspice and paprika. Filipinos typically season with garlic and vinegar, both of which go into the sausage along with a dash of rum. The pork and pork fat are diced, not ground, and the sausage may be stuffed into casings or formed into patties. Try the Longanisa for supper with garlic-flavored fried rice and a salad or for brunch with eggs and the rolls called pan de sal (salt bread), which are available at local Filipino bakeries.

Priscilla Yee of Concord won grand prize in an almond recipe contest for her Almond-Zucchini Burritos. The vegetarian burritos are filled with zucchini, red or green peppers, almonds, cheese, cilantro and green chile salsa. More salsa is spooned over the top along with yogurt or sour cream. Since commercial green chile salsa is rather mild, those who prefer more heat can add chopped serrano or jalapeno chiles.

Potato skins come topped with everything these days. At the Second Street Saloon, a downtown Los Angeles restaurant, they are served Mexican style with toppings that bring to mind nachos. Jack and Cheddar cheeses and a mixture that includes tomato, jalapeno chile and black olives are sprinkled over the skins, which are then baked and served with sour cream, chives and salsa.

The robust seasonings of Sichuan and Hunan are reflected in two dishes--Sichuan Hot Pepper Beef, made with dried red and fresh green chiles, and Hunan Pork With Bean Curd, which is seasoned with crushed dried chiles. The latter recipe, a version of the well known dish called ma po tofu, is a way of providing a lot of protein with a little meat. Only 1 4 pound of pork is required. When combined with 1 pound of tofu, it expands to feed four handsomely.

SAINT ESTEPHE’S

JALAPENO JELLY

10 jalapeno chiles, finely diced

4 sweet red peppers, finely diced

2 cups red wine vinegar

7 cups sugar

1 1 2 (6-ounce) boxes liquid pectin

Fresh red chiles for garnish

Combine chiles, peppers, vinegar and sugar in large heavy saucepan. Simmer 15 minutes. Add pectin and bring to boil. Turn off heat. Cool. Turn into sterilized jars. Seal with paraffin. Makes about 4 pints.

SUNIL VORA’S

CHICKEN CURRY

1 2 cup olive oil

1 2 large onion, sliced

1 2 teaspoon crushed ginger root

2 to 3 cloves garlic

1 small tomato, chopped

1 1 2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1 2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 cardamom pod, crushed

3 whole cloves

3 peppercorns

Dash ground turmeric

1 4 teaspoon paprika

1 stick cinnamon

1 (2 1 2-pound) chicken, cut up

Salt

1 2 cup yogurt

Cilantro leaves

Spiced Rice

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add onion and cook until golden. Add ginger root, garlic, tomato, cumin, coriander, cardamom pod, cloves, peppercorns, turmeric, paprika and cinnamon stick. Saute 2 minutes. Add chicken. Season to taste with salt. Cook over high heat until golden brown on both sides. Stir in 1 4 cup yogurt. Bring to boil.

Cover and simmer over low heat 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender, adding small amount of water if mixture becomes too dry. Remove chicken pieces to platter. Skim fat from sauce. Stir in remaining yogurt. Pour over chicken and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with Spiced Rice. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Spiced Rice

1 4 cup clarified or unsalted butter

1 4 cup chopped onion

Dash ground saffron

1 4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 peppercorns

1 cardamom pod, crushed

Dash ground cinnamon

1 cup basmati rice

2 cups water

Melt butter. Add onion and cook until tender. Stir in saffron, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom and cinnamon. Saute 2 minutes. Add rice and saute 1 minute. Add water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook, covered, over low heat until liquid is absorbed and rice is flaky and dry. Makes 4 servings.

LONGANISA

1 1 2 pounds lean pork

1 4 pound pork fat

1 teaspoon salt

1 2 teaspoon saltpeter, optional

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 2 to 1 teaspoon crushed dried chiles

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1 2 teaspoons rum

1 2 teaspoon MSG

1 3 cup vinegar

1 1 2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 4 cup sugar

Pork casings, optional

Oil, optional

Finely dice pork and pork fat. Place in large bowl and add salt, saltpeter (add if sausage is to be stored rather than used immediately), soy sauce, chiles, pepper, paprika, Worcestershire, allspice, rum, MSG, vinegar, garlic and sugar. Mix well. Do not grind. Stuff into casings, twisting and tying with string to form sausage links. Or shape into patties.

Cook casings by steaming, covered, in small amount of water, about 15 minutes, then frying in a little oil if needed, until golden brown. Fry patties in oiled skillet over medium heat until done, about 20 to 30 minutes. Makes 7 link sausages.

ALMOND-ZUCCHINI

BURRITOS

6 (8-inch) flour tortillas

3 cups zucchini, cut into 1-inch long julienne strips

1 3 cup chopped onion

3 4 cup diced sweet red or green pepper

3 tablespoons oil

Mild green chile salsa

2 tablespoons water

3 4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley

1 1 2 cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese

6 tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream

Wrap tortillas in foil. Bake at 375 degrees 10 to 15 minutes or until soft and heated through. In large skillet, saute zucchini, onion and red pepper in oil 3 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Reduce heat. Add 1 3 cup salsa and water. Cover and cook 3 minutes longer. Reserve 3 tablespoons almonds for garnish. Stir in remaining almonds and cilantro.

Spoon about 1 2 cup vegetable mixture down center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with 1 4 cup cheese. Roll up. Place on serving dish. Spoon 1 tablespoon salsa down length of each burrito. Top with 1 tablespoon yogurt and sprinkle with reserved almonds. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

SECOND STREET SALOON’S

POTATO SKINS

4 baked potatoes

Oil for deep-frying

1 cup shredded Jack cheese

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Mexican Topping Mix

Mexican Salsa

Sour Cream

Chives

Cut potatoes in halves. Scrape out center leaving shell 1 4 inch thick. Heat oil to 400 degrees. Add skins and fry until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain. Sprinkle 1 4 cup combined cheeses on each skin. Bake at 400 degrees until partly melted. Sprinkle Mexican Topping Mix over cheese and return to oven until cheese is completely melted. Serve with Mexican Salsa, sour cream and chives. Makes 8 skins, or 4 servings.

Mexican Topping Mix

1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped

6 medium black olives, coarsely chopped

1 jalapeno chile, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped

Salt, pepper

Combine tomato, olives, chile, onion, cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mexican Salsa

1 (1-pound) can whole tomatoes

1 4 cup chopped jalapeno chiles

1 2 medium onion, chopped

1 2 medium tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

1 small clove garlic

1 2 teaspoon salt

1 2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce or to taste

Dash white pepper

Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid. Puree tomatoes. Stir in chiles, onion, tomato, cilantro, garlic, salt, hot pepper sauce and pepper. Stir in reserved liquid to desired thickness. Makes about 2 cups.

SICHUAN HOT PEPPER BEEF

1 pound flank steak

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry Sherry

1 teaspoon sugar

Oil

8 small dried hot chiles, seeds removed

3 medium cloves garlic, crushed

2 fresh California chiles, peeled and cut into fine strips

1 carrot, cut into fine strips

1 stalk celery, cut into fine strips

Cut beef with grain into halves, then cut across grain into 1 4-inch slices. Mix beef, soy sauce, Sherry and sugar. Heat oil in wok until hot. Add red chiles. Cook over medium heat until chiles are blackened. Discard chiles, leaving oil. Add beef and garlic. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until beef is nearly done. Remove beef to warm platter. Add green chiles, carrot and celery to oil. Stir-fry until tender-crisp. Add beef. Cover and cook until beef is just done, about 2 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

HUNAN PORK WITH

BEAN CURD

1 pound bean curd

1 2 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon dry Sherry

1 teaspoon minced ginger root

1 clove garlic, minced

1 2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 2 teaspoon crushed red chiles

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, cut into 3 4-inch pieces

1 green pepper, cut into 3 4-inch pieces

Hot cooked rice

Cut bean curd into 1 2-inch cubes. Drain well on several layers of paper towels.

Meanwhile, combine pork, Sherry, ginger root and garlic. Let stand 10 minutes. Blend broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar and chiles. Set aside.

Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add pork mixture. Cook, stirring to separate pork, about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from wok. Heat oil in same wok. Add onion and green pepper. Stir-fry 4 minutes. Add pork and soy sauce mixture. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Gently fold in bean curd. Heat through. Serve immediately with rice. Makes 4 servings.