There is an ever-growing popularity of hot sauces and exotic spices on grocery store and supermarket shelves.

Once the almost exclusive domain of the Tabasco sauce, the aisles are now crowded with cajun, Cancun, Jamaican, and East Indian spices, rubs and spice mixtures just to name a few.

Our taste buds are accepting and indeed welcoming “hot and hotter” dishes. there are several reasons for this. To start, in Canadian kitchens for the past three or four decades or so the influence of different ethnic dishes elevated our palate to new and greater heights. Homemakers and professional cooks are evolving to be more daring in the use of spices and flavourings than ever before.

Thanks in no small measure to the impact of the Food Network with a range of programs from the silly to the very good, visually stimulating, informative and that entice us to try different recipes, ingredients and cooking styles.

One theory about the current hot period is the fact that the national population is aging and with age our taste buds can enjoy and tolerate more hot and spicy foods. Whatever the reasons are it is great to experiment with exotic spices and new ingredients.

Hot flavours have been around for thousands of years. Historically they can be traced back to the pharaohs who ruled ancient Egypt.

It is no accident that peppers of every size and shape originated in the western hemisphere. they are the member of the capsicum family and spread around the globe in the age of the explorers.

The exotic spices we now take for granted, like cumin and cloves, are from the temperate and tropical climatic regions of the world like Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean basin and Central America.

Their introduction to gastronomy has changed the way we think of food and appreciate the wide range of flavours.

These special spices have a well-recognized nutritional contribution as well. Consumers who are improving the nutritional content of their diet receive help from the selection on the spice shelves.

Many cooks and homemakers are substituting no-fat, no-cholesterol and low-sodium spices for the butter and other fats they once used to enhance the tastes of low-flavour and common foods. Members of the pepper family do supply specific nutrients; for example one teaspoon of chili powder provides 18 per cent of our RDA (recommended daily allowance) for vitamin a. Paprika does even better, furnishing 25 per cent of the RDA vitamin a per teaspoon.

When purchasing spices and herbs buy them as fresh as possible and not in great quantities. All spices lose their aroma and potency after a few weeks.

When storing them keep them in a dark and cool place.

This week we offer four spicy recipes for your files. they will be popular with your family and friends.

HOT PEPPER CORNMEAL MUFFINS

8 ounces all purpose flour sifted

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup melted butter

2 eggs slightly beaten

1/2 cup diced seeded hot red or green peppers

Measure and line up all ingredients. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Mix in the cornmeal. With a fork beat milk, oil and eggs.

Make a well in the dry mixture and add the milk mixture, stir quickly until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the pepper pieces. Preheat oven to 400F. Select a well-oiled muffin pan and fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Turn out and serve hot. Approximate recipe cost for 20-24 muffins: $4.

Three fresh frying chickens each cut into nine pieces

1 tsp salt or to taste

2 tbsp chili powder or to taste

Pat the chicken pieces dry. Combine the butter, salt, onion, cumin and chili powders. Brush on the chicken pieces and set aside for a few minutes. place the chicken pieces skin side up on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400F oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are done. Serve with rice or well-seasoned potato salad. Approximate recipe cost for 8 portions: $15.

“TARATOR” SPICY HAZELNUT SAUCE FOR COLD SEAFOOD

4 cups shelled B.C. hazelnuts pulverized

2 cups soft fresh white bread crumbs

1 tsp hot cayenne powder

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

1/2 cup good olive oil

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

Measure and line up all ingredients. Select a large bowl and toss (with a fork) the hazelnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cayenne, paprika, and salt until well-combined. Pour the olive oil and vinegar in and mix well.

Stir in the mayonnaise and add the water in one spoon at a time to make it into a medium thin sauce. Refrigerate until use.

This is a different and very tasty sauce to use on cold seafood on summer picnics. Approximate recipe cost: $7.

PASTA WITH HOT PEPPER SAUCE

1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock heated

1 red bell pepper deseeded and julienne chopped

1 large chicken breast boneless and skinless sliced thin

1 pinch cayenne pepper or to taste

7 oz of uncooked spinach pasta of your choice

1 tbsp fresh basil chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

Measure and line up all ingredients. Blanch the bell pepper for a couple of minutes in the stock. Drain and set aside. Select a skillet or a wok and add in 2 tbsp olive oil and heat to very hot. Stir-fry the chicken slices until just done.

Do not overcook. Remove and set aside. in a processor or a blender puree the bell pepper and the stock with the second 2 tbsp olive oil until smooth.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Do not overcook. Select a bowl and add the pepper puree, chicken pieces the basil, salt and pepper and the pasta. Toss and serve at once. Present with good parmesan or romano cheese. Approximate recipe cost for two-three portions: $7.

Send your questions on any culinary topic to: a Chef in Your Kitchen, P.O. Box 18627, Delta, B.C., V4K 4V7. Email: .

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