When it comes to food, one of the never-ending questions is “Where is the fine line between spicy hot and too hot?”
Or as my wife said Thursday night while eating my black bean and corn enchiladas, “This is almost borderline too hot.” She likes hot food but not to the extreme (and she did clean her plate).
My first reaction, silently expressed only to my inner self/ego/id was, “Thank goodness for the word ‘almost.’ ”
My second reaction, verbally expressed to her, was, “Huh. Not sure why it’s so hot. The only things in it are the black beans, corn, cheese, corn tortillas and Mexican tomato sauce.”
Now the can for the sauce did have the word “hot” in little letters. Maybe they should have been capitalized. I failed to mention that.
I also failed to mention that I had chopped up some of my homemade pickled jalapeño, carrot and onion condiment and added that to the corn mixture. I thought it would add a nice touch of piquancy. It did that. I think it also added a not-so-nice touch of potent heat.
Which just goes to show that you have to be careful what you wish for because you might get it.
Now excuse me while I go make some rolled-up lasagna sheets with a hot Italian sausage/meatball mixture I have thawing out. Also have to make a marinara sauce for it.
Hmmmmmmm? Maybe a few of those long, gnarly Italian finger peppers to add a nice touch of piquancy to the sauce? And some crushed red pepper?
One more question: What’s wrong with me?
— LOU
I like food hot, but I am often cooking for others who don’t like it too spicy. You can always add more hot, but you can’t take it away.
And to answer your question about what’s wrong with you? How much time do you have? (Insert winky-face emoji here)
— LUCY