Chile Miscellanea
Since I don't seem to have got chiles out of my system yet I have added this collection of chile oddities. First, without scruples, I give you this clip from an article by John King in an 1855 issue of American Eclectic Obstetrics:
Since obstetrics must be at least distantly related to pediatrics, let me add for the over-holistically inclined, that one infant death has been reported from over enthusiastic parental administration of capsicum capsules. Be careful, you chile-hot-heads!
And then there is this by Alfred Stillé excerpted from an 1874 issue of "Therapeutics materia medica":
Hey, you didn't have to read all that. But did you catch the part about flatulence? I'm really skeptical about that. In case it is true, I'm sure you can countermand its flatulence-fixing character by just adding a little more onion to your chile seco. I'm not sure about the effect on the "urinary apparatus", but after well more than 40 years of chile-eating I can personally attest that the aphrodisiac bit is false. Of course mileage may vary. Chime in if your experience is different.
In case you have a sore throat consider this, taken from p. 150 of an 1878 book by John Yeats, entitled "The Natural History of the Raw Materials of Commerce":
Thats it for today.
And then there is this by Alfred Stillé excerpted from an 1874 issue of "Therapeutics materia medica":
Hey, you didn't have to read all that. But did you catch the part about flatulence? I'm really skeptical about that. In case it is true, I'm sure you can countermand its flatulence-fixing character by just adding a little more onion to your chile seco. I'm not sure about the effect on the "urinary apparatus", but after well more than 40 years of chile-eating I can personally attest that the aphrodisiac bit is false. Of course mileage may vary. Chime in if your experience is different.
In case you have a sore throat consider this, taken from p. 150 of an 1878 book by John Yeats, entitled "The Natural History of the Raw Materials of Commerce":
Jero, our former house-keeper here in Col. Úrsulo Galvan,
Jero
once made chile seco for us (more about that one day, maybe) and part of this involves scorching chipotles (smoked, dried jalapeño peppers) until they are really dry and nearly black. The kitchen filled with acrid smoke causing tearing and coughing and the evacuation of all gringos. This gave new meaning, for me, to this ancient punishment:
Jero
Let me conclude with a couple of pretty chile pics. The first is of a variety of chiltepin that produces tiny peanut-sized peppers, both purple and red on the same plant:
chiltepin--yummy but very hot
chiltepin--yummy but very hot
The next is either from seeds I got from my son Paul, or possibly from seeds that came from dried peppers in an Asian market which some kind soul on the internet sent me in exchange for some of mine. Unfortunately, I don't remember which.
ill plant still managed this wonderful specimen Thats it for today.
2 comments:
Chili Seco - yummmm! We wanted to bring back dried chili's to the States but were dissuaded by the "what you can bring across the border US info."
We made it next door (to you) but outside - it is toxic in preparation.
Jero is no longer at your place? What is she up to now?
John
Hola neighbor,
Jero makes very good chile seco. She left without giving reasons. Last I heard she was not working, but I'm not up to date.
Your missing many loud bombs right next to your casita (and mine) as today (May 3) is a big religious feast, with missa at 'your' altar. But what religious day is it? (I don't know).
JB
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