Chile peppers are hot in every sense of the word. They add culinary fire to thousands of dishes from a variety of cuisines and inspire near-fanatical devotion in those who have succumbed to their incendiary charms. In this comprehensive book, world chile experts Dave DeWitt and Paul W. Bosland have assembled all the information that anyone with an interest in chile peppers could ever hope to find. Detailed profiles of the 100 most popular chile varieties include information on how to grow chiles; how to diagnose and remedy problems, pests, and diseases; and post-harvest processing and preservation. The book culminates in 85 mouth-watering recipes that make brilliant use of both the characteristic heat of chile peppers and of their more subtle flavour qualities. Want to know what the hottest chile pepper in the world is? You'll find it in the fascinating story of 'Bhut Jolokia', acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the fieriest chile on earth. Confused about the identity of those chile peppers you bought? The authors' clear photographs and precise descriptions will clear up the mystery. The Complete Chile Pepper Book is the only guide to chiles you'll ever need. It's a scorcher. Visit the authors' Web site, www. fiery-foods. com, for recipes, articles, and more information on chile peppers.
Author Biography
A foremost international expert on capsicums, Dave DeWitt has written or coauthored more than 30 books on peppers and has edited two magazines on the subject. His Chile Pepper Encyclopedia won Best Spice Book in English in 1999 at the Versailles World Cookbook Awards. He has been a radio announcer and television producer as well as appearing on many national television programs. Dave is a board member of the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University, chair of the board of the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, and an adjunct associate professor at New Mexico State University. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Virginia and a Master's degree in English from the University of Richmond. Sunbelt Shows, Inc., which Dave owns with his wife, Mary Jane Wilan, is a media company that specializes in fiery foods and barbecue. Sunbelt Shows has produced the annual National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show since 1988. Paul W. Bosland made the Guinness World Records of 2006 for discovering the world's hottest chile pepper, "Bhut Jolokia". A regents professor of horticulture at New Mexico State University, he has released more than 30 cultivated varieties, including a no-heat jalapeno pepper, for which he won the infamous IgNobel from Harvard University, and a habanero chile, "NuMex Suave", which retains the unique habanero flavors without the heat. He has written or coauthored more than 100 scientific papers and is coauthor of six books. Known as the Chileman, Paul leads the chile breeding and genetic research program at NMSU where he cofounded and directs the university's Chile Pepper Institute, a research and educational center. He serves as chairman of the annual New Mexico Chile Conference, the world's largest conference dedicated to the chile pepper. His chile pepper gardening column appears in Chile Pepper magazine. He earned his bachelor's degree in genetics and his Master's degree in vegetable crops from the University of California, Davis, and his Ph.D. in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Horticultural Science, among other honors.
