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25 new of 163 responses total.
russ
response 78 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 18 21:36 UTC 2003

I love hot peppers.  The burn isn't painful until it gets extreme;
until then, it is both flavorful and addictive (as in endorphins).
tod
response 79 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 18 21:59 UTC 2003

This response has been erased.

keesan
response 80 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 18 23:18 UTC 2003

Some parts of China are really fond of salt.  A friend of ours was renting
out rooms in his large house to students and they all took turns cooking. 
One of them salted the food so heavily that nobody but him could eat it.

I had a Szechuan housemate one year.  Even with the door to the kitchen open,
the rest of us would cough when going near the kitchen if he was cooking. 
The northern Chinese student sharing the room with him cooking lots of bland
cabbage and noodles.
jaklumen
response 81 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 19 03:16 UTC 2003

resp:62 The capsins, in particular, seem to improve blood 
circulation.  This is the purpose of cayenne supplements.

resp:74 and resp:76 You'll have to be more specific.  Black pepper is 
the peppercorn, which when picked in its unripened state makes black 
pepper.  When it is fully ripe, it is white, and ground for 'white 
pepper', which has less bite to it.

You're speaking of the bell peppers, Twila?  (I call them all chiles 
as the Mexicans do to avoid confusion with the peppercorn.)  Yes, 
those are sweet.  The chiles of heat are of many a variety-- from the 
fairly mild: anaheim, poblano, Hungarian wax, banana wax, peppercini, 
ancho; to the moderately hot: Cascabel, chilaca, pasilla, tabasco, 
chipotle, jalape o; to the really hot: cayenne, serrano (no joke), 
Thai, Penqu n; to the extremely hot: habenero and Scotch bonnet.  
(Thanks to 
http://www.allrecipes.com/cb/w2m/weeklyspecials/chilepeppers/default.as
p)
I'm sure this is not a completely exhaustive list, but it's pretty 
close.
jaklumen
response 82 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 19 03:29 UTC 2003

Oh.  The list says there are 200 varieties, so not even close.
scott
response 83 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 19 10:52 UTC 2003

I really like freshly-ground black pepper.  World of difference from stuff
in a shaker, almost a different spice.
polytarp
response 84 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 19 15:25 UTC 2003

Hi scott!
jmsaul
response 85 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 19 17:52 UTC 2003

Re #83:  I agree.  Tons of flavor.
void
response 86 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 19 21:03 UTC 2003

   Black pepper goes on almost everything I eat.  In winter, I take
daily doses of cayenne, starting with 1/8 teaspoon and working my way
up to around 1/2 or 3/4 teaspoon.  I've found that now I can tolerate
spicy food a lot more than I used to, and that I notice the flavors
a lot more than the heat.
dcat
response 87 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 20 01:32 UTC 2003

(keesan) et al. might like China Gate, from which I just returned.  The Kung
Pao Chicken ("chef's spicy peanut sauce") was almost entirely un-spicy.

I was on dinner break (from the UGLi) and Steve's Lunch was closed --- I'd
forgotten they close at 8 now instead of 9 --- or else I probably would never
have gone there.  In any case, I won't be back.  Steve's isn't always as spicy
as I'd like, but at least it tastes like more than just slightly flavoured
meat.
scg
response 88 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 20 01:56 UTC 2003

Three years after leaving Ann Arbor, China Gate continues to be my favorite
or second favorite chinese restaurant in the world.  Eating there is always
high on the priority list when I visit.  I'm sorry you didn't like it.
glenda
response 89 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 20 02:47 UTC 2003

When dining at China Gate and wanting hot, you have to tell them that you
really mean that you want it hot.  We seldom have a problem.  When Jan is
cooking, and STeve is with me, it can be too hot.  Jan knows our tastes and
it has been a challange for him to get it hot enough for STeve and still not
too hot for me to eat.  When STeve is alone, all bets are off.  He has made
it almost too hot for STeve once.  STeve says he was actually in tears, but
managed to finish the dish, Kong Pao Shrimp, if I remember correctly.
gull
response 90 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 20 18:30 UTC 2003

Re #80: Smoking is also very common in China.  That may be one reason 
for salty food, since putting lots of salt on things is about the only 
way a heavy smoker can taste it.
aruba
response 91 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 20 19:27 UTC 2003

We had a nice walk yesterday.  Walkers were valerie, janc, arlo, kendra,
kaplan, chanur, mutsie, barney, danr, krokus, aruba, and special guest
walker, my Mom.  A beautiful morning/afternoon (we didn't finish until 1).
We meant to come to lunch, but it didn't work out.  My Mom asked me to say
goodbye to "all those nice people" for her.
jmsaul
response 92 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 20 23:14 UTC 2003

Re #89:  I want to back Glenda up on this one.  If you ask for it extra hot,
         it will be.  The default level is really mild, though.
polytarp
response 93 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 20 23:23 UTC 2003

Hi Saul!
dcat
response 94 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 21 01:59 UTC 2003

ok.  I tried to ask for spicy, but I don't think she heard me.  When I've
asked for spicy in the past, though, i haven't noticed a difference.
jmsaul
response 95 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 21 02:27 UTC 2003

"Very, very hot please."
polytarp
response 96 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 21 03:04 UTC 2003

Hi Saul!
dcat
response 97 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 21 03:14 UTC 2003

resp:95 - it is true that when we go to Sze-chuan West, my mother asks for
"so spicy it makes tears run down my face."  And then it's *almost* hot
enough.
krokus
response 98 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 21 14:32 UTC 2003

"I want it to ignite my chopsticks, when I stick them in."  :)
polytarp
response 99 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 21 14:49 UTC 2003

Hi krokus!
tod
response 100 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 21 16:12 UTC 2003

This response has been erased.

keesan
response 101 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 21 18:26 UTC 2003

The northern Chinese preserve just about everything for the winter, which
might be why they got used to the salt.
White pepper is made from black pepper with the skins removed.
jaklumen
response 102 of 163: Mark Unseen   Jul 21 21:31 UTC 2003

resp:100 yes, of course.

resp:101 That is not completely accurate.  Joy of Cooking, p. 576 (2nd 
ed.)-- "The white is made from the fully ripe berry from which the 
dark outer shell is buffed before the berry is ground... Black pepper 
is obtained from the *underripe, fermented, sun-dried whole berries.* 
(emphasis mine)" 
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