TOO HOT !!

Lizthechef added 9 months ago

Bake and garnish with lots of full-fat sour cream. Serve corn chips and gaucamole. Both ideas will dilute the heat. I would serve margaritas while you are at it...No salt.

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ChefOno added 9 months ago

Remember you won't be consuming the sauce by itself; the enchiladas will help tone down the heat in combination. If you're really in trouble, crème fraîche, with its higher fat content, will work even better than sour cream.

Alcohol only helps if consumed prior to capsaicin if you get my drift (not that I'm disagreeing with Liz's suggestion).

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ChefOno, is that true about alcohol and capsaicin? It's always seemed to me that a swig of beer after a bite of hot food takes the edge off the heat, and not entirely because beer is served cold (ice-cold water doesn't have the same effect, for example).

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ChefOno added 9 months ago

Capsaicin is insoluble in cold water, but freely soluble in alcohol and vegetable oils. However, a cold beer or mixed drink contains too small a percentage of alcohol to wash away much capsaicin and can actually make matters worse. Milk is the best answer due to the protein casein, a lipophilic (fat-loving) substance that surrounds and washes away the fatty capsaicin molecules in much the same way that soap washes away grease.

But don't be too quick to put out the fire. Capsaicin excites the nervous system into producing endorphins which promote a pleasant sense of well-being. The endorphin lift makes spicy foods mildly addictive and even an obsession for some.

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chefsusie added 9 months ago

I would make more sauce with no spice. Mix the two, divide in half. Freeze half for another meal.

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Yes, I've read about the endorphin lift and addictive properties of capsaicin. Huh, didn't know that about it's interaction with alcohol though. Perhaps alcohol amplifies the endorphin lift from capsaicin? I'm trying to guess why, other than temperature -- which I'm sure is a factor -- the pairing of beer with hot food seems so natural.

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