A rather hot affair.

My girlfriend is quite aware of it, I don't try to hide it.  I've been having a very hot affair for some time now, and I cannot stop myself.  Since the first time I ever went to SE Asia, to Malaysia, back in 2002 I have been horribly addicted to chilli's.  I eat them with everything, and if I can't get them, I douse whatever I am eating in Tabasco, or some kind of chilli sauce.

It has been scientifically proven that chilli's elicit a euphoric sensation when eaten (rather like chocolate, but a different chemical), they are addictive and, you build a resistance to them.  All in all, it sounds like many a drug you see emblazoned on the front of newspaper, headlining the next killer craze.

With this chilli addiction in mind, I like to keep a healthy stock of the fiery fruit to fuel my fixation.  Here's a lowdown on the chilli's I like to have:

Weapons of choice

So, going from top left, in clockwise rotation, you will see, lemon chilli, bhut jolokia, cherry bomb, cayenne, generic Thai red, and some kind of Mexican red chilli (I lost the label).  They each have their culinary uses, but all of them are dried.

For example, the lemon chilli I like to use in pasta, the jolokia is obviously reserved for fiery Indian dishes, and the generic red Thai chilli I impart into anything of a SE Asian nature.

I only buy fresh green chilli's, usually the birds eye, thin, finger-like ones you can get from Asian grocers.  In Indian cuisine you only ever use fresh green chilli - red chilli's are always dried.

It is possible to rehydrate these chilli's if you desire.  This can be achieved by warming up some water, not to boiling point though, just tea temperature.  Then I cut the top off the chilli to allow the water to ingress (otherwise the chilli just floats on the surface).  Put the chilli in the hot water, get the water inside it too, and try to sink it.  Leave it for at least 30 minutes, an hour if possible.  It should have regenerated some of its water content, and become plump and juicy, once more.

Yesterday we had my parents, and one of my nieces over for Easter lunch.  My father is a fussy old so and so, and doesn't like any "foreign muck".  I made him a Vlaamse stoofkarbonaden and passed it off as a Lancashire hotpot.  This neutral lunch inspired me to fire up the evening with something a bit spicy.  I plumped for a Linguine All'Arrabiata (angry linguine!):

Linguine All'Arrabiata 

•   Finely chop one onion.
•   Add a few glugs of olive oil to a heavy-based pan.
•   Medium to high heat, add the onion and cook until just coloured.
•   Add 2 cloves of minced garlic.
•   Finely dice up half a dried chilli (I used a lemon one).  Add to the pan.
•   Whizz a can of peeled plum tomatoes in a mini blender.
•   Add the tomatoes.
•   Season the sauce and keep on a medium to high heat.
•   Reduce the water content out of the sauce until it is glossy and sticky (takes about 15 minutes).
•   Cook your pasta to al dente, drain and add to the sauce.
•   Toss in the sauce.
•   Serve with finely grated parmegiano reggiano.