The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener’s Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking
- ISBN13: 9780881929201
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
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 flavor 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 … More >>
The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener’s Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking
this is a good book for those who are not already familiar with chiles (for which “peppers” is a misnomer), have limited gardening experience and/or reference materials, and who want a few recipes wrapped up into a sort of “one stop shopping” text.
it is also a great book for those who wish primarily to concentrate on chile gardening, and who have exhausted more rudimentary texts.
the book offers a modest history of chiles. the cultivation information is pretty extensive and fascinating, and may prove to enhance my gardening experience this season. the canning and preservation sections are very informative, and if you like a sampling of specialty recipes in something other than a cookbook (which i really do not), there are some good looking ones here.
the section actually cataloging individual varieties of chiles left me flat. here dewitt and bosland have listed the “top hundred (or so) chile peppers for the garden”, including a brief description of each. the descriptions are often VERY brief, and uninformative. there is no consistency in what can be expected from them, such as quantified heat levels (expressed in “scoville heat units”), flavor characteristics, sizes, expected yields, and typical days to maturity.
the greatest issue i have with this section of the book is the inclusion of only these varieties, leaving out a number of interesting and flavorful chiles, among them hungarians (indeed the only mention of paprika, was in the similarly incomplete “heat scale for chile varieties and commercial products”), and the “fish pepper” (a chesapeake bay favorite). notably, the “peter pepper” IS included, with two sentences ignoring any horticultural, or culinary qualities, and focusing solely on what some might find an unsavory description of its shape and nomenclature (apparently written to enlighten those who might not infer it).
i accept that buying online leaves one with the responsibility for making semi-informed choices and living with them, and that i could have gone to a brick and mortar bookstore, to peruse the contents of this manual. that said, i would have preferred a more exhaustive encyclopedic reference work dealing with the varieties of chiles, and might gladly have purchased as a separate text, the horticultural and preservation information contained herein (the best part of the book). the recipes could have been included in yet another, more extensive specialty cookbook, at a modest price, which i would not have been inclined to put on my shelf.
on the whole, this book is a well illustrated coffee table entertainment, with a 148 page chile horticulture and preservation narrative grafted into the middle of it, and i probably would not have purchased it as it stands, had i leafed through it.
i guess i mainly take exception to the misleading title, as this is certainly not a “complete” chile pepper book.
do not let me stop you from buying it, though- it may be exactly what you are looking for. the gardening and preservation section alone is probably worth the amazon price.
Like the hot pepper itself, this book is not for the passing admirer. It’s meant for those who enjoy the passionate heat of everything pepper-related. This comprehensive guidebook covers a brief pepper history, a top 100 list, detailed gardening recommendations, and recipe ideas. One bite will set you aflame to start growing your best peppers yet!
Authors Dave DeWitt and Paul W. Bosland are experts from true chile pepper territory: New Mexico. Their deep knowledge comes through in this well-laid text. If you have any gardening or cooking experience, you are bound to gain keen insight into the world of peppers with new techniques you can easily follow.
For the gardener (the clear audience for this book), you’ll find guidance on composting, solarizing, seeds, and diseases. This is the type of book you’ll want to return to again and again over the years as you gain in experience. For instance, you may begin by implementing best-practices for crop rotation, and build momentum to breeding. You’ll even learn how to grow container chiles in your home year-round. If you’ve grown peppers in the past, you’re sure to discover where you’ve gone wrong–and importantly, you’ll learn how to mend your ways. Rest assured that if you want to hone your pepper growing skills, this is the book for you. It’s filled with details that any gardener can follow.
For the cook, you’ll find a host of uses for chile bumper crops. Make your own chili powder. Pickle, juice, and even candy your peppers. You’ll find recipes for sauces, spicy cocktails, appetizers, soups, main dishes, and even pepper-punched desserts like Kahlua, Ancho, and Chocolate Fondue. Each home-cook-friendly recipe builds on standard ingredients, making peppers the star of each dish. You’ll find Satan’s Blood, a pepper-infused Bloody Mary. How about The Perfect Fish Tacos, studded with diced Serrano chiles? If you love to invoke heat in your cooking, you’ll find some new twists and methods here.
Because this book is built on learning, you’ll also find a helpful resource guide for further reading, buying pepper seeds and plants, a glossary, and a user-friendly index. The book is also filled with bright, color photos to help you learn about each pepper variety, some diseases, certain planting techniques, and of course, the recipes.
From a gardening standpoint, there are few questions this book leaves unanswered. In fact, the gardening section is the most comprehensive part of the book. This is more for the gardener who enjoys cooking than for the cook who shops at the market. So if you do garden, grab this book! It’s certain to become your hottest go-to guide for peppers.
Reviewed by Amber K. Stott
Everything you ever wanted to know about chile peppers coupled with sumptuous photography. First, you learn about the top 100 (yes, you read that number correctly) peppers to grow in the garden. Next up is the proper cultivation, from hydroponic, to in the ground, to containers, for the various types of peppers. Finally – gloriously – come the recipes. Here is where the book really shines. Not only are there the expected recipes for using peppers in foods, but there are also recipes for canning, pickling, drying, smoking and even making custom chile powder blends.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to go get ingredients for the Kahlua, Ancho and Chocolate Fondue…
I have a number books on chiles and all of them fall short in one area or another. I suppose that is normal with a crop that is more addiction than food, and each addict has his or her own area of interest. When this book arrived, I took one look and thought ‘not another coffee table book…’. The cover and color illustrations throughout, the trendy tinted pages, page after page of recipes, etc, etc all made it look like fluff and not substance.
Luckily, my first impressions were completely misleading. There is quite a bit of anecdotal as well as scientific content and it is all fascinating. There are so many uses of both fresh and dried chiles that never occurred to me, growing tips, ornamental chile info, even how to make your own chile bonsai… This is a fun and educational ride through the chile world. There is a section on the hunt for the world’s hottest chiles, experiments in using fresh chiles for juicing, and what the juice might be good for – just about anything that you might think of is here somewhere. Smoking chiles, drying chiles, pickling, what crops to grow with them, vinegars, alcohols, drinks…
If you have a question about chiles that isn’t covered in this book, I’d be surprised. If you love chiles, you will love having this book. I equivocated about buying it for months and now I’m sorry I waited.
As an amateur gardener, avid cook and, most importantly, a spicy food aficionado, this book really has it all for me. Reading this late in November made me ready to pull out the seed catalogues and start preparing for spring. The authors provide a wealth of information on the subject of chili peppers. The first portion of the book is devoted to gardening. Without turning into a general gardening book, enough basic information is covered to assist the new gardener. I especially appreciated the in-depth description of pepper varieties, both for spring gardening choices, but also for produce shopping.
In addition to a lot of great gardening information and inspirational photography, it provides botanical information, as well. The graphics and charts really contribute to the very readable quality of this book.
But, my favorite part of the book is the recipe section. A number of easy, unusual recipes are included. The pepper infused vodka is so superior to anything you can buy at the store and was a huge hit at Thanksgiving when I used it to make my marinated cherry tomato appetizer! I brought the Double Trouble chocolate truffles to a party and they were the focus of conversation while they lasted! My family’s favorites, so far, are Pasta with Green Chile Pesto and Thai Chile and Artichoke Pasta. But, I have a lot more on my list to try. In addition to recipes, a lot of good information is provided on preservation, including candied peppers, salt substitutes, pickling and canning.
A comprehensive glossary, bibliography and resource list provide even more information.
I appreciate having a book in my collection that covers all aspects of peppers. I know where to turn now for gardening questions, and, of course, really interesting recipes!