For some reason known only to himself, my dad, who doesn't even like when my mom puts chili powder in chili, felt the urge to plant jalapeno and habanero chilies this summer. As a result, when I visited a couple of weeks ago, I drove back home with a paper grocery bag full of a few tomatoes and a whole lotta peppers; 48 habaneros and 5 jalapenos, to be exact. I've learned that it's not worth the time and effort to figure out my father's motives, so I just took the bag and wondered what I was going to do with the contents. Bare in mind that my husband thinks pepperoni pizza is spicy, so he would be no help.
After a little Internet research, I decided to try to make barbeque sauce and some chili paste. I started out this morning with the sauce, which involved roasting the chilies and then pureeing them in the blender. (Note to other short women who may try this at home: let the mixture breathe a little before sticking your face over the top of the blender, otherwise the proximity of the paste to your face will trigger tears and a sneezing fit.) About half way through roasting, Chris decided to take a road trip. I didn't think it was that bad until I made a trip to the composting bin and came back inside. My eyes stung when I walked back inside. No wonder the dogs were nowhere to be found.
Anyway, long story short, I now have 2 1/2 jars of barbeque sauce and two ice cube trays filled with chili paste (for easy freezing and use later). And the house still smells like the inside of a chili. I wonder how long it will take to dissipate...
