Before You Begin Cookin...

There are several things you should consider before cooking any of these recipes, as several readers have pointed out. First, consider protective clothing, or at least latex gloves before handling real chiles! Some people are immune to skin contact, but other's have a skin sensitivity that makes exposure to hot chiles amount to second-degree burns! Until you expose yourself, you don't know which you are! And everyone regrets touching delicate parts after chile handling - nostrils, eyes, ears, um, other stuff...

Secondly, these recipes are spicy. If you need to lighten up the heat, you can do several things. First, you can just reduce the amount of chiles or chile sauce you use in the recipe. (Additional chile sauce can be served at table for the adventurous.) Secondly, you can replace chiles or chile powder with paprika powder, which is a chile that has had the heat bred out of it, but retains chile flavor. You will have to experiment with how much to use, adding a little at a time until you like it.

Lastly, have some fun! Don't worry, someone will be glad to eat your mistakes, no matter how hot it is. :-)