Peppers, Glorious Peppers!

January 22nd, 2006

When I first started this food blog, I made a point of mentioning how much I love wine, particularly Merlot. But did I ever mention how much I love peppers? Perhaps not, but many of the dishes and recipes I’ve posted so far have featured peppers of varying types. Sweet red, orange and yellow peppers, green peppers, jalapenos, habaneros, serranos, poblanos, Thai chilis … the list continues. I don’t think I’ve ever met a pepper I didn’t like and since I love adding heat to my food, hot peppers are probably my favourites. While some are hotter than others, I love ‘em all. I just make the necessary adjustments when using the really, really hot ones, but I definitely use them all. No doubt!

It seems that whenever I make a trip to the market, I always come away with at least one type of pepper. Today was no exception. Now I knew before I left home with my little list of only eight things I needed to purchase that I was in for a challenge. You see, I have issues when it comes to food shopping. I wouldn’t go as far as to term it “excessive compulsive behaviour disorder,” but I admit that I get way beyond excited when I step into any place that sells food of any kind, particularly well stocked markets.

The bad news is that I went there to purchase eight items and left with 12 bags in tow. I don’t know how that happened! Ah, but the good news is that I didn’t buy anything that I’m not going to use … eventually.

This time the majority of my purchases consisted of fresh fish and seafood (jumbo shrimp, large scallops, salmon and shark fillets), fresh meats (Italian sausage, ground sirloin, pork tenderloin, lamb and Cornish hens), canned albacore (tuna), garbanzo beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and wine** (Merlot and Pinot Gris). Other items were staples like bread crumbs, cheeses, beef and chicken broths, and a bit of fresh produce (including persimmons and mangos).

**Hey, my two weeks of extreme carb watching are over and I’ve opted to use my “pour-yourself-a-couple-of-glasses-of-wine-free” card. God only knows how long this low carb thing is gonna last with me, but I am givin’ it my best shot at the moment, for what that’s worth.

Okay, confession time is over. I do feel a bit better now. I’m off to prepare my Sunday dinner, snacks for next week, and figure out what to do with all those peppers!

Filed under: Herbs & Spices, My Favourite Things