The Peppers Cookbook

The Peppers Cookbook: 200 Recipes From The Pepper Lady's Kitchen

by Jean Andrews

University of North Texas Press (Great American Cooking series), 229 pp., $21.95

Not only does Austin host the popular Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival, but our city is also home to Jean Andrews, one of the foremost authorities on the world of capsicums (see "Dr. Jean Andrews: The Pepper Lady," Aug. 24, 2001). Andrews authored Peppers: The Domesticated Capsicums, a beautifully illustrated scholarly reference, and The Pepper Trail, the history and foodways of peppers across the globe. This latest volume is an apt companion to the earlier works; it's a wide-ranging yet highly personal compendium of recipes collected from pepper cuisines around the world.

It's abundantly clear that Andrews is not simply an expert on peppers in culture and history; she is also an adventurous, somewhat idiosyncratic, and practical cook who combines traditional recipes from Latin America, the Far East, India, and Africa with modern American kitchen technology (food processor and microwave) and shortcuts (the occasional prepared product, like Bisquick). With few exceptions, the recipes aren't difficult and are straightforwardly presented with informative notes: You can just tell that the author has made them often.

While there's a propensity of South Texas-style classics (Andrews' home turf) and a number of spicy world-beat dishes you've seen before (chicken tikka, tom kai soup, ratatouille), there are many unusual offerings, such as Peruvian stuffed rocoto peppers, Balkan eggplant ajvar, and Afrin, an Ethiopian rub made from pepper seeds. I can't wait till Thanksgiving to try South Texas Turkey stuffed with giblets, chilpitines, and broken-up pork tamales – what a brilliant stroke.

The book includes far more than pepper recipes: It's a portmanteau of far-flung ideas and curious bits of information from a lively mind passionate about peppers and more. There are introductory essays on sauces and flour varieties, a glossary of ingredients paired with peppers in various cuisines (like hoja santa and mustard oil), sections of notes on cooking techniques and nutrition. There's a rich annotated bibliography of sources, and the book's contents are rigorously indexed by subject, recipe, and ingredient. The unifying element is Andrews' distinctive voice, informed by wit, decided opinions, and intellectual curiosity.