Fingers crossed, I'm hoping to have fresh bhut jolokia chiles arrive in my garden by the end of the summer. If you're not familiar, this bad boy is the world's hottest chile pepper with a Guinness World Record to prove it. I've only worked with the chile either in powder form or dried whole, and I've worn gloves and a mask while doing so. According to Jeff R. Blaine, there are certain things to consider before plunging into working with fresh jolokias. And he's a man to know because he recently used these fresh chiles straight from Northern India for his own hot sauce. More

How did you develop a spicy tolerance? Through a mentor? By force-feeding yourself jalapenos? More

Note: On Wednesdays, Andrea Lynn, senior editor of Chile Pepper magazine, drops by with Serious Heat. Photograph from thebittenword.com on Flickr I find that barbecue sauce partiality is heavily influence by how you were raised. So it's no surprise this Alabama gal craves pulled pork with that tangy white sauce of Big Bob Gibson's, famous in the Northern part of the state. There are other barbecue sauces I love, of course, but nothing transports me to my childhood like that mayo-like white sauce speckled with pepper. That is, until I recently tried Big Bob Gibson's Habanero Red Sauce for a round-up of favorite sauces in Chile Pepper's May issue. How can you improve upon a championship red flavor? Add a... More