Peppers 101

From mild orange bells to fiery Scotch Bonnets, peppers vary greatly in size, flavor, color, and texture. At home, I julienne red and yellow bell peppers and toss them with sliced avocado and Balsamic vinaigrette. I also lightly grill Jalapenos, skin them, and mix them with fresh peas and a little chopped cilantro. Poblanos, seeded, stuffed with cheese, and oven-roasted are sublime. The possibilities are endless. Here are some pepper basics that may offer you inspiration for buying and cooking different types of peppers:

Spicy note: Certain types of peppers taste hot because of substances called capsaicinoids. Capsaicinoids are concentrated mostly in the ribs and the seeds that run the interior length of peppers. Hot peppers can be tamed by removing the seeds and slicing the ribs off the interior flesh.

• Hot!: Habaneros, Scotch bonnets, and Jamaican hots are some of the hottest varieties of peppers. All three are small and appear in various hues of green, yellow, or red. Use them sparingly in their raw form. A few thin slices can brighten (and spice up) a light butter sauce for grilled fish or a marinade for meat and other vegetables. Little Thai peppers are thin and long, but their small size hides an impressive heat. Slice a couple and toss them into a stir-fry with a squeeze of lemon juice for surprising flavor.

• Medium-Hot: Though you can eat jalapenos and serranos raw and whole without requiring a cold shower, they are still spicy and are delicious chopped and added raw (or lightly cooked) to salsa or salad dressings. Jalapenos can also be found, dried and smoked, as chipotle peppers. Because I find them more smoky and sweet than spicy, I blend them with mayonnaise or drop them into a slow braise of pork shoulder. Another favorite of mine: Dried poblanos, known as anchos, also add a wonderful, mild heat and peppery sweetness to bean-based soups and sauces.

• Mellow: On the tamer end of the gamut, bell peppers and wax peppers are my favorite for their texture. They are crisp -- great sliced on sandwiches. Try braising some spring onions until tender, adding a sprinkle of your favorite vinegar, and then stirring in some sliced wax peppers at the last minute for a great textural contrast. More simply, remove the seeds and ribs from a few red bell peppers and blend them smooth with some olive oil, a touch of honey, salt, and pepper for a delicious salad dressing.