By Chef Jeremy Mclachlan

This month we are talking about peppers.

These little jewels of heat can ruin or enhance a meal in one fell swoop. I love working with peppers and I find myself adding them to classic dishes like Split Pea Soup to create a warm mouthfeel. As my fellow food-blogger Kathy Kingen says, "If You Can't Take the Heat" you are missing out.

This month I give you my tips for buying peppers and also answer the question, Why is my mouth on fire? You'll also find recipes for Chili Coulis and Pico de Gallo, surefire ways to enhance your meals with these little jewels.

Pepper Buying Tips

Whenever I have time I always go to "the source" to buy peppers. What I mean by "the source" is a market that features a ton of pepper choices, Asian or Hispanic.
Next I look at where the stem meets the pepper. If the stem is tight on the pepper I know it's fresh. Look at the pepper and make sure it has a shine to it that is natural.
The final step: I squeeze the pepper. If the pepper is soft then I know it has been off the plant for a while.
Don’t keep your pepper around for too long: I worked at a restaurant years ago where we accidentally ordered ten pounds of jalapeno peppers instead of one pound. After trying jalapenos on many dishes and pickling most of them, we still had a few left. I tried to give some away to our Hispanic cooks and they refused them. I was surprised when they told me why: They are too hot! So as a pepper ages and gets older, it gets hotter! This is why dried chilies are traditionally hotter then fresh.
Why is my mouth on fire?

Peppers or chillies have different heat elements from the sweet red bell pepper to the hottest chili in the world ghost peppers. There are many different ways that the heat affects your mouth and this is all due to the oil content of the pepper. A jalapeno or pablano pepper has natural oils in the pepper so when the heat hits your mouth the oil stays on your tongue for a lasting effect. The habanero pepper is low in oil content so the heat hits you really hard at first and then goes away fast. This is why you see habanero used frequently in cocktails.

Pepper Recipes

Chili Coulis Recipe — available in Salty's Be Shellfish festival dish Oregon Bay Shrimp-Stuffed Avocado, available April 9-15, 2015, at all Salty's.

Pico de Gallo Recipe — available in our Be Shellfish festival dish Salt-Crusted Prawns with Pico de Gallo available through April 29, 2015, at all Salty's.

(Author of Kitchen Talk, Jeremy McLachlan is also Corporate Chef for Salty's Seafood Grill restaurant group. He says: My love is to create great dishes with fresh seafood, as we are a seafood restaurant, but not forget the meat lovers. My goal is to match exceptional food with our incredible views. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are fortunate to have an abundance of regional treasures. The use of these fresh ingredients is key to Salty's Northwest cuisine. If you have any questions about cooking, feel free to email me at chef@saltys.com. Follow my daily tips at Facebook@ChefTalkwithJeremy.)