Chile

Keep the heads on in this grilled shrimp recipe; they've got good flavor!

This salsa recipe is for those who don't fear heat—habaneros are much higher on the Scoville scale than jalapeños.

Polish sausage gives the onions and chiles a rich, smoky flavor.

Some like it hot. And those that do will absolutely love this jerk chicken recipe, which calls for heaps of Scotch bonnet (or habanero) peppers.

Thai salads are full of crisp vegetables and fruits mixed with intense condiments.

This is the definition of minimalist Thai cooking. The steam not only gently cooks the fish until just tender but also creates an instant, complex sauce from a handful of basic ingredients. Scoring the fish's flesh allows more of the flavor to season the fish and facilitates faster steaming. The fish is cooked on a plate that fits inside the steamer, to catch the juices.

Letting the hot steak rest over a platter of frisée serves to gently wilt the greens.

All Thai curries start with a handful of aromatic ingredients (chiles, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, etc.) pounded into a paste with a granite mortar and pestle. The paste is then stirred into soups or stews (often with coconut milk), or used as the basis of sautéed dishes. Use a mini-processor to make the curry paste if you'd like, although this incendiary stew will take on a deeper flavor if you can use a granite mortar and pestle.

Drizzle this fragrant honey over your favorite cheese, or use it as a condiment on prosciutto panini.