Fresh and dried peppers are essential ingredients the world over. Yet while growing up in the Midwest, I could remember only eating sweet bell peppers. This meant that I had a lot to learn about one of the most popular, unique and diverse foods on our planet. As luck would have it, I was invited to a special cookbook event at Melissa’s Produce to launch their latest cookbook “The Great Pepper Cookbook”. This was the perfect opportunity for me to begin exploring all these exciting flavors and have some fun!
The Event
Melissa’s Produce is the largest global distributor of fresh and dried peppers. As an ice breaker and a lovely way to “warm-up,” we were allowed and heartily encouraged to play with our food. Valentina from Cooking for the Weekends and I did!
Once we stopped giggling at our selfies, we were ready to investigate our mysterious multicolored friends. The flavors ranged from fruity to smokey, mildly tangy to blow your lips off hot!
Melissa’s chefs surprised and delighted us with a wonderful selection of dishes that incorporated dried and fresh peppers.
The most unexpected and impressive was the “Red Hot Lemonade.” It was surprisingly refreshing with a spicy kick, but not hot.
The full recipe is on Page 38 of “The Great Pepper Cookbook”
Reading The Book
This colorful cookbook offers 150 easy-to-follow recipes that feature the unique range of flavors that peppers offer. Included with each recipe is a useful tip or an optional variation.
The book begins by presenting 38 varieties of peppers. Among many other things, it covers the heat index, taste characteristics and expert instructions on how to work with dried and fresh peppers.
The Scoville scale was created to rate the hotness of chilies: Mild bell peppers rate a zero all the way up to the Scorpion at over million heat units. This is a very handy chart for knowing what you are in for if you pop one in your mouth.
From mild to wild… “The Great Pepper Cookbook” has it all! You can order it from Melissa’s Produce at 800-588.0151 or www.melissas.com.
The Recipe: Egg Salad with Pepper Relish
I chose to combine two recipes from this cookbook. At the luncheon, we were served the egg salad with pepper relish on a Hawaiian bread roll. It was truly wonderful, but I wanted to make a fancier bread so I chose the cream puff recipe (page 227) for the sandwich. It makes a wonderful buffet appetizer that doesn’t get soggy.
Egg Salad with Pepper Relish
Ingredients
Relish
- 2 fresh shishito chile peppers stems and seeds removed, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons finely diced dill pickles
- 1 tablespoon finely diced green onion white part only
- 1 tablespoon finely diced celery
- Salt
- White pepper
Egg Salad
- 6 large eggs hardboiled and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise I used greek yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder optional
- Salt
- 4 Hawaiian bread mini-sub rolls cut in half (I used 6 mini cream puffs)
Instructions
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To make relish, in a bowl, combine chile, pickle, green onion, and celery; stir in salt and white pepper to taste.
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To make egg salad, in a bowl, combine eggs, mayonnaise, and wasabi powder; stir in salt to taste.
-
Spoon egg salad evenly onto roll bottoms; top evenly with relish. Top with roll tops. Serve.
Recipe Notes
Prep Time: 25 mins | Total Time: 30 mins | Serves 4
If you can't find Shishito chile peppers, substitute with Anaheim peppers.
Nancy Eisman, who is a Special Projects/Recipe Liaison for the cookbook, created today’s delicious recipe. She is a fellow blogger and vegetarian.
On a funnier note…
One year I grew mini bell peppers. I was delighted that my plant was bursting with little orange peppers and I took great delight in popping the first harvest in my mouth the minute I thought it was ripe. Well, wasn’t the neighbors shocked when they heard me screaming. I later discovered it was actually a scorching hot habanero. Lesson learned; never wipe your tears after eating a hot pepper, as it will really give you something to cry about… for hours.
My culinary exploration continues as I cook from this truly “hot” new book. Spice it up!
…and then, she paused for thought.
This is not a sponsored post. I received a free copy of the cookbook for review. All opinions are my own.
Yum
I loved the video! So funny.
Right now I could go for a glass of that lemonade! Yum.
I think most people have a “hot pepper” story, I guess that is why it is so funny.
Looks like you guys had so much fun and love the idea of throwing in peppers to literally spice up some egg salad!
Yes, Kelly it was a fun event. Everything from this cookbook tasted really good as well. I have made several more recipes over the weekend that I love.
I like the sound of shishitos and wasabi, but I am a wuss when it comes to packing heat. That’s a terrific shot of you and Nancy!
The egg salad isn’t that hot, just pleasantly spicy. FYI I am a wuss too, so if I can eat it and enjoy it I know you can too.
I have never made an egg salad (horrors!), but I love the idea of adding some spiciness and the flavor of hot peppers! FYI for you and Adair: I am not a wuss, and eat whole cayenne peppers with my pasta! 🙂 I LOVED the video…so funny!!
true confession Christina… never had I! And it isn’t because I don’t love it, I just never thought about it. But, this egg salad will make you want to put it on your regular rotation of favorite foods. The pepper really make this recipe.
My hat is off to you for eating a whole cayenne pepper!
That spicy lemonade has me intrigued! I love egg salad and like the idea of adding spice… a must try!!! I have shared your recipe for the flax crackers and cashew cheese with my tennis team and served it when we hosted another team at our club. I keep sharing the link! Thanks so much Cath!
Thanks Cheri, you will love this egg salad. It has the right amount of kick to it. Thanks for sharing the recipes as well.
GREAT post. I attended the event today. What a great recap. Love the book!
Thanks Kelli! I am really enjoying cooking out of the cookbook. Cooking with chile peppers in a new experience for me.
I just love the picture of you and Valentina. Looks like you had a great time. This recipe sounds grand.
Thanks Judy, I am not a selfie-kind-of-girl, but Valentina couldn’t help but have fun playing with peppers.
Cathy,
Hilarious video and for those of us who do video cooking spots, it is oh so real!!! Thanks for a great blog post and please, what kind of peppers in the lemonade? i have to wait until the book gets to France to find out, but I cannot wait that long!
Glad you enjoyed the video. When ever I need to laugh, I watch it. The pepper that is the lemonade is a fresh red Fresno chili pepper. Remove the stem and seeds and finely dice the pepper and add it to fresh lemonade. Thinly slice another one to float on top. One diced pepper per half gallon or 2 liters. Enjoy!
Valuable information. Fortunate me I discovered your website by accident, and I am surprised why this coincidence did not took place earlier! I bookmarked it.
So happy you enjoyed it. Hope you stop by again!