Matt Bray 
If you’re looking to ramp up your Bloody Mary love, it’s time to meet and greet the Caesar cocktail. It’s the Canadian cousin to the famous brunch drink, and it packs a little extra something. Clamato Picante (see on Amazon) delivers not only the unique clam flavor you expect, but also a punch of jalapeño puree. Top that with a few dashes of Tabasco, and this is one cocktail that’s certain to wake you up.
Delicious…from pasta sauce to dipping sauce. Spicy Cajun cream sauce is not only tasty, it’s also very versatile. It’s obviously a good choice for adding a touch of spice to basic pasta. But try it, too, topping some chicken cutlets or as a dipping sauce side for …
Just like Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning is relatively easy to make at home. All it takes is a few more ingredients beyond its Cajun cousin. This recipe is overall light on salt compared to commercial options out there, so play with the amount you use to get the flavor you’re looking for in your dish. The heat is provided by cayenne pepper powder with a little coming from the sweet paprika base. If you want to temper down the spice, cut a tablespoon of cayenne and replace it with paprika.
What are NuMex Twilight peppers? The Numex Twilight may be tiny in size, but it packs a surprising amount of heat (30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units.) But that’s not what makes these chilies so very special. It’s how they mature – like a rainbow of …
Mexican adobo seasoning may sound exotic, but its ingredients are all common sights on the spice rack. When combined, they make a flavorful mix that’s just as perfect as a guacamole seasoning as it is a barbecue steak rub. Try it, too, as a spice for bean sides, a taco meat seasoning, or as a seasoning for a Mexican inspired salad. It’s very versatile. The chili heat in this recipe is provided by the paprika and chipotle powder.
Two popular grocery store chilies go head to head… There’s a wild world of chilies on the pepper scale – some simple to find, others…not so much. These are two of the former. Anaheim and jalapeño peppers both are common sites in stores of all …
When you think jerk seasoning, you think Jamaican foods, jerk chicken, shrimp, and steaks. And it’s true – this homemade jerk seasoning is perfect with all of these things. But it’s a seasoning that’s actually a whole lot more versatile. Try sprinkling it on pizza and sandwiches for a little extra savory oomph. Mix it with mayonnaise to make a phenomenal dipping sauce. Sprinkle it on sweet potato fries or your morning scrambled eggs. You’ll find lots of uses in your kitchen. The heat source: cayenne pepper powder.
This is about as family friendly as a chili pepper-based soup can get. The mild simmering heat of poblano peppers adds just a hint of spice to this creamy corn chowder. It’s delicious and quite filling too. If you want a little more heat, try swapping out the poblanos for jalapeño peppers. Serve with crackers and shredded white cheddar (as an optional topping.)
Talk about two rich flavors that are at the opposite ends of the taste spectrum. Yet together, they are magic. On one side you have rich, sweet maple syrup, on the other smoky, spicy chipotle pepper. Paired in a barbecue sauce, you have a taste bud explosion for your next cookout. Try it on steak, pork, or chicken. It’s great, too, as a barbecue dipping sauce for your favorite fried foods. If there’s too much heat here, lessen the amount of chipotle used to two.
Chipotle powder is one of those spices that once you try it, it’s hard not to crave it. That smoky heat is special, and it’s also a ton of fun to experiment with, especially with barbecue. This chipotle dry rub recipe layers that flavorful smokiness with the earthy sweetness of brown sugar and the pungency of garlic and onion powders. Most any well-stocked kitchen can pull this together out of the spice rack, and it’s simply delicious on grilled steaks, pork, chicken, and seafood.