Habanero Peppers = HOT

Today, I decided to experiment in the kitchen with some basmati brown rice, bleu cheese, tomatoes, onions, habanero peppers, and basil. I was going to make a risotto; however, risotto requires a special type of rice - arborio. I, making the mistake of shopping without a specific list, bought the wrong type of rice, which brings me to the scoreboard: Habanero - 1, Stoy - 0. This error was probably the largest and most costly in the end. Risotto is a creamy rice dish that usually incorporates a cheese (planned bleu cheese in this case) and a vegetable or meat along with the standard onions and (sometimes) garlic. (Herbs are always a preference - you can add them or omit them as you choose.) My thoughts ("Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids!" moment here) were that the creaminess of the risotto would balance the heat of the habanero, but since I was not making a risotto at this point, I thought that there was still a good chance the bleu cheese would balance the heat from the habanero.

I was wrong.

I brought and equal mixture of one-part white wine and one-part chicken stock to a boil before adding the rice, which simmered for about 40 minutes. Usually, the rice and all of the other ingredients would have been cooked together in a risotto, but, again, this dish was way beyond risotto at this point. I caramelized the onions and peppers in a pan before adding the tomatoes and basil. After the mixture was thoroughly caramelized, I added it to the rice, which was finished at this point, and mixed in the bleu cheese. I sampled it. Habanero - 2, Stoy - 0.

In a desperate attempt to cut the heat, I squeezed a whole lime into the mixture. Habanero - 3, Stoy - 0.

While this rice dish tastes great, the almost unbearable kick from the habanero that hits your palette after you have swallowed brings tears to your eyes. The moral of the story: Habaneros should be used sparingly - if at all. Dante, your Inferno has nothing on these little devils!