Peppers Hot and Chile: A Cook's Guide to Chile Peppers from California, the Southwest, Mexico, and Beyond

Diehard chile pepper lovers will clasp this ambitious book to their hearts, but others may pass on it entirely. The text instructs on the proper handling of hot peppers; not a Mexican cookbook as such, it does offer chile rellenos with various stuffings, salsas from mild to fiery and some mole dishes. However, many items, such as chile-flavored pesto, grilled steak slivers in chipotle peanut sauce, grilled corn on the cob garnished with creme fraiche and ground ancho chile powder, are less mainstream. Recipes become even more unusual as the authors try ``taking chiles into unfamiliar culinary territories.'' The intrepid chile fan can sample dandelion greens with roasted poblano strips, ancho-walnut cream tea sandwiches and even jalapeno cream chocolates. The book recognizes that chile supplies are limited in some areas but offers no sources for chiles or for seeds to grow plants, an odd drawback since the authors are founders of a seed company. Brennan and Glenn also wrote The New American Vegetable Cookbook. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Jan.)