Heat it Up, a 7 course meal dinner party at Collar Works Gallery in Troy, NY, featured increasing levels of chili heat served with the goal of warming up the guests. It was designed by artist Ellie Markovitch. She brings food to non-traditional food places and uses food as a starting point of dialogue and a way for people to share their stories.

Please check out photos here. byYaminay Chaudhri-thank you Yaminay!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/storycooking/sets/72157626590797961/

Heat it Up Menu Created By Ellie Markovitch and Rose Mitchell

A special thank you to our wine sponsor Altamont Vineyards & Winery

Baked Jalapeños Peppers

25 jalapeño peppers

1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, at room temperature

½ pound cheddar cheese

3 eggs

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups panko or bread crumbs

½ tsp salt and pepper

Combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and one egg.

Take the seeds and ribs out for less heat, or take seeds out and leave some ribs for more heat.

Stuff each jalapeño half with the cream cheese mixture.

Bread the peppers by rolling them in flour ,  then in beaten remanning eggs, and last panko or bread crumbs.

Spray or oil a rack and set peppers on top, baking sheet under.

Bake 425 for 20 – 25 minutes or until crusty top.

Serve with refried beans on side.

Aromatic Vegetable Soup

3 cups sea Vegetable Soup Base (Arame, Kelp, Wakame)

2 stick cinnamon

3 dried chiles de arbol

5 star anise seeds

2 large cloves garlic

6 cardamom pods

1 T fresh ginger

4 cloves

1 stick celery

1 red cabbage leaf

8 kale stems

2 bay leaves

3 stalks lemon grass

1 yellow onion

10 dried shitake mushrooms

2 teaspoons granulated garlic

Soy sauce (to taste)

Sea salt (to taste)

8 quarts water

Bring to boil. Simmer.

Papaya Salad

½ of a large green papaya, peeled and shredded

A few sprigs each of cilantro, mint and thai basil leaves, chopped

Chopped peanuts

Nuoc Mam Sauce

1 cup sugar

3 cups water

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon “red pepper flakes”

½ cup lime juice

1/8 cup fish sauce

Combine sugar, water, granulated garlic and pepper flakes in pan and bring to boil. Simmer for about an hour, covered, until the liquid is reduced by about a third. Add lime juice and fish sauce and bring back up to a boil. Boil, uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until reduced by half. Let cool completely.

Combine layer papaya, herbs and peanuts on plate and then dress with about ¼ cup of sauce per serving.

Sweet Red Bell Peppers and Beets Sorbet

6 sweet red bell peppers

1 medium sized beet

1 carrot

2 asian pears

A decent hunk of fresh ginger

Smoked salt

Push everything but the red peppers through a juicer. Save most of the pulp and add to the juice. Juice the peppers and add just their juice to the rest of the mix. Freeze in ice cream maker until roughly a slushy. Garnish with a pink of smoked salt.

Shrimp with Habaneros and Creamy Grits

serves 6

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1⁄2 tsp. achiote seeds, Annatto powder

zest of one orange
30–35 medium shrimps peeled and deveined
1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp clove, 1 tsp nutmeg
cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1⁄4 cup lime juice
12 habanero peppers, stemmed, (reserve to add to each plate)
4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small red onion, sliced
1 red habanero pepper

Heat the oil and achiote seeds and cook until the oil is red. Add orange zest, spices, 1 cup of water, 1 red habanero and simmer for 10 minutes. Add Shrimp and stir in garlic, red onions, lime juice, orange juice, cilantro, marinade for an hour and serve with steamed habaneros.

Creamy Grits

1 cup dried hominy grits

1 cup water

1 cup milk

Pinch of salt

Up to 2 cups of half and half

Combine grits, milk, salt and water in pan with lid and cook at low temperature until liquid is absorbed and grits are creamy. Slowly add half and half, while stirring and allowing liquid to absorb, until desired creaminess is achieved and grits are ready to serve.

Tempeh Sambal

Fermented soy bean cake, browned and served with cucumber and Indonesian chili-based dipping sauce

4 red chilies, minced
3 shallots, minced
1/4 cup sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
Juice of 1/2 lime
Directions:
Chop and blend all ingredients and serve.

Flourless Habanero Chocolate Cake

8 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped

4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup butter

1-1/3 cups white sugar

½ cup water

3 habanero peppers without seeds

5 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 9 inch round cake pan. Line bottom with round of parchment paper and butter the paper.

In food processor combine chocolates. Process until finely chopped.

Blend 3 habaneros with ½ cup of water.

In a saucepan bring sugar and ½ cup water/habanero mixture to boiling. Stir to dissolve sugar.

Using a hand mixer, add boiling sugar to chocolates. Add 2 tbsp of butter at time. Add eggs. Process only until smooth.

Pour into prepared pan. Place pan in roasting pan on rack in center of oven. Pour enough water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of pan. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Loosen cake with a knife, invert on a cake plate, remove parchment. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream and raspberry coulis.
For the coulis: cook 12oz of raspberry with 2/3 cup sugar for 4 minutes.