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Tuesday, August 10, 2021
The Observer & Baker City Herald
Experimenting With
PEPPERS
By DANIEL NEMAN
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
They look so innocent.
There is little about a chile that
hints at the danger lurking inside.
They dangle colorfully, seemingly
harmlessly, from a plant’s bright
foliage, or they are piled welcom-
ingly at a grocery store or farmers
market.
And yet, a single bite can cause
intense pain, an “if-I-get-out-of-this-
I’ll-never-sin-again” kind of pain.
Some chiles are mild. Easygoing.
Friendly. And you can’t always tell,
just by looking at it, which way it is
going to be.
More than 150 types of chiles are
grown and eaten in the world, and
they range in heat from the utterly
mild bell pepper to the ludicrously
inedible hot Carolina Reaper.
For the purposes of this article,
and my digestive tract, I decided to
see what I could make from some
of the most readily available fresh
peppers, the kind found in any gro-
cery store.
I also decided to make a choc-
olate ice cream with dried pasilla
negro chiles, which you have to
find at international stores, because
I saw the recipe and I thought it
sounded really good.
It was. It was really, really good.
But you’ll have to wait until the
end of this article to read about it
because I want to save dessert for
last.
Instead, I’ll begin with hot
pepper jelly, which I’ve never par-
ticularly cared for all that much. I
didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t cross
the street to have some.
But that was before I made
homemade hot pepper jelly. And
let me tell you, it was spectacular.
I’d cross half the streets in town to
have some more. Served as a glaze
for grilled fish or chicken, or on a
cracker with a bit of cream cheese,
it’s a little bit hot and a little bit
sweet.
Actually, it is very sweet (you
don’t want to know how much
sugar is used to make six cups of
the jam). But the sugar is just what
you need to even out the bite of
the apple cider vinegar and make a
lovely backdrop for a combination
of chopped jalapeño and red, yellow
and green bell peppers.
All of that chopping, along with
the process of canning, takes some
time. So for kicks — I get my kicks
in unusual ways — I also made an
easier version of hot pepper jelly.
It’s basically a cooking hack.
You just melt together apple jelly
and orange marmalade, and stir in
a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar,
a tablespoon of chopped jalapeño
and a tablespoon of chopped green
onion for a mild edge that counters
the jellies.
And it works. It successfully
mimics hot pepper jelly, and you
can whip it up in five minutes —
though it still has to chill for several
hours. It’s good enough, but I’d only
cross a few streets for it.
For an entrée, I made Spiced
Grilled Chicken With Cilantro Lime
Butter, which was easier than it
sounds — and just as good.
This is a two-part recipe, a paste
to spread on the chicken before
grilling, and then a melted but-
ter-based sauce to drizzle over the
top after it is done.
The paste is supposed to recall
the taste of mole poblano, which
it only does in the most general of
ways. But still, its bright notes of
cinnamon and balsamic vinegar,
muffled by cocoa and brown sugar
and spiced up with chili powder,
make a coating for chicken that is
simply delicious.
The pepper part of the recipe
comes in the sauce. A chopped ser-
rano pepper is mixed with cilantro,
red onion and lime juice, plus the
melted butter, for a traditional Mex-
ican taste.
The next dish I made, eggs
poached in a chile-tomato broth, is
even more traditional. Huevos en
rabo de mestiza — “mestiza” does
not mean “chile-tomato broth” —
is basically the Mexican version of
shakshuka, a Middle Eastern staple
of eggs poached in a spicy tomato
sauce.
It’s a satisfying, spicy dish for
a brunch, and the broth of poblano
chiles, tomatoes and onions can
even be made the day before.
I’ll admit that to do it right will
take some work. The poblanos have
to be charred, and their skins then
scraped away. And the tomatoes
have to broiled, or at least browned
on all sides in a hot, dry pan.
But don’t worry about it. Do the
work. You’ll be glad you did.
Next up was a refreshing sauce
that can be used either as a salad
dressing or as a dip for crudités,
jalapeño-cilantro yogurt sauce. It
is a gorgeous concoction of mint
leaves and cilantro in yogurt, with
lime juice and a hint of cumin.
The heat comes from a chopped
jalapeño.
It all comes together in a couple
of minutes, and it tastes just as fresh
as it looks.
And then, for dessert, came the
ice cream, a dark chocolate-chile ice
cream.
The pasilla negro pepper that is
used in this dish is quite mild and
provides only what recipe author
Rick Bayless calls a “gentle glow.”
But it also has a distinct flavor of
raisins, which emphasizes and
enhances the deeper notes of the bit-
tersweet chocolate.
Even so, the chocolate and the
pepper need to be tempered by
a rich base, which this ice cream
absolutely has. It’s a custard, with
four egg yolks and equal amounts
of heavy cream and half-and-half.
Vanilla and Kahlua each make their
own contributions to the flavor.
It’s an indulgence, but one of the
better indulgences in which you can
indulge. Give it a try. It may be the
best pepper you ever eat.
SPICED GRILLED
CHICKEN WITH
CILANTRO LIME
BUTTER
Yield: 6 servings
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Hillary Levin-St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS
Eggs Poached in a Chile-Tomato Broth.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
6 (8-ounce) chicken breasts or leg quarters
1/8 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 serrano pepper, finely chopped
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1. In a small bowl, combine chili powder,
brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, salt, pepper,
olive oil and vinegar. Brush over chicken.
2. Arrange grill for indirect heat. When
grill is hot, place chicken on grate, cover and
cook until done, about 30 minutes for white
meat or 45 minutes for dark meat. Chicken
is cooked when a meat thermometer insert-
ed into the thickest part of the largest piece
reads 165 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine
the melted butter, cilantro, red onion, lime
juice, chopped serrano and pepper. Drizzle
over chicken before serving.
Per serving: 438 calories; 23 g fat; 9 g sat-
urated fat; 192 mg cholesterol; 52 g protein;
4 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 338
mg sodium; 32 mg calcium
Adapted from a recipe from tasteof-
home.com
JALAPEÑO-
CILANTRO
YOGURT SAUCE
Yield: 8 servings
1 jalapeño, seeds removed, chopped
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems
2 tablespoons mint leaves
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
Purée jalapeño, yogurt, cilantro, mint,
lime juice, cumin and a generous pinch of
salt in a blender until very smooth. Taste
and season with salt and more lime juice, if
desired.
Per serving: 36 calories; 2 g fat; 1 g
saturated fat; 5 mg cholesterol; 3 g protein;
2 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 91 mg
sodium; 38 mg calcium
Recipe by Cerulean Restaurant, Indianap-
olis, via Bon Appétit
EGGS POACHED IN
A CHILE-TOMATO
BROTH
Yield: 6 servings
7 poblano chiles
2 pounds tomatoes
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced white onion
3 cups water
Salt
12 eggs
6 slices queso fresco
Note: The sauce can be made well ahead
of time and can even be frozen.
1. Leave the stems, if any, on the pobla-
nos. Place directly over the open flame of a
gas stove or a wood or charcoal grill. If using
electricity, smear the chiles with a light
coating of oil and place them directly under
the broiler. Turn the chiles from time to time
to allow the skin to blister and char lightly
all over. Do not allow the flesh to be burnt
through.
2. Place charred poblanos immediately
into a plastic bag and leave them to steam
for about 10 minutes. This helps to loosen
the skin. The skin can now be slipped off
easily with your hands; this should be done
over a strainer, because the little pieces
are tough and can block a sink drain. Rinse
the chiles briefly, but do not soak in water.
Remove stems and seeds and slice chiles
into narrow strips.
3. Rinse tomatoes and place on a hot,
ungreased pan or griddle over medium
heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until soft
all the way through and the skin is lightly
charred. Or, cook tomatoes about 3 inches
under a broiler, turning once, until mushy
and slightly charred.
Hillary Levin-St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS
Homemade Hot Pepper Jelly.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet and
cook the onion until translucent, about 2
minutes. Add the chile strips to the pan and
let them cook for about 3 minutes, stirring
frequently to avoid sticking.
5. Process the broiled tomatoes in
a blender for a few seconds — do not
overblend — and add them to the
onion-chile mixture. The sauce should have
some texture. Let it cook over fairly high
heat for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce
is well seasoned and has somewhat re-
duced. Add the water and salt and continue
cooking for a minute or so more.
6. Crack the eggs, one at a time, into the
hot broth. Arrange the slices of cheese on
top. Cover with a lid and let the eggs poach
very gently until set, 3 or 31/2 minutes.
Per serving: 363 calories; 28 g fat; 16
g saturated fat; 347 mg cholesterol; 18 g
protein; 12 g carbohydrate; 7 g sugar; 3 g
fiber; 373 mg sodium; 236 mg calcium
Recipe from “The Essential Cuisines of
Mexico” by Diana Kennedy
es 180 degrees — dip a wooden spoon into
it and run your finger through the custard
on the spoon, the line will hold clearly when
done.
6. Cool the base: Fill a large bowl halfway
with ice and water. Nestle the custard into
the ice and whisk regularly until completely
cool. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
7. Finish the base, freeze the ice cream:
Stir the heavy cream, vanilla and Kahlúa
into the base. Freeze in an ice-cream maker
according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Scrape into a freezer container and freeze
for several hours to firm.
Per serving (based on 6): 357 calories; 21
g fat; 12 g saturated fat; 157 mg cholesterol;
6 g protein; 36 g carbohydrate; 30 g sugar; 2
g fiber; 164 mg sodium; 95 mg calcium
Adapted from “Fiesta at Rick’s” by Rick
Bayless and Deann Groen Bayless
DARK
CHOCOLATE-
CHILE ICE CREAM
Yield: 48 servings (6 cups)
6 (8-ounce) canning jars
1 1/2 cups finely chopped and
seeded red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped and seeded
yellow bell pepper
1 1/4 cups finely chopped and
seeded green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped and seeded jalapeño
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 (1.75-ounce) package powdered pectin
5 cups granulated sugar
1. Sterilize canning jars and lids in boiling
water.
2. Place red, yellow and green bell
peppers and jalapeño in a large saucepan
over high heat. Add apple cider vinegar and
pectin. Stirring constantly, bring to a rolling
boil.
3. Stir in sugar and return to a rolling boil
for 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam
from top.
5. Ladle jelly evenly into sterile jars, filling
to 1/4 inch from top of jar. Cover with flat
lids and screw on screw bands tight.
6. Place jars into canner with hot water
that is not boiling. Water should completely
cover jar. Cook on high heat to reach a boil.
Process for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat.
8. When jars are completely cooled,
check seals by pressing centers of lids with
finger. If lid springs back, lid is not sealed
and refrigeration is necessary.
Per serving: 88 calories; no fat; no
saturated fat; no cholesterol; no protein; 23
g carbohydrate; 21 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 3 mg
sodium; 2 mg calcium
Recipe from aforkstale.com
Yield: 6 to 9 servings
1 large dried pasilla negro chile, stemmed,
seeded and (if you wish) deveined
1 1/3 cups half-and-half
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably
70%), chopped into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Kahlúa, or
other coffee liqueur
Note: The base can be made several days
ahead and refrigerated, covered.
The finished ice cream is best served
within a day or two of being frozen.
1. Make the chile infusion: In a small
skillet heated over medium, toast the chile
by pressing it flat against the skillet with
a metal spatula until it is very aromatic,
around 10 seconds or longer per side. Place
in a small saucepan, add the half-and-half,
and heat over medium until steaming but
not boiling.
2. Remove from heat, cover and let steep
for 10 minutes, then pour into a blender
jar and process until the chile is smooth.
Press the mixture through a medium-mesh
strainer back into the saucepan.
3. Set up a double boiler: Set up a 4-quart
saucepan with 1 inch of water. Choose
a 3-quart stainless steel bowl that you
can nestle into the pan without touching
the water. Bring the pot of water to a boil
over high heat while you’re preparing the
custard base. Do not heat the water with
the stainless steel bowl over it.
4. Cook the base: Reheat the half-and-
half mixture just until it begins to steam.
Spread the chocolate into a thin layer over
the bottom of a bowl, and add the salt. Pour
the warm chile-infused mixture over the
chocolate and stir until the chocolate has
begun to melt. In the stainless-steel bowl
(for the double boiler) whisk together the
sugar and egg yolks until thoroughly com-
bined, then whisk in the chocolate mixture.
5. Reduce the temperature under the
pot of boiling water to maintain a gentle
simmer. Set the bowl of custard base over
the simmering water and whisk frequently,
scraping down the sides of the bowl regu-
larly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture
thickens noticeably, about 5 minutes. The
custard is sufficiently cooked when it reach-
HOMEMADE HOT
PEPPER JELLY
EASIEST PEPPER
JELLY
Yield: 8 servings (1 cup)
1/2 cup apple jelly
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon seeded and
chopped jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
Stir together all ingredients in a small pan
over medium heat until jelly and marma-
lade are melted and mixture is blended.
Cool. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours.
Per serving: 56 calories; no fat; no
saturated fat; no cholesterol; no protein; 15
g carbohydrate; 13 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 12 mg
sodium; 12 mg calcium
Recipe from myrecipes.com
Rich history of the N.K. West Clothing Store
By GINNY MAMMEN
Fred Hill Collection
The N.K. West Clothing Store’s long history at 1204-1208 Adams Ave.
in La Grande ended with a fire that destroyed the building in 1994.
Moving east along
Adams Avenue in down-
town La Grande we come to
the two vacant lots at 1204-
1208 Adams, owned by Jay
Brooks next to his clothing
store. In the fall of 1898 Mr.
Brooks was approached by
a businessman who had just
moved to La Grande from
Portland and was planning
to open a business. By May
of the following year Brooks
had sold his business to this
newcomer by the name of
N.K. West, who had been
in the clothing business
with his father in Portland.
N.K. had convinced Brooks
to construct a building on
the two empty lots and by
spring of 1899 West had
moved his clothing busi-
ness into the new building.
The older building next to
the bank was then occu-
pied by a secondhand store
for a short time and later by
E. Andross. By 1905 N.K.
West had expanded into the
entire building.
In 1907, Herman Siegrist,
West’s son-in-law, became a
principal owner in the busi-
ness. Then in 1923, Her-
man’s brother, William, who
had Siegrist Jewelery Store,
also became a principal
owner. It was now N.K.
West & Company.
In an Observer inter-
view with Mr. West in July
1929, he gave an overview
of the city of La Grande as
he remembered it in 1899.
The population was around
3,000. There were four
stores larger than his. The
town had “mud streets and
wood sidewalks,” he said.
“It was almost impossible to
cross streets at certain sea-
sons of the year.”
To make it easier for
customers he told of a
delivery service for all four
stores. Each store “had
a red flag that they dis-
played in front of the store
when they had made a
See, Store/Page B2