The Complete Chilli Pepper Book: A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking

Chilli peppers are hot - in every sense of the word. They add culinary fire to thousands of dishes from a variety of cuisines and inspire near-fanatical devotion in those who have succumbed to their incendiary charms. In this comprehensive book, world chilli experts Dave DeWitt and Paul W. Bosland have assembled all the information that anyone with an interest in chilli peppers could ever hope to find. Detailed profiles of the 100 most popular chilli varieties include information on how to grow chillies; how to diagnose and remedy problems, pests, and diseases; and, post-harvest processing and preservation. The book culminates in 85 mouth-watering recipes that make brilliant use of both the characteristic heat of chilli peppers and of their more subtle flavour qualities. Want to know what the hottest chilli pepper in the world is? You'll find it in the fascinating story of 'Bhut Jolokia', acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the fieriest chilli on earth. Confused about the identity of those chilli peppers you bought? The authors' clear photographs and precise descriptions will clear up the mystery. "The Complete Chilli Pepper Book" is the only guide to chillies you'll ever need. It's a scorcher.

About the Author :
A foremost international expert on capsicums, Dave DeWitt has written or coauthored more than 30 books on peppers and has edited two magazines on the subject. His Chilli Pepper Encyclopedia won Best Spice Book in English in 1999 at the Versailles World Cookbook Awards. He has been a radio announcer and television producer as well as appearing on many national television programs. Dave is a board member of the Chilli Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University, chair of the board of the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, and an adjunct associate professor at New Mexico State University. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Virginia and a Master's degree in English from the University of Richmond. Sunbelt Shows, Inc., which Dave owns with his wife, Mary Jane Wilan, is a media company that specializes in fiery foods and barbecue. Sunbelt Shows has produced the annual National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show since 1988. Paul W. Bosland made the Guinness World Records of 2006 for discovering the world's hottest chilli pepper, "Bhut Jolokia". A regents professor of horticulture at New Mexico State University, he has released more than 30 cultivated varieties, including a no-heat jalapeno pepper, for which he won the infamous IgNobel from Harvard University, and a habanero chilli, "NuMex Suave", which retains the unique habanero flavours without the heat. He has written or coauthored more than 100 scientific papers and is coauthor of six books. Known as the Chileman, Paul leads the chilli breeding and genetic research program at NMSU where he cofounded and directs the university's Chile Pepper Institute, a research and educational center. He serves as chairman of the annual New Mexico Chile Conference, the world's largest conference dedicated to the chile pepper. His chilli pepper gardening column appears in Chile Pepper magazine. He earned his bachelor's degree in genetics and his Master's degree in vegetable crops from the University of California, Davis, and his Ph.D. in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.