Comments on: Peperoncino Calabrese: Not Just a Seasoning … A Way of Life

By: Southern Italian Food Culture: A Long Lunch | My Bella Vita

Southern Italian Food Culture: A Long Lunch | My Bella Vita — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 07:20:14 +0000

[...] southern Italian food than the products and actually, I’ve written about my favorite foods, the precious pepper, Calabrian specialties and recipe after recipe after recipe … so we aren’t going to go [...]

By: Calabrian Food: Three Things to Love in Calabria | My Bella Vita

Calabrian Food: Three Things to Love in Calabria | My Bella Vita — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:11:28 +0000

[...] I’ve written of my passion for the peperoncino many times over the years, still it is one of my favorite things about southern Italy and thus, [...]

By: Judith in Umbria

Judith in Umbria — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:52:30 +0000

Love 'em. If you eat some chillies everyday the capsaicin will prevent pain or lessen it. It may also help with heart disease and Alzheimer's. The hottest hot thing I ever ate was a pepper sauce a work mate from Trinidad made to her grandmother's recipe. It was bright yellow and could burn holes in asphalt. I called it "One Drop Sauce" and used it for years. Nothing would have dared try to grow in it or on it. I had always wanted to go to Trinidad, but after that sauce I decided I probably couldn't afford to take the chance. Wow. Holes in asphalt, eh?? Not sure I could handle that one, either. I *love* spicy food, but I can't handle it when it overpowers. Is it hotter than that green stuff you eat with sushi?? Judith in Umbria’s last blog post..The week’s best yet

By: Sean

Sean — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:50:24 +0000

The hottest dish I ever ate was at a dinner party in Calabria. The hostess decided that me and my American friends needed to be initiated into the grand tradition of fiery Calabrian cuisine, so she made a standard dish of pasta con pomodoro, and set an innocuous-looking, small green pepper beside each of our plates and told us to cut them up into our pasta. We were expecting something along the lines of a jalapeño in terms of spiciness, but we were all breathing fire and gulping water after two bites. One of my friends even got a nosebleed, it was so hellishly hot. Now I'm all nostalgic for Calabrian cooking. Wow. I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh at your poor friend, but that is priceless. My husband actually made a simple pasta and mussels dish last night with that "simple-looking" green pepper. Dio Mio ... Sean’s last blog post..Friendship in a Digital Age

By: My Melange

My Melange — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:48:53 +0000

C- I love peppers, just not hot peppers. My tummy and mouth can't take 'em. Chris on the other hand loves them. I often blame his bald head on his love for hot food- synges the hair right off his noggin' Ha... poor thing... My Melange’s last blog post..Travel Tip Tuesday - Why go solo?

By: Andrea

Andrea — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:23:24 +0000

I think I might have to find a way to incorporate "focu meu" into my daily vocab. Thanks for the laugh!!! Ok, say it with me. Foe coo May ewe ... brava! Andrea’s last blog post..No more phone book

By: j

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:07:53 +0000

So do your red peppers ward off the malocchio?

You know, J, they must? I’ve been lucky lately!

By: City Girl

City Girl — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:43:37 +0000

I love spicy food — I always have crushed red pepper – it’s a staple spice. And I often buy serranos or jalapenos or thai peppers (the three easiest types to find in WDC) for dishes

oooh, jalapenos would be nice. But crushed red pepper IS a staple.

City Girl’s last blog post..Amping Up Hot Chocolate

By: carol

carol — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:45:03 +0000

Hi Cherrye,
What I’d like to know is…..Is that an official spelling(focu meu), or did you just write it phonetically? Does dialect have a written version?

Nope. That is the spelling. The Calabrese dialect is a real language, with poems, books and songs all written in Calabrese. I, of course, have to ask P for clarification when I write anything in dialect!!

By: michelle of bleeding espresso

michelle of bleeding espresso — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:39:01 +0000

Here they’re simply “i pipi” but actually I don’t hear “focu meu” too often…P often says “spaventu meu” though, which gives pretty much the same meaning

Ha. Funny. I’ve never heard “spaventu meu!” I’m not sure we could dine together, Michelle!

michelle of bleeding espresso’s last blog post..playing with knives: sharpening, honing, steeling, and a giveaway

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:30:03 +0000

Wow that is one hot pepper!!!!!!!

My husband is the one for really hot peppers..I just don’t know how he does it, sometimes he can hardly bear the pain…whats wrong with him HA HA HA

Guilty! Been there, eaten the pepper!

Anne’s last blog post..The sun came out – part two….

By: Scintilla

Scintilla — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:30:11 +0000

LOL 'Focu meu' I burst out laughing at that. My grandmother used to say it when she was shocked at something! I, having Calabrian parents LOVE 'i piperei' as they are called in their village. We had them in our garden in Australia, and I'd think nothing of eating them plain with some bread even though my lips would numb. In Positano, I have come across quite a few pensioners who will carry them around in their pockets, even at the beach. Maybe your bus companion on the Amalfi Coast had the natural Viagra in his pocket... HE *was* from Calabria! lol Scintilla’s last blog post..Phantom Neighbours.