How Hot Is It?

As a boy, my mother often made cream cheese and olive sandwiches for me. I was into bland! Now, I like it a little spicier.

The best meal I’ve ever had (outside of Helaine’s cooking, which is amazing) was Jamaican Jerk Chicken at a brewpub in Boulder, CO. As good as the chicken was, the fact they also asked me for proof of age made it better! I was already in my 40s.

Recently, I’ve gotten fond of another chicken dish. It’s a Cajun chicken sandwich at a local market/restaurant. I liked it so much last week, I went back tonight for more.

The recipe has changed! What was very spicy last week is now insanely hot and spicy. I actually had four glasses of water with dinner. My eyes and nose were both watering. At times, I couldn’t maintain the conversation because my mouth wasn’t quite working.

Wow, it was good.

Why is it, as you get older, you like it spicier? And, when does that pursuit of spicy food end? It does you know. There is no chili cookoff at my parents’ condo in Florida.

Meanwhile, I’ll be tasting the Cajun chicken for the rest of the night.

4 thoughts on “How Hot Is It?”

  1. Geoff,

    When eating hot and spicey food, water is BAD, very bad. Wash it down with milk, or eat some bread. Water only makes it worse since it does nothing to neutralize the acid in the food, it just spreads it around.

  2. Eating spicy foods is an addiction. At leasst the spices become addictive. It releases endorphens in the brain. WooHoo, what a cheap high. Another treat is to eat fried chicken with whole, pickeled jalapenos. If you have access to Churche’s Fried Chicken in your area, get a couple of pieces and at least one whole jalapeno. Good,good,good. A tall, cold glass of mike washes it all down.

    Ya know when you’ve done it right – sweat on the top of your head and a residual warmth in the belly. Especially good for those long, cold nights up there in extreme Yankee-Land. Come on down to Texas, we’ll treat ya so many ways, you bound to like some of ’em.

  3. I hope I’m not perpetuating an urban legend here, but I was told that as you get older, your taste buds “die” and you have fewer of them. Thus, children can experience discomfort from a spicy food that an older person would think is just fine.

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