Cooking with heat, answered
What to use when you are out of a sauce or spice, how to make and keep hot sauces and peppers, and which spices suit what you are cooking.
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Spicy foodsSpicy Foods: 103 Dishes From Around the World, Rated by Heat103 spicy dishes from over 30 countries, from gentle ají de gallina to phaal curry, each with its country, the chili behind the heat and our 1–5 heat rating. - Scoville scaleScoville Scale: 322 Peppers Ranked by Heat, Each With Its SourceThe Scoville scale from bell pepper (0 SHU) to Pepper X (2,693,000): 322 peppers ranked with the source of each number, plus hot sauces and pure capsaicin.
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Oyster Sauce Substitute: 8 Swaps With Amounts, Plus a Homemade Vegan Sauce
How to Make Hot Sauce: A 15-Minute Recipe From Fresh Peppers, Plus a Fermented Version
16 Habanero Recipes: Yucatán Salsas, Jerk, Wings, Hot Honey and a Tested Pepper Jelly
Quick Pickled Jalapeños: The 10-Minute Fridge Recipe (and How to Can Them Safely)
Gochujang Substitute: 7 Swaps With Amounts, Plus a Quick Homemade Paste
Best Seasoning for Salmon: What 11 Recipes Use, How Much and When to Salt
How to Preserve Bell Peppers: Freeze, Dry, Pickle or Can (and What Not to Do)The easiest way to preserve bell peppers: freeze them raw, no blanching needed. Every method side by side, how long each keeps, and why to skip oil.
Tamarind Paste Substitute: 9 Swaps, Pad Thai and Curry Tips, and How to Make Your OwnThe best tamarind paste substitute is rice vinegar or lime juice with brown sugar. Amounts for 9 swaps, paste vs concentrate, and what to use in pad thai.
Buffalo Sauce Recipe: The Classic 2-Ingredient Ratio, and How to Make It Milder or HotterHomemade buffalo sauce in 5 minutes: 1½ parts Frank's RedHot to 1 part butter, whisked over low heat. Plus a heat ladder and how much sauce per pound of wings.
Miso Paste Substitute: 9 Swaps and How Much to UseThe easiest miso paste substitute is soy sauce, ½ tbsp per tbsp of miso. Chickpea miso swaps 1 for 1. Amounts for 9 swaps, white vs red miso and miso soup.
How to Pickle Cucumbers: Crunchy Refrigerator Dill Pickles (and When to Can Them)Crunchy fridge pickles in 10 minutes: equal parts vinegar and water, salt and dill. Why the 1:1 brine matters, how to keep them crisp and how long they last.
Hot Pepper Spray for Squirrels: One Simple Recipe, Where It Works, and Where Not to Use ItHot pepper spray for squirrels: 2 tbsp hot sauce or 1½ tsp cayenne per quart of water. Where to spray it, why to keep it off birdseed, and how often to reapply.
Spices for Feeding Chickens: What the Feed Trials Show, and How Much Is Safe
Are Red Pepper Flakes Good for Chickens? What the Feed Trials Show
Why Is Everything Suddenly Spicy to You? Common Causes and When to See a Doctor
Spicy Food Side Effects: From Heartburn to Itchy Scalp, What's Normal and What Isn't
Plov: Uzbekistan's Rice Dish, Its UNESCO Listing and a Home RecipePlov is rice cooked over a base of meat, onion and carrot in one pot, Uzbek palov on UNESCO's list since 2016. How it's made, regional styles and a recipe.
Hot Honey Pizza: The Ultimate Sweet-and-Spicy Guide (2026)Make hot honey pizza with this guide covering ratios, spice levels, and pro tricks for a balanced sweet-and-spicy charred cheesy pie.
