For maximum heat, leave the seeds and membranes in the pepper; habanero will be much hotter than serrano. Ever touched your lips or eyes after chopping hot peppers? Avoid those burns by wearing gloves to prevent the pepper's heat from penetrating your skin.
The name of this highly seasoned Indian soup means "pepper water." It gets quite a kick from the combination of curry powder, ground ginger, and crushed red pepper, but you can halve those ingredients if you don't like spicy foods.
When you're short on time but want a side with lots of flavor, stir up a pot of Spicy Black Beans. Canned black beans get their heat from a minced jalapeno pepper, and lime juice and cilantro add to its savoriness.
Salsa and chili powder add spice to this chicken stew, but probably not too much for timid tasters or kids. If you want to kick up the heat, use a hot salsa and a dash of hot sauce or ground red pepper.
Eggplant, ginger, garlic, shrimp and beef get sauteed and spiced-up, Szechuan style. Chicken stock and soy sauce provide the base for the thick, tasty sauce.
