FAVORITE FRESH PEPPERS

Chilaca (8" x 1"/Mildly Hot to Hot): long, narrow peppers with a distinct blackish green skin. Slightly sweet; excellent charred, peeled, seeded, and shredded in tamales, veggie dishes, and tomato sauces.

Habanero (1.5" x 1.5"/One of the Hottest!): look for squat, lantern-shaped peppers with a shiny pale to medium green surface. They'll ripen to yellow or orange. These hot peppers are often charred and mashed with lime juice and salt for use as a condiment, or they can be charred whole and served with beans.

Jalapeno (2.5" x .75"/Fiery Hot): named for their birthplace in Veracruz, these are probably the best known peppers outside Mexico due to their availability canned, pickled, or stuffed with cheese and deep-fried at your local bar. Unmistakable, almost bullet-like shape; often used in narrow strips for tamales or fajitas.

Poblano (4" x 2.5"/Mild to Hot): large, fleshy, and rectangular in shape, these aren't unlike the ubiquitous Bell Pepper. The shiny green skin eventually ripens to a deep red color with a deep ridge around the base of the stalk. Try some cut into strips and fried with potatoes or corn, or use stuffed for chile relenos.

Serrano (1.5" x .5"/Hot to Very Hot): commonly used in Mexican sauces, this pepper is small and slightly pointed at its tip...like a Jalapeno on a diet. The medium to dark green skin frequently has dark patches and will ripen to a bright red. We'll often chop these and use them in our Creamy Guacamole (made with sour cream).

Verde Del Norte (8" x 1"/Mild to Hot): these long, skinny chiles are often mistaken for the Chilaca or Chile Verde. Flavor is undistinctive, and their tough skin requires them to be charred and peeled. Try 'em stuffed or cut into strips and chopped for sauces.

Banana (5-6" x 1.5"/Sweet to Very Piquant): great stuffed with meat and topped with tomato sauce and cheese, these peppers have a pale-yellow to orange-red skin that is wonderfully crisp. Use raw and cut into rings for salads...try with some chopped white onion, crumbled feta cheese, olive oil, and fresh herbs!

Bell (4-6" x 3-4"/Sweet): the most common sweet pepper used in the US, you probably have some in your fridge or freezer right now! All of them start out green and ripen to red, bright orange, etc. Thick flesh makes them great for stuffing, soups, chili, stew, salad, and relishes.

FAVORITE DRIED PEPPERS

Ancho (4" x 2-3"/Mild to Hot): the most commonly used dried chile is simply a Poblano ripened to a deep red and dried to a reddish brown. Roughly heart shaped, they're used lightly toasted and soaked, then ground smooth for use in sauces.

Cascabel (1" dia./Hot!): small, round, reddish brown pepper gets its name from the rattlesnake because of the way the seeds rattle when you shake the pod! Rich, earthy flavor makes it a natural for tomato sauce.

Chipotle (1.5" x .5"/Extremely Hot): a smoke-dried Jalapeno that gets its name from Indian words for chile and smoke. Small with a tough, leathery skin, these hot, fruity-smoky peppers are excellent as broth seasonings or stuffed. The Chipotle Meco is a slightly larger variety (3" x 1") with less intense heat and more tobacco flavor.

Guajillo (5" x 1-1.5"/Fairly Hot to Hot): these long, narrow peppers are the most commonly used in all of Mexico. Smooth, with a tough, dark-red skin, they're often used toasted and ground for table sauces.

Pasilla (8-10" x 1"/Woodsy Flavor): this ripened, dried Chilaca has a wrinkled, shiny black surface. The rich, sharp flavor is excellent for sauces once the peppers are toasted or soaked and then blended smooth.

Seco Del Norte (5" x 2"/Mild to Hot): also known as the Chile De La Norte, this is a Verde Del Norte ripened and dried whole. These burgundy beauties are excellent for making chili or enchilada sauce.

Arbol (3" x .75"/Fiery Hot): bright red chiles often sold with their stems attached; great for hot sauces or ground into powder.

New Mexico (5" x 1.5"/Mild to Medium Hot): similar to the Guajillo in appearance, they're often strung together or clustered in wreaths. Great for making your own Ground Chili Powder (recipe below).

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Homemade New Mexican Chili Powder

Forget those pre-packaged chili powders! Here's a recipe from the latest edition of The Joy of Cooking:

• 5 tbsp. ground mild peppers (New Mex, Pasilla, Ancho)
• 2 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper, or to taste

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