Some like it hot
It's really an understatement to say that I love hot, spicy food. Having grown up on a well-cooked and tasty but bland diet of meat and potatoes - the family table staying true to my father's Scottish roots - I didn't discover spice until I left home but have more than made up for it since. Along the way, from mild kormas and dhals to flaming hell-fire curries, I have learnt to appreciate the nuances that spice and a bit of heat can add to food. A lot of people are scared of "hot" food - when hearing that it's curry for supper a typical guest response is "I hope it's not too hot". When cooking for clients I always err on the side of caution, keeping the chilli quotient down (but offering extra chopped or dried chilli at the table for personal adjustment). An irascible (but lovable) member at the private club where I used to cook always complained that spicy food made her ears hurt, and she would make her displeasure loudly known ahead of the m...