Hot Hot Heat

Chile Pepper Fest Will Make You Cry

For every pepper, burn, burn, burn.
For every pepper, burn, burn, burn. Photo: iStockPhoto.com

Visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Saturday for the annual Chile Pepper Fiesta. In addition to the numerous cooking demonstrations and tastings (detailed below), Pete Seeger will perform with his grandson, Tao Rodriguez Seeger, and Guy Davis, son of Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. When you’re not absorbing superior musical DNA, you can learn to make your own hot sauce and chutney.

DEMOS
• The Brooklyn Chili Takedown: The borough’s chili champs compete for the “people’s choice” awards in flavor, aroma, and je ne sais quoi!
• Cooking in Clay: A Spicy Journey Around the World: Indigenous food expert Nathalie Sherling shares cooking techniques from Colombia, Bulgaria, Morocco, Japan, and Mexico
• Making Som Tum: Learn the secret to making this spicy classic Thai green papaya salad
• Bombay Emerald Chutney Co.’s Indian Chutney Making: Chefs Nirmala and Karan Gupta share their chutney secrets
• Rick’s Picks: “Heat Seekers” Pickled Jalapeno Peppers: Award-winning pickle maker Rick Field dishes up spicy tips
• Brooklyn Petro: Hot Sauce 101: Founders Scott Morris and Campbell Rankin give step-by-step instructions for making your own “Fuel for Food”
• Thai Fruit & Vegetable Carving: Fruit carvers from Thailand demonstrate this intricate art
• Chile Pepper Confections: Sugarworks confectioner Max Kitano demonstrates sizzling sugar creations

TASTINGS
• Feel the Burn! In addition to cooking demonstrations, purveyors of edible heat offer spicy samples from around the globe
• Bombay Emerald Chutney Company: Royal Plum, Royal Pomegranate, Royal Mint, and Royal Tomato chutneys
• Brooklyn Petro: Exhaust, Torque, and Ignition Hot Sauces
• Guyank Brand: Sweet Hot Pepper Sauce, Sweet Hot Fudge, Habanero Cranberry Sauce, and more
• JD’s South Philly HaHa Hot Sauce: Figgin’ Hot Dippin’ n’ Grillin’ Sauce, Pyro Pineapple, and Extreme XXX BBQ Sauce
• Nuts & Nuts: Indonesian spicy chile lime cashews
• Rick’s Picks: Mean Beans, Phat Beets, Smokra, and more
• Sauce Boss: Liquid Summer Datil Pepper and Habanero Hot Sauces, Hot Q BBQ Sauce

Tickets are $8 and advance purchase is recommended.

Chile Pepper Fiesta [Brooklyn Botanic Garden]

Chile Pepper Fest Will Make You Cry