THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, June 30, 1996                 TAG: 9607030724
SECTION: FLAVOR                  PAGE: F1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: By BETTY DOUGLASS, SPECIAL TO FLAVOR 
                                            LENGTH:   59 lines

THE HEAT IS ON RED-HOT SPICES CAN ADD FIRE TO ANY DISH - AND BRING TEARS TO YOUR EYES. SO START OUT SLOWLY AND KEEP A GLASS OF WATER NEARBY.

HOT PEPPERS, hot sauces, hot oils and chilies are nearly as common as salt and pepper in restaurant dishes these days. Chefs seem to be spicing up everything from spaghetti to tuna salad.

I was raised in the Midwest, where the only ``hot stuff'' was a rarely used can of cayenne pepper and the usual chili powder. Food was tame compared to cuisines served in other parts of the world.

Cooking with firey peppers and spices takes practice, but I've learned that a few sprinkles of hot pepper flakes, a little hot pepper oil or chili paste will add kick to the bland or boring.

Todd Jurich, chef-owner of Todd Jurich's Bistro, says he uses fresh or dried chilies in Asian food, such as the recipe for Pad Thai. Jurich created the dish after a visit to Thailand.

``The Thais eat hot food because the climate is very hot and hot peppers have a tendency to cool the body temperature,'' Jurich says.

Mike Simko, chef-owner of Cafe Europa in Portsmouth, adds hot pepper flakes to artichoke soup and pasta dishes. Make it mild or as hot as your taste buds desire, Simko says.

Pat Trentini and her husband, Chuck, are avid chili lovers from the Southwest. They own Calido Chile Traders in Chesapeake's Greenbrier Mall. Trentini likes to prepare ``Zesty Shrimp Pasta,'' which includes hot pepper oil and dried chilies, for her family.

I combined roasted new red potatoes with fresh tuna for a spicy entree salad. The ``hot stuff'' in this dish includes hot pepper flakes and Thai roasted chili paste.

Add a little spice to your meals with a pinch of pepper flakes or a bit of chili paste. As you become more experienced in cooking with chilies you may want to add more ``heat'' to stay cool this summer. ILLUSTRATION: COLOR PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BILL TIERNAN/The

Virginian-Pilot

Rockfish courtesy of George's Seafood Distributors, Inc., Norfolk.

TIMBER CREST FARMS

A few selective spices can turn bland, boring noodles into

eye-watering Tuscan Bow-Tie Pasta.

Graphic

HOT ADVICE

If you want advice on cooking with spicy ingredients, contact the

Pepper Lovers Club of Virginia Beach.

This group of ``hot heads'' meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Tuesday

of each month at the Fort Story Club to share dishes and recipes.

Call 588-6111.

The group has also compiled a cookbook, appropriately titled

``Pepper Lovers Club Cookbook Volume One: A Love-Heat Relationship''

(CPI, $14.95). by CNB