Another fear - conquered!

Roasting poblano peppers has always seemed way too dangerous to me (like the kitchen would catch fire or something tragic of the sort). I've finally conquered my fear, roasted those 3 peppers on the stove-top, and I feel great about it! I sadly wasted the peppers on a Chile Relleno Casserole that had no flavor, but who cares - I succeeded in fire-roasting peppers! WOO HOO! It didn't turn out to be hard/scary at all! Here's how I did it.

Fire Roasting Poblano Peppers

1. Turn your stove-top burner on HIGH heat.

2. Set your pepper on top.

3. Keep turning the pepper (with tongs) every 30-40 seconds until the whole thing is blackened and charred. (see picture below)

4. Place into a plastic bag to steam the peppers for 15 minutes (this allows the charred skin to peel off easily). 

 5. After 15 minutes take the peppers out of the plastic bag, place them on a cookie sheet (or plate, cutting-board, etc.) and peel off the charred skin either with your fingers or the back of a knife (I used both). They will look like this...

You can do so many things with roasted peppers it's unbelievable! You can make Chile Rellenos, a Chile Relleno Casserole, you can stuff them with numerous fillings (such as beans, beef, pork, rice, shrimp, etc.), make soup, Poblano Pepper & Cilantro rice, Enchiladas, Quesadillas... too many options to name!  Have fun experimenting!

**NOTES:

- When the peppers are over the fire they will more than likely make crackling noises. Don't be alarmed, that is normal.

The perfect springroll step-by-step.

Take one springroll wrapper and lay it in a diamond-shape. Put a little of your pork mixture at the bottom edge (as shown in the picture).

Roll tightly (starting from the bottom edge) and roll a few times until a triangle shape forms.

Fold in both sides tightly.

Roll the rest until you get to the top edge. Stop.

Dip the tip of your finger in water and wet the whole top tip of the wrapper. Fold over the tip and tightly secure.

Voilà! Perfect Springroll. :)

How to Test Oil Temperature

Deep frying is normally done at between 360 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit and the following methods are designed to indicate when the oil reaches this temperature point

1. Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a wooden chopstick. When the oil has preheated, dip the handle of a wooden spoon or a chopstick into the oil. If the oil starts steadily bubbling, then the oil is hot enough for frying. If the oil bubbles very very vigorously, then the oil is too hot and needs to cool off a touch. If no or very few bubbles pop up – then it’s not hot enough.
2. The old Joy of Cooking method – drop a 1 inch square of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, then the oil is at 365.
3. The Cooks Illustrated Method – drop a single kernel of popcorn into the oil as you heat it. The kernel will pop as the oil reaches between 350 and 360 degrees. (Remove the kernel, eat it, and start frying)

Remember that no matter what temperature you start at, overcrowding the pan will result in a dramatic temperature drop and oily food – so don’t spend a lot of effort ensuring the correct temperature only to waste your effort by dumping in a mountain of frozen French fries, for example!
As a last resort – buy a deep fry thermometer!