Blended Red Chile Pods

Choose the dried chiles for your dish. They range in "heat" from mild to very hot, so ask your merchant to point the way. Prepare the chiles by slitting or cracking them open and removing the seeds and veins. The seeds and veins are what makes the chiles hot, so you should clean the peppers according to how hot you wish them to be. Place the chile skins in a bowl and add enough hot tap water to cover. Allow them to sit for 1 hour, then drain, reserving the liquid. Place the pepper skins in a blender and add enough of the reserved water to bring the total amount in your machine to 1 pint. Add the garlic, oregano and salt. Blend until the mixture is thick and smooth. Recipe by: Jeff Smith The Frugal Gourmet Posted to recipelu-digest by "Christopher E. Eaves" <cea260@airmail.net> on Feb 6, 98