Day: May 9, 2005

Just came back from lunch. I was following the crowd of coworkers, who decided to go on their usual post-lunch walk. Not really paying attention, I followed. It started out ok, on a nice maintained path. I realized I was in trouble when the nice path turned into a footpath that went across a wetland nature reserve. I managed not to make a fool of myself by screaming like at a girl at everything that buzzed my way (and trust me, there was much to yelp about) but I was jumpy all the way.

We are not amused.

A new chilli sauce goes on sale today that is so hot it could KILL.

Ultra-concentrated 16 Million Reserve is the hottest science can make. The sauce is 30 times hotter than the spiciest pepper and 8,000 times more fiery than Tabasco.

Diners must sign a disclaimer recommending protective gloves and eye wear but even sweating testers in safety gear were blinded by tears for 30 minutes.

Just 999 bottles of it are on sale at each.

Medical experts fear it could kill asthmatics or hospitalise a user who touches a sensitive part of the body afterwards.

It is made of pure capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot. It takes tons of peppers to make 1lb of capsaicin.

Creator Blair Lazar, 35, specialises in extreme food in New Jersey, US. After trying it, he said: Its like having your tongue hit with a hammer. Man, it hurt.

The sauce is named after its score on the chilli heat measure, the Scoville Unit.

Reserve scores 16 million units, while a Red Savina, the worlds spiciest pepper, measures just 570,000.

I used my blender for the first time tonight, to make carrot/potato/leek soup. As a main course, I made the risotto carbonara I'd written about previously. It was a smashing success. I didn't have any arborio, so I used basmati rice. I used the veggie stock from the soup to make the risotto. Really nice. I was dubious at the beginning because of the amount of stock I had to put in, but dayum, it's GOOD! I have a feeling this recipe is going to become a frequent feature in our diet. I also made the citrus cake to satisfy Katy's (and mine, to be honest) cake jones. A bit overcooked, but otherwise yummy. I'm still getting used to my oven, so things should only get better.