Steve wrote >Also, does "chile caribe" mean different things to different people? >I've seen one source describe it almost as a paste of dried chiles and >-- I forget which -- either water or oil, blended. Jane Butel (in the >same book) says you make chile caribe by tearing dried chiles into 1/4" >pieces, resulting in something that almost resembles pepper flakes. Not >a big deal, just noticing some disparity as to its physical state. > >Steve Steve, I've found the following discription for chile caribe in my note book... Rinse, dry, and remove the stems, then crush or tear the dried chiles with your hands into little pieces (approximately 1/2 inch). Chile caribecan contain a portion of the seeds of the pepper. Red pepper flakes, sold in most supermarkets, have the look of chile caribe but are usually the Italian type pepper and impart a different flavor.~ Rob