A volcano somewhere in Iceland recently played havoc on Almapaprika and yours truly during our wedding weekend (I am no longer a solo pepper...I am...a salad...I guess. Though I may have to cross Almapaprikas with Aji Chombos to see what our future children might look like
). We ended up losing some dear friends as they ended up stranded in various parts of Europe (My best man and his wife got stuck in Madrid, another friend in Amsterdam, some in Hannover).At least my parents, bro (and GF) and sis made it...
...and they brought the RUM! (Rum from Aji Chombo land is just the BEST!)
The night before the wedding, we had a dinner at a local restaurant, so Almapaprika's family could finally meet my family, and so some of our friends could meet everyone else. A good friend and her husband drove from the Isle of Jersey to Liverpool (ok, took a ferry on the bit that was all water).
Sorry, little break. Chef Heston Blumenthal is on TV making a Leech stew....ewwwwwwww!!!! AND NOW HE'S EATING THEM!!!!!! AAAAAARGH!!!!
Right, back to the story. At this dinner, both my brother and Almapaprika's brother met. They have the same name (Joe), they are both the middle children and look and act the same (both sh*t brickhouses...or was that brick sh*thouses? I forget. Hard, MANLY men, in any case). It was just eerie...like in a Jean Claude Van Damme film where 'I play my twin' kinda eerie...
At the end of the meal, as I was talking to my friends, I remembered I had one really small Chocolate Habanero pod in my backpack. The pod was about 3/4inch in diametre. It was the first of the season. And I always carry a chilli in my backpack for emergencies...I mean, doesn't everyone in this forum do the same?
I took said pod out and showed it to Joe2, and said 'try it'. Immediately my friend from Jersey 'Bats', and he husband joined in the fun.
Almapaprika just looked at me, smiled and rolled her eyes.
'Boys and their toys'.
So, this little pod got cut in 5, and put on the empty plates.
Count to 3, everyone eats theirs.
I have to admit, I forgot how hot a Chocolate Habanero can be. A small sliver burned the tongue instantly...and slowly moved down the mouth to the throat. I was feeling it, but I kept the smile as I sipped my wine.
'Bats' did the same, and her husband...'LBJ' (ok, Lyndon...LBJ just has more gravitas) didn't even flinch...just snorted loudly once as he cleared his sinuses.
'Fresh like tomatoes on the vine' he said.
But Joe2 was an absolute treat.
One started hiccuping while the other looked at me and just screamed 'Why do you do this to people?!' 'What is wrong with you?!'
They gulped water.
They gulped wine.
All the time we laughed and told them 'You shouldn't do that.'
They asked the waiter for milk, and out came a litre of full fat...
...which they tried to gulp down as quickly as they could.
But not before Bats and I told them 'Don't'
Took about 30 minutes for the heat to dissipate.
Took the whole night for the giggles to go away...
Now both Joes now look at me with 'less than trusting' eyes...
...Bats and LBJ thought it was fantastic...
...and Almapaprika has no choice in the matter, because she foolishly said 'I do' the following day (silly person...now she has to deal with my shennanigans on a permanent basis).
