| List Price: | |
| Price: | $29.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details... |
| You Save: | $0.00(0.00%) |
| Binding: | Kindle Edition |
| EAN: | |
| Feature: | |
| Label: | Timber Press |
| Publisher: | Timber Press |
| Studio: | Timber Press |
| Tags: | complete chile pepper book gardener guide choosing growing preserving cooking |
Editorial Reviews
Chile peppers are hot — in every sense of the word. They add culinary fire to thousands of dishes from a variety of cuisines and inspire near-fanatical devotion in those who have succumbed to their incendiary charms. In this comprehensive book, world chile experts Dave DeWitt and Paul W. Bosland have assembled all the information that anyone with an interest in chile peppers could ever hope to find.
Detailed profiles of the 100 most popular chile varieties include information on how to grow chiles; how to diagnose and remedy problems, pests, and diseases; and post-harvest processing and preservation.
The book culminates in 85 mouth-watering recipes that make brilliant use of both the characteristic heat of chile peppers and of their more subtle flavor qualities.
Want to know what the hottest chile pepper in the world is? You'll find it in the fascinating story of 'Bhut Jolokia', acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the fieriest chile on earth. Confused about
the identity of those chile peppers you bought? The authors' clear photographs and precise descriptions
will clear up the mystery. The Complete Chile Pepper Book is the only guide to chiles you'll ever
need. It's a scorcher.
Detailed profiles of the 100 most popular chile varieties include information on how to grow chiles; how to diagnose and remedy problems, pests, and diseases; and post-harvest processing and preservation.
The book culminates in 85 mouth-watering recipes that make brilliant use of both the characteristic heat of chile peppers and of their more subtle flavor qualities.
Want to know what the hottest chile pepper in the world is? You'll find it in the fascinating story of 'Bhut Jolokia', acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the fieriest chile on earth. Confused about
the identity of those chile peppers you bought? The authors' clear photographs and precise descriptions
will clear up the mystery. The Complete Chile Pepper Book is the only guide to chiles you'll ever
need. It's a scorcher.
Related Reviews
the INcomplete chile pepper book
Like reviewer Davis, the greatest problems I have with this book are the lack of indications of a range of plant sizes and a range of days-to-harvest for the chiles that they deign to cover. They describe the "top hundred (or so) chile peppers for the garden" in fewer than 50 pages (with quite a few excellent photos, though). The amount and type of information given for each chile variety is too variable. For some, but not all entries, you MIGHT find out how big the plant can get, how big the fruit is, what is the heat level (in Scoville units), is it ever a perennial? Both the authors are professors at New Mexico State University. I would be amazed if they would accept a graduate student's thesis with such a degree of inconsistency.
Because they are at NMSU and author Bosland is the Director of the Chile Pepper Institute, I must give credit for their considerably better than usual descriptions of a good number of the "Numex" chiles. For anyone who doesn't know, these were all originally developed at NMSU, with some going back to the late 1800's! (yeah, they have history!) The "Numex" breeding program continues in several directions today.
The cultivation chapter, the longest in the book, is the best. Based on experiences with commercial growers and home gardeners of variable expertise, the book discusses soil preparation and amendments, seed starting and growing on, water issues, too cold, too hot (? surprising!), too little light or too much (again, a surprise). There are some pages on container growing, and just a few hints about hydroponic, aeroponic, and other soil-less grow systems. There is a very good section on diseases and pests. This chapter also includes short sections on chiles as bonsai (yes!) and breeding and hybridizing chiles.
The chapter on processing and preserving chiles has some good points.
The chapter on cooking with chiles should have been left out to make way for a more encyclopedic listing of more varieties of chiles. Get a book written by Diana Kennedy or Rick Bayless if you want recipes.
I've reviewed this book from a library copy and it should probably be recommended to your library if there are many home gardeners in your area. At Amazon's price, I'll probably get a copy for my own library.
Because they are at NMSU and author Bosland is the Director of the Chile Pepper Institute, I must give credit for their considerably better than usual descriptions of a good number of the "Numex" chiles. For anyone who doesn't know, these were all originally developed at NMSU, with some going back to the late 1800's! (yeah, they have history!) The "Numex" breeding program continues in several directions today.
The cultivation chapter, the longest in the book, is the best. Based on experiences with commercial growers and home gardeners of variable expertise, the book discusses soil preparation and amendments, seed starting and growing on, water issues, too cold, too hot (? surprising!), too little light or too much (again, a surprise). There are some pages on container growing, and just a few hints about hydroponic, aeroponic, and other soil-less grow systems. There is a very good section on diseases and pests. This chapter also includes short sections on chiles as bonsai (yes!) and breeding and hybridizing chiles.
The chapter on processing and preserving chiles has some good points.
The chapter on cooking with chiles should have been left out to make way for a more encyclopedic listing of more varieties of chiles. Get a book written by Diana Kennedy or Rick Bayless if you want recipes.
I've reviewed this book from a library copy and it should probably be recommended to your library if there are many home gardeners in your area. At Amazon's price, I'll probably get a copy for my own library.
The Complete Chile Pepper Book
Like the hot pepper itself, this book is not for the passing admirer. It's meant for those who enjoy the passionate heat of everything pepper-related. This comprehensive guidebook covers a brief pepper history, a top 100 list, detailed gardening recommendations, and recipe ideas. One bite will set you aflame to start growing your best peppers yet!
Authors Dave DeWitt and Paul W. Bosland are experts from true chile pepper territory: New Mexico. Their deep knowledge comes through in this well-laid text. If you have any gardening or cooking experience, you are bound to gain keen insight into the world of peppers with new techniques you can easily follow.
For the gardener (the clear audience for this book), you'll find guidance on composting, solarizing, seeds, and diseases. This is the type of book you'll want to return to again and again over the years as you gain in experience. For instance, you may begin by implementing best-practices for crop rotation, and build momentum to breeding. You'll even learn how to grow container chiles in your home year-round. If you've grown peppers in the past, you're sure to discover where you've gone wrong--and importantly, you'll learn how to mend your ways. Rest assured that if you want to hone your pepper growing skills, this is the book for you. It's filled with details that any gardener can follow.
For the cook, you'll find a host of uses for chile bumper crops. Make your own chili powder. Pickle, juice, and even candy your peppers. You'll find recipes for sauces, spicy cocktails, appetizers, soups, main dishes, and even pepper-punched desserts like Kahlua, Ancho, and Chocolate Fondue. Each home-cook-friendly recipe builds on standard ingredients, making peppers the star of each dish. You'll find Satan's Blood, a pepper-infused Bloody Mary. How about The Perfect Fish Tacos, studded with diced Serrano chiles? If you love to invoke heat in your cooking, you'll find some new twists and methods here.
Because this book is built on learning, you'll also find a helpful resource guide for further reading, buying pepper seeds and plants, a glossary, and a user-friendly index. The book is also filled with bright, color photos to help you learn about each pepper variety, some diseases, certain planting techniques, and of course, the recipes.
From a gardening standpoint, there are few questions this book leaves unanswered. In fact, the gardening section is the most comprehensive part of the book. This is more for the gardener who enjoys cooking than for the cook who shops at the market. So if you do garden, grab this book! It's certain to become your hottest go-to guide for peppers.
Reviewed by Amber K. Stott
Authors Dave DeWitt and Paul W. Bosland are experts from true chile pepper territory: New Mexico. Their deep knowledge comes through in this well-laid text. If you have any gardening or cooking experience, you are bound to gain keen insight into the world of peppers with new techniques you can easily follow.
For the gardener (the clear audience for this book), you'll find guidance on composting, solarizing, seeds, and diseases. This is the type of book you'll want to return to again and again over the years as you gain in experience. For instance, you may begin by implementing best-practices for crop rotation, and build momentum to breeding. You'll even learn how to grow container chiles in your home year-round. If you've grown peppers in the past, you're sure to discover where you've gone wrong--and importantly, you'll learn how to mend your ways. Rest assured that if you want to hone your pepper growing skills, this is the book for you. It's filled with details that any gardener can follow.
For the cook, you'll find a host of uses for chile bumper crops. Make your own chili powder. Pickle, juice, and even candy your peppers. You'll find recipes for sauces, spicy cocktails, appetizers, soups, main dishes, and even pepper-punched desserts like Kahlua, Ancho, and Chocolate Fondue. Each home-cook-friendly recipe builds on standard ingredients, making peppers the star of each dish. You'll find Satan's Blood, a pepper-infused Bloody Mary. How about The Perfect Fish Tacos, studded with diced Serrano chiles? If you love to invoke heat in your cooking, you'll find some new twists and methods here.
Because this book is built on learning, you'll also find a helpful resource guide for further reading, buying pepper seeds and plants, a glossary, and a user-friendly index. The book is also filled with bright, color photos to help you learn about each pepper variety, some diseases, certain planting techniques, and of course, the recipes.
From a gardening standpoint, there are few questions this book leaves unanswered. In fact, the gardening section is the most comprehensive part of the book. This is more for the gardener who enjoys cooking than for the cook who shops at the market. So if you do garden, grab this book! It's certain to become your hottest go-to guide for peppers.
Reviewed by Amber K. Stott
The "Complete" in the title says it all!!
As an amateur gardener, avid cook and, most importantly, a spicy food aficionado, this book really has it all for me. Reading this late in November made me ready to pull out the seed catalogues and start preparing for spring. The authors provide a wealth of information on the subject of chili peppers. The first portion of the book is devoted to gardening. Without turning into a general gardening book, enough basic information is covered to assist the new gardener. I especially appreciated the in-depth description of pepper varieties, both for spring gardening choices, but also for produce shopping.
In addition to a lot of great gardening information and inspirational photography, it provides botanical information, as well. The graphics and charts really contribute to the very readable quality of this book.
But, my favorite part of the book is the recipe section. A number of easy, unusual recipes are included. The pepper infused vodka is so superior to anything you can buy at the store and was a huge hit at Thanksgiving when I used it to make my marinated cherry tomato appetizer! I brought the Double Trouble chocolate truffles to a party and they were the focus of conversation while they lasted! My family's favorites, so far, are Pasta with Green Chile Pesto and Thai Chile and Artichoke Pasta. But, I have a lot more on my list to try. In addition to recipes, a lot of good information is provided on preservation, including candied peppers, salt substitutes, pickling and canning.
A comprehensive glossary, bibliography and resource list provide even more information.
I appreciate having a book in my collection that covers all aspects of peppers. I know where to turn now for gardening questions, and, of course, really interesting recipes!
In addition to a lot of great gardening information and inspirational photography, it provides botanical information, as well. The graphics and charts really contribute to the very readable quality of this book.
But, my favorite part of the book is the recipe section. A number of easy, unusual recipes are included. The pepper infused vodka is so superior to anything you can buy at the store and was a huge hit at Thanksgiving when I used it to make my marinated cherry tomato appetizer! I brought the Double Trouble chocolate truffles to a party and they were the focus of conversation while they lasted! My family's favorites, so far, are Pasta with Green Chile Pesto and Thai Chile and Artichoke Pasta. But, I have a lot more on my list to try. In addition to recipes, a lot of good information is provided on preservation, including candied peppers, salt substitutes, pickling and canning.
A comprehensive glossary, bibliography and resource list provide even more information.
I appreciate having a book in my collection that covers all aspects of peppers. I know where to turn now for gardening questions, and, of course, really interesting recipes!
Hello ! My name is Eli garcia!! .If you guys want to know everything about peppers ,chiles,chiles or ajies!! you have to get this book . It is like the encyclopedia for peppers! you would be a pepper expert!!! enjoy :-))
An Excllent Reference Book and Cookbook
The Complete Chile Pepper Book by authors Dave DeWitt and Dr. Paul Bosland is an excellent introduction into the history, culture, breeding and processing of peppers. If you already own The Pepper Garden and Peppers of the World by the same authors, than much of the information in this book will be familiar to you. This book brings much of that information together, updates it and places it all in one volume. The cultural practice tips will be useful as well as the sections on breeding and saving your own seed if that is your fancy. Part of the book has a picture and description of the Top 100 peppers from across all five cultivated species that the authors particualrly like for their unique taste, color or growing habit. The last section of the book is the recipes and there are some good ones in there; you must make the classic New Mexico Green Chile Salsa and also the version with fresh red chile! While you are at it, pick up a copy of Salsas that Cook by Rick Bayless for recipes to make some truly fine salsas. I bought my copy of The Complete Chile Pepper Book at the Chile Institute on the NMSU campus and was pleased when I got it home and opened the front cover to find a very nice note from Dr. Bosland.
The content and quality of this book are both superb! If you are at all interested in chile peppers, or cooking in general, this book should be part of your library.
This book is a primer for anyone who wants to get started in growing Chile Peppers. It is well written in relatively plain, easy to understand language. However it is not a be-all-end-all, but it has been a fantastic guide for this neophyte in getting started in understanding the different Chile varieties and their growing and preparation techniques.
The major regret I have is that I didn't buy this book BEFORE buying my chile pepper seeds. It is so jam packed with information about chile peppers that it even helps you decide on a more informed basis which peppers to choose for your garden. I am still happy with the peppers I have chosen to grow, but I will be buying other varieties now because of what I learned so far. For example, I'm thinking of planting a couple of ornamental peppers to beauty up the place and give the birds something to nibble on and leave my other peppers alone.
I have done some extensive researching about chile peppers on the internet before buying this book and found some contradictory information here and there which kind of left me confused. Having one reliable source like this book around is really great, as it addresses a myriad of topics relating to chile peppers. However, I did find that the majority of the information I already knew about the subject from searching the net, was exactly the same as in the book, plus there are some websites that the book refers to that offer more advice and tips regarding specific areas.
The author seems to have a very close association with The Chile Pepper Institute in New Mexico, which is considered like the MIT of chile pepper research. Having ordered my seeds from that same institute, I noticed that one of the authors was talking about each and every type of chile peppers that they offer (plus a couple that they don't), which is an advantage if you plan on growing your own peppers since you can directly look it up in the book, which gives more details about each type of pepper than the website. However, I do agree with other reviews, that they have not included many other types of chile peppers and that does prove a bit disappointing considering it is "the complete" guide.
If you have the slightest interest in chile peppers or are curious about growing them, then this book will take you to the next level. However, for the average gardener, like myself, the book can get a bit too technical, especially in the beginning where it discusses cultivation, but ultimately, it doesn't hurt to go through it and gain some knowledge. The book also contains some recipes and uses for chile peppers, which I have not gotten to yet, in addition to an entire section on diseases that affect chile peppers and how to treat or avoid each type.
The one topic that the book address ineffectively was under the preservation of chile peppers where it describes how to make wreaths, but is not illustrated which makes it almost impossible to do it yourself! That was one of the major disappointments for in this book. I also hoped that the book would shed some light on using liquid tomato food at half concentration to feed the chile plants, as suggested by several websites, but unfortunately it does not.
So far the book has been a real attention grabber for me and I have been hardly been able to put it down and I really look forward to reading it from cover to cover, probably, over and over again. Overall, it is a valuable reference book that every chilehead must have handy!
I have done some extensive researching about chile peppers on the internet before buying this book and found some contradictory information here and there which kind of left me confused. Having one reliable source like this book around is really great, as it addresses a myriad of topics relating to chile peppers. However, I did find that the majority of the information I already knew about the subject from searching the net, was exactly the same as in the book, plus there are some websites that the book refers to that offer more advice and tips regarding specific areas.
The author seems to have a very close association with The Chile Pepper Institute in New Mexico, which is considered like the MIT of chile pepper research. Having ordered my seeds from that same institute, I noticed that one of the authors was talking about each and every type of chile peppers that they offer (plus a couple that they don't), which is an advantage if you plan on growing your own peppers since you can directly look it up in the book, which gives more details about each type of pepper than the website. However, I do agree with other reviews, that they have not included many other types of chile peppers and that does prove a bit disappointing considering it is "the complete" guide.
If you have the slightest interest in chile peppers or are curious about growing them, then this book will take you to the next level. However, for the average gardener, like myself, the book can get a bit too technical, especially in the beginning where it discusses cultivation, but ultimately, it doesn't hurt to go through it and gain some knowledge. The book also contains some recipes and uses for chile peppers, which I have not gotten to yet, in addition to an entire section on diseases that affect chile peppers and how to treat or avoid each type.
The one topic that the book address ineffectively was under the preservation of chile peppers where it describes how to make wreaths, but is not illustrated which makes it almost impossible to do it yourself! That was one of the major disappointments for in this book. I also hoped that the book would shed some light on using liquid tomato food at half concentration to feed the chile plants, as suggested by several websites, but unfortunately it does not.
So far the book has been a real attention grabber for me and I have been hardly been able to put it down and I really look forward to reading it from cover to cover, probably, over and over again. Overall, it is a valuable reference book that every chilehead must have handy!
Very nice book. Quality printing. The best publication I've seen so far on chile peppers. Contains a lot of interesting and usefull information on chiles from cultivation, to pests and diseases and uses. Has a nice section with lots of interesting recipes and tips for preservation. The authors are truly knowledgeable of chile peppers. I would recommend this book to others.
This is one of the best collections of information about chile peppers--the different types, how the they're grown, how to use them.
If you want to learn almost anything about chiles, you'll find it here.
If you want to learn almost anything about chiles, you'll find it here.
This was a great place for my wife and I to start when we became obsessed with chiles. I highly recommend it. Lots of information on where chiles come from, lots of good recipes and great ideas and a handy section that kind of acts like a spotter's guide to help ID those unidentified chile peppers at your local chain grocery store. This book is totally worth a look!
The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving and Cooking provides detailed profiles of the 100 most popular chile varieties, from growing them and handling diseases and pests to harvesting and producing recipes. Thus this mix of gardening and culinary lore is a fine pick for libraries strong in either genre, offering chili fans 85 recipes that make use of each pepper's unique qualities. An outstanding survey.
This is the most comprehensive chile pepper book I've seen. It caught my favor right away because it had a picture and description of the malagueta pepper, a small chile pepper that grows wild in Brazil and a species which a friend of ours gathered and brought to us as a present from his country. It was fun to find this chile pepper in the pages of my book!
Since I've always loved to grow a variety of hot peppers in my garden, I truly love the comprehensive advice in the gardening section. I can't guarantee I'll use all the advice, but I'll sure check back to see what I've been doing wrong with my pepper plants in the past. There is a section that has diseases and pests, which I hope only to see in the book and never on my plants.
The pictures are fabulous. One section of the book names the top 100 chile peppers for the garden. It's very easy to identify the different species of chile peppers from those large, clear, and colorful photographs.
For any food connoisseur, you'll be delighted to know that there are about 100 pages of mouth-watering recipes, each with a huge photograph to show you what it is you'll be making. The flavor, I'm afraid, you'll have to taste yourself.
At the back of the book is an extensive bibliography, glossary and list of resources. I can't imagine any chile pepper lover who would not be able to find the answer to his question about this spicy vegetable in this book or be directed from it to the appropriate resource.
There are only two quite minor things I did not like about this book. One was that the type seemed a bit small. That may be my aging eyes, though. The other thing was that I received my copy of this book in November - just as the last of my chile pepper plants died off from the cold. Now I'll have to wait until the spring to do more chile pepper gardening as I don't have anywhere to grow these plants inside my house.
Since I've always loved to grow a variety of hot peppers in my garden, I truly love the comprehensive advice in the gardening section. I can't guarantee I'll use all the advice, but I'll sure check back to see what I've been doing wrong with my pepper plants in the past. There is a section that has diseases and pests, which I hope only to see in the book and never on my plants.
The pictures are fabulous. One section of the book names the top 100 chile peppers for the garden. It's very easy to identify the different species of chile peppers from those large, clear, and colorful photographs.
For any food connoisseur, you'll be delighted to know that there are about 100 pages of mouth-watering recipes, each with a huge photograph to show you what it is you'll be making. The flavor, I'm afraid, you'll have to taste yourself.
At the back of the book is an extensive bibliography, glossary and list of resources. I can't imagine any chile pepper lover who would not be able to find the answer to his question about this spicy vegetable in this book or be directed from it to the appropriate resource.
There are only two quite minor things I did not like about this book. One was that the type seemed a bit small. That may be my aging eyes, though. The other thing was that I received my copy of this book in November - just as the last of my chile pepper plants died off from the cold. Now I'll have to wait until the spring to do more chile pepper gardening as I don't have anywhere to grow these plants inside my house.
Everything you ever wanted to know about chiles and then some!
If you are a chile lover this book is for you, even if you don't plan on growing any. The first part of the book is very complete with about everything you could ever want to know about growing chile peppers, even going into depth on the various kinds of mulches. It even has a section on chile bonsai. Never had a garden? No problem. You will find information on everything from planning, planting and even disease and pest control. Already a gardener and want to know more? How about grafting or hybridization? Want to try growing your peppers using hydroponics? It's covered in this book.
Have you ever thought about juicing your hot bounty? Not only is there a section on using your juicer there is even a chart giving you juicing results which lets you know about how many chiles you will need for however much juice you want, and it lets you know how hot it will be. Or maybe you want to make your own chipotles?. There are recipes for chutneys, flavored oils, and even candied capsicums along with the more usual hot and spicy dishes and they are all accompanied by beautiful photographs that make you want to get into the kitchen and cook.
Have you ever thought about juicing your hot bounty? Not only is there a section on using your juicer there is even a chart giving you juicing results which lets you know about how many chiles you will need for however much juice you want, and it lets you know how hot it will be. Or maybe you want to make your own chipotles?. There are recipes for chutneys, flavored oils, and even candied capsicums along with the more usual hot and spicy dishes and they are all accompanied by beautiful photographs that make you want to get into the kitchen and cook.
Everything you ever wanted to know about chile peppers coupled with sumptuous photography. First, you learn about the top 100 (yes, you read that number correctly) peppers to grow in the garden. Next up is the proper cultivation, from hydroponic, to in the ground, to containers, for the various types of peppers. Finally - gloriously - come the recipes. Here is where the book really shines. Not only are there the expected recipes for using peppers in foods, but there are also recipes for canning, pickling, drying, smoking and even making custom chile powder blends.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go get ingredients for the Kahlua, Ancho and Chocolate Fondue...
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go get ingredients for the Kahlua, Ancho and Chocolate Fondue...
I have a number books on chiles and all of them fall short in one area or another. I suppose that is normal with a crop that is more addiction than food, and each addict has his or her own area of interest. When this book arrived, I took one look and thought 'not another coffee table book...'. The cover and color illustrations throughout, the trendy tinted pages, page after page of recipes, etc, etc all made it look like fluff and not substance.
Luckily, my first impressions were completely misleading. There is quite a bit of anecdotal as well as scientific content and it is all fascinating. There are so many uses of both fresh and dried chiles that never occurred to me, growing tips, ornamental chile info, even how to make your own chile bonsai... This is a fun and educational ride through the chile world. There is a section on the hunt for the world's hottest chiles, experiments in using fresh chiles for juicing, and what the juice might be good for - just about anything that you might think of is here somewhere. Smoking chiles, drying chiles, pickling, what crops to grow with them, vinegars, alcohols, drinks...
If you have a question about chiles that isn't covered in this book, I'd be surprised. If you love chiles, you will love having this book. I equivocated about buying it for months and now I'm sorry I waited.
Luckily, my first impressions were completely misleading. There is quite a bit of anecdotal as well as scientific content and it is all fascinating. There are so many uses of both fresh and dried chiles that never occurred to me, growing tips, ornamental chile info, even how to make your own chile bonsai... This is a fun and educational ride through the chile world. There is a section on the hunt for the world's hottest chiles, experiments in using fresh chiles for juicing, and what the juice might be good for - just about anything that you might think of is here somewhere. Smoking chiles, drying chiles, pickling, what crops to grow with them, vinegars, alcohols, drinks...
If you have a question about chiles that isn't covered in this book, I'd be surprised. If you love chiles, you will love having this book. I equivocated about buying it for months and now I'm sorry I waited.
The book was interesting. The name "The Complete Chile Pepper Book" of this book corresponds to the object-matter. The book is full of information (botanical, agronomical,culinary) about different species of chili. Many cultivars was described in detail.
My expectations are satisfied.
My expectations are satisfied.
The Best Guide to Growing Chiles
What more could one ask? The Pope of Peppers, Dave DeWitt, and the Arch Bishop of Pepper growing, Dr. Paul Borland, team up to guide both the novice and the expert on the best ways to grow chile peppers. Buy this book and buy it often. I bought my own copy and then also gave it as Christmas gifts. A chile-lover's dream.
Share your thoughts with other customers
Create your own review
Create your own review
it is also a great book for those who wish primarily to concentrate on chile gardening, and who have exhausted more rudimentary texts.
the book offers a modest history of chiles. the cultivation information is pretty extensive and fascinating, and may prove to enhance my gardening experience this season. the canning and preservation sections are very informative, and if you like a sampling of specialty recipes in something other than a cookbook (which i really do not), there are some good looking ones here.
the section actually cataloging individual varieties of chiles left me flat. here dewitt and bosland have listed the "top hundred (or so) chile peppers for the garden", including a brief description of each. the descriptions are often VERY brief, and uninformative. there is no consistency in what can be expected from them, such as quantified heat levels (expressed in "scoville heat units"), flavor characteristics, sizes, expected yields, and typical days to maturity.
the greatest issue i have with this section of the book is the inclusion of only these varieties, leaving out a number of interesting and flavorful chiles, among them hungarians (indeed the only mention of paprika, was in the similarly incomplete "heat scale for chile varieties and commercial products"), and the "fish pepper" (a chesapeake bay favorite). notably, the "peter pepper" IS included, with two sentences ignoring any horticultural, or culinary qualities, and focusing solely on what some might find an unsavory description of its shape and nomenclature (apparently written to enlighten those who might not infer it).
i accept that buying online leaves one with the responsibility for making semi-informed choices and living with them, and that i could have gone to a brick and mortar bookstore, to peruse the contents of this manual. that said, i would have preferred a more exhaustive encyclopedic reference work dealing with the varieties of chiles, and might gladly have purchased as a separate text, the horticultural and preservation information contained herein (the best part of the book). the recipes could have been included in yet another, more extensive specialty cookbook, at a modest price, which i would not have been inclined to put on my shelf.
on the whole, this book is a well illustrated coffee table entertainment, with a 148 page chile horticulture and preservation narrative grafted into the middle of it, and i probably would not have purchased it as it stands, had i leafed through it.
i guess i mainly take exception to the misleading title, as this is certainly not a "complete" chile pepper book.
do not let me stop you from buying it, though- it may be exactly what you are looking for. the gardening and preservation section alone is probably worth the amazon price.