Hot pepper and cheese bring out the best in each other. Every bite is a mouthful of drama. The impending heat sets the stage with a pungency you can smell before you bite. Then comes the pain. When all seems lost, the cheese swoops in with its creaminess, neutralizing the menace. And just when you think the danger has passed, you take another bite, starting another cycle of tension and resolution that would make Shakespeare salivate.
This dynamic is what’s behind the power of the jalapeño popper, its big brother the chile relleno, and their New Mexican cousin the green chile cheeseburger. This is why there’s a jar of red pepper flakes on the counter of every pizzeria, and why someone clever invented pepper jack cheese.
