A little spice

Fight off the winter cold by cooking something spicy for dinner. Here are some tips.

1. Spicy foods raise your body temperature (that's why you might sweat or sneeze after eating spicy curry), so they're perfect for cold winter weather.

2. Make a spicy dhal to accompany grilled chicken, roasted meat, or fish: sauté onions until soft, then add hot curry powder and red lentils. Simmer in broth until the lentils are soft and thick. Stir in lemon juice, coconut milk, and fresh cilantro to taste.

3. Pumpkin and its relatives pair well with spicy seasonings. Try roasting squash or pumpkin chunks with dried chilies, coriander, whole garlic cloves, and olive oil to give them a slight char.

4. You can make baked potatoes more interesting by rolling them in a spice mixture before serving. Toast black pepper, dried chili flakes, cumin, and mustard seeds in a dry frying pan and toss with the potatoes. You can also mix the spices with vegetable oil and roll the potato wedges in this mixture before baking.