[He wonders just briefly if continuing to talk about food is the right move or if he should prod Alphen a little more about his earlier mood. But he seems to be in brighter spirits, so maybe it's just best to continue on with this. It's not like it's a chore for him to talk about these sort of things. It's his favorite, really.]

Heh, you're right. Mixing in herbs and spaces matter, along with the choice of the pepper itself. You can also temper the peppers and spices in oil and add to the dish to increase the heat more.

[Maybe he'll try and make the spiciest dish for Alphen if he really wants that.]