During the winter months I like to prepare a hot soup for our evening meal. Comprised primarily of dried peas/beans that have soaked overnight. And complemented by the addition of tomatoes and vegetables like okra, zucchini, celery, carrots to make for a hearty vegetable stew. In the preparation process, finely diced garlic cloves, cooking onion and jalapeno pepper begin the process, before the addition of the soaked peas and beans.

And while I rely on each of these vegetables to add something to the final product, I am often puzzled by the effect of the jalapeno pepper addition. The volatile oils in the pepper certainly affect me while I am in the process of cutting it into small pieces preparatory to adding it to the initial stage of soup-making. I cough incessantly, my eyes tear. But when the soup is finally ready to serve in the evening, after the late addition of the fresh chopped vegetables, there is a dominating sweet taste, no hint whatever of heat from the pepper.

And, despite that I have washed my hands countless times after handling the jalapeno pepper, if I happen to finger a corner of my eye, I immediately transfer obviously residual oil to that corner of the eye, and I can feel the stinging heat of it for a long while afterward.

We had also embarked on our usual walk in the wooded ravine with our little dogs, to ensure that, despite their advanced age, they still maintain their muscle mass. While there, and wearing gloves and over those, woolly mittens, enabling me to scrabble about in a bag for peanuts to disperse here and there for the woodland squirrels, I can feel the tips of my fingers becoming extremely cold. Later, in the evening, my fingers burn, leading me to suspect I may have been on the verge of frostbite while out trekking in the ravine.

How's that for a double-whammy on sensitive fingertips?