..about 6,000 year old news in fact!

Archaeologists in Ecuador have found evidence that chillies were used in cooking more than 6,000 years ago. […] The team of scientists who made the discovery in a tropical lowland area say the spice must have been transported over the Andes to what is now Ecuador as the chillies only grew naturally to the east of the mountain range.

The BBC also has a nice chilli recipe site which includes recipes for chocolate and chilli ice cream and chocolate chilli crème brûlée!