I’m a changed man.

A few months ago, after reading a review for Ass Murdering Hot Sauce, I posted a comment that said, “I refuse to buy anything, no matter how good it is, that mixes references to bodily functions with the food I’m going to eat”. Several like-minded chiliheads chimed in, but many others responded with comments that characterized me as a narrow-minded prude. DK (alias Gatorman) even called me an “anal snob”.

DK….you were right.

I might never have tasted that Ass-Murdering sauce, if not for a good-natured challenge lobbed at me by its maker, better known on the HSB as Turk. He sent me a “re-packaged” version of the same sauce, with a label designed for….well…anal snobs like me. He asserted that if I could just get past my hang-up with the theme on the label, I would see (and taste) what I was missing.

How could I say no when I saw the bottle? For the sample he sent me, Turk playfully re-named his product “Warm Fuzzy Thoughts” Hot Sauce, and created a label depicting a cute animal frolicking among the flowers.

I got the point, so I cracked it open. In an instant, Turk’s point was proven! I’m an ass man from now on. Go ahead! Bring on the sauces with labels making reference to “that region” of the anatomy. I still might hesitate to buy something that mentions certain afflictions of the ass, or the bodily systems attached thereto. I have my limits. But everything else is fair game, thanks to Turk, a guy who has a great sense of humor…and such incredible pride in his excellent products!

There have been two recent favorable reviews of Ass Murdering Hot Sauce (AMHS) on HSB, (INSERT LINKS TO REVIEWS HERE) so there is no need to repeat what was said. I concur with those reviews, with the exception that I find it plenty hot for my taste (which is a good thing!) and I can say unreservedly that I truly love this sauce! So, in appreciation for Turk not only opening my eyes to prejudices that a hot sauce reviewer should not have, but also to a damn good sauce, I offer the following recipe.

I didn’t think up this recipe until I had immersed myself in AMHS – tasting it straight from the bottle, putting it in soups, sauces, stews, putting it on cue, rice dishes, pasta, sandwiches; you name it! After several weeks of burning myself and thinking about the attributes of AMHS, I came up with a recipe so simple, it’s almost embarrassing… but wait till you taste it!

To make Tandoori-Style Ass Murdering Chicken, I first took chicken thighs and drumsticks and patted them dry with paper towels. AMHS has a great underlying garlic flavor, but before marinating, I just wanted to give the chicken an extra shot of garlic and a little salt, so I rubbed each piece with Adobo seasoning.

You can find Adobo seasoning in many different flavors, usually at your local Latin or Filipino grocery store, or in the spice or ethnic foods section of your supermarket. For this recipe, I just wanted the basic Adobo. Give the pieces a good coating and let them sit for a few minutes while you make the marinade.

Now here’s the ridiculously simple recipe. Remember, AMHS has a lot going on. It’s piquant from the mustard and plenty hot from the peppers. I didn’t want to mask any of its qualities; just provide a medium for helping it do the best possible job on the chicken that I was going to grill later. So, it’s one part AMHS and one part SOUR CREAM. That’s it.

A whole bottle of AMHS and a half pint (1 cup) of Sour Cream (Oh, Important! Use whole Sour Cream, NOT low-fat or non-fat) will coat 8 pieces of chix just fine. And the only other thing you might want to add would be a few dozen whole black peppercorns and/ or some crushed dried red chiles, as shown here:

Marinating time: This batch marinated for two hours and the flavor was great. But I think the best time range for this to really do its job would be 6 to 8 hours.

Grilling heat: Pretty hot. This a Tandoori style grilling method, meaning that the meat is supposed to cook more quickly at high heat, leaving it nicely cooked (not too burnt) on the outside and incredibly tender and moist on the inside.

Why Sour Cream? The addition of a dairy product to marinades is used extensively in places like India and the Middle East. I theorize that it is for three reasons; first, there are enzymes in dairy that seem to help tenderize meat. Second, dairy imparts a rich flavor to the marinade. After you mix AMHS with the sour cream, take a whiff and you will see what I mean. Heavenly! (Quite honestly, before throwing the chix in the marinade, I was tempted to dip some potato chips in it!) Third, it seems to protect the meat from drying out while it’s grilling. Here is the finished product sitting by a few of my newly-planted peppers; Cubanelles on the left, Habs on the right.

I loved this Tandoori-Style Ass Murdering Chicken so much, I can’t wait to try the same marinade on…well…almost everything! Using the same method of rubbing with Adobo, then marinating, I believe it’s going to be a home run on wings, pork loin, pork tenderloin, pork ribs, tiger shrimp, firm grilling fish like Swordfish or Rockfish, loin lamb chops and rack of lamb. Chiliheads, order a mess of this stuff for your summer grilling, not to mention that it’s a great condiment for burgers, dogs, cue, etc..

So, my friends, not to belabor the moral of the story, but I was guilty as charged of not opening my mind to certain sauces because of my personal dislike for crass labels. I admit it - I’ve been an ass! DK and others, good on ya for putting me in my place. I deserved that kick in the ass. Turk, your passion for peppers and sauce-making is an inspiration.

Additional information and ordering instructions at www.bisummo.com

First Impression: Ooo, the black label! Is this like Scotch, is there a blue, a red, a green? Whatever the case, with the fancy cursive font and the no-nonsense design, Borderline Gourmet is targeting a more refined BBQ set with this Chipotle sauce/marinade. But if we are to take the name “Borderline” to mean “almost,” then there is also a refreshing self-awareness and humor present, as if to say, “it’s only sauce, let’s not get carried away here.”

Oh man, then they have to go and defeat that argument by getting carried away on the back blurb: “Created with the most selective of palates in mind and the most dedicated grillers to heart, we have taken the taste of an outdoor feast to new heights…When they ask where you found such a unique flavor simply say ‘From the Borderline!”

Ingredients: Water, tomato concentrate (water, tomato paste), corn syrup, vinegar, onions, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, honey, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle peppers, sugar, brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice, salt, garlic, cumin, soy sauce, jalapeno peppers, chile arbol, black pepper, onion powder, and spices

Smell: It smells warm and sweet, with a tanginess that tickles the nose a little, but I can’t imagine something like this being very hot, and I don’t think it will be. It’s a complex smell, but a very recognizable BBQ smell at the same time. I can look at that list of ingredients and visualize about half of them as I sniff the contents of the bottle. The tomato, the garlic, the mustard, the smoke, and the brown sugar stand out especially well.

Appearance: The sauce appears pretty glazy. Nothing really separates as you move it around, but it’s quite runny. There are sparse seeds, as well as some black pepper flecks and red strands of vegetable. The overarching color is a classic BBQ red-orange.

Taste: This sauce is powerfully sweet at first, with sweetening agents like molasses and brown sugar highlighting the generous garlic. After a few seconds, the tangy notes come out of the woodwork, the chiles, the lemon juice, the mustard, the vinegar. The smoke flavor also comes in at this point, and lingers with the tang and some light heat for quite a while. Although I was a bit alarmed and disheartened by the initial sweetness, I was happy with where the flavor ended up. I’m not sure what would make this different from many other traditional BBQ sauce/marinades, except that I do think a little more care was taken in the blending and proportion of ingredients than your typical grocery store brand.

Heat: Just a bit, middle of the tongue. I think it could be even better with a lot more intensity, but it also doesn’t need it. This is more of a flavor sauce, and I can accept that.

Overall: It’s pretty good, I’m feeling it. Not as ridiculously unique or elite as they would have you believe, but still an impressive showing of flavor. I can’t wait to get my rooftop grill up and running so I can use it appropriately. I marinated some chicken legs in it, baked them, and garnished the whole thing with some homemade salsa that I made the night before and was equally proud of. Twas a satisfying meal of BBQ goodness, indeed. I really want to try this stuff on ribs, beef or pork, it don’t matter.

Contact:
Gourmet Resources
3913 Todd Lane #213
Austin, TX, USA
512-326-2526
www.gourmetresources.net
gourmetresources@sbcglobal.net

By now your seeds have sprouted and are now seedlings. If you have sown your seeds in 48 or 72 cell seedling trays, and your plants have a few good sets of leaves on them then it is probably time to give these little guys (or girls) a new, larger environment to grow.

Transplanting can be very shocking and potentially fatal to a young seedling which is why you don’t want to do it too soon, and you don’t want to do it too often. If you notice little roots protruding from the bottom of the holes or slats in the current container, then it is time to transplant.

To begin transplanting, it is important that you are going to move up to a home that will get them buy for a month or so, while some might be ready in the warmer climates to transplant directly into their gardens, others will be simply moving up to a larger container.

At this stage for me, I will be moving my seedlings from a 48 cell container to their own 4 inch square or round pot. This will be the second last time I transplant. After they have been in these containers for a month or so, it will be time to put them in their permanent home.

First thing we need to do to begin our transplanting procedure is to ensure that everything is ready. For successful transplanting you will need the following (I must admit I learned most of this from Pepper Joe www.pepperjoe.com – his FAQs and gardening tips are amazing, I recommend checking out his site for other tips and tricks);

• New soil. Preferably a good potting soil with a pretty even ratio of soil and sand. The sand encourages the roots to continue growing and keeps the soil loose enough for the newly transplanted seedlings to keep growing
• New containers. As mentioned, they need to continue to grow and build a strong root foundation (this holds up the rest of the plant remember) so we need substantially larger containers.
• Fish Emulsion and powdered sulfur. Fish Emulsion, diluted in water is an excellent source of Nitrogen and is excellent for root growth. Sulfur, available in powdered form from your local pharmacy is also good for this. If you can’t find it, it isn’t the end of the world. Pepper Joe also recommends fanning out a book of paper matches under the seedling if you are planting directly out doors. We want to encourage as much new root growth in our new location as possible.
• Time. We don’t want to rush this, if you are like me you have 30 to 40 seedlings that you are going to transplant. We do not want to rush this procedure and hastily damage everything we have accomplished so far.

How to Transplant

Now that you have everything ready and laid out, we are going to work in batches.

1. Water your seedlings about an hour before starting, this will ensure that our soil doesn’t fall apart when attempting to move it.
2. Lay out 5 or 6 of your new containers on a few sheets of newspaper. Add soil to fill almost ¾ of each container. Make sure it is loose, do not pack it down.
3. Make a little indentation in the center, just about as large as one of your seedling tray cells.
4. Sprinkle a little sulfur into the indentation you have made.
5. Carefully remove the whole ‘plug’ from your seedling tray, do not grab the plant from the stem. If needed, try pushing the seedling up from from underneath. Remember most seedling trays only cost about $2, if you wreck it trying to get the seedlings out, I’d say it is worth the cause. Be very, very careful with the root system, do not try to break it up.
6. Place the plug into the indentation that you made in the new container. Do not force it, you don’t want to damage the root system.
7. Gently add some more soil around the newly transplanted seedling topping off the container ensuring that the new soil height is actually higher than what it was in the seedling tray. New roots will grow from this newly submerged part of the stem (encouraging even further growth)
8. Next, we water, but with the Diluted Fish Emulsion mixture. To make the mixture, typically dilute 1 -2 tablespoons of the solution with one gallon of water. The Fish Emulsion bottle will have instructions on this for that particular brand. Gently water the seedling, ensuring that the soil is nice and moist through out. Let it drain.
9. Continue on with the remaining seedlings.

Remember, be gentle and patient. The time now will pay off ten fold when you are reaping harvest after harvest of beautiful little peppers.

–Jay

Curt’s Special Recipe Salsa Extra Hot

Anytime I get a salsa in a box to review it will most likely be the first bottle opened, I absolutely love it and was excited to see this in my newest package from nick. The label is nothing fancy, just extra hot special recipe curts salsa on a white label, but still I like it though. I shook it around and the consistency is about the same as a store bought bottle of tostino’s salsa which is thick and chunky but with enough juice in it to easily slosh around in the bottle. I take a closer look and see good size chunks of tomato, medium chunks of onion small chunks of green peppers and lots of seeds.

My favorite way to eat salsa is just on some corn chips, it’s a great snack and works good for a review because I don’t really have any other flavors from the food to interfere with the product being reviewed. I poured some into a bowl to dip my chips better and it smelled and tasted great, it reminded me of the fresh salsa that is often served at Mexican restaurants as an appetizer and made me miss chi chi’s. the spice mix in it is also similar to the Tostitos brand salsa that I used to love but this one has something that Tostitos didn’t, the reason I quit eating Tostitos because it didn’t have and that’s the fresh flavor of it.

It really tastes more like a fresh made salsa than a canned one. The chunks of tomato in this salsa seam to just be filled with juice that bursts open in your mouth when you chomp on them. I finished the jar up quick and was sad when it was gone. I looked up the website and they don’t sell it from the website there is just a list of stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin that sell it, but they do have an email address to contact if you want to buy or sell it yourself. I also didn’t see any info about there other products but I see a bottle of salsa labeled hot on the main page so I know they have at least 2 different salsas. I was kind of hoping for a black bean and corn.

Ingredients: tomatoes, onions, peppers, vinegar, habanero peppers, water, salt, spices, phosphoric acid, calcium chloride, sodium benzoate, sodium metabisulfite (preservative), yellow #5.

Email: info@curtssalsa.com
www.curtssalsa.com
distributed by Montero distributing inc Stillwater, mn 55082

Flavor: 9/10 I really liked the fresh taste of this salsa, and would recommend it.

Heat: I was a little disappointed in the heat level but it was still a great product. I know that if my wife eats it with me that its not hot and she loved this stuff.

Thickness/ consistency: just right

Overall: 9/10

Weekend Warrior Meat Grilling Thermometers

Leave-in thermometers indicate when food is cooked to taste. Set of 4 includes 2 beef, 1 poultry and 1 pork thermometer. Glow-in-the-dark dial accents make thermometers easy to read during nighttime grilling. Stainless steel construction is safe for grill or oven use.

Weekend Warrior Digital Fork Thermometer

Measures temperature ranges from 0°F to 220°F or -18°C to 104°C. Ideal for grill, oven or stovetop use. Bright blue LCD backlight is easy to read in the dark. Display hold feature. On/Off switch and auto shut off to extend battery life. Rubberized comfort grip handle with convenient temperature guide printed on back. Stainless steel tines. Operates on 1 AAA battery (not included).

Laura & I got back into TX Sunday morning (1am) and promptly crashed - but when we finally started to wake up and move around the house, I was excited to see that a package had arrived with a bunch of BBQ tools to try out. I decided to do something that would require very little energy, but would also put these gadgets to the test, so off to the market to pick up a boston butt I went.

To me, the thermometer is a little on the short side - but it’s very sturdy and clear to read - all very important since it’s going to be smoked for 8 hours.

No special recipe for the pork butt - I went with it because I’m planning on using the meat to make carnitas for Cinco de Mayo today - and I was still jet lagged. Simply salt and pepper on the butt - with beer in the tray underneath it. The fire was set up with hardwood and left over hickory chunks. Set the fire to 225 and forget it until dinner time.

6 hours later and the little thermometer is showing that the pork butt is done - so I also double checked with the fork - both read over 170 - though there was some variation between the two. But all signs point to done, so we pulled it off the grill.

I will definitely be using the thermometers again - but like a lot of BBQ fanatics, I have issues with the fork. I just don’t want to be jabbing a ton of holes in my meat and letting out all the juices. However, I can see how it’s useful for a quick temp test - and it does double as a tool to help you lift things off the grill. Both tools are excellent for the weekend grill master, it just all depends on how you use them.

Taylor Precision Products
Corporate Headquarters
2311 W. 22nd Street
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Telephone - 630-954-1250
Fax - 630-954-1275
Weekend Warrior Line

HYDERABAD, India - A fire has broken out at one of India’s largest chili markets, burning hundreds of thousands of pounds of chili peppers.

Residents and officials say the burning chili smoke is stinging the eyes and throats of people in Guntur in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

One local official says 150,000 bags of chilies have been destroyed across a 20-hectare area in Saturday’s blaze.

Officials have evacuated nearby residents, and firefighters are still trying to control the flames.

No causalities have been reported. It remains unclear what started the fire. Source

Old world red chile, this thick and rich sauce is the best enchilada sauce made today. We guarantee you will join the thousands of red chile addicts who already testify to the flavor and quality.

A find from the Fiery Foods Show - this red enchilada sauce was not the only sauce of the New Mexico Chile Company that I picked up, but it is the first one we’ve put to use. I specifically bought this sauce with Laura in mind, as she loves enchiladas and the folks in the booth were very friendly and even suggested quite a few ways to try it out.

The sauce itself is all New Mexico Red Chiles - it’s very traditional in appearance and very thin as an enchilada sauce should be. Laura was already done making the enchiladas by the time I got home, but the lid shot does give you a good idea of the character of the sauce.

Nothing fancy about these enchiladas except the sauce - and that’s the entire point. This sauce is the type of sauce that you cook a dish around - not one of those that you add to a dish. The heat is minimal - it’s more of a tickle then anything else, but the flavor is extraordinary. It takes me back to NM and reminds me of all the great meals I’ve had while there.

The homemade taste of this sauce really makes it stand out - it’s not your average canned sauce and will make any dish stand out amongst the crowd.

We used the entire jar for one dish (albeit a large one) of enchiladas and I’ve already re-ordered myself some more. It’s a great sauce to have on hand when you need to throw a quick dinner together for the family or even whip up a fancy dish for the in-laws. When you get yourself some, make sure to pick up the green chile sauce as well - it’s equally delicious!

New Mexico Chile Company™
5555 Zuni RD SE 20-109
Albuquerque NM 87108
info@coyotechile.com

Smouldering Chocolate Fireballs

Ancient Central and South Americans have been combining chilies and chocolate since at least 595 A.D., why shouldn’t the folks over at The Chilli Pepper company.

Ingredients: sugar, full cream milk powder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, cream, marc de champagne, concentrated whey, alcohol, jalapeno chilli powder, orange oil, milk proteins, soya lecithin, natural vanilla.

With mother’s day around the corner chocolates are always a good idea. When I received these little gems in the mail, I rushed over to visit dear ol’ Mom and kill two birds with one chocolate.

Bouquet: It smells like chocolate.

Texture: The chocolate is firm and doesn’t get “melty” when handled.

Taste: The first thing I (and Mom) noticed was the high quality of the chocolate. The outer chocolate has a light milky orange taste and despite being very firm, yields to the tooth quite easily. The center has a smooth crème de champagne taste that is really nice. At the finish the Jalapeno flavor enters, bites you, and then leaves just as quick.

After all was said and done, I was happy with the chocolates and more importantly Mom was happy. Don’t forget your mom on May 11th I’m sure these chocolates would do the trick.

The Chilli Pepper Company
www.chileseeds.co.uk

It’s MANGO MADNESS in MAY!!!!

Our Multi Award Winning Make Me Moan Mango will heat up any Spring Fling …BBQ that is!

For the month of May, purchase 2 bottles of Make Me Moan Mango and receive 1 free Rub Me the Right Way Sweet or Hot Rub!

A perfect BBQ combination!

Order Now!
www.threehottamales.com

Dumb and Dumber hot sauce

First impressions: My first impression of this sauce from looking at the sauce, looking at the label, and looking at the ingredients was that it was just another generic cayenne type sauce with way to much vinegar in it because the manufacturer wants to make more sauce for cheaper. I don’t have a problem with these types of sauces because I do really like vinegary sauce if I’m in the mood for it, the only problem is there are so many that are all the same thing all made as cheap as possible so they can try to sell them with a novelty label. The sauce itself is light red and basically looks like a watered down version of a cayenne sauce, where you would normally find a brief description of the sauce trying to convince you that its something you will like this bottle instead has a brief description for the novelty label. the only positive that I got in the first impression is that the first ingredient is habanero peppers rather than cayenne peppers.

First taste: I opened it up and was pleasantly surprised by the smell, garlic and vinegar. I meant to take a small swig from the bottle but underestimated how watery this stuff is and got a mouthful. Same as the smell garlic first then vinegar and with so much of it in my mouth at once I can say it was a little too salty but latter when I put it on my food that wasn’t an issue. this sauce was basically what I was expecting except for the garlic, yea I read it in the ingredients but was still surprised by how garlicky it was and how there was actually enough garlic in it to stand its ground next to the vinegar. I love garlic and it really makes the difference that turns an otherwise generic vinegar type of sauce into something wonderful and unique. Time to make dinner.

Dinner: as I was taking that first sip that turned into a mouthful and savoring the flavor trying to analyze every ingredient in this simple sauce my wife was making a snack, English muffin cut in half with a slice of tomato, fresh green and purple basil from my aero garden, and a slice of pepper jack cheese toasted in the toaster oven. I told her I didn’t want any but as it was toasting and the fresh basil hit my nose I couldn’t help but think how great this sauce would be on it. I made some up and it was fantastic, garlic and basil and cheese with a vinegary tanginess, damn it was good. and even with all the other great meals I made with this sauce it was definitely the best use of it, unfortunately I didn’t take pictures so I got some hungry howys thin crust mushroom pizza for the actual review pictures and if you prefer vinegar based sauces on your pizza this is about as good as your going to find. It’s not my favorite sauce for pizza but it could be my favorite sauce of this type for pizza. All in all I was really impressed with it.

Ingredients: habanero peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, salt, and vegetable gum.

Distributed by www.risquehotsauce.com (that’s it for manufacturer info on the bottle) and if you go to the site like I tried to do for research you will see that it has nothing. It must of closed down or something. I did a quick search for dumb and dumber hot sauce and found nothing, just a few links to pages that have something to do with the movie and a link to a youtube video of someone putting hot sauce in his eye. Good luck finding this stuff, but if you do pick a bottle up because its worth trying.

Appearance/marketing: 2/10 I never would of bought this stuff in the store unless it was on a clearance rack or something. I think that if the same sauce was sold with a little more serious approach it would do better, even if it’s the same label but just has a description of the sauce on it instead of the explanation of the label. I don’t think anyone would expect the garlic level in this sauce and just mentioning that would let me know that its got something to make it stand out from the category of sauce that it is in.

Taste: 7.9/10 the vinegar, garlic and habanero’s where all balanced perfectly. I really enjoyed this sauce.

Heat level: mild. It does build a little more than I expected because of the habenero’s, but for a habanero sauce its really not that hot.

Overall: 7.5/10