Sweat N Spice

Posted By:
Scott Roberts

(Editor’s Note: The following review comes courtesy of devout chilehead Scott Roberts.

Here’s a sauce that I think has a very narrow scope. California Habanero Blends Ginger Garlic Habanero Sweet Mild Heat Hot Sauce certainly wouldn’t be as versitile as it touts itself to be on the bottle, but for what it does do, you may discover it that it adds that little bit of difference you’re craving to spice up hum-drum meals.

Ingredients:
sugar, orange juice, pineapple juice, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt), garlic (garlic, water, citric acid), habanero (habanero peppers, salt, citric acid), ginger, key lime juice, vinegar, salt, spice, xanthan gum

Aroma:
2.5 of 5. California Habanero Blends Ginger Garlic Habanero Sweet Mild Heat Hot Sauce didn’t exactly please me; a whiff consisted of strong garlic, ginger and some fruitiess. For some reason, I don’t think the smells played right together to make this aromatically appealing. Cooking with California Habanero Blends Ginger Garlic Habanero Sweet Mild Heat Hot Sauce may not make your family come bounding into the kitchen begging you to “hurry up” with supper.

Appearance and Texture:
3 out of 5. The base liquid is very watery, but for what I’m guessing will be a heavily Asian-inspired sauce that’s okay. There’s an abundance of pepper seeds and fragments along with pieces of ginger and garlic. Visually, it’s very lovely, with a nice golden-brown hue. If you’re looking for a thicker sauce with more clinginess, you may have to look elsewhere.

Taste Straight Up:
4 out of 5. My assumptions are correct: this is pure Asian. I put a spoonful of California Habanero Blends Ginger Garlic Habanero Sweet Mild Heat Hot Sauce on my tongue and was immediately pleased with the intense pineapple flavor mixed with a tinge of oranges. Milliseconds after, the vibrant and bright sensations of garlic and ginger. Vinegar was not strong at all, and I’m kind of glad of that fact as I feel a lot of sauce makers use vinegar as a crutch. Heat (a relatively mild one) was noticable every now and then. I could feel the chewy little bits of the ingredients as I chewed and consumed this. Nothing was wrong with that. I tend to dislike sauces, liquids, dips, with overly hard or tough dices of ingredients – such as dried chile peppers that the chef failed to rehydrate properly and are WAY too chewy – but this was not like that it all.

Taste on Food:
3.5 out of 5. I was in the mood for some Asian zing with some fried chicken breast pieces. I dipped some of the chicken into a puddle of the California Habanero Blends Ginger Garlic Habanero Sweet Mild Heat Hot Sauce and coated others. It handled taste duties pretty well. I think that this sauce would fare better with foods that are grilled or steamed, as the “heaviness” of the oil in the breading might have thrown the taste of the sauce off a smidge.

Chicken, fish (probably all types that are “light” and not “fishy”) and pork are good candidates for use with this sauce. Stir-fry or steamed veggies would also be tasty, as would white rice or a nice spinach salad.

Heat:
1.5 out of 5. A lot of the perceived pungency comes from the garlic and ginger, not from the habaneros. For a habby sauce, California Habanero Blends Ginger Garlic Habanero Sweet Mild Heat Hot Sauce is pretty mild (hence the “Mild” classification of the label). On a heat scalke of 1 to 5, this would clock in at 1.5.

Label:
4 out of 5. Very bright and colorful, dominated by red and oranges. It shows a red habby amid a fiery “splash” and is surrounded by sharp text that’s varied but easy to read.

Overall:
For what it does, California Habanero Blends Ginger Garlic Habanero Sweet Mild Heat Hot Sauce performs moderately well. Available around the internet in a 5 oz. bottle for around $5.99.

Posted By:
Scott Roberts

(Editor’s Note: The following review comes courtesy of devout chilehead Scott Roberts.

One of my “guilty pleasures” in sauceland is Buffalo Wild Wings’ Mango Habanero sauce. It’s sticky sweet similar to honey, pours thick, has a dynamite taste and packs some chile pepper heat.

I’ve tried out a few honey-infused hot sauces in my day, but to me that Mango Habanero has remained the quintessential “honey”-type sauce. However, I have been and will continue to be open to any syrupy or honey-esque hot sauces on judge them on their own merits.

Along comes Bee Sting Honey ní Habanero Pepper Sauce produced by the Half Moon Bay Company. Although I admittedly have never tried anything under the Bee Sting line, Half Moon bay has a good track record of sauces and salsas (I love a few of their Iguana sauces in particular), so I was chompin’ at the bit to see if this worth any buzz.

Ingredients:
Corn syrup, water, honey, carrots, corn vinegar, sugar, corn starch, habanero peppers, onion, lemon juice, cayenne peppers, salt, garlic and black pepper, with .1% sodium benzoate & ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as preservatives.

Aroma:
3 out of 5. Predominantly honey, with a light sensation of something hot, such as the mixture of peppers and vinegar. I could also detect a smattering of garlic. Since I’m not a huge fan of that normal, sweet honey smell, this didn’t do much for me.

Appearance and Texture:
4 out of 5. Bee Sting Honey n Habanero Pepper Sauce possesses the luscious golden color of honey, yet interspersed are orangish-red flecks of chile peppers and carrots. This sauce is thick, but no where near as viscid as regular honey is – it’s pourable, more watery and not nearly as sticky.

Taste Straight Up:

3.5 out of 5. Half Moon Bay Company have done a nice at combining honey and heat. As you should all know, sweetness and fire are one of my favorite flavor combos, so anyone who does a halfway decent job has already earned a few points in my book.

The taste, unlike the aroma, is not necessary all honey with its gooey sugariness. The initial taste was a blast of sour and heat fueled by the vinegar, lemon juice, habaneros and cayennes. Seeping through was a slight bristling of sweetness. It had character and balance and the plethora of ingredients all had their place in the mix and didn’t overpower one another. The finish was admirable and sweet with no nasty aftertaste – only a warm burn left simmering on the tongue.

This having been said, it simply didn’t thrill me. Maybe if I had it with a dish or two I’d warm up to it…

Taste on Food:
2.5 out of 5. On its label, Bee Sting Honey n Habanero Pepper Sauce is billed as an “Asian-Thai influenced” cooking ingredient. This got me thinking rice, stir-fry greens, fish, shrimp and chicken…in other words, light meats and vegetables. As a quickie experiment, I grilled up a chicken breast totally plain over a low heat. I applied the sauce not as a glaze, but as a finishing sauce.

Bee Sting adhered to the meat rather well and give it a nice, moist coating while mixing with the chicken’s natural, internal juices.

I think in addition to Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes, grilled white meat and seafood, this may be worth a shot as a fiery dessert topper or as a dipping sauce for fried chicken.

Bottom line, I simply could not get into this sauce that much. “On paper” and even after the first physical tastes I thought it was a sweet and palatable condiment, but this wouldn’t be a product I would desire to return to again and again, and would rather have other, more proven sauces in their place.

Heat:
3 out of 5. This starts out with a small fiery bang but does not escalate up the heat scale much beyond that. It crawls into territory that may make it a bit too hot for mild food fans. Chileheads will find it very warm and comfortable.

Label:
4 out of 5. Vibrant yellow and black colors with creative red fonts make this work very well going on the “bee” theme and is eye-catching and cartoon-y without being horrendously gaudy.

In Conclusion:
This may be the best-tasting sauce I’d had in a while that I probably didn’t have the utmost desire to use again right away. I may try this out as a glaze or marinade to see what happens, but until then it will probably just occupy a spot in my refrigerator door.

Bee Sting Honey n Habanero Pepper Sauce is available at here for $5.35 plus shipping for a standard 5 oz bottle.

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Posted By:
TongueBurner

This Valentine’s Day, forget over-sweetened chocolate, overpriced flowers and greeting cards that are sentimental as flatulence in a bookstore…

Spice up the love of your love life with a gift from Sweat ‘N Spice…and save money!

From now through Valentine’s Day  (Sun., Feb. 14, 2010), just enter the code SNS-VALDAY-10 to save 10 percent off any hot sauce, pepper extract, barbeque sauce or seasoning order.

We have a huge selection of award-winning sauces, extreme products and even scandalous adult sauces from which you can choose your favorite. Trust us: our products will heat things up in the kitchen…where you go from there is your own business.

Order your selection here.

Posted By:
Scott Roberts

(Editor’s Note: The following review comes courtesy of devout chilehead Scott Roberts.)

Perhaps not since I reviewed Jake’s Mesa Breeze Basil Lime Marinade have I encountered a sauce with such a wallop of flavor as the wonderful chile verde, garlic and ginger-based Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9. The balanced and delicious sauce possesses bold, amazing taste notes. Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9 is one of two condiments (the other sauce being a multiple chile pepper-dominated red sauce) devised by successful music industry sound technician-turned hot sauce maker Brennan Proctor.

Ingredients:
Serrano Chiles, Garlic, Vinegar, Vegetable Broth (Carrot, Onion, Celery), Soy Protein, Kosher Salt, Ginger, Cilantro, Green Onion, Natural Flavors, Spices

Aroma:
4 out of 5. Strong garlic, cilantro, onions and vinegars dance and interplay with the chile peppers. Powerful, but definitely not off-putting.

Texture and Appearance:
Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9 has a medium consistency with a chunky quality. It’s a dark olive green sauce; a nice looking chile verde liquid.

Taste Straight Up:
4.5 out of 5. Not very noticeable in the aroma, but one small taste reveals a rich vegetable flavor and a touch of lovely sweetness. Shortly after placing some Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9 on my tongue, I sensed a spice which I can’t put my finger on that made it taste like beef summer sausage. Working this around in my mouth, I detected elements of garlic, onions, celery and cilantro among other ingredients, all very well balanced and employed in just the right amounts. Chile heat and vinegar tang sneaked up after several moments and provided a spicy, unique and all-around pleasing experience.

Taste With Food:
I used Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9 Chile Verde, Garlic & Ginger on a few different things. First, I wanted to see how it would hold up on a hamburger. It was an interesting eat, with the onion, garlic, and cilantro doing an admirable job flavoring it up, while the peppers provided a good kick. Then I placed Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9 on a Santa Fe chicken mix of rice, corn, black beans and red bell peppers. This was fantastic! It easily conquered the task of both complementing and elevating the pre-existing ingredients.

Suggested Uses:
This ain’t your “slap on your eggs in the morning” kind of sauce (of course, you’re welcome to try that application if you feel so inclined). It’s my opinion that Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9 is intended for more adventurous culinary uses. Try it with cooked or raw veggies. Mix it with seafood and chicken recipes of all walks of life. Put it in gumbo or jambalaya.

Heat:
A solid 2 out of 5 (1 being totally mild and 5 being nuclear heat). There’s a delayed burn and when it builds it never creeps beyond a chilehead’s medium territory. It may be a tad too hot for those who can’t go past Tabasco, but most fans of spice would be comfortable with Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9.

Label:
Great looking and professional. Looks like a top-flight, gourmet offering without looking too high-falootin’.

Overall:
With lots of daring flavors, Uncle Brutha’s ALLSAUCE No 9 is a beautiful and welcome attack on the taste buds. It gets a big thumbs up from me.

You can purchase a 5 ounce bottle of the sauce here for $4.45 plus shipping.

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Posted By:
SauceHound

Ingredients:
One baking chicken cut into pieces (about 5 pounds)
1 large red onion, chopped
1 C tomato puree
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 stick butter
1/2 C Dave’s Roasted Garlic Hot Sauce
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Salt and pepper chicken pieces. Fry onion in butter until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes longer. Add sour cream and Dave’s Roasted Garlic Hot Sauce. Set aside.

Add chicken pieces to a deep baking dish and pour sauce to evenly coat.

Cover dish and bake in a 350 degree oven.

Check chicken after 90 minutes and test meat juices in the breast or thigh for doneness. Sauce may be thinned with stock or wine if too thick.

Posted By:
SauceHound

Ingredients:

3 large Mexican Hass avocados, peeled and pitted
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
juice of one large lemon
1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 green hot chili peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Mash one avocado and chop the other two into 1/2-inch pieces.

Add remaining ingredients and serve.

Posted By:
SauceHound

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can refried beans
1 small jar hot picante sauce
1 package taco seasonong mix
16 ounce sour cream- separated in halves
12 ounce cheddar cheese, shredded – separated in halves

Directions:

Brown hamburger with onion in a large frying pan. Drain fat. Stir in beans, sauce and seasoning mix.

In a two qt. casserole dish, spread half of the meat in the bottom and top with half of the sour cream and half of the cheese. Then repeat, ending with cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly (about 20 minutes).

Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: It is not very spicy even though hot picante sauce is used. Jalapeno peppers can be added when browning the ground beef for more spiciness.

Posted By:
SauceHound

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. pinto beans
* 3 lbs. pork roast
* 7 cups water
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tbsp. salt
* 2 tbsp. chili powder
* 1 tbsp. cumin
* 1 tsp. oregano
* 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
* tortilla chips

Directions:

Put all ingredients except corn chips in crockpot or Dutch oven. Cover and simmer 5 hrs. or until roast falls apart and beans are tender.

Uncover and cook 1/2 hr. until desired thickness.

Serve over tortilla chips and pass toppings: chopped tomatoes, avocados, onions, shredded onions, grated cheese, picante sauce.

Posted By:
TongueBurner

It’s no secret or surprise that Super Bowl weekend is the time of the year when the most chicken wings are consumed. In Philadelphia, there is a massive chicken wing eating contest which is celebrating its 18th anniversary this Friday (Feb. 5). More than 20,000 people show up each year just to watch competitors consume chicken wings by the hundreds.

There is a significant overlap of chicken wing lovers and chileheads. While you can just buy a bottle of any hot sauce and make your own chicken wings, it is nice to know there are tried and true chicken wing flavors outside of the common cayenne/butter/vineagar basting.

There is no better time to try a new chicken wing recipe out than Super Bowl Sunday. Here are our Top 10 Chicken Wing Recipes. All will score big with the crowds at your Super Bowl party.

1. Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing Recipe – A classic from the place the invented chicken wings.

2. Buttermilk Ranch Hot Wings – Rich taste pairs perfect with chicken wings.

3. Cajun Bottle Rocket Wings – With the Saints in the Super Bowl, bayou-basted chicken wings are in vogue.

4. Utter Fool’s Nuclear Wings – Eating one of these chicken wings is like putting a solar flare in your mouth.

5. KFC Honey BBQ Wings – Sorry Colonel, but we have your secrets on these chicken wings.

6. Peanut Crunch Chicken Wings – Everyone will go nuts for these chicken wings!

7. Coconut Curried Hot Wings – Interesting tropical ingredients fans these chicken wings with flavor.

8. Cantonese Style Hot Wings – Incredible Asian-style chicken wings.

9. Horseradish Hot Wings – Sinus opening deliciousness makes these chicken wings a hit.

10. Candied Chicken Wings – Betcha no one at your party has ever had anything like the sweet delight of these chicken wings.

Posted By:
TongueBurner

(Editor’s Note: The following review comes courtesy of devout chilehead Scott Roberts.)

Let’s give a rundown of Lizard’s on the Bayou Gila Venom Habanero Sauce’s accolades: it was 2006 ZestFest’s Peoples’ Preference Hot Sauce Award winner, a 2007 Golden Chile Award, placing third in the Pepper Blend category, and a 2008 1st Place Scovie Award in the Habanero Hot Sauce category. Not a bad list for a sauce, so let’s see how it holds up to my humble little palate.

Ingredients:
Water, fresh onions, distilled white vinegar, minced garlic, combination of jalapeno, cayenne and serrano peppers, and minimal salt added.

Aroma:
3 out of 5. The first thing that hit my nose was garlic and blended peppers. An underlying sweetness from the onions gave it a solid base, but it seemed slightly more tart and bitter smelling than I would like.

Appearance and Texture:
4 out of 5. Good: pulpy with seeds and needle-like shreds of chiles, and medium runny. Gila Venom has a bright red quality that would add a lovely dash of color to your dishes.

Taste Straight Up:
3 out of 5. This is truly much more pungent than it smells. The tang of the vinegar and the immense heat from the peppers jump out first on your tongue. Within a few seconds the onions and garlic follow up to give the sauce a touch of complexity, but only a touch, as the vinegar and habaneros blast through and dominate the flavor.

Gila Venom is not as balanced as I would have liked; it’s more tart and peppery than anything else. It seemed like there was the ultra-hot, bright and distinctively “bitter” flavor of fataliis. If you’ve ever chomped on a fresh fatalii you’ll know what I’m talking about. Maybe a little more garlic or even less water (it’s rare that I see a hot sauce list this as the first ingredient) would have produced a heartier and more savory taste. If you’re looking for a quick mini-bomb of heat that has a decent taste, though, Gila Venom would fit the role adequately.

Taste on Food:
3.5 out of 5. That night we were having flatbread soft tacos and, for me, Mexican-style foods should be required to have immense heat and intense flavors. Subtle stuff won’t cut the mustard (and mustard wouldn’t be good, either). I wanted my food to bite back, so I gave a generous splash of the sauce to see how venomous it was.

The burn was likable but the taste could have contained more oomph. On another occasion, my meal was nachos with black beans and melted cheese. It fared a little better. My theory is the higher salt content of the tortilla chips worked with the “lower undertones” of the sauce (namely, the garlic and onions) in producing a snappier flavor. I’m not advocating dousing salt on your dishes when they’re covered with Lizard’s on the Bayou Gila Venom Habanero Sauce, but you could look for items with already-existing heavy amounts of spices.

Heat:
3 out of 5. There is both an immediate singe and a long-lasting burn after spooning some Gila Venom in your mouth. From my experience habanero peppers have that delayed heat, where it takes several seconds of slow build-up and then WHAM! it engulfs your tongue. Gila Venom is hot from the onset and lingers for a good two minutes until the heat subsides. Chileheads would love the burn; mild mouths would be overwhelmed. This is for heat lovers only with a good medium-hot level spiciness.

Overall:
If you’re not needing anything too complicated, Lizard’s on the Bayou Gila Venom Habanero Sauce is a basic sauce that will supply you bucket-loads of heat. A few tweaks here and there would make this a really great sauce. A 5 oz. bottle can be purchased for $4.45 plus shipping from Sweat N’ Spice.

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