[CH] current favourite bottled sauces?

Babs Woods (babs@jfwhome.funhouse.com)
Wed, 19 Jun 2002 19:26:06 -0400 

        Guys,

        This was sort of inspired by Risa's account of her recent East Coast 
Grill visit this last time she was in Cambridge, MA.  I've actually 
never made it over there, even though we lived in Somerville for about 
10years.  We were extremely too-busy, and then we became parents...  This is 
a sort of "what's on my desk" poll, only "it's what sauce is on my meals?".  
I'll start this one.  You may notice the garlic and carrot themes in these,
the SO will not eat tomatoes.  My current favourites are:


Desert Pepper Trading Company  XXX Habanero Pepper Sauce  Very Hot

I love this stuff, it's held my attention for probably a year or
two now I think, I've lost track in a haze of habanero fumes.  This is
a lot like Marie Sharp's sauce (or Melinda's), I think, but I seem to 
like this one even more.  I have had to poke about for this mostly but 
I can get it at one or two of the local chain supermarkets (for those 
of you in Eastern MA, see if you can find it at Donelan's, we seem 
to have been finding it there).  We found it last at $2.29/5ozs bottle 
at the store and bought 2 or 3 or something at the time since we often 
have to hunt.  This has to go in the fridge.   I haven't called them 
but I did visit their site a few months back.  Looks good.

Ingredients:
Habanero peppers, fresh carrots, onions, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, 
salt

Product of Costa Rica
Distributed by:
Desert Pepper Trading Company
909 Texas Avenue
El Paso, Texas, 79901
www.desertpepper.com  
888-SALSAS


We call this next one "Great With Chicken", because that's about the
only English on the label.  The Colonel would probably have liked this
stuff, I'm sure he'd most likely at least seen it:

Sweet Chilli Sauce (for chicken)  (Nuoe cham ga)
Mae Ploy Brand  

This one is in a biiiig bottle, and those of you who have this on your
shelf at home know that.  I don't see a sticker on the bottle of it in
front of me, but it's whatever cost for 25 or 28ozs (mine is marked 
confusingly as both).  This is great stuff.  This goes on the sauce shelf
next to the rice vinegar.  I'll use this with some rice vinegar and some
Desert Pepper XXX (above) and boil some pork and vegetable gyoza with 
some chopped cabbage and pour it broth and all into a bowl with the 
sauce.  That is SO good.  In summer when I've grown kale I use that in
place of cabbage usually.  Hmmm.  Maybe I should plant kale this year...
We usually get this at what we refer to as "Joyce Chen's Large Buying Place",
which is run by the son and daughter-in-law (and I think her daughter Helen
Chen?  Helen writes cookbooks) of the late Joyce Chen.  It's this tiny
little store, not always well-stocked, but this is one item they always
seem to have.  (Joyce Chen's restaurant in the Fresh Pond area used to be
called "Joyce Chen's Small Eating Place", you see.  It was HUGE.  It was 
also a great place and when the guys were all still in college we'd carpool
out there and wait in line because it was so good.  I think we all miss
being greeted by Joyce, as well as the food.)

Ingredients:
Sugar, redchilli [sic], garlic, vinegar, salt, water

Product of Thailand



Martin's Island  Hot Sauce  Mild

Now, before people yell at me for cursing, the mild is quite adequate.
Loons like Karen Stober will of course think it's, well, MILD.  Karen,
try it and see first.  I actually don't know yet if there's a hotter
version, to be honest.  I'm going to go and look at their site as soon 
as I send this out.  I'm really enjoying this version and I think I
will want to stock up on it for grilling with.  It's a really tasty 
sauce and the mild really does have some decent heat I think.  It also 
tastes very much like a thinner Inner Beauty, a type of mustard-based 
"island hot sauce" I really like.  It's not as paste-like, but it's still
nicely rich and full of flavour.  We found this one at Stop&Shop for 
$4.29/5ozs.  Hmmm.  We should restock on our Inner Beauty, too...
(Ok, so I checked.  I was visitor #4 by their counter!  They do have a 
hot version, the Carribbean Red, I'll have to look for it next time.
Nice site, except it plays music and I usually very carefully avoid 
sites with added noise.)

Ingredients:
Scotch bonnet peppers, vinegar, mustard, W.I. rum, fresh carrots, bell 
peppers, salt, spices, natural flavours

Packed for:
Gourmet Sensation LLC
99 Bridgeport Ave., Suite 134
Shelton, CT 06484
Gourmetsen@aol.com
http://www.gourmet-sensation.com 


        Ok, Your turn!  Hey, Karen?  What's your current favourite hot sauce?

                                -babs