As I’ve grown older, I’ve branched out more and more in the culinary department. Not only have shows like “Top Chef“, “Bizarre Foods” and pretty much everything on the Food Network helped usher in new tantalizing taste bud challenges but just my general palette has grown and matured over time. Working in Herndon, VA for the past near-decade has also exposed me to a variety of intriguing and tasty cuisine from all over the world. I found myself falling head over heels for Afghani then Indian then experimenting with various Asian cuisines both at home and at restaurants. Recently I ventured out to Gainesville to try a new branch of the famous Zed’s Ethiopian restaurant. Injera is quickly going to be my favorite, um, edible utensil!
Anyway, I obviously look to cook just as much as I like to eat unique and interesting things. At home I tend to like to cook one-pot meals, so I utilize my Le Crueset dutch oven from Williams Sonoma quite a bit. In fact tonight, I am making an Indian and Iranian flavored curried lentil stoup (stew + soup) with a sesame seed garnish swirled in for additional delight.
But what sparked my imagination today and over the last few months were homemade hot sauces. I absolutely love heat. Ironic noting that I really don’t dig summer heat very much. I’ve done a couple of my own. The first was really a hot mustard containing habaneros, jalapenos, garlic, vinegar, mustard seed, and ground mustard all blended up. The second was a lot more successful – a true hot-as-hell habanero hot sauce with tons of the hot chili pepper (probably a dozen or so), white vinegar, a touch of chopped garlic, and that’s it. You know it’s good when it burns your nostrils and numbs your lips with just a small taste. Even a baby can eat a habanero. (Ok so I read somewhere that babies actually don’t develop their sense of ‘hot’ taste until they’re older, but who knows. I know I wouldn’t guinea pig up my kids!) – Of course girls can do this too and have a contest and look silly!
Of course I need to man up and try one of these (bhut jolokia) on for size. I highly doubt I could make this into a hot sauce though!
Hot sauce is probably my only real reason to go to California Tortilla where they have a ton of varied hot sauces that you can try.
