I'm a huge Hot Sauce, and Spices guy. I'm 30 years old and love cooking in the kitchen with a glass of whiskey, tequila, or red wine. If its Italian night I grab the wine. If its Mexican night I grab the tequila, if its steaks & lobster I grab the whiskey. It really just depends
I'm getting better and better in the kitchen. Trial and Error, and I fail ALOT, but I also succeed a lot.
So out of pure interest, what sauces and spices do you guys use the most? What is your GO TO hot sauce, and your go to spice(s)?!
Below have become my Favorite spices.. I actually stopped using Tony Chacheres. I ask because I spend more time in the spice section than anywhere else... Thanks!!
Slap Ya Mama Hot Sauce goes with anything and everything, Pizza, Tacos, Burritos It pairs so well.
Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Below seasoning for almost everything, has a perfect amount of Spice but not too salty like Chacheres. For example when I make a basic pot of buttered noodles when I'm lazy, I just use salted butter and this seasoning and it still comes out perfect, compared to when I used to try to get everything "just right"
Old Bay for various fish dishes, this is more mainstream
Originally Posted by srvy:
I've bought jalapeno infused sea salt for popcorn on Amazon. If Walmart carries pepper infused salt I am on it because crapazon is so iffy on whether the delivery driver chooses to get out of bed now days.
Originally Posted by Fish:
I've recommended this one previously. If you like the caribbean sweet/heat, this one is very good for a BBQ sauce. It's made in Odessa, MO too. Great mix of flavors. Starts off sweet, and burns you good. Nice and sticky.
Note that I tried the original version, and didn't really like that at all. Avoid the original in my opinion. If you want a super hot BBQ sauce, they make a hot version of this as well, but I haven't tried it because I think the Not Too Hot is just perfect heat level for BBQ sauce.
Originally Posted by philfree:
I've eaten that stuff and I think it did me bodily harm. It's just not good at all and it should say Novelty Item on it.
On a business trip I wound up sitting next to a guy at the bar using that stuff on his wings and asked him if I could try a dab out of curiosity. We were yucking it up before hand so it wasn't too awkward.
He reached for a toothpick and dipped it in about a 1/2 inch and advised me to try that amount before I go for the all in experience.
I have an above average spicy tolerance but there's nothing fun about that stuff. That stuff is oral self-immolation. [Reply]
Tabasco to make things hotter (like homemade salsa or pico de gallo). If the sauce can definitely be tasted, I'll use Franks or Louisiana.
Like the OP, I'm really big on Slap Ya Mama and Old Bay.
Other than that, I keep fresh tubs of Chili Powder, Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Smoked Paprika and Curry. Fresh is best.
Spices keep fresh better in a cool, dark environment. I keep mine in a sack in the basement. I've noticed most people keep there spices near their stove because it's 'handy.' Terrible idea. If you know what you're going to cook, gather all of your ingredients before hand and then they're handy. The heat and light near your stove is a disaster for your spices.
Those are the only pantry items I ever need for "heat." Anyone can make something so hot that it melts your face off like you've just opened the Ark of the Covenant. The skill is making something spicy but with lots of flavor.
If I make something and someone wants it hotter.....well, there's always a bottle of Tabasco in the fridge. :-) [Reply]
FYI, it's Hatch Chili time y'all! Woot! Fire roasted Hatch Chilis are one of my very favorite peppers.
FYI, Pricechopper sells cases of fire roasted hatch chiles at specific times, and I'm telling you they are sofaking good. Worth the price... The green ones have a nice smokey flavor, while the red ones are a bit sweeter. Great for salsas.
For those of us who like Thai hot sauces - stock up when you see it. They had a crop failure this year, and we may have to look for other hot sauce for a while. The upcoming fall harvest season should fix us up asap.
That happens every three years it seems in Thailand the warning yet its always on the shelves just a little pricey for a bit. Those Thai peppers are like a mulberry tree in Mo and Ks. You can bulldoze the forest pave in concrete and the Mulberry will sprout through the cracks and expansion joints. [Reply]
