Final Day of March Facebook Coupon Sale!

Our special March Madness coupon exclusively for Carolina Sauce Company Facebook fans expires at midnight tonight, March 31st! If you haven't yet taken advantage of this special discount coupon--and even if you already have used the coupon (you can use it multiple times)--time is running out to save on lots of zesty sauces and seasonings. You can get the coupon code from the "Coupons" section of the Carolina Sauce Company Facebook page, but only if you're already a Fan of Carolina Sauce. Not yet a Fan? Then simply click on the "Like" button at the top of our Facebook page, and you'll then be able to access ALL Carolina Sauce coupons (yes, there's more than one!) listed on our Facebook page.

Once you have your March Madness Facebook coupon code, you can see the list of products it's good on by going to my Facebook Coupon blog post from earlier in March. But don't delay, as this special coupon is only good through the end of today, March 31st.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Peri Peri Artichoke Dip

This simple recipe is from the makers of Nando's Peri Peri Sauces, exotically delicious hot sauces from South African that feature the fiery peri-peri pepper. If you're watching the NCAA tournament this weekend and want to serve a zesty dip for chips or raw veggies, this one is sure to bring cheers of joy regardless of the game score.

Ingredients
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1 8oz package cream cheese (regular or low-fat), softened
1/3 jar Nando's Lemon Peri Peri Cooking Sauce
1 to 2 Tbs (to taste) Nando's Medium Peri Peri Sauce or Nando's Hot Peri Peri Sauce (see note below)
Chopped parsley or cilantro to garnish

Gloria's Note: You can use any other flavor of Nando's Hot Sauce if you prefer.

Coarsely chop the artichoke in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined and to the desired smoothness. Pour into serving bowl, garnish with parsley or cilantro, and serve with chips, pita wedges or raw vegetables.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: Nando's Lemon Peri Peri Cooking & Grilling Sauce is currently on sale for only $4.99 a jar at the Carolina Sauce Company online store!

Buderim Ginger Bears Update

If you're a fan of Buderim Ginger Bears, the zippy Australian gummy bears that are made with real ginger, you'll want to read this update on their status. As you may already know, it's been extremely difficult to keep this popular gummy candy in stock due to continuing production problems in Australia and importing difficulties in the USA. First, there's the blight that's been decimating ginger plants in Australia. Then there's the typically s-l-o-w process of clearing US customs with the shipping containers of bulk ginger bears. The good news is that the latest shipment from Australia has finally cleared customs and Buderim USA is ready to begin the packing process (the bulk ginger bears are bagged and labeled for retail sale here in the United States).

The bad news is that the FDA has not cleared the container yet, and according to Buderim USA the FDA is terribly backlogged. Apparently the FDA inspection has to take place at Buderim USA's warehouse, but the inspection date has yet to be set by the FDA. Buderim USA can't schedule the retail bag production date until the FDA clears the product. And without a production date on the schedule yet, they can't possibly know when the packed ginger bears will be ready to ship to our warehouse here in North Carolina. So, everything hinges on the FDA right now, and we can only hope they get around to inspecting the ginger bears shipment sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, we are keeping a list of people who want to be notified when the Buderim Ginger Bears are back in stock at the Carolina Sauce Company. If you would like to get on our list, just send us an email (sales"AT"carolinasauce"DOT"com) asking to be placed on our Ginger Bears waiting list. Once we know the ginger bears are packed and on the way to our warehouse, we'll notify you via email, re-activate our "order" page and begin taking pre-orders. I'll be providing status updates on this blog whenever I have more information from Buderim, so keep checking back (or subscribe to the RSS feed by filling in your info in the "Subscribe To" fields on the left column).

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Creamy Cucumber-Jalapeno Sauce

This tangy sauce is terrific on grilled salmon or tuna, with potato pancakes (latkes) or savory crepes, and even with lamb, burgers and other meats. Greek style plain yogurt (regular or fat-free) is my preference, but you can substitute ordinary plain yogurt or even replace half of the yogurt with sour cream.

Ingredients
1/2 cup plain Greek style yogurt
1 small cucumber, peeled & de-seeded
1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro OR parsley

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until pureed to desired consistency. If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add a little milk or cream (a tablespoon or so) to thin it out.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you don't have fresh jalapeno peppers on hand, you can substitute a tablespoon or so of Just My Taste Jalapeno Dip.

Joe Bud's Everything Sauces are Back in Stock!

Both flavors of the award-winning Joe Bud's Everything Sauce are back in stock again at the Carolina Sauce Company! Made from a traditional South Carolina recipe that's been in Joe Bud's family for years, Joe Bud's Everything Sauce is a thick, savory and tangy mustard barbecue sauce that's famously good on all sorts of meat--including beef and pork ribs--plus chicken, venison, shrimp, grilled fish, kabobs, veggies, burgers, in baked beans or green beans, and anything else you can think of (hence the name "Everything Sauce"). The original recipe won the Gold Medal Winner for Best Mustard-Based BBQ/Glaze/Marinade at 2010 World Wide Mustard Competition. The hot version--which gets its pizzazz from a little extra dash of a secret spice blend--won a Scovie Award a few years back at the annual Fiery Foods competition held in New Mexico. Although this sauce is definitely rooted in the South Carolina BBQ tradition, Joe Bud now resides in North Carolina, and his sauces are part of the Goodness Grows in NC program recognizing the finest products made in North Carolina. Nearly impossible to find outside the Carolinas, you can order Joe Bud's Everything Sauce online directly from our secure website, or place your order by phone (919-286-1080) during business hours Monday through Friday.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Carolina Sauce Co. Closed on March 25 for Conference

The Carolina Sauce Company will be closed tomorrow Friday, March 25th, while we attend the Spring Conference of the NC Specialty Foods Association (in fact, yours truly will be one of the speakers at the conference). You can still place orders online at the Carolina Sauce Company online store while we are closed, and orders received on Friday will begin shipping out on Monday, March 28th, when we re-open for business. Although no one will be available to answer the phone or reply to email while we are closed, please feel free to leave us a message or to send us an email, and we'll reply as soon as we can when we re-open on Monday.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

New Coupon for Carolina Sauce Facebook Fans

Exclusively for our Facebook fans, we've extended our March Madness savings and added a new coupon on the Carolina Sauce Company Facebook page to get you 10% off the following products, no minimum purchase required, good through the end of the month! To get the coupon code, you need to be a Fan on our Facebook page. Not already a fan? Simply click the "Like" button at the top of our Facebook page (next to "Carolina Sauce Company"), and then click on the word "Coupons" on the left-hand margin on our Facebook page. The coupon is good on the following zesty products:

BBQ Sauces & Marinades:
Bear Man Black Bear Boogie, a thick, rich BBQ sauce that's sweet & tangy and seasoned with a splash of beer and a dash of pepper.

Burning Asphalt BBQ Sauces from upstate New York's Amish farmlands, available in old-fashioned Dutch Apple and smoky-sweet Dutch Honey flavors.

Ann's Marinade from Durn Good: Robust and savory with a big, bold meat-friendly flavor, this marinade will tenderize the toughest cut of meat while bringing out its best. Use on roasts, steaks, venison, pork, quail, chicken & more. Already on sale, you get an extra 10% off with coupon!

Olio & Spices BBQ Fig Sauce is an exotically delicious, all-natural gourmet BBQ sauce from Israel that comes with FREE recipes and is Kosher, too. Already on sale, you get an extra 10% off with coupon!

Tortuga Spicy Seafood Grilling Sauce adds festive Caribbean flavor with a spicy kick to grilled, broiled or steamed fish and seafood.

Uncle Pete's BBQ Sauce: These award-winning South Carolina sauces are thick & rich, and come in
sweet/tangy Original, smoky Hickory, & peppery Spicy flavors. They come with FREE recipes, and our coupon gets you 10% off the already-reduced sale price!

Hot Sauces:
Bubba's Special Sauce: More of a salsa than a traditional hot sauce, Bubba's is chock-full of tomatoes and hot peppers for garden-fresh flavor without any vinegary bite. Already on sale, you get an extra 10% off with coupon!

Burning Asphalt Sweet & Hot Garlic Sauce, for folks who prefer flavorful habanero hot sauces rather than just plain heat. Already on sale, you get an extra 10% off with coupon!

Collegiate Hot Sauces are Louisiana style cayenne pepper sauces with the officially licensed logos of the ECU Pirates, the NC State Wolfpack, and the UNC Tarheels. So sorry, Blue Devil fans, but Duke doesn't license their logo for hot sauces...

Jump Up & Kiss Me Spicy Passion Fruit Hot Sauce is seductively fruity and fiery, perfect for adding island flavor and heat to chicken, pork, seafood and even stir-fry dishes.

Olio & Spices Lemon & Mint Chili Sauce from Israel is mild on the heat scale but high on refreshingly bright flavors (and it's Kosher). Enjoy with poultry, seafood, rice, and lamb. Comes with FREE recipes, and our coupon gets you an extra 10% off the sale price!

Pickapeppa Brown Sauce is THE all-purpose Jamaican table sauce and condiment that has pleased palates for decades. Pleasantly piquant and savory, it doubles as a tropical steak sauce.

Widow No Survivors Hot Sauce is spiked with capsaicin extract for a searing, unrelenting ultra-hot heat. With its trademark plastic black spider attached to the bottle, Widow is a favorite of hot sauce collectors and makes a great gift.

Condiments & Rubs:
Burning Asphalt Steak Sauces come in hearty Homestyle and spicy Sweet Pepper, for top-notch steakhouse flavor you'll never find in a grocery-store brand. Already on sale, you get an additional 10% off with coupon!

Capone Family Secret Mild Giardiniera: Legend has it that this was Al Capone's favorite sandwich condiment. Made in Chicago, this traditional Italian pepper condiment is terrific on subs, burgers, pizza, bruschetta and more. Comes with a FREE recipe for giardiniera pizza!

Durn Good Island Spice Seasoning brings the exotic flavor of Caribbean style curry to everyday dining. Already on sale, you get an extra 10% off with coupon!

Mama T's Mesquite Seasoning adds natural mesquite-smoked flavor to meats, poultry, and other robust fare. Already on sale, you get another 10% off with coupon!

Melinda's Habanero Steak Sauce blends fiery habanero peppers and other tropical ingredients into traditional steak sauce for an intriguingly tasty--and hot!--alternative to ordinary steak sauce.

Melinda's Habanero Ketchup is a grown-up ketchup that's fiery hot. It's also all-natural and has NO high-fructose corn syrup, unlike most grocery-store brands (which you'll never go back to again!)

Pluto's Caribbean Bliss Seasonings lets you sprinkle Jamaican jerk spices on any dish. Available in spicy Original, flavorful Mild, and hot Fiery--and with FREE recipes!

Thomas Gourmet Apple Chutney is an all-natural savory-sweet and zesty condiment for pork, chicken, turkey and beef. You can also use it as a glaze, or serve with cream cheese and crackers.

The Facebook coupon is good while supplies last (and don't delay because some of these products are selling out!), and will expire on March 31st.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Mini-Frittatas, Spicy or Mild

Here's a great brunch or breakfast recipe, which you can make either spicy or mild. Makes 12 mini-frittatas.

Ingredients
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt*
1/4 tsp dried parsley or tarragon (your choice)*
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup diced zucchini
1/4 cup diced jalapeno (for spicy frittatas) OR 1/4 cup diced sweet red pepper (for mild frittatas)
2 Tbs diced red onion

*If you prefer, you can replace the salt and herb with 1/4 (or a little more) of your favorite herb blend seasoning, such as Big Daddy's Superb Herb Seasoning or Mama T's Tropical Island Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350F degrees and grease a muffin tin (12-muffin tin). In a large bowl beat the eggs, milk, salt, herb and black pepper. Stir in the cheese, zucchini, jalapeno or sweet pepper and onion. Spoon evenly into muffin cups. Bake at 350F until just set, about 20 minutes or so. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing the mini-frittatas from the muffin cups, then serve.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

All Tony's Birdland Wing Sauces are Back in Stock!

Love chicken wings? Tired of the same old Buffalo style wing sauce? Looking for a tasty wing sauce that you can enjoy on MORE than just wings? Tony's Birdland Wing Sauces are for you, AND all three flavors are back in stock at the Carolina Sauce Company! From the popular Tony's Birdland chain of chicken restaurants in Rochester, NY, Tony's Birdland sauces are tangy-sweet and finger-lickin' good on chicken wings, whether fried or baked, breaded or naked, boneless or whole.

Unlike tart vinegar-cayenne Buffalo wing sauces, Tony's Birdland wing sauces have a mellower, sweeter tomato and apple cider vinegar base that makes them uniquely versatile and food friendly. You can marinate, baste, grill and even stir-fry with Tony's Birdland sauces, and don't limit them to just chicken: They're excellent with shrimp, veggies and rice dishes, make a great glaze for ribs, or a dipping sauce for fries, onion rings, chicken nuggets and even fish sticks (yes, kids love Tony's Birdland sauces). The Mild wing sauce has just a touch of red pepper for spunky flavor, while the Hot ratchets up the heat level with a heftier dose of crushed red pepper. And for a non-spicy, Asian-inspired flavor sensation, try Tony's Birdland Sweet & Sour Wing Sauce on your chicken wings, or with fried rice, egg rolls, lo mein or your favorite Chinese takeout!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Zesty Corned Beef Hash & Eggs

Still have some leftover corned beef from St. Patrick's Day? Here's a spiced-up version of corned beef hash that you can enjoy for breakfast or brunch this weekend, or anytime you're in the mood for some hearty comfort food. It'll definitely wake up your taste buds (and perhaps help clear the cobwebs if you're hung over...)

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
1 jalapeno or other hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
2 Tbs butter
1 cup diced cooked potato (for easier dicing, cook whole potatoes until just done and still firm)
1 cup diced cooked corned beef
2/3 cup beef broth (you can substitute chicken or vegetable broth)
1/4 tsp dried oregano, basil, marjoram or thyme
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 or more dashes of your favorite hot sauce, or an Irish-themed hot sauce, to taste
Salt to taste, if desired (I omit)
4 eggs

Melt the butter in a large skillet, then add onion, garlic, jalapeno & bell pepper and saute until tender but not browned. Stir in the potato, corned beef and broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Stir in the herb, black pepper, hot sauce and salt (if using). Use the back of a tablespoon or serving spoon to make 4 indentations in the corned beef mixture, then carefully break an egg into each indentation (see note below for a helpful tip). Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until eggs are done as desired, about 4 or 5 minutes. Serves 2 to 4.

Note: Here's a trick to help you add the eggs to the corned beef without breaking the yolks. Carefully break one egg into a small shallow bowl or sauce dish, then carefully slide the egg off the dish into one of the indentations in the corned beef. Repeat with each of the remaining eggs, one at a time.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Green Hot Sauces for St. Patrick's Day

Green beer for St. Patrick's Day is gimmicky. But green hot sauce... now that's a natural, even though (or perhaps especially because) Irish food generally isn't spicy. There's quite a few green hot sauces on the market--after all, most jalapeno hot sauces are made with green (rather than red-ripe) jalapenos--so I thought it would be appropriate to list some of my favorite green hot sauces on St. Patrick's Day.

Jalapeno Hot Sauces: I seek out hot sauces that "wear the green" naturally, rather than through the addition of artificial green coloring. In a jalapeno hot sauce, I prefer the straightforward tangy-hot flavor of fresh jalapenos, unencumbered by additional flavorings. An excellent example of such a food-friendly, naturally green jalapeno hot sauce is Melinda's Jalapeno Hot Sauce, perhaps the purest-flavored jalapeno hot sauce on the market.

Habanero Hot Sauces: Green habanero hot sauces are a little harder to find, as most habanero hot sauces use the yellow, orange or red varieties of habanero peppers. Although there are some very good "plain" green habanero hot sauces on the market, my favorite is the unique and delicious Marie Sharp's Green Habanero Hot Sauce, which gets its intriguingly pleasant flavor from nopal (prickly pear cactus). This gem of a hot sauce packs plenty of habanero fire, but the nopal provides a rich, vegetal flavor and more substantive texture that will add authentic Mexican flavor to homemade tacos, burritos, enchiladas, huevos rancheros, nachos and more.

Multi-Pepper Hot Sauces: Made with 4 different chili peppers--habanero, pasilla, yellow and serrano--Ring of Fire Tomatillo Hot Sauce delivers a burst of savory heat with layers of garden-fresh flavor. This is a foodie's hot sauce, as well as a favorite of chiliheads who enjoy good-tasting food. Made with all-natural ingredients including tangy tomatillos, garlic, and southwestern spices, Ring of Fire Tomatillo comes in a generous 12.5 oz bottle, more than twice the size of your typical hot sauce bottle!

Salsas: I have a "thing" for salsa verde, or green salsa. Made with green tomatillos instead of red tomatoes, salsa verde has more of a clean tang and less sweetness than regular tomato salsa, making it ideal for seafood dishes as well as other foods. Pepper Dog Salsa Verde is a superb example of a true salsa verde, made with the finest natural ingredients and sporting a spoonable, smooth (not chunky) texture that makes it excellent for cooking. Another favorite of mine is not really a salsa but rather an all-purpose jalapeno condiment: Just My Taste Jalapeno Dip. If you love jalapeno peppers, you must try this product! Nothing but fresh jalapenos, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt & just a touch of spices, combined into a thick, rich blend for spooning on your favorite foods, dipping chips, pouring over cream cheese, or adding to your recipes. Speaking of which, Just My Taste comes with pages of free recipes when you order it from the Carolina Sauce Company!

I haven't found a green barbecue sauce on the market, so if anyone knows of one--that's naturally green, not artificially dyed!--please let me know.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Last Chance to Save with March Coupon!

Our March Madness coupon sale ends tomorrow, March 17th, so you've got less than 36 hours left to take advantage of special savings on many zesty products including hot sauces, barbecue sauces, seasonings and condiments. You can get our special coupon code from the March Carolina Sauce Newsletter, where you'll also find the complete list of products on which you can use the coupon. With the special coupon code, you'll save 10% off the listed products--including already reduced sale items--when you shop online at the Carolina Sauce Company, or when you place your order by phone (919-286-1080) and mention the coupon code. But don't delay, as this special discount coupon will expire at midnight on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2011!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Spicy Chili Cheese Ball (& 2 Variations)

Here's a feisty, full-flavored appetizer to serve at your next March Madness party or other get-together.

Ingredients
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
8 oz shredded cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese (or some of each to total 8oz)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and minced
2 to 4 drops hot sauce (a basic vinegar-pepper sauce like Texas Pete or Scorned Woman Hot Sauce works best)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup chili powder

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT the chili powder until thoroughly mixed. Form into a ball. Place the chili powder in a shallow bowl or on a flat plate, then roll the cheese ball in the chili powder until completely and evenly covered. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove plastic wrap and serve with crackers.

Variations: For a tasty barbecue variation, use your favorite BBQ dry rub or seasoning instead of chili powder. And for a mild but flavorful option, omit the hot sauce, substitute 2 Tbs diced pimento for the jalapeno, substitute shredded mozzarella for the cheddar/Pepper Jack cheese, and substitute Big Daddy's Superb Herb Seasoning for the chili powder.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

How to Caramelize Onions

The sweet, rich flavor and buttery texture of caramelized onions make them a temptingly delicious topping for steaks, burgers, roasts and sandwiches. Caramelized onions are also wonderful in omelets, quiche, salads, casseroles and other recipes. It's very easy to caramelize onions. The trick is to let them slow-roast until they turn a lovely golden-brown color so that they develop that depth of flavor that's prized by chefs and great cooks. Because caramelized onions can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week--and because I enjoy them in so many dishes--it makes sense to cook up a whole bunch at one time. You can use any kind of onion, but I prefer sweet onions like Vidalia(R) or Texas sweets. And never substitute margarine for the butter! This recipe makes about 3 cups of caramelized onions, but you can use the same technique with much smaller ingredient quantities if you only need a little bit of caramelized onion for a specific dish.

Ingredients
4 to 5 lbs onions
1/2 stick unsalted butter (4 Tbs)
2 Tbs vegetable or canola oil (you can use peanut or olive oil but they will add their flavor to the onions)

Peel the onions, then chop into about 1/4 inch pieces. Melt the butter with the oil in a large (5 qt) saucepan or saute pan over medium heat. When the butter mixture is hot, add the onions and cook, stirring constantly, until they just start to turn brown (about 10 minutes). Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and have turned a light golden-brown color (this can take around half an hour, more or less).

If not using all the onions right away, allow them to cool and then place in a lidded container and store in refrigerator for up to a week.

If desired, you can stir in a little of your favorite dry rub or seasoning blend into the caramelized onions.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Collegiate Hot Sauces for NCAA Fans

As any NCAA basketball fan will tell you, March Madness is officially in full swing, with the big tournament just around the corner. If you enjoy college hoops as well as hot sauce, or know someone who does, we have the perfect condiment to add some flavor and spice to your basketball-watching dining menu: Officially licensed NCAA collegiate hot sauces! Made with all-natural ingredients here in the USA, these Louisiana-style cayenne pepper sauces add just the right amount of medium-hot burn with a food-friendly savory flavor that will enhance--not overpower or mask--the flavor of anything you splash them on. Excellent on everything from pizza to burgers, sandwiches, fries, chili, tacos, nachos and other snacky fare, these hot sauces are also ideal for making Buffalo wings, adding heat to salsa and other dips, and even in bloody Marys. Choose your favorite from the following three NCAA schools currently available:

UNC Tarheels Hot Sauce, with a Carolina blue and white label and one of the official logos of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

NC State Wolfpack Hot Sauce, featuring NCSU's red, white and black color scheme and the Wolfpack logo on the label

ECU Pirates Hot Sauce, the officially licensed hot sauce of East Carolina University with the fierce pirate logo on a purple and yellow label

Don't see your NCAA school listed above? Just email me (sales"AT"carolinasauce"DOT"com) with the name of your school and how many bottles you'd like (the price would be the same for all collegiate hot sauces, $6.25 a bottle) and I'll be happy to check to see if we can get their officially licensed hot sauce for you. Sorry, Duke fans, but there's no Blue Devils hot sauce available at this time--I've already checked.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: Looking for a coupon for any of the above three hot sauces? You'll find it in the March Carolina Sauce Newsletter. But don't delay: the coupon expires this Thursday, March 17th!

Gloria's Spicy Stewed Fish

This is my spiced-up version of a traditional Cuban recipe. Serves 4.

Ingredients
2 lbs red snapper (or similar fish) fillets
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 16oz can whole tomatoes (or 6 large ripe tomatoes), chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried oregano*
salt & pepper to taste*
2 large green bell peppers, de-seeded and cut into quarters
Cooked white rice

*You can substitute 1/2 tsp of Mama T's Tropical Island Seasoning for the oregano, salt & pepper

Heat the olive oil and bay leaf in a large saucepan, add onion & garlic and saute until translucent. Stir in tomatoes, jalapeno, oregano, salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove from heat, pour into a food processor or blender and puree (or use a hand-held blender to puree in the pan). Place the fish in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Pour the pureed sauce over the fish and then lay the bell pepper quarters on top. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until fish is cooked, about 20 to 30 minutes (be sure not to overcook). Serve over cooked white rice.

Note: For a complete meal with a Cuban theme, also serve some warm baguettes or Italian bread (or Cuban bread if you're lucky enough to live near a Cuban bakery), along with a simple green salad of lettuce, paper-thin cucumber slices, thinly sliced onion, and avocado wedges, dressed with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (Spanish if available) and a squeeze of fresh lime plus salt & freshly ground pepper to taste. Keep dessert simple and tropical: mango sorbet, or a simple fruit salad: combine pineapple, banana & canned sliced peaches (include some of the heavy syrup) with a splash of dark rum.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

If you like to make Mexican food at home, here's a handy recipe for making your own enchilada sauce. Unlike commercial enchilada sauce, which can contain artificial ingredients and flavorings, preservatives, or high amounts of sodium, your homemade enchilada sauce will be all-natural and wholesome. You can also make it as spicy--or mild--as you like.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/2 Tbs onion powder
1 tsp chili powder (Mexican if available)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Cayenne or ground red pepper to taste: pinch to 1/8 tsp
Your choice of Mexican hot sauce such as El Yucateco hot sauce, to taste (about one to 4 dashes)
1/2 Tbs cornstarch
1 Tbs cold water

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sauce comes to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the cornstarch and cold water in a small jar with lid, close tightly and shake well until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Remove lid and slowly add the cornstarch-water to the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until sauce starts to thicken. When it reaches desired consistency, remove from heat and pour over enchiladas or other Mexican foods. This sauce is also nice over hearty casseroles, stuffed peppers, pork chops, roast or grilled chicken, and more. Makes 2 cups.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Carolina Sauce Newsletter: March Madness Sale & St. Patrick's Day Recipe

New Orleans may have Mardi Gras and Rio may have Carnaval, but here in the heart of college basketball country we have March Madness. In the spirit of the festive insanity that seems to take over certain people and places this time of year, we're having a special coupon sale just for our Newsletter readers! Save 10% off the products listed below, including our UNC Tarheels, NC State Wolfpack, and ECU Pirates hot sauces, when you use the coupon code MarchBlog11 at the Carolina Sauce Company online store, or mention the coupon when ordering by phone (919-286-1080). There's no minimum quantity or order size required, but as always the more items you order, the more you save on shipping. This exclusive coupon is good for 10 days only and will expire on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2011, so don't delay and order today! Here's what's on sale with the MarchBlog11 coupon:

BBQ Sauces & Marinades:
Bear Man Black Bear Boogie, a thick, rich BBQ sauce that's sweet & tangy and seasoned with a splash of beer and a dash of pepper.

Burning Asphalt BBQ Sauces from upstate New York's Amish farmlands, available in old-fashioned Dutch Apple and smoky-sweet Dutch Honey flavors.

Ann's Marinade from Durn Good: Robust and savory with a big, bold meat-friendly flavor, this marinade will tenderize the toughest cut of meat while bringing out its best. Use on roasts, steaks, venison, pork, quail, chicken & more. Already on sale, you get an extra 10% off with coupon!

Olio & Spices BBQ Fig Sauce is an exotically delicious, all-natural gourmet BBQ sauce from Israel that comes with FREE recipes and is Kosher, too. Already on sale, you get an extra 10% off with coupon!

Tortuga Spicy Seafood Grilling Sauce adds festive Caribbean flavor with a spicy kick to grilled, broiled or steamed fish and seafood.

Uncle Pete's BBQ Sauce: These award-winning South Carolina sauces are thick & rich, and come in
sweet/tangy Original, smoky Hickory, & peppery Spicy flavors. They come with FREE recipes, and our coupon gets you 10% off the already-reduced sale price!

Hot Sauces:
Bubba's Special Sauce: More of a salsa than a traditional hot sauce, Bubba's is chock-full of tomatoes and hot peppers for garden-fresh flavor without any vinegary bite. Already on sale, you get an extra 10% off with coupon!

Burning Asphalt Sweet & Hot Garlic Sauce, for folks who prefer flavorful habanero hot sauces rather than just plain heat. Already on sale, you get an extra 10% off with coupon!

Collegiate Hot Sauces are Louisiana style cayenne pepper sauces with the officially licensed logos of the ECU Pirates, the NC State Wolfpack, and the UNC Tarheels. So sorry, Blue Devil fans, but Duke doesn't license their logo for hot sauces...

Jump Up & Kiss Me Spicy Passion Fruit Hot Sauce is seductively fruity and fiery, perfect for adding island flavor and heat to chicken, pork, seafood and even stir-fry dishes.

Olio & Spices Lemon & Mint Chili Sauce from Israel is mild on the heat scale but high on refreshingly bright flavors (and it's Kosher). Enjoy with poultry, seafood, rice, and lamb. Comes with FREE recipes, and our coupon gets you an extra 10% off the sale price!

Pickapeppa Brown Sauce is THE all-purpose Jamaican table sauce and condiment that has pleased palates for decades. Pleasantly piquant and savory, it doubles as a tropical steak sauce.

Widow No Survivors Hot Sauce is spiked with capsaicin extract for a searing, unrelenting ultra-hot heat. With its trademark plastic black spider attached to the bottle, Widow is a favorite of hot sauce collectors and makes a great gift.

Condiments & Rubs:
Burning Asphalt Steak Sauces come in hearty Homestyle and spicy Sweet Pepper, for top-notch steakhouse flavor you'll never find in a grocery-store brand. Already on sale, you get an additional 10% off with coupon!

Capone Family Secret Mild Giardiniera: Legend has it that this was Al Capone's favorite sandwich condiment. Made in Chicago, this traditional Italian pepper condiment is terrific on subs, burgers, pizza, bruschetta and more. Comes with a FREE recipe for giardiniera pizza!

Durn Good Island Spice Seasoning brings the exotic flavor of Caribbean style curry to everyday dining. Already on sale, you get an extra 10% off with coupon!

Mama T's Mesquite Seasoning adds natural mesquite-smoked flavor to meats, poultry, and other robust fare. Already on sale, you get another 10% off with coupon!

Melinda's Habanero Steak Sauce blends fiery habanero peppers and other tropical ingredients into traditional steak sauce for an intriguingly tasty--and hot!--alternative to ordinary steak sauce.

Melinda's Habanero Ketchup is a grown-up ketchup that's fiery hot. It's also all-natural and has NO high-fructose corn syrup, unlike most grocery-store brands (which you'll never go back to again!)

Pluto's Caribbean Bliss Seasonings lets you sprinkle Jamaican jerk spices on any dish. Available in spicy Original, flavorful Mild, and hot Fiery--and with FREE recipes!

Thomas Gourmet Apple Chutney is an all-natural savory-sweet and zesty condiment for pork, chicken, turkey and beef. You can also use it as a glaze, or serve with cream cheese and crackers.

Don't forget to enter the coupon code MarchBlog11 when you order any of the above products--and don't delay, because supplies are limited on some of these items, and the coupon expires on March 17th!

Greg's Mom's Country "Potatoes"

Turnips and bacon are traditional Irish foods. Sadly, some people are convinced that they hate turnips, usually due to an unpleasant childhood dining experience. When Greg and his sister were kids, their clever Mom succeeded in getting them to happily eat turnips (which the kids swore they hated) by calling them "country potatoes." No doubt the addition of bacon also helped!

Ingredients
1 lb turnips, washed, peeled & chopped into small pieces
3 to 6 thick slices of bacon
Salt to taste (you can omit if you prefer)
A small bunch of parsley, chopped

Boil turnips in a large pot until soft and easily mashed, about 20-30 minutes. While the turnips are cooking, fry the bacon until fully cooked but not too crispy. Place cooked bacon on paper towels to drain. When turnips are done, drain well and mash in a large bowl. Coarsely chop the cooked bacon and add to the turnips, together with the chopped parsley. Stir to combine (you can add a dollop of butter or a splash of cream for added richness), then serve--and remember to call them "country potatoes" (not turnips) if you're serving to picky eaters!

Operation Sauce Drop News

Operation Sauce Drop is our non-profit program that sends free gift boxes of BBQ sauce and hot sauce to US military personnel stationed abroad, at absolutely no cost to them. First, the good news: We've now shipped over 1,060 free gift boxes to our deployed military, thanks to donations from folks like you (and Carolina Sauce donates the labor involved and covers all admin/overhead costs). You can see how much this program means to our troops when you read their latest thank-you notes with photos. Now the bad news: Operation Sauce Drop has run out of money and cannot fulfill pending gift box requests or accept new requests from our troops until more funds come in. Our cost to purchase and ship each free gift box currently runs around $25, and the FULL AMOUNT of all donations received is used SOLELY to pay for the cost of the sauces & shipping. Please help us continue to send a taste of home to our troops by donating to Operation Sauce Drop. You can also shop to support Operation Sauce Drop, where some or all of the purchase price of the products goes straight into Operation Sauce Drop (you get the products you order, and the money you pay is used to send free sauce to the troops). Our troops will thank you for your support!

Find Recipes, Special Coupons, Product Reviews, Zesty News & More

The Carolina Sauce Facebook Page is your source for Carolina Sauce news, interesting food articles, and exclusive Facebook-only coupons. For access to these special coupons and the latest zesty news, simply visit our Facebook page and click on the "Like" button to become a Fan. You can then click on the Coupons tab and access special offers. And if you're looking for new recipes, grilling tips, product reviews, and the occasional chuckle, visit this blog regularly. Here's where we post delicious recipes, review new products as soon as they arrive, announce any discontinued or unavailable products, warn of possible product shortages, run special sales and discounts, and provide other useful information. Subscribe to our free RSS feed and you won't miss a single zesty thing! Simply fill in your info where it says "Subscribe To" on the left-hand column.

Follow SaucyGlo on Twitter for additional exclusive coupons, the latest food news, & for sharing zesty tips!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Short-Cut for Dried Beans

In my book, canned beans can't hold a candle to dried beans in terms of flavor and texture. Dried beans have a deep earthiness of flavor and a more substantial, toothsome density and heartiness that canned beans usually lack. The only advantage to using canned beans in cooking is their convenience: Just open a can, drain and rinse, and you're ready to go. Most people avoid using dried beans because they don't want to have to soak them overnight--and all dried beans except for lentils require soaking prior to cooking.

If you've been relying on canned beans for your recipes but would prefer to use dried beans if you could cut down the soaking time, this shortcut is for you. It takes less than two hours from start to finish, as opposed to the traditional overnight soak. Start with dried beans and pick through them to remove any little stones or other debris and any broken beans. Rinse the dried beans and place in a large pot with cold water: Use 6 cups of water for a pound of beans. Cover the pot, bring to a boil and boil for two minutes (you might need to reduce the heat just a tad to prevent overflow). Remove the pot from heat and let stand, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain the beans, and you're ready to use them in your favorite recipe.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Operation Sauce Drop Update

"On behalf of the 948th Movement Control Team, we would like to thank you for supporting our Soldiers who are deployed in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. Your support is integral in boosting unit morale. By sending different flavored sauces to our Soldiers, you brought smiles to the faces of young people who are away from the normal comforts of everyday life in the United States. As a result of your generosity, these Soldiers feel that people back home care about them and their mission." The foregoing is part of a letter thanking donors to Operation Sauce Drop, our nonprofit program that sends free gift boxes of hot sauce and BBQ sauce to US troops serving overseas. Thanks to donations from people like you, Operation Sauce Drop has shipped over 1,060 free gift boxes since its inception in 2008. The program is much appreciated by our troops serving far from home, as you can see from the many photographs and thank-you notes that they've sent--and if you haven't visited the Operation Sauce Drop Feedback & Photos recently, make sure to check it out because today I finished uploading the most recent photos and thank-you notes

Operation Sauce Drop wouldn't be possible without donations from kind-hearted folks like you. The program also benefits when you Shop to Support Operation Sauce Drop, where a portion of the proceeds from each product sold goes straight into the Operation Sauce Drop fund. Unfortunately, Operation Sauce Drop ran out of money earlier this year, forcing us to stop accepting new gift box requests from our troops. Presently there are four service members with pending gift box requests that we received just before we stopped accepting new requests, and unfortunately these troops can't receive their free sauces until Operation Sauce Drop has more funds.

The average cost to send a free gift box of sauce to a deployed servicemember is currently around $25. The entire amount of all donations received is used solely to pay for the cost of the sauces & gift boxes and the cost of shipping. The Carolina Sauce Company donates the labor involved in running the program, pays for all of the overhead, and contributes a portion of the costs for each gift box. If you would like to send a free gift box of sauce to a member of our armed forces serving far from home, and bring a smile to his or her face, please donate to Operation Sauce Drop or shop to support OSD. No donation is too small, and our troops will thank you for your support!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Superb Herb Butter

This recipe is ridiculously easy and is sure to bring rave reviews. Serve this delicious herbed butter with roast corn, as a spread or dip for bread or bread sticks, melted and drizzled over steamed or grilled veggies or fish, as a dip for boiled or steamed shrimp, or drizzled over popcorn. To add a spicy kick, simply add as much hot sauce as you want (up to a tablespoon), or omit the hot sauce altogether for a mild herb butter.

Ingredients
1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 Tbs Big Daddy's Superb Herb Seasoning
Opt: A dash or two of a basic vinegar pepper hot sauce, such as Texas Pete or Scorned Woman Hot Sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Serve "as is" or spoon into small serving dishes, or melt to use as a drizzle, or refrigerate for later use (I move the herbed butter into a small dish and cover with plastic wrap).

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Top 10 Best-Selling Rubs & Seasonings for 2010

Our final list of top ten best-selling products for 2010 at the Carolina Sauce Company online store is our list of the Top 10 best-selling rubs and seasonings, below. Enjoy!

1. For the third consecutive year, Calhoun's Charcoal Seasoning from the famous Calhoun's steakhouses in Tennessee was our best-selling seasoning or rub. Made with real charcoal, this is the dry rub you need if you want to enjoy charcoal-grilled flavor cooking steaks, burgers and other food when cooking indoors or with a gas grill.

2. The original flavor of Adams Rib Rubb is a North Carolina classic and was our second best selling rub last year. This award-winning BBQ rub will add great flavor to meats, poultry and even salmon, and will also tenderize tough cuts of meat like venison.

3. Also from North Carolina is our third-place finisher, the original Bone Suckin' Seasoning & Rub from the makers of the popular Bone Suckin' Sauce. For even more bone-suckin' goodness, you also now can experience the delicious flavors of Bone Suckin' Rib Rub in the fiery Bone Suckin' Hot Seasoning & Rub and the milder Bone Suckin' Poultry Seasoning developed especially for chicken and turkey.

4. Dropping a couple of spots from 2009 to 2010 is Bad Byron's Butt Rub, a Texas-style BBQ rub that's savory and pleasantly spicy. As the name suggests, Bad Byron's is perfect for pork butt but is also amazingly good on ribs (pork or beef), chicken, and anything else you smoke or grill.

5. Moving up dramatically last year to finish fifth is Greg's favorite dry rub, the award-winning Pig Pen's Original Seasoning. Made here in NC, this BBQ rub makes the juiciest steaks and chicken, is fabulous for smoking a pork butt, and also adds deliciously savory flavor to popcorn, french fries and vegetables.

6. If you want to enjoy real Chicago steakhouse flavor at home, you need Char Crust Roasted Garlic Peppercorn, a gourmet seasoning from the famous Al Farber's Steakhouse in Chicago. Enjoy this robust seasoning on all your meats, poultry, and even seafood and veggies.

7. If fall-off-the bone, finger-lickin' good ribs are what you crave, try Corky's Memphis BBQ Dry Rub from the popular Corky's BBQ joint in Tennessee. This is THE seasoning you need to make authentic Memphis dry ribs (no sauce) at home. And if you prefer Memphis wet ribs (with sauce), just get some Corky's BBQ Sauce, the perfect complement to their dry rub.

8. We go back to Al Farber's Steakhouse in Chicago for our 8th best-selling rub of 2010, the Original Char Crust Seasoning. This versatile gourmet seasoning add delicious hickory-smoked flavor to steaks, meats and poultry even when cooking indoors.

9. Breaking into the annual top ten list was the sweet & savory, gently spicy Bear Man Tummy Rub from northern New York. This delightful seasoning and rub is fabulous on chicken, pork, beef, seafood and vegetables--and it comes with a free recipe brochure when you order it from us!

10. Completing our list of the top ten best-selling rubs and seasonings is one of my personal favorites , Big Daddy's Superb Herb Seasoning from North Carolina. This gem of a seasoning is terrific on poultry, seafood, meat, veggies, and even scrambled eggs and in omelets. Combine with olive oil or softened butter for a delicious dip or spread for bread!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Easy Jalapeno Corn Muffins

Here's a quick and easy recipe for spicy jalapeno corn muffins. This recipe makes 12 muffins. If you prefer, you can bake the batter in a greased 9x13 baking pan, let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes after removing from oven and cut into squares. Preheating the pan before pouring in the batter gives the muffins a deliciously crispy crust.

Ingredients
1 package (8 1/2 oz) corn muffin mix
1 1/4 cups milk (whole, low fat or skim)
1 cup creamed corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or cheddar-pepper jack blend
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup chopped pickled or canned jalapeno peppers
2 eggs, beaten (or the equivalent egg substitute)
Olive oil or bacon grease for greasing the muffin pan
Optional: 1 to 2 tsp sugar
Optional: A few dashes of chili powder

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to combine thoroughly. Grease muffin pan (or 9x13 baking pan) with olive oil or bacon grease, and place greased pan in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and pour mix into heated pan. Bake in 400F degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow corn muffins (or corn bread) to cool for 15 to 20 minutes in pan before removing (or cutting into squares).

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Top Ten Best-Selling Mustards & Ketchups for 2010

Here is our list of the top ten Best-Selling Mustards and Ketchups (or catsups, if you prefer) for 2010 at the Carolina Sauce Company online store:

1. For the second consecutive year, our best-selling mustard was Bone Suckin' Mustard, a North Carolina favorite from the same folks who make the world-famous Bone Suckin' Sauce. Bone Suckin' Mustard is sweet and spicy, can be used for dipping and as a spread, and you can use it in cooking too--in fact, it comes with free recipes when you order it from us.

2. Moving up dramatically to finish as our best-selling ketchup (and second place on this list) was the fiery-hot Melinda's Habanero Ketchup, an all-natural, HFCS-free, savory ketchup that gets its blazing-hot heat from a hefty dose of habanero peppers. Use with caution on anything you'd use ordinary ketchup on: burgers, fries, onion rings, scrambled eggs, hot dogs, etc.

3. Also jumping up several slots from 2009 to 2010 was Melinda's Jalapeno Ketchup, a zesty, savory, all-natural ketchup (no HFCS) with plenty of jalapeno tang and medium-hot burn. This is my "go-to" ketchup at home, and once you taste it you'll never go back to regular grocery store ketchup (unless, of course, you live with a hot sauce wimp who needs the mild, sweet "kid stuff")

4. Another condiment I use at home finished 4th on this list last year: Texas Pete Honey Mustard Sauce, which is made in NC despite the name. Unlike other honey mustards, this one is less sweet and has a nice tang as well as a pourable consistency, so you can enjoy it as a salad dressing, a dip for pretzels and other finger food, or a condiment for sandwiches and grilled sausages.

5. The smoky-hot, all-natural Melinda's Chipotle Ketchup finished fifth on our list of best-selling ketchups and mustards. This all-natural ketchup is a favorite of foodies and chileheads with its rich, complex flavors and NO high-fructose corn syrup.

6. Durn Good Hot & Spicy Mustard is made in NC and lives up to its laudatory name. This traditional yellow mustard is spiced with just the right amount of peppery heat for a pleasant medium kick that will wake up your hot dogs, deviled eggs, brats, sandwiches, and anything else on which you slather it.

7. Dave's Hurtin' Habanero & Honey Mustard is an award-winning mustard that blends fiery-hot habanero peppers and red chiles with sweet honey for a tantalizing taste that enhances grilled foods and dresses up sandwiches & hot dogs.

8. The sweet and mildly spicy Burning Asphalt Zesty Jalapeno Ketchup from upstate New York broke into the top ten last year with a very respectable 8th place finish.

9. Another newcomer to the annual top ten list was Ass Kickin' Mustard, a Dijon style mustard that gets its feisty kick from habanero peppers and horseradish.

10. Completing our list of the top ten best-selling mustards and ketchups for 2010 was Burning Asphalt Blazin' Habanero Ketchup, a sweet ketchup with enough habanero and jalapeno heat to satisfy serious fiery foods fanatics. The racing-themed label makes this hard-to-find spicy ketchup an ideal gift for auto racing fans who like their food HOT.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria