Greg's Hot 'n Bothered Sauce - Limited Quantity Available!

Newsflash: Today I was able to obtain a small stash of the award-winning Greg's Hot 'n Bothered Sauce from a store that was closing, and all 9 bottles are now available and on sale from the Carolina Sauce Company! Greg's Hot 'n Bothered Sauce is a spicy, slightly sweet and nuttily savory marinade, grilling sauce, stir-fry sauce and general-purpose cooking sauce that won multiple Scovie Awards in 2005, and won the People's Choice Award for unique NC BBQ Sauce in 2004. Like the milder Greg's Happy Sauce, Greg's Hot 'n Bothered Sauce is a masterful blend of garlic, honey, ginger and soy in an olive oil base. There's no vinegar, no tomatoes, no high-fructose corn syrup, no gums or stabilizers (shake the bottle well before use!), just high-quality gourmet ingredients. To create the hot version, three different types of hot peppers were added, giving Greg's Hot 'n Bothered Sauce several complex and lingering layers of heat that stimulate and please the palate while complementing -- not overwhelming -- your food. Originally developed for venison and other game because of its tenderizing properties, Greg's Hot 'n Bothered Sauce is superb as a basting sauce on slow-cooking ribs and other meats, as well as a marinade and grilling sauce for chicken, salmon, and sauce-absorbing veggies like mushrooms and summer squash.

Although Greg's Hot 'n Bothered Sauce had quite a loyal following and had earned many accolades, we decided not to make any more when we sold out last year because the costs of production had gotten too high. I thought the sauce was gone for good, so I was thrilled when I had the opportunity today to buy back the last 9 known bottles. Now you can order Greg's Hot 'n Bothered Sauce, while supplies last! The sauce is currently on sale, and anyone purchasing a bottle will also receive a FREE recipe brochure and "Grilling Tips" flyer. So act now and get a bottle (or more) for yourself, because once this stash of Greg's Hot 'n Bothered Sauce is gone, it really will be gone for good!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

"Hottest" New Products - Too Hot to Handle??

Rumors are flying in the industry about the hottest hot new products featuring capsaicin and other chile pepper derivatives that are about to hit the market. You may have read in the news about the wrinkle-minimizing effects of capsaicin-laced face creams, or weight-loss benefits of hot-pepper-enriched diets, and you might know that pepper spray really is made from peppers. Well, I bet you didn't know about these hot new hot products coming soon:

1. Extreme Espresso: When a triple-espresso super-venti extra caff cup of joe no longer does the trick, it's time to jolt yourself awake with Extreme Espresso, which is a shot of espresso spiked with a drop of pure habanero pepper extract. One gulp and every neuron in your brain will be firing at top speed! And for folks who prefer a frothier brew, there's the Capsaicin Cappuccino, known as a "Cap-Cap(TM)" among hip baristas and customers at a well-known chain of coffee shops. Look for the Extreme Espresso and Cap-Cap only at the most cutting-edge coffee bars and cafes.

2. Peri Peri Perimeter Defense System(TM): This is the logical extension of those little hand-held personal defense pepper canisters. The Peri Peri Perimeter Defense System harnesses the incendiary firepower of the Peri Peri Pepper to create an intruder defense system for your home. Simply install the Peri Peri Perp Preventers(TM) around the perimeter of your home, and arm the system like a regular home alarm whenever you want to activate protection against burglars, trespassers, door to door solicitors, bratty neighborhood kids and other unwanted visitors. When the Peri Peri Perimeter is penetrated, a powerful blast of highly-concentrated Peri Peri Pepper spray douses the intruder, completely in"cap"acitating them and redering them harmless. Just make sure to follow the instructions, since you don't want to trigger a false alarm with this system!

3. Cap-Shot(TM) Mouth Spray: Similar to traditional minty mouth sprays for instant fresh breath, the Cap-Shot spray is sure to be a hit among serious chileheads and capsaicin addicts who can't wait until their next meal for a "hit" of hot sauce. Until now, capsaicin addicts have had to bear the stigma of carrying a bottle or two of real hot sauce (not that wimpy grocery store stuff) in their pocket wherever they went to make sure they didn't suffer through the painful and embarrassing symptoms of zest withdrawal induced by consecutive bland meals. The discreet and powerful Cap-Shot spray is the answer to a chilehead's prayers, packing the undiluted intensity of pure capsaicin extract in each blast. But in addition to giving you a legal endorphin high, the Cap-Shot has been found to also assist in weight loss among non-addicts by temporarily rendering them unable to taste anything (and depending on their sensitivity to hot & spicy foods, this effect may linger for a day or more).

4. Ephemera(TM), the Ultimate Ghost Pepper "Ghost Hot Sauce": I was a little nonplussed when I was given a sneak preview of this top-secret, not-yet-available-to-the-public hot sauce made only with the purest Jolokia pepper extract and purported to be the hottest hot sauce ever created. The Jolokia pepper, also called the "ghost pepper", was recently recognized as the hottest variety of chile pepper in the world, rating over 1 million Scoville units. Well, Ephemera Ghost Hot Sauce is made with such an intense concentration of Jolokia pepper extract that it truly is a spectral hot sauce. In other words, it's invisible to all but the most knowledgeable hot sauce fanatics. Not only the sauce is invisible - even the bottle is nothing but a ghost. And I confess that I couldn't see it when it was "shown" to me (and I thought I was quite the hot sauce expert). But don't be fooled into thinking there's nothing there -- you'll know otherwise when you carefully place a pinprick drop of Ephemera on your tongue! We're in the process of adding Ephemera to the Carolina Sauce Company store in the very near future (assuming we can hire someone who can actually see it and therefore keep track of how many we have in stock), so you'll soon be able to order a bottle for yourself. Just don't be surprised when you open the package and find what appear to be only some packing materials in an otherwise empty box - remember, Ephemera is the ultimate Ghost Hot Sauce and is invisible to all except the most sophisticated chileheads. Trust me, we really did ship you a product, so if you can't see it, it simply means you're not yet ready for Ephemera and need to complete your peppery education by buying and trying more different types of hot sauce!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Hellishly Hot Deviled Ham Spread

A serious chilehead submitted this fiery hot version of deviled ham spread, for our March Recipe Challenge. You can use it as a sandwich or canape spread, or even as a dip for pretzels or raw vegetables.

Ingredients
1 can (4 1/2 oz) deviled ham
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbs Twenty Pepper Sweet & Hot Relish
1 Tbs minced onion

Mix all ingredients well. Spread on bread or crackers, or serve as a dip. Caution: This is HOT!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: You have until Monday, March 31st, to submit a recipe using one or more Carolina Sauce Company store products, and we'll send you a discount coupon for the Carolina Sauce product(s) in your recipe, good through the end of the year!

Burning Asphalt Hot Sauces Back in Stock!

Buffalo NY and the surrounding area have a well-deserved reputation as the home of REAL Buffalo wings, but there's a little company that's gaining its own well-deserved fame for its special, racing-themed hot sauces. Admittedly, Burning Asphalt does make an award-winning Buffalo wing sauce, but its fiery and flavorful hot sauces are earning a following among hot sauce consumers and collectors. And happily, all four flavors of Burning Asphalt Hot Sauce are back in stock again at the Carolina Sauce Company! For pepper purists, there's Burning Asphalt Jalapeno Hot Sauce and the considerably hotter Burning Asphalt Habanero Hot Sauce. What I love about both of these hot sauces is that the first ingredient listed on the label for each is the namesake pepper, and as a result you taste the true unadulterated essence of the chile pepper. Neither hot sauce is vinegar-heavy, relying primarily on other ingredients for tang (the Jalapeno sauce also has some mustard) and body (the Jalapeno sauce has green peppers, while the Habanero sauce has tomatoes). Additionally, the Burning Asphalt Habanero Hot Sauce tends a bit towards the sweet side, which helps render the heat more manageable and tames the sharp edginess of habanero peppers.

If you enjoy habaneros but have a lower heat tolerance, or if you're seeking a sweeter hot sauce (they're especially nice on grilled meats as well as pork), then try Burning Asphalt Sweet & Hot Garlic Sauce. Made with a secret blend of different peppers plus a bit of habanero peppers for a medium heat level, the sweet garlicky flavor of this pepper sauce is unusual and quite good. If you prefer a more traditional garlic hot sauce, then Burning Asphalt Garlic Habanero Hot Sauce is for you. Not quite as fiery as the original Burning Asphalt Habanero Hot Sauce but still plenty hot, this garlic hot sauce is especially good on pizza and Italian foods -- and would make a great hot sauce for your homemade hot wings recipe.

Burning Asphalt Hot Sauces were developed by racing fans (which explains the race car and checkered flag on the label, as well as the name of course), and have a big following at racetracks and among NASCAR and Indy Car fans. This adds to their gift appeal -- and with that in mind, we've also assembled some sauce sets that would make great gifts for racing fans. So if you're ready to shift your taste buds into high gear, order some Burning Asphalt Hot Sauce today!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Hottest Hot Sauces: Da Bomb

This is the first in a series of posts featuring the hottest hot sauces available from the Carolina Sauce Company. While there are numerous different types of hot sauce currently on the market -- including traditional vinegar & pepper based hot sauces, fruit-flavored hot sauces, capsicum extract or pepper mash fortified hot sauces, and then regional styles like Caribbean, Mexican, African, etc. -- perhaps no category of hot sauce draws more attention than the ultra-hot hot sauces. Most serious hot sauce fanatics consider ultra-hot hot sauces to include those that are made with capsaicin extract or oil, thereby boosting the intensity and lingering effect of the heat in the hot sauce beyond anything that could otherwise be reached by using "natural" peppers. Da Bomb Hot Sauces made their reputation on upping the ante whenever the folks who make Dave's Insanity Sauce released a hotter version of their original "Hottest Sauce in the Universe." Thus, Da Bomb's first entry into the ultra-hot hot sauce arms race was Da Bomb Beyond Insanity, which rates around 120,000 Scoville Units (SUs) on the hot sauce heat scale. This level puts Da Bomb Beyond Insanity at #12 on our list of Hottest Hot Sauces, several places above Dave's Insanity Sauce.

Not to be outdone when Dave's Gourmet released Dave's Ultimate Insanity Sauce, Da Bomb responded with its release of the even hotter Da Bomb Ground Zero. Almost twice as hot as Da Bomb Beyond Insanity, Da Bomb Ground Zero sits at #3 on our list of Hottest Hot Sauces available at the Carolina Sauce Company. But that wasn't enough, especially once Dave's Gourmet started issuing their limited edition Dave's Insanity Private Reserve hot sauce. Instead, Da Bomb came out with its own weapon of mass destruction, the aptly named Da Bomb The Final Answer. Topping our list of Hottest Hot Sauces, Da Bomb The Final Answer rates 1.5 million SUs, which is three times hotter than military pepper spray. My verdict is still out on whether Dave's 2008 Private Reserve edition can meet or beat that heat level (our batch of the 2008 edition should arrive next week, and then I can report back).

So what do these ultra-hot hot sauces taste like? Honestly, I can't taste the different fruit extracts, spices and herbs listed on the label because of the extreme pain that just the tiniest drop of any of them inflicts (and I need to protect my taste buds as a "professional asset"!). A word to the wise: Da Bomb Hot Sauces are not toys, and are to be handled with extreme care. These ultra-hots are technically food additives (rather than hot sauces) meant to be used in tiny amounts during cooking (i.e., 1 drop will heat up an entire pot of chile), and are not meant to be splashed on served food. But if you collect hot sauces or are looking for a gift for a passionate chilehead, or if you are relatively experienced with ultra-hots, Da Bomb Hot Sauces are an indispensable addition to the collection or cupboard.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Southwestern Salsa Burgers

Here's the newest recipe submitted to our March Recipe Challenge. You select what kind of ground meat you want to use (beef, chicken, turkey or even venison), and you control the heat level with the salsa (mild, medium or hot). This recipe makes 4 burgers, and can be multiplied or halved as needed.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken or venison)
1/2 cup Pepper Dog Salsa (your choice of Mild, Medium or Hot)
Salt and Black Pepper, optional
4 slices of cheese, optional (pepper jack works well)
4 slices of tomato, optional
4 lettuce leaves, optional

Combine the ground meat and salsa in a bowl, season with salt & pepper to taste if desired, and mix well. Shape into 4 patties about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Spray your grill rack (or non-stick skillet, if cooking indoors) with olive oil spray, and then fire up the grill (or heat the skillet) over medium-high heat. Cook the burgers about 5 minutes on each side until well done (if beef or venison) or until the internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer reaches 170 degrees (for chicken or turkey). You can add a slice of cheese if desired towards the end of the cooking time. Serve the burgers on hamburger buns, topped with your favorite toppings.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: Don't forget to submit your favorite recipes using Carolina Sauce Company products by Monday, March 31st, in order to receive your discount coupon(s)!

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

The original Dinosaur Bar B Que restaurant was started by 3 biker friends in Syracuse, NY back in 1983. Billed as a "genuine honky tonk rib joint", Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has won national acclaim for its lip-smacking good, pit-cooked barbecue (ribs, chicken, pork and beef brisket) as well as for its blues club featuring excellent live music. The secret to the award-winning robust flavor of Dinosaur's ribs and other fare is in the signature secret spice blend used to rub the meats before grilling, and also added to their sauces. If you can't get to Syracuse (or to Rochester or NYC, where Dinosaur has opened restaurants), you can now enjoy great Dinosaur flavor on your ribs, chicken, BBQ and other home-cooked food. First, rub some Dinosaur Cajun Foreplay Spice Rub on meats before grilling, smoking, baking, broiling, etc. This all-purpose, all-natural seasoning blend adds savory and spicy notes to meats and vegetables thanks to paprika, garlic, black pepper, cayenne and roasted chilies -- and a secret blend of exotic spices. Not only is Cajun Foreplay perfect for seasoning slow-cooked ribs, but it's also wonderful for rubbing on pork shoulder and beef brisket, and sprinkling on veggies, too.

For slathering on ribs, BBQ chicken and other cooked food, there's Dinosaur Roasted Garlic Honey Bar-B-Que Sauce. This all-natural sauce pairs sweet honey with fresh roasted garlic in a sweet and smoky mustard-tomato base seasoned with Dinosaur's special spice combo, and an overall heat level of mild-medium. If you prefer fiery-hot barbecue sauce, then Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Wango Tango Sauce is the one for you. This hearty and hot bbq sauce starts with the same tangy, rich mustard-tomato base as the Roasted Garlic Honey BBQ Sauce, but then ratchets up the heat by adding habanero and cayenne peppers.

Don't let your taste buds fossilize by boring them with the same tired flavors - bring them back to life with Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauces and Cajun Foreplay spice rub, available at the Carolina Sauce Company!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Crowd-Pleasing Appetizers and Party Snacks

If you're gearing up for a NCAA tournament party this weekend for the Sweet Sixteen games, here's a list of crowd-pleasing appetizers and snacks ranging from flavorful without fire all the way to insanely hot and spicy:

*Buffalo-style chicken wings: Use Burning Asphalt Buffalo Wing Sauce as the sauce in your hot wings recipe. Don't already have a recipe for buffalo chicken wings? Try this: 1 cup of Burning Asphalt Buffalo Wing Sauce to every 5 pounds of chicken wings. First cook the wings: For baked wings, spread in a single layer on a pan and bake at 450 degrees for at least 30 minutes or until done. To deep-fry, cook in fryer at 375 degrees until crispy (10 to 12 minutes), then set on paper towels to drain & cool. Then place the cooked wings in a large bowl with a cover (or an extra large zip-top plastic bag), pour the sauce in, cover (or seal the bag) and shake well to coat. Serve with blue cheese dressing on the side, and raw carrots and celery sticks.

*The folks who make Bone Suckin' Sauce created this simple recipe for Bone Suckin' Meatballs: Place 5 lbs of precooked plain cocktail meatballs in a crockpot and pour in one 16 oz jar of your favorite variety of Bone Suckin' Sauce and one 12 oz jar of Bone Suckin' Mustard. Stir to mix and coat the meatballs. Cook on high for 1 hour, then set on low and cook for another 3 to 4 hours (add an extra 30 minutes on low if using frozen meatballs). Serve on hoagie rolls. Serves 10.

*Meat Lovers' Kabobs: Marinate cubes of beef, pork, venison, and/or chicken in Greg's Happy Sauce for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Skewer the cubes and grill or broil the skewers until done. Baste with fresh Happy Sauce if desired - don't baste with the used marinade! And yes, you can add veggies (onions, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers all work) to the kabobs, and even pineapple chunks if you wish.

*Big Daddy's Burgers: Add a splash or two of Big Daddy's Marinade to raw ground beef (or raw ground chicken or turkey) and mix in well before shaping the meat into patties for cooking.

*Pig Pen's Popcorn: Instead of plain salt, sprinkle on some Pig Pen's Original Seasoning on popped popcorn for a tasty change of pace!

*Add some tropical flair for dipping veggies, chips and pretzels by serving with a bowl of Wahoo Willie's Carribean Ranch Dressing as a dip

*For seafood lovers, serve nacho chips with a bowl of Blue Crab salsa made with real Maryland blue crab. Choose from spicy Original Blue Crab Salsa, fiery and smoky Chipotle Smoked Corn Blue Crab Salsa, and horseradish-hot Zesty Blue Crab Salsa.

*Serving peel & eat shrimp? Don't forget the Thomas Fish Camp Cocktail Sauce and Thomas Fish Camp Tartar Sauce for homemade flavor without all the work!

*For peanut lovers who like fiery foods, make sure you have a can of seriously hot Chipotle Peanuts, and/or pleasantly spicy-sweet Hot Honeys Peanuts.

*Need some hot sauce but not sure how hot to get it? Then get a few different bottles of Dave's Gourmet Hot Sauce, ranging from mild and tasty Dave's Ginger Peach Hot Sauce to the original "hottest sauce in the universe", Dave's Insanity Sauce -- and even hotter if you dare! Dave's has a heat level and flavor combination for every personal preference.

*Want to offer some "grown up" candy? Then get some Ass Kickin' Jelly Beans (they look like ordinary jelly beans but are spiked with habanero!) for fun and laughs, or Simply Wicked Fruit Ginger Bears for zippy ginger and real fruit flavor.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

FINAL WEEK: Submit a Recipe, Receive a Coupon!

This is the last week (technically, the deadline is next Monday March 31st) to receive a FREE discount coupon redeemable at the Carolina Sauce Company online store. Simply submit a recipe using one or more products available from the Carolina Sauce Company. If we accept your recipe and post it on this blog (we've accepted all submissions so far), we'll send you a 10% off coupon for that product or products! Email your recipe to "sales AT carolinasauce DOT com". For more details, see the "calling all cooks" post earlier this month.

Don't delay - the March Recipe Challenge ends next Monday, March 31st!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria