Mama Chance's Kick Ass Hot Sauce... That Would Be Me

 When my daughter was in college at the University of Texas - Austin, she and her friends took to calling me Mama Chance and they all loved my hot sauce. As a result, my salsa evolved into being called Mama Chance's Hot Salsa. It is how I'm still referred to, to this very day. I kind of like it because it sounds just so sassy! You know. Like I could I could kick some bad guy's ass. Hahahaha! Yeah. Right. I'd probably be dead. However, if I threw this in a bad guy's face he'd be in pain for a very long time. ;-)



We love hot salsa in this house. We eat a lot of Mexican food, and I make a lot of Mexican dishes, so having a hot salsa on hand is a must.



Yesterday I made what I consider to be the absolute best hot salsa I've ever made. I mean, haven't you been there before? You just know when you (even accidentally) have nailed a recipe just right. It was just kind of magical that everything fell into place the way it did. It had the right amount of thickness, while not being too thick. It also has the right amount of heat, while not being unbearable to eat. It. Is. Perfect. While my hot suace is always good, there have been years that I haven't quite gotten it to the point that I want to be. Sometimes it's been too hot, sometimes too thick, sometimes too runny and sometimes not hot enough. Somehow, I managed to get it just right this year.



So, I'd like to share my recipe with you because I'm generous like that. Here it is:



Mama Chance's Kick Ass Hot Sauce:


Ingredients:

4 quarts of peeled, seeded fresh tomatoes (or you can use canned tomatoes since they are picked at the height of their flavor)

3 large yellow onions

1 large can of tomato juice (you could even substitute with bloody mary mix if that's all you've got)

20 cloves of garlic

2 green bell peppers

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

10 large jalapeno peppers

8 habanero peppers

1 bunch of cilantro

1/4 cup of red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste


Directions:



1. Using a food processor, pulse all ingredients (in batches) and place in a dutch oven or stock pot. Bring nearly to a boil and reduce to simmer.

2. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Stir every 10 minutes or so to make sure that nothing sticks to the bottom.



3. When done, use a ladle to spoon the salsa into canning jars. Place the lids on the jars and add the rings, making sure to not tighten too much, as that can sometimes compromise the seal.



4. Have the jars and lids ready at this point. Turn over and allow to stay that way for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. When turned right side up each jar should pop or already have popped. If one doesn't seal (pop) you either need to put in a hot water bath or just store it in the fridge and consume rather quickly. After opened, the contents last for approximately two weeks.

5. Of course, you are most welcome to adjust the amount of ingredients to your personal taste and I wish you good luck with that. Proceed with caution is perhaps my best advice.

I Went... I Saw... But, I Didn't Conquer

Yes, it's true. My hot sauce didn't win this year, but I'm always hopeful for next year. However, the hot sauce festival itself, was better than ever! The crowd was bigger than expected, proving that salsa rules in Austin, Texas.


They had some great bands that played throughout the day, as people stood in line to taste the many salsas. There were also commercial vendors and local restaurants offering tastings of their various salsas.


As I stood in line waiting to enter my two salsas, I met several 20-something girls who had canned their own hot sauce and were there to enter them. It warmed my heart to know that the younger generation is getting into this, as it looked like it was becoming a dying art at one point. With the economic recession, I think more people are gardening and canning than ever.


It was unbearably hot, to go along with the hot sauce theme of the festival, so I was fairly miserable in the heat. Thus, I was only able to remember to take a couple of shots. My mind turns to sheer mush in the heat, rendering me completely useless. At any rate, I will return next year and try again...



Later that night, I took my son and his roommate to dinner at Sullivan's, one of our family favorites. We're never disappointed with our meals at Sullivan's and this night was no exception.

We had the Calamari and the Escargot for starters, then I had The Wedge salad and their salmon, which was cooked to perfection.


My son had a steak, as always, and his roomie had the Sea Bass. For dessert we shared two, with one being their New York cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce and the other was Key Lime Pie with Raspberry Sauce & Mint.

I just love Austin and all that it has to offer. If there was any way I could get my hubby to move there, I would. In a red hot second...

I'm Headed To The Austin, Texas Hot Sauce Festival Competition & Food Bank Fundraiser With My Entries!

In years past I've entered my *red* hot sauce and my *salsa verde* (green sauce) in this hot sauce competition, with not even so much as a nod from the judges. Believe it or not, I was surprised. I was also disappointed and heartbroken (I was younger then, okay?), so I decided to not enter for several years. In the meantime, the festival and judging have undergone some much needed changes. Once I learned of the changes, I submitted my entry fee and form, and I leave Saturday morning for the Sunday competition down the road in Austin, Texas.


Now, don't get me wrong here. I'm not just in it for the possible contract with some big company to make my sauces commercially. Of course, that would be perfectly lovely, wouldn't it? But there is more to this festival than the competition. Proceeds raised from the entry fees go to The Austin Food Bank, as do all the cans of food requested as entrance into Waterloo Park, where it will be held. It is what literally allows the Austin Food Bank to survive yet another year. And, I'm not talking about feeding those in Austin who sell flowers on street corners. Those people have it made. I'm talking about all the families and individuals that have fallen upon hard times due to whatever misfortune has befallen them. They also invited restaurants and those who commercially produce their sauces, made in Austin, to offer mass tastings of their products. Trust me when I tell you that it is Hot Sauce Heaven.


In addition to the commercial producers, there is also a tent where the public is invited to try all the entries into the competition. But, this makes the competition a three tiered affair.


There are categories for home salsa makers (red, green & specialty), a restaurant category, and a commercial hot sauce makers category. This affords the judges a wide range of expertise and tastes. In the midst of all this going on, there are hawt Austin bands playing their music on the stage throughout the day. There are beer and wine vendors, as well as plenty of water and soft drinks vendors. It's a day of great fun and camaraderie among hot sauce fans, so if you live in the Austin area and have nothing better to do, get yourself over to Waterloo Park (located @ 12th & Red River) on Sunday.


The festival opens their gates to hot sauce competition entrants between 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM, when they must drop off their forms and their sauces. The festival is open to the public from 11:00 AM until 5:30 PM.


I've been making hot sauce for Christmas gifts all week, so it just happens to be the perfect time. I visited the organic Farmer's Market and loaded up on tomatoes, habanero peppers, jalapenos, onions, cilantro, and bell peppers. Since there wasn't enough of every ingredient, I also went to Sam's Club to finish getting the ingredients I would need. Throughout the week I've tried different (new) ingredients to enhance my almost perfect sauce, and yes, my friends and relatives will be the *guinea pigs* for all of my experiments this week. They've never yet complained, so I guess it's all good. Although I'd be a complete & utter moron to tell you my recipe at this point, I can show you a few pictures of the process. I'll let you know the outcome when I return.


Meanwhile, please keep your fingers & toes crossed or perhaps send a little prayer my way, if you can. And if you live in the Austin area, then be sure to get yourself down to Waterloo Park for the festivities! Hope to see you there...