Tears are one of the human body’s most expressive reactions. They represent emotion and the body’s chemical response to phyical and psychological triggers. There are sad tears, there are happy tears, and then, there are the tears that stream down your face but you’re loving every minute of it. These tears are the result of your tastebuds and sinuses coming in contact with capsaicin–according to Wikipedia, the active component of chili peppers– basically, the tears that come from tasting something spicy. Over the years, after growing up on the border in El Paso where everything is a little zestier, and after being exposed to all kinds of salsas in the cultural hub of Austin, I have come to treat spicy foods as my release after a long day, and my excuse to reach for just one more chip. The spicier the better, when it comes to my tastebuds, and I’m not satisfied until I’m crying. (Sounds extreme, but I assure you, it’s true).

This is why I wrote about my experience at the Austin Hot Sauce Festival in August in a post entitled “Sizzling Sauces”. Actually, when I wrote it, it was called “Sizzlin’ Sauces”.  A “g” has since been added in response to a comment on my blog on the Hot Sauce Festival post from a man named Chef Bud Selmi who makes his own hot sauce in New Hampshire. His comment pointed out that the post title “Sizzlin’ Sauces” was identical to his trademarked company name and requested action be taken so they would not be identical. He informed me that he makes hot sauces on the East Coast, has won many awards for his recipes, and that hard work had been put into developing his business and brand.

As a blogger who is passionate about what I write about, I put forth my best effort to represent information accurately, and in good faith, as I believe most bloggers do. It is rare that an overlap of information is intentional as in this case, when I simply created an alliteration to make my post title catchy. As a blogger with a marketing passion and an entrepreneurial spirit, I very much appreciated Chef Bud’s comment, and especially acknowledge the hard work that goes into developing a new business and brand.  As a result, I adjusted the spelling of my title and notified Chef Bud that I was happy to do so.

In response to making this editorial edit, Chef Bud requested my physical address to send me an appropriate thank you note. I responded with my address, and mentioned I would love to try his sauces sometime, being from El Paso and a spicy fanatic.

Then, last week, while I was talking to Mom as I walked in the door after work, I found a small box with my name on it. I was not expecting a package, and had no idea what the contents would be. Mom got to hear my excitement as I opened the box to find 4 bottles of award-winning Sizzlin’ Sauces hot sauces for my tasting pleasure with a personally handwritten note by Chef Bud himself.

After I got off the phone, I took about 1 minute to take a picture (shown above), and then you better bet I ripped open the labels on two of the sauces, the garlic relish, a box of crackers (Kashi of course), and went at it.  Luckily, local Chef David Kogan happened to be visiting during the tasting, and offered his sophisticated palate insights.  I also gifted a bottle to soon-to-be Dr. Elliot Saperstein, a special college friend I saw last weekend who also loves a good kick.

As I tasted, I wrote down the thoughts that came to mind immediately so I wouldn’t mix the two up or forget how the first one tasted. I also documented reactions from Chef Kogan and Elliot. Here’s the verdict:

Papa Jack’s Buffalo Hot Sauce – 2010 Golden Chile Award

Rebeccammendations (R): Sweet at first, flavorful, complex, slow consistent heat
Kogan (K): Hot, while not being too hot. Good balance of sweet and sour.

XXX Spittin Fire- 2007 Golden Chili Award

R: Intense, tears in my eyes, rolling down my cheeks. Sweet, but then BAM!
K: I can see why it was the 2007 winner, because it has a great beginning, then just runs up from the gut like it’s on fire.

Razing Cane Garlic Relish- 2009 Fiery Food Challenge Winner

K: The relish is sweet without being hot. You could put it on grilled lamb, burgers, and fish. I don’t know about hot dogs. It would also be delicious over brie.

Creepin’ Quag Buffalo Hot Sauce– 2008 Fiery Food Challenge Winner

Elliot: I had it with Mahi Mahi fish tacos. It is rare to find a hot sauce that has as much flavor as it does kick.

You can order Chef Bud’s sauces online and search through his hot sauce recipes. I found Chef Bud’s Homemade Salsa recipe online and thought I’d share with you. 

Chef Bud’s Homemade Salsa
1 can Diced tomatoes in juice(drained)
6 ripe plum tomatoes
1 can tomato puree
1 medium size onion – fine dice
3 cups V-8(may use Spicy)
1 green pepper diced fine
1 red pepper diced fine
2 fresh jalapeños
Juice of three limes
1 small bunch Fresh Cilantro
1 Bunch Scallions sliced thin
1 Tbl Kosher Salt
Spittin Fire™ or XXX to taste

Procedure:
Drain diced tomatoes
small dice everything else (Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Jalapeños)
Mix everything together in a mixing bowl
Place in a container and refrigerate overnight to blend flavors

Thank you, Chef Bud…you have successfully satisfied my tastebuds, and evoked tears that are the sign of a truly well made hot sauce.