Firefighters Hot Sauce Will Provide Much Needed Relief

By enjoying this amazing pepper sauce you will be helping the Palo Alto Firefighters support many worthy charities.

Palo Alto Fire Fighter Lee Taylor has been growing peppers in the fire station backyard since 1994. After each harvest he would make his famous and zesty pepper sauce - which quickly became a HOT commodity.

Previously available only to firefighters in Palo Alto - Now you can enjoy the fiery taste of Lee's Pepper Sauce. All proceeds from the sales of this sauce will go to charity.

With tragic events like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina in the news and many local hospitals and schools needing more public assitance, the Palo Alto Fire Department wanted to increase their contributions to charity. Your support, by purchasing this pepper sauce, will help make this possible!

Help Them, Help Out! Order Now!

Napa Valley Mustard Festival - Marketplace '06

The Marketplace - A Signature Event for Connoisseurs

Celebrate the mustard season and taste mustards from around the world at The Marketplace, A Signature Event for Connoisseurs, on Saturday and Sunday, March 18 and 19, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts, in Napa.

Mustard and an array of gourmet products will be showcased alongside sensational Wine Country cuisine, world famous wines, hearty craft brews, and fine arts and crafts. Explore the best of Napa Valley at The Marketplace during the most beautiful time of year in the Wine Country, when the brilliant gold of mustard in bloom carpets hillsides, valleys and vineyards.

"If the sun is shining, you're in for a brilliant experience; if it rains, one of the coziest weekends of the year."

The rain or shine event features food, wine, and art exhibits from throughout Napa Valley. Highlights include fine art and exquisite crafts in expansive tented pavilions...

Celebrity chef cooking demonstrations presented by Viking Stove s and COPIA; MUSIC >>> including Folk, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Swamp Boogie Blues, and Zydeco!...a Sunset Magazine pavilion, and a KGO Newstalk AM 810 live remote broadcast of Dining Around with Gene Burns; and activities for children which include a hands-on art project area for children presented by the Arts Council of Napa Valley.

Advance Admission Package at $30 per person includes event admission and tasting package (eight food tasting tickets, five wine tasting tickets, and wine glass; must be 21 to purchase). The Admission Package will be available for $35 at the door. Admission for Students 13-20 is $10 (includes 5 food tasting tickets); Children ages 6 to 12 will be admitted for $5; and Children under 6 are admitted free.

Tickets are available in advance by phone and online order, and at various outlets.

Come visit RoJo's Gourmet Foods at the Dave's Gourmet Booth. Mention the Blog and we'll give you a bigger discount!

Crystal Hot Sauce Leaves New Orleans

Baumer foods Inc., most famous for its Crystal Hot Sauce is moving from their Tulane Avenue building. The specialty food company plans to occupy a building in St. John Parish.

Owner Alvin Baumer Jr would have liked to stay in New Orleans, however , hurricane Katrina filled their building with over five feet of water. Baumer was unable to find another suitable building within the Crescent City.

Before Katrina Baumer ran four lines twenty-four hours a day, five days a week. Baumer employed 220 people and posted sales of $54 million dollars.

Opening of the new plant is scheduled for the summer of 2006. Baumer expects to hire approximately 150 employees and hopes to expand and hire more people.

Baumer has a long history with the city of New Orleans. The company owns the building in New Orleans and is concidering keeping it as a warehouse. Many states have solicited him to relocate, but he never intended to relocate. The family business has operated in New Orleans since 1923.

Baumer to have their signature products back in restaurants and store shelves as soon as possible.

Don't Play With Your Food! - The Premier

Here is what you have been waiting for, the first official DPWYF image. Just in case you missed out on what to do, here are the simple rules:

We play with the food in the form of posting a photograph. While nothing has been done to alter the image, it should be somewhat challenging to identify. See, there it is on the right. Instead of you telling us not to play with our food, you will tell us what the food is in the photo. The winner of the prize is the person to be the first to log into the comment section of "DPWYF!" and correctly and completely identify that food item. The first person to do this wins the prize. Make sure you use a unique name to identify yourself. We will announce the winner on the blog. The prize for each contest will be identified, as we have done below.

The prize for correctly identifying the food in this photograph is an extemely innovative new product from the madman of hot sauce himself, Dave Hirschkop.

"It's Useful And Delicious!"

RoJo's Gourmet Foods will award a bottle of Dave's Hot Sauce & Garden Spray.

This is Brand New from Dave's Gourmet! After years of customers telling Dave that they use hot sauce to keep animals out of their garden and off their dinner table, they had an idea. They created this sauce to be a delicious addition to your food and a great way to keep deer and rabbits from eating your roses and carrots. The pump spray also allows you to have a more even distribution of sauce on your food.

For more information on this and many other product from Dave's Gourmet visit our retail site at: http://www.rojosgourmet.com

The terms of this contest are as described and are administered at the discretion of RoJo's Gourmet Foods. In the event of a dispute RoJo's Gourmet Foods reserves the right to make the final decision. All prizes and winners are determined by RoJo's Gourmet Foods. RoJo's Gourmet Foods may substitute any prize at any time for any reason.

Really, It's Gourmet! - Fugu (Blowfish)

Welcome to the first entry of “Really, It’s Gourmet”. Here we will feature food that, for pretty good reasons, you might be afraid to eat. If you know of such a delicacy that might be eluding us, fill us in and we will share it with the world. If you have had personal experience with a featured item, we really want to know how that went for you!

Fugu (blow fish) is a fish which actually contains deadly poison in its organs. Despite the risk, fugu dishes remain a delicacy in Japan. Fugu is referred to as blow, globe, or puffer fish. This characteristic is most obvious as its protection behavior. It's reported that about 40 kinds of blow fish are caught and cultured in Japan and that 10,000 tons of blow fish are consumed each year. Shimonoseki-city in Yamaguchi, is known as Fugu city and supplies a large amount of the deadly delight to extreme food bungee jumpers.

"I want to eat fugu, but I don't want to die"

There is an old expression that goes; "I want to eat fugu, but I don't want to die". Makes sense to me. What I want to know is who was the first person to eat this bloated sea porcupine, and when he died why did people keep eating them? Since fugu's poison can lead to instantaneous deaths of diners, only licensed cooks are allowed to prepare fugu. You must have special skills and extensive knowledge about fugu to be licensed. The poisonous parts of the puffy diver differ, depending on the species you are currently filleting. This keeps things fun, like Russian roulette for sushi lovers. Because of the strict regulations, the number of deaths is decreasing. Well, that’s a relief. I’m feeling much better about having myself a death fish sandwich, and perhaps living through it.

Fugu dishes are usually expensive, perhaps due to the high insurance bills. One meal can cost in the neighborhood of $100 to $200 per person. But there are inexpensive fugu dishes (from $15 to $20) available at some restaurants. Personally I think if it has the potential be your last meal you might as well splurge! It's said that the most poisonous type of fugu, "Tora-fugu," is the most delicious. Tora-fugu is expensive and can cost you over one hundred dollars at a fish market. I would be careful cleaning it when got home! Nowadays, prepared-fugu is sold at grocery stores and online stores, and fugu is eaten at Japanese homes. So beef up your life insurance go online, get some Fugu and make a nice dinner for your spouse. Fugu dishes are becoming more common than they used to be. Winter is the best season to eat fugu. No one wants to die when the weather is nice!

In case you need some Fugu serving suggestions:

1. Fugu-sashimi - Thinly sliced raw fugu. Served with ponzu dipping sauce.
2. Fugu-chiri - Vegetables and fugu are simmered in konbu dashi soup in a large pot. Served with ponzu dipping sauce.
3. Fugu Kara-age - Floured and deep fried. (fish & chips of death)
4. Fugu Hire-zake - Grilled fin is put in hot sake drink. (Fugutini)

Two Goombaz Crew at Large!

When you think Goombaz, what comes to mind? Our Two Goombaz always think of food. When they think food, pasta is always involved. That’s why our Two Goombaz created this line of fresh from the kettle, Italian gravy.

Two Goombaz brings you the ultimate in flavor and freshness in their line of Italian Gravy (pasta sauce). Two Goombaz makes all of their sauces in small batches to preserve the incredible, old world flavor, and homemade style of these treasured family recipes.

Due a small hiccup with labels, only three of the five members were released. "Tony's Basil & Garlic", "Carmela's Cacciatora”, and "Meadow's Marinara" made bail. The crew will soon be joined by "Silvio's Sicciliana" and "Paulie's Puttanesca"; as soon as they’re lawyer gets them sprung!

Future plans include expanding the crew with a line of Two Goombaz Italian Gravies that feature wine infused flavors, a line of gourmet pasta to compliment the sauces, and a line of Two Goombaz Salad Dressings.

Customers have been writing it to tell us about their experiences with the current members of the “Two Goombaz” crew. This is what they had to say:

We love the fact that your sauces taste so homemade; it does not have that tomato paste flavor that most jar sauces have. J.C., California

Thank you for making “gravy” that tastes like my Mom’s. The Cacciatora reminds me of being back home. R.S., WI

It’s Good….Really, Really, Good! B.H., OR

For more information on the Two Goombaz line contact RoJo’s Gourmet Foods at:

http://www.rojosgourmet.com

Don't Play With Your Food! - The Contest

Welcome to the introduction to RoJo's Gourmet Foods new contest, "Don't Play with your Food!". How many times did you hear the phrase "don't play with your food!" when you were growing up? Do you find yourself telling your kids the same thing? Well that is exactly what we intend to do here. We will play with the food in the form of a photograph. Instead of you telling us not to play with our food, you will tell us what the food is in the photo.

So here is the breakdown; periodically, we will post an image of, what else, food. It will be your job to be the first person to log into the comment section of "DPWYF!" and correctly identify that food item. The first person to do this wins the prize. The prize for each contest will be identified. While the example we chose for the introduction of "DPWYF!" is a particularly easy one to identify, this will not always be the case. Beside there is no prize for the introduction, so what do we have to lose?

Stay tuned fellow foodies this contest will bring some great prizes. As time goes on the pictures will get harder to identify and the prizes will get bigger and better! As always your comments and feedback are always appreciated.

The terms of this contest are as described and are administered at the discretion of RoJo's Gourmet Foods. In the event of a dispute RoJo's Gourmet Foods reserves the right to make the final decision. All prizes and winners are determined by RoJo's Gourmet Foods. RoJo's Gourmet Foods may substitute any prize at any time for any reason.