Gourmet Sauce Business Thrives in Soft Economy.

Our good friend Gary at The Black Market Condiment Company could use your vote! Click the image and vote for BMCC today and everyday until they win the Home-Based 100 contest. No registration is needed so vote daily to show your support!

Black Market Condiment Company are purveyors of gourmet-style condiment products including pepper sauces, dry rubs, marinades, grilling sauces, grilling sprays and more. All of our products are all natural, contain no additives or preservatives, are gluten free and vegan friendly.

We are a true home based start-up company in the truest sense. Founded in December 2005 in our kitchen, Black Market has already had it's fair share of bumps and bruises and almost didn't happen at all. In our first year of business our contract packager built all of our products wrong and would not make good on their mistake. After a lengthy (1-year) attempt at arbitration, we decided to cut our losses and liquidated our entire inventory for nickles on the dollar. We then spent the next 14 months, and a bunch more money, working with a new contract packager who flawlessly took us from point A to Z of the process and in March of this year delivered three delicious pepper sauces that are now on the shelves of major and independent grocers all across the California Central Coast. With the sauces selling very well, we are now in the process of initial talks with a handful of distributors with the goal of moving into the northern, central and southern California markets in the next six to nine months, and other states in the southwest corner of the U.S. in the next year.

There were many times that we would have liked to have thrown in the towel and called it quits, but the desire to succeed at something we are passionate about outweighed any sort of adversity and in the end has only made us a wiser and stronger company.

Recent press release:

New Paso Robles Condiment Company Launches First Products

PASO ROBLES, California – June 08, 2009 – Black Market Condiment Company, a new Paso Robles based producer of innovative gourmet-style condiment products, announced today the launch of the first three products from their Original Black Market Brand line of pepper sauces.

The first three products to be released are their fiery roasted garlic pepper sauce, chipotle pepper sauce, and black pepper blend pepper sauce. All three contain no additives or preservatives, are all natural, gluten-free, vegan friendly and in the medium heat range. Being gourmet-style products, they are fairly complex and are made with only the finest ingredients, perfect for beef, chicken, lamb, pork, seafood, veggies, and of course, taco night.

Original Black Market Brand pepper sauces are currently available at all central coast Albertsons stores, select Spencer’s Markets, Meridian Vineyards, and New Frontiers Natural Marketplace, with more stores being added weekly. They are also available online at www.originalblackmarketbrand.com.

“All three of the Black Market pepper sauces have been very well received by local consumers,” says owner Gary Gannon. “We are thrilled to finally have our products out there and available to the consumer. Everyone who’s tried them absolutely loves them. They become instant fans and repeat customers,” he added. “We’re going to begin doing tasting demos at the stores that carry our line so that those who haven’t tried our products can have a taste and see for themselves why people are excited about them.”

Black Market Condiment Company is committed to providing high-quality and creative new products to those who wish to bring a new flavor dimension to their meals. Future product releases will include a full line of gourmet-style marinades, grilling sauces, dry rubs, and grilling sprays.

Turnkey Gourmet Food Business at Bargin Basement Price!

Monty's Gourmet Food has been in the business of selling specialty sauces, spices, pickles, and even oxygen, going on 10 years now.

Recently, due to Monty's declining health and the increased responsibility of caring for his elderly parents; Monty has decided to shut down the business and sell it off.

Monty's sauces hold the bragging right to over 50 awards and the Monty's Gourmet brand has been shipped to nearly every state. "This is a complete brick and mortar business in a box" says Monty Fritts.

Monty is looking to get only $9,000 for this entire set-up which even includes the inventory and fixtures to set up your own retail outlet. This is way below the value of the itemized listing provided by the accountants.

If you are wanting to get into the specialty food business; here is an inexpensive way to get everything you need to get started. If you are already in business here is a great way to get some inventory and fixtures at a steal.

The Last Bite would like to wish all the best to Monty. We hope that you have success in the sale of your business and take care of your health.

If you are interested in Monty's Gourmet Foods you can contact Monty directly for details at mfritts@montysgourmet.com

Marinade, Brush-on, or Dip. It Depends on the Sauce!

Have you ever marinated chicken in your favorite BBQ sauce overnight only to end up with a charred mess on the grill the next day? We tell you how to avoid this from happening again!

Marinade: There is no better way to get flavor deep inside your meat than the marinade method. You can use a dry rub or a wet mixture to impart that flavor. You do however need to be sure you are using an appropriate flavor delivery system to accomplish this. If you use a sugar, honey, or molasses laden blend you will surely find yourself in a sticky and burnt situation. If you like the idea of marinating try using a sauce like Stone Brewing Co's IPA Curry Mustard Grill Sauce. Perfect on chicken, pork, or even lamb, you can use more; brushed on top for a nice blast of flavor!

Brush-On: What could be nicer than a tangy glaze on your chicken or ribs? Many sauces are suitable for glazing. The key to identifying one of these is usually thickness. The thick sauce should be brushed or mopped on in layers during the last twenty minutes of cooking. This will give your sauce time to thicken further and caramelize on the surface of your meat. While BBQ sauce like Pebble Creek's, Phil's, or Russian River Fine Foods lines are all great for brushing on your meat, Tony Tah's Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing makes an incredible tangy glaze, especially if you are looking for something a little different for your family or friends!

Dip: Perhaps you opted for the dry rub method because you love that crusty bark on your brisket or ribs but you still enjoy some sauce with your barbeque. Dipping is the perfect way to have the best of both worlds. All the sauce previously mentioned are excellent for dipping, but don't just pour the sauce from the bottle into a bowl, nothing will put a damper on your BBQ like cold sauce! Heating the sauce for dipping is the perfect way to enhance both your sauce and the meal. The heat will help intensify the flavors and develop some caramelization and thickness, and you won't be giving your pork the cold shoulder!

Things Are Heating Up For California Caterer.

Do you remember that Top Chef Quaker Oats Challenge I asked you all to vote on a while back? Well here's the skinny:

Our fellow Foodie friend Maurice "Ben" Larimer made it to the finals and then he won the cook-off event with his Oatmeal Crusted Chile Relleno. He used a combination of Poblano/Pasilla peppers to keep things lively! The Chiles are stuffed with an Oatmeal Goat Cheese, Mango, and Grilled Chipotle Shrimp Stuffing, and are topped with a Green Chile Ranchero Sauce. Even the description is enough to get your mouth watering! “Top Chef Winner Hosea loved the dish”, says Larimer, “and so did Annie from Quaker Oats and Nikki”

The grueling day began at 7am with a walkthrough of the small outdoor kitchen. At 9am the dinner bell sounded and it was off to the races; only 45 minutes to complete the entire dish. Ben tells us that his best time so far was 47 minutes during his home trials. It seems as though Ben had found his groove and managed to complete and plate the dish with 2 minutes left to spare. I can’t imaging cooking Chile Rellenos start to finish is such a short time. Incidentally, Chef Larimer was the only male contestant out of the ten semi-finalists.

This cook-off is scheduled to air on bravotv.com on Monday, April 6th in its entirety. So be sure to check that out!

When Maurice “Ben” Larimer is not whipping up prize winning dishes in record time he puts his 21 years of culinary experience to good use at CocoMoe’s Catering in Red Bluff California.

With his passion for food and perfection Ben has acquired a reputation for amazing food, and an incredible sense of what foods fit best for your event. His experience dates back to 1986 when his first job was a dishwasher/prep cook in a small restaurant in Oklahoma. From there he has apprenticed under 2 separate chefs 1 Spanish, 1 Italian for a total of 4 years. After working in the industry for a number of years, Ben decided to give catering a try.

CocoMoe’s has catered for many celebrities including the likes of, Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Trace Adkins, Colin Raye, The Beach Boys, Jesse Colin Young and The Youngbloods, George Thorogood and The Destroyers. Also businesses and groups such as the Redding Rodeo Association, Shasta Regional Hospital, Wal-Mart Redding , and their most important accomplishment to date, over 11,000 Marines at 29 Palms Marine Base. As well as many residents of the Northstate here in California.

To learn more about Larimer and his catering business, you can log on to www.cocomoes.net

Canadian Hot Sauce Company Heads South For the Winter

I was recently speaking with Denzel Sandburg of Denzel’s Gourmet Foods in British Colombia, Canada. He was telling me that he may get his fantastic products out here to the Napa area for the Mustard Festival. Denzel recently learned that his honey mustard sauce took the top prize at the Napa Valley Mustard Festival Worldwide Mustard Competition.

Then today while surfing my usual food related searches I can across this article about Denzel in the Vernon Morning Star:

Denzel Sandberg has to drain every grocery store along Highway 97 in the Okanagan to collect enough habaneros — the spiciest naturally-grown hot pepper — for his world famous hot sauces. It takes about 20 pounds of habaneros to make a batch of Fire Hazard, a hot sauce ranking eight out of eight on his spicy scale because it uses twice as many habaneros as his next-hottest sauce (Dangerous Goods, a seven) and which he uses the word really three times to convey how hot it is.

“It’s my drug of choice. This one is ‘aahhh,’” he says, widening his arms as if he were imitating a bear.

In the four-hour process of grinding, chopping, and roasting the habaneros for Fire Hazard, his eyes burn, his skin flares and his nostril hairs seer.

“It smells good but it burns,” said Sandberg. “It hurts.”

Making hot sauce is hard work, which is why the Enderby entrepreneur/chef, whose bottles have been bringing him international awards since he started Denzel’s Gourmet Foods seven years ago, entertained the idea of getting into the barbecue sauce business. Less than a year later, three of his four barbecue sauces have won some of the world’s top sauce prizes.

We hope that we will see you in Napa!

Read the rest here...

IWYSWYG: Jack In The Box Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich

It's time once again to play IWYSYWG; or "Is What You See What You Get?" You know where you see all the amazingly delicious looking FoodPorn that companies put out to make you drool on your shirt. Then when you get the burger or other food item depicted in the advertisement it looks like the server carried out to you in their back pocket.

Today's selection is the Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich from Jack in the Box Restaurants. Below you can see the lovely stylized images that you are shown. Scrumptious!


Now here is the actual Jack In The Box Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich that we received:

We only got the one sandwich and did not have a fancy plate to place it on for the photo shoot but we figured the nice box that it came in would be good enough.

Perhaps this should be called a Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta Salad Sandwich? I mean what is with all the lettuce anyways? I'll have to do a little harvesting before I can attempt to eat this thing!

Clearly these don't look the same do they? But would you have ordered it if your expectations were not set real high? Hey it has chipotle on it. I would have ordered it sight unseen. In any event it was actually quite delicious and I would get one of these again.

The Last Bite will have to grade this WYSIWYG with a C. The real this albeit delicious was not very close to the image. The bun was not as toasty looking and the only topping you see it lettuce. Better luck next time Jack In The Box.

Do you have a WYSIWYG? Send us the information and we'll follow up, or send us your photos and we'll post them for other to see If What You See Is What You Get!

Just Simply Great Products!

Our friends at Just Simply Good Stuff sent us a box of sample to check out and we have been dragging our feet or tongues, getting to the taste tests. So recently we went on a total taste test rampage and dove head first into this box of savory spice blends.

Robin Carter’s seasonings are all created from scratch using her own recipes. They grind and mix individual chilies, herbs, and spices to create unique dry rubs and blends, and salt is only used to enhance the blends not weigh them down. Their spice blends are all natural, contain no MSG, and are simply delicious.

As it turns out Just Simply Good Stuff is more like Really Great Stuff! It has taken us quite some time to get through all the items that we received because they are so versatile we kept finding new uses for them. A favorite of our; the Lemon Lime Salt is fantastic on Beer Can Chicken. The Wild Game Rub elevated my Grilled Tri-Tip to new heights, and the Smoky Jalapeno Rub was extraordinary as a pre-seasoning for hot wings. We also used the Lemon Lime salt to make some remarkable Tequila Lime Prawns!

For those of you whom have been to the Just Simply Good Stuff website you know there is a library of recipes and serving suggestions that show you great ways to use these wonderful products. We went through and recreated a few of these to get a feel for how Robin intended the spice blends to be used. We were very pleased with the results! Here are the recipes that we used:

Smoky Jalapeno Corn on the Cob

Butter corn, sprinkle with Smoky Jalapeno Rub & Smoky Mesquite salt. Wrap in foil, grill or bake. This recipe is especially handy when you're feeding a crowd. Just unwrap the corn and you're good to go! (No need to pass around all of the butter and salt & pepper… it's already done!)

Grilled Zucchini

Slice zucchini lengthwise, layer 3 - 4 sheets of paper towels, lay slices on and sprinkle with kosher or sea salt, let set for about 20 minutes to draw out some moisture, rinse lightly and pat dry, brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle on Mediterranean Medley and Lemon/Lime salt lightly on one side; grill (2-3 min) until you get golden brown grill marks, flip & repeat. Remove, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately while hot.

Holiday Prime Rib Roast

Prime Rib Rub

1 Prime Rib Roast 7-8 lbs (or about 4-5 ribs)

Directions

Ask the butcher for the small end of the Prime. Season generously on all sides with our Prime Rib Rub, Place Roast bone side down in a hot pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees and cook about 20 to 30 minutes per pound. Test the beef with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the roast (center of the eye) being careful not to touch the bone. Remove the roast when the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees for rare, 140 for medium rare or 150 degrees for medium. Cover the roast loosely with aluminum foil and let sit for 1/2 hour. The internal roast temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees even after you take it out of the oven.

You can see how simple it is to get great results with Just Simply Good Stuff products. Try some of these unique and delicious blends and soon you will have your own favorite way to prepare Simply Great Food!

Launch Of A Gourmet Food Social Network

A social network for foodies? That’s what “The Last Bite Gourmet Food Network” is all about; people with a similar interests getting together on line to discuss issues, share recipes or techniques, or just read articles related to a subject that they are all passionate about.

While the giants like Facebook and Myspace dominate the social networking world Innuendo Enterprises LLC has created The Last Bite to offer a place where foodies can avoid the distraction of being “poked” or having 1500 friend requests to deny. We don’t have a Mafia or Texas Hold’em, and so far there is only one profile image of a scantily dressed person and he seems to be connected to a gas grill.

With no aspirations to become a social networking giant we will continue to develop and enhance The Last Bite to suit the need of our community. There is currently a forum where members can join in on an active discussion or start one of their own. There is a photo slideshow section where members can upload relevant images of interest; restaurants, products, or FoodPorn. The Blog sections of the site are currently being fed by three blogs; the original Last Bite Blog, The Smoky Chipotle with its 100% chipotle content, and The LABIT Report with its restaurant review and ratings data. Events pertaining to gourmet food are listed in the Events segment of the site, and there is a Chat area for real time live discussion and general interaction.

Each member of The Last Bite is allocated a member page that can be modified and personalized with their own blogs, photos, discussions, comments and even areas to promote their own sites, webstores, add widgets and links, RSS feeds, or anything relevant to the community.

This online foodie community is in its infancy and there are many future plans for expansion and enhancement as the needs arise.

Check out the buzz at The Last Bite Gourmet Food Network at www.thelastbite.ning.com

For The True Chipotle Fanatic!

With so much chipotle content I decided to split off the blog and create "The Smoky Chipotle". Dedicated to everything chipotle; The Smoky Chipotle will present products, reviews, recipes, and restaurants that glorify the wonderfully pungent smoky chipotle pepper.

Click over to The Smoky Chipotle for the best chipotle content on the net. While you are there share some of your smokin' hot chipotle stuff with all the other chipotle enthusiast. Whether it's the pepper, the restaurant, a product, or a recipe, we want to hear what you have to say!

See you at The Smoky Chipotle

A Call For Products; We're Looking For A Few Good Sauces!

Are you a gourmet food or specialty sauce maker? Are you located in Northern California? Are you interested in having your products placed in online and Bay Area Stores?

Innuendo Enterprises LLC is looking for some great new products to add to their current offerings. Your products; should they be approved for placement in our network will be presented to our ever growing list of retail clients. Your product will automatically be placed online with their retail affiliate RoJosGourmet.com and may also qualify to be offered to over 40 million shoppers a day on Amazon.com .


The criteria are as follows:

*Your product must be a shelf stable gourmet or specialty food item.

*Your product should be professionally packed in a FDA approved processing facility.

*You must have a professional label which includes ingredient declaration and nutritional facts.

*You should provide a price list of your submitted items which includes both wholesale and distributor price and your suggested list price.

*Your product should be made and stocked in Northern California.

*You acknowledge that any materials that you submit will be done at your own expense and regardless of the outcome your samples and/or materials will not be returned to you.

*All decisions are at the sole discretion of Innuendo Enterprises LLC and its officers.

We are particularly interested in expanding our Rubs and Spices, Salsa, dressings, olives and pickles, wing sauce, and condiments offerings.

If you would like to submit your specialty food items please contact us at INNUENDO CONTACT FORM and provide us with some details of your products.

KFC Accused of Trademark Infringement.

It has the potential to be a modern day tale of David and Goliath, if not for the fact that David was a hero with the best interests of his people at hand; perhaps more of a Jack and the beanstalk? In any event it is about a giant and a pipsqueak and it plays out like this.

Kentucky Fried chicken enters the market with their Original Recipe in 1940. It was not until 1974 when they toyed with the idea of a new formula and Extra Crispy was introduced. Now more than two decades later The Colonel has introduces an exciting new flavor in their Smoky Chipotle Crispy Chicken. Interestingly, KFC has decided to roll out this flavor for a limited time only despite the public’s craving for spicy chicken.

Yum! Brands in Louisville, KY; the world’s largest purveyor of fried chicken is the owner of the KFC brand with 14,000 locations in fifty states and ninety-eight countries.

Enter one Chuck Evans; in 1993 Chuck filed for a trademark for the descriptive term “Smokey Chipotle” for use as applied to sauces and condiments. The assigned examining attorney reviewed his application and in March of 1994 he was refused the registration of this trademark for the following reason:

RE: Serial Number 74/454518
The assigned examining attorney has reviewed the referenced application and determined the following.
The examining attorney refuses registration on the Principal Register because the proposed mark merely describes the goods. Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C. Section 1052(e)(1); TMEP section 1209 et seq.

A mark is merely descriptive under Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1), 15 U.S.C. 1052(e)(1), if it describes an ingredient, quality, characteristic, function, feature, purpose or use of the relevant goods. In re Gyulay, 820 F.2d 1216, 3 USPQ2d 1009 (Fed. Cir. 1987); In re Bed & Brealçfast Registry, 791 F.2d 157, 229 USPQ 818 (Fed. Cir. 1986); In re MetPath Inc., 223 USPQ 88 (TTAB 1984); In re Bright-Crest, Ltd., 204 USPQ 591 (TTAB 1979); TMEP section 1209.01(b).

In this case, the applicant’s specimens clearly explain that the main ingredient of the applicant’s hot sauce is CHIPOTLE chile peppers which are SMOKEY in flavor because the peppers themselves have been smoked. The words in the applicant’s mark merely describe the goods’ flavor and ingredients.

A response was filed by Chuck Evans’ council where he claims to have had uncontested exclusivity to the term “Smokey Chipotle” for at least five years and he furthermore amended the wording in the indemnification from “condiments” to specifically hot pepper sauces and salsas and no exclusivity to the word Chipotle is afforded. In October the trademark was published in the Official Gazette and apparently no opposition was filed in respect to this publication. Hmmm, I never got my issue of the Official Gazette that week? In Jan of 1995 Mr. Chuck Evans was awarded a trademark for the descriptive term “Smokey Chipotle” to be used as described in the manner above.

Since this historic day where a trademark was knowingly issued against a descriptive term despite the laws stated above that prohibit a trademark to be issued against a descriptive term Mr. Evans has laid out a full-on financial assault on many a small business owner. It is actually a running joke among people in the fiery food industry that Chuck makes more money terrorizing small businesses out of Smokey Chipotle bucks than he makes hocking his Smokey Chipotle wares. You could normally find a page on his website that details all the potential victims of his “cease and desist” letters who would not pay the ransom, however it seems the site has fallen victim to at least 4 Trojans and Google’s Diagnostic services has shut off access through their search engine.

On June 15^th through the blogger named Passow, Chuck has declared his intentions to move against the Fried Chicken giant KFC. Chuck is quoted as saying “I knew about this the day the 1st commercials aired since I was watching/listening to the television while cooking Smokey Chipotle salsa-true story.” “Yum! Brands, has totally diluted my trademark with a national/international advertising campaign to the point that the general public will forever associate “smoky chipotle” with KFC just due to sheer advertising muscle (2 spots air on all stations, including cable, seemingly all the time).” Passow goes on to say that Yum! Brands did not respond to an email request for comments.

Now, I’m not a lawyer, but in looking over the United States Trade &Patent Office paperwork I noticed that Chuck’s “trademark” is approved for use as applied to specifically hot pepper sauces and salsas, neither of those being fried chicken. Perhaps if KFC decides to make a hot pepper sauce or salsa they will be sure to avoid that term. Furthermore, the criterion for addressing a trademark infringement is described as being “confusingly similar”. Since Chuck has never held a trademark in the fried chicken business and his products have less than national recognition I would think that the confusion has been avoided.

I would love hear comments from those of you with trademark law knowledge, Consumers, and those of you who would just like to leave a comment.

Scorpion Bay Gourmet Hot Sauce sizzles at the San Diego Fancy Food Show.

(PRLEAP.COM) January 11, 2008 – To a gourmet hot sauce company, an opportunity like this is the key ingredient to gaining worldwide exposure. Such is the case for Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce. Scorpion Bay will be a featured exhibitor for the first time at the 2008 Winter Fancy Food Show, held at the San Diego Convention Center on January 13th—15th. The show, now in its thirty-third year, features more than 1,100 exhibitors from around the globe, and offers over 100,000 individual food items to sample.

“It’s a spectacular opportunity to put us on the “taste radar” of a much wider audience,” says Scorpion Bay’s founder and Encinitas resident Rob Burns. Burns, whose love of surfing and extensive travels throughout coastal Mexico first attracted him to the flavors of the region, began experimenting with thicker, Baja-inspired sauces from his kitchen. When his friends’ demand for these homemade sauces exceeded his ability to produce them, he realized that he had something special, and Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce was launched.

It’s been quite a ride as of late for this enthusiastic purveyor of hot sauce. Since his company’s humble inception, Burns is thrilled to add that he’s doubled sales every quarter, a remarkable feat in such a competitive marketplace. And his success hasn’t gone unnoticed. Just last year Scorpion Bay teamed up with the Southern California based retailer/distributor Hot Licks. In no time at all, customers were buying up Scorpion Bay’s unique flavors, and sales went skyward. So when Hot Licks decided to exhibit at this year’s Fancy Food Show, inviting its featured vendor was a natural choice.

At the show you’ll have an opportunity to get a taste of Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce served up on an iconic Baja offering—fish tacos. Attendees will get to sample from the company’s three eclectic flavors: HotAcado Avocado, De Arbol and Chocopotle Chipotle Hot Sauce. What makes all of these sauces stand apart is their consistency, which is noticeably thicker than traditional commercial hot sauces. Scorpion Bay’s motto, “Do what you love—do it well and you will never go wrong,” is found on the side of every bottle.

Full story Here

Black Friday Sale Already In Progress

Holiday specials on www.rojosgourmet.com include a five dollar off coupon, FREE jalapeño hot sauce, and FREE shipping on any order totaling $99 or more.

Newly launched is the RoJo's Gourmet Food Gift Certificate. These gift certificates can be purchased in any value from $5 up and can be emailed to your recipient instantly or we can print the gift certificate and mail it to you or your recipient. Either way the RoJo's Gourmet Foods Gourmet gift certificate is the easiest and most versatile gourmet gift available.

With all the insanity of Black Friday and Cyber-Monday RoJo's Gourmet Foods has launched it Holiday Sales promotions on Thanksgiving day. Now you can save yourself from the turkey and stuffing induced coma by hopping on your computer and doing a little holiday shopping from the comfort of your home.

Make the foodie, home cook, tailgater, or anyone excited about their gourmet gift this year. No standing in long lines, no worries about returns. Everyone loves to get a gourmet gift!

Shipping is automatically credited to your order when you reach $99. Use coupon code 5OFF to get five dollars of any order of $50 or more. Use Promo code NL0907BAJ on check out to get your FREE bottle of Gourmet Jalapeno Hot Sauce.

Surfing and Hot Sauce Meet at Scorpion Bay

Warm up your chilly winter night with the taste of Baja Mexico.

Upon returning home from numerous surfing adventures, they'd often find themselves craving that spicy, robust flavor synonymous with the Baja palette. So, with the knowledge amassed from the many adventures, complemented by a hearty dose of experimentation, three unique gourmet-style hot sauces that echoed the true taste of Baja were created. Enter Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce.

So, what makes Scorpion Bay unique, you ask? For starters, the gourmet-style sauces are unmistakably thick. As in T-H-I-C-K! Instead of making them easier to pour by thinning our sauces, they simply redesigned the bottles with a wider opening. And Scorpion Bay Hot Sauces can be used in a variety of ways: as a marinade, a delicious spike for chili, soups and salad dressings, and of course, all of your favorite Mexican foods. Better yet, come up with your own recipe and let us know. After all, variety is the spice of life!

Chocopotle Chipotle Hot Sauce Smoky. thick. Sweet. And a slight hint of chocolate. We combined them all, and added a few sprinkles of our own secret ingredients to bring you Chocopotle! A perfect as a marinade for pork or Portobello mushrooms. Thinking about a BBQ? Brush it on tofu, meat or whatever you have grilling over the coals. Once you've tasted this unforgettable hot sauce you'll find yourself saying, Chocopotle, where have you been all my life!

De Arbol Hot Sauce. Close your eyes and picture the quintessential hole-in-the-wall Baja taco shop. See that bowl of fresh homemade hot sauce on the table? Yep, that's what we've made. We took those De Arbol chili peppers people love, added creamy tomatillos and soon had a thick, fiery, authentic taco shop style hot sauce literally brimming from the bottle. Go ahead introduce it to chili, pizza, chips, fish tacos,the list is infinite as the flavor!

Like nothing you have tasted before, Hotacado Avocado Hot Sauce, this tasty original combines two staples of Baja--Haas avocados and fresh, sun-ripened jalapeno to create an unmistakably thick and creamy green sauce. Of course, you'll also taste that signature Scorpion Bay kick! Spike up your salad dressing, pour it into a bowl as a chip dip, add a splash to your eggs and be sure to have it on hand when the fish tacos are on the table.

Follow the link to find even more interesting gourmet gift on sale now!

Surf the Flavors of Baja...

Monty's Smokin' BBQ Sauce; Kansas City Style Done Right!

For those of you who are familiar with Monty’s Gourmet Foods; the new products and complete corporate transformation is old news. The rest of you should get on board because Monty has done BBQ sauce right.

I think we should start with the most standard flavor; Smokin’ Mesquite BBQ Sauce. It is a blend of molasses, herbs, and spices, and all the other goodness that Monty put in. This is the favorite for the BBQ lover; it is sticky and sweet and delicious, with just the right amount of smoky flavor. While this is a fantastic finishing sauce and makes a perfect glaze for your ribs, brisket or what have you, it is not the most daring flavor of the bunch.

The Smokin’ Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce is the Garlic Lovers Dream. It shows all the qualities of the mesquite sauce minus the molasses; and the garlicky goodness takes over and imparts the magical garlic joujou to anything you dip, brush, or pour this tasty sauce on. I can’t get enough of this one myself!

Chipotle, A word that simply means smoked pepper. It’s not that simple when it comes to Monty’s Smokin’ Chipotle BBQ Sauce. This is a marriage made in heaven. Just the right amount of heat has been joined to just the right amount of sweet. What more could you want? If you like your BBQ spicy Monty has created the perfect sauce for you!

The final product in this line is the Smokin’ No Sugar Added BBQ Sauce. I gotta say this is the first sugar free sauce I have tasted that actually tastes like BBQ Sauce. This sauce is diabetic friendly, carb friendly and most importantly taste bud friendly. Actually it’s Delicious! I have had over 20 people taste this sauce and none of them would believe it is sugar free! I even showed them the label and they still don’t believe it. It tastes that good!

You can get this sauce on sale at www.RoJosGourmet.com or at www.montysgourmet.com . Try some you’ll be hooked !