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.

Review: Silva's Taco Shop -El Cajon, CA

Have you ever gotten to the point where you just had enough? Enough Fresh Mex, or Tex Mex, and enough thinking outside the bun, or running for the border? Well when you hit the crappy Mexican food wall, and you will because there is definitely more crap than the good stuff out there, you will need to find a real taqueria to redeem yourself.

Silva’s Taco Shop in El Cajon, California is one such taqueria. In fact The Last Bite feels that Silva’s Taco Shop is the ubiquitous taqueria. This is apparent in the appearance and décor of Silva’s. The exterior of the building is painted in bright yellow and red high gloss paint and is trimmed out in orange. To the right is the patio; the furniture is made up of painted cinder blocks and table tops and benches are tiled. The interior of Silva’s is incredibly void of any décor, in fact other than the menu board and the special; hand drawn on paper an taped to the wall, I don’t recall any specific details of the dining room at all. This type of environment is crucial for the proper execution of taqueria fare. I’m convinced the more refined the atmosphere the lower the quality of the taqueria food.

The food at Silva’s is the shining star of the taqueria world. For this review we ordered a few of the different specialties that they prepare. The Rolled Tacos and Carne Asada Chips are both indigenous to the San Diego area and don’t try to tell me that these are the same as Nachos and taquitos ‘cuz they’re not!

The Carne Asada Chips starts with a large plate (Styrofoam clamshell) of tortilla chips and piled high with sizzling, savory, carne asada; under that carne asada is the smooth and delicious refried beans. The whole thing is then slathered with sour cream and Silva’s specially prepared guacamole. A mountain of shredded mild cheddar cheese buries this entire delight. We recommend having a bottle of Silva’s house made red sauce in hand for liberal application during consumption. It’s a huge portion so bring someone with you because it is so delicious you might try to eat it all by yourself and that will hurt.

If you’ve never had a Rolled Taco you haven’t really been to San Diego. Like I said before; the rolled taco is the furthest thing from the sad little taquito. Picture a fresh made tortilla stuffed with Silva’s shredded beef, rolled into a cigar shape and fried until it is crispy golden brown. Take 3 or 5 of those babies and line them up on a plate for the next step; toppings. The whole plate is topped with guacamole, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and a fist full of mild Mexican cheddar cheese. Again keep that red sauce, or green if you prefer, handy because once you start eating these addicting rolled tacos you won’t be able to put them down.

My favorite item on the menu is the Baja Style Fish tacos. Silva’s version starts with their house made tortillas. They are over stuffed with crispy golden brown pieces of deep fried fish, lettuce, pico de gallo, and their creamy rich white sauce. It’s served with a couple of lemon wedges and a squeeze bottle of the red or green sauce. Be prepared to drip this all over your shirt as it is so wonderfully indulgent you won’t even bother to stop and clean up ‘til it’s gone. The combination of flavors and texture in this taco will have you wanting for more but they are so big one or two is the limit.

Finally, my old standby, the Carnitas Taco, what could be more perfect than hunks of crispy seasoned pork; nestled in two house made tortillas and stuffed with the classic taco fillings of shredded lettuce and pico de gallo. The only thing that could make it better are the roasted Serrano chiles that are served on the tacos. Douse liberally with red sauce and get them in your mouth for an unforgettable taqueria experience.

All these dishes are served with Silva’s house made “Hot Carrots” in escabeche , just tender and fragrant with herbs and vinegar, they are the perfect accompaniment to cut the richness of the food and spank the pallet with a bit of heat between bites.

If you are looking for an authentic taco shop experience and not some prefabricated wannabe Mexican food slop, visit Silva’s Taco Shop in El Cajon and tell we sent you from San Francisco!

Silva’s Taco Shop
998 Broadway
El Cajon, CA 92021
(619) 447-4196

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!

Welcome Summer The Baja Way!

Now that summer is finally here and the smokers and grills are blazing away at full tilt chunking out briskets and burgers and baby back ribs, there is another food the is synonymous with summer; the Baja Fish Taco!

While I could go on about fish tacos and even come up with a decent fish taco recipe; a good friend of mine has already taken the time to do so. He is Rob Burns; the inventor of Scorpion Bay Gourmet Hot Sauces and the creative genius behind the blog at foodluvin.com

Rob's Recipe for authentic Baja Fish Tacos can be found by clicking this link. Be sure to follow up with his Pico De Gallo Salsa and the essential trinity of sauces that make this regional delight irresistible.

Fish Taco White Sauce
Avocado Sauce
De Arbol Hot Sauce

Rob has some great views, awesome products and wonderful recipes. That is what makes foodluvin.com one of The Last Bite's favorite blogs to eat!

Recipe: Spaghetti A La Mexicana

This recipe for a Latin inspired spaghetti was developed by the good people at the Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce Company. We recommend this version to spice things up a bit and bring your taste buds back to life. Winter can really dull your senses with all that bland comfort food.

Ingredients:

• 6 Jalapenos diced
• 2 Bell Peppers, Red or Green diced
• 2 Tomatoes diced
• 1 Large Onion diced
• 2 Large Portabella Mushrooms diced
• 5 Sticks Celerydiced
• 1 Bunch Cilantro Minced
• 4 Garlic Cloves Finely Minced
• 1 Bottle Scorpion Bay De Arbol Hot Sauce (Adjust more or less according to personal taste)

Additional Ingredients:

2 large cans Spaghetti Sauce, use your favorite flavor
1 Pound ground turkey or ground beef
4 Tb Chili Powder
3 Tb Italian Seasoning
1 Large Bag Monterey Cheese, shredded

Simple Directions:

1. Saute onions and garlic, saute until onions are translucent.
2. Add 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef, and spices cook meat until brown.
3. Add all other vegetables, spaghetti sauce, cilantro and hot sauce.
4. Simmer for 20-30 minutes Boil pasta in water until cooked al dente.
5. Plate the pasta, add sauce, top with a large mound of cheese and serve!

Really, It's Gourmet - Huitlacoche?

When you think of Mexican cuisine, what image comes to mind? If you are like most people it's gonna be burritos, tacos, enchiladas and a myriad of other Americanized dishes that have been adjusted to please our pallets. Today however we are looking into a food that never really quite caught on around these part, until now?

American farmers call it "smut" and "devil's corn" and consider it a disease to be eradicated. The people of Mexico as well as the American Hopi Indians consider the fungus a delightful delicacy.

Considered a pest in most of the United States, smut feeds off the corn plant and decreases the yield. Usually smut-infected crops are destroyed. However, in Mexico corn smut is called huitlacoche, (sometimes spelled cuitlacoche) It is pronounced (kweet-lah-KOH-chay) an Aztec word reportedly meaning raven's excrement. Gee, I wonder why they would have called this ever so attractive food by that name. It is considered a treat, even being preserved and sold for a higher price than corn. So to recap; infected corn is more expensive than healthy corn.

For culinary use, the infected kernels are harvested while still immature — fully mature corn infection is dry and almost entirely spore-filled. The immature infected kernels, gathered two to three weeks after an ear of corn is infected, still retain moisture and, when cooked, have a flavor described as mushroom-like, sweet, savory, woody, and earthy. Or as I would describe it a delicate blend of smoker’s lung, sweet corn and sweat socks. The Aztec's fashioned the fungus into dishes of crepes, soups, and tamales.

This fungal infection has had difficulty entering into the American and European diets as most farmers see it as blight, despite attempts by government and high profile chefs. In the mid-1990s and due to demand created by high-end restaurants, Pennsylvania and Florida farms were allowed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to intentionally infect corn with huitlacoche.

In 1989 the James Beard Foundation held a high-profile huitlacoche dinner. This dinner was intended to get Americans to eat more of it by renaming it the Mexican truffle. The menu was created by Josefina Howard of Rosa Mexicano restaurant and included huitlacoche appetizers, soup, crepes, tortilla torte, and even a huitlacoche ice cream. I’m pretty sure that this foods public relations nightmare has little to do with the name.

Huitlacoche can be bought as a canned good in some markets in the US and over the internet. Some farmers markets and organic growers are endeavoring to bring fresh huitlacoche to their customers and local food service trade. How does that old saying go, “when life gives you lemons…?” If you do manage to find fresh huitlacoche, immediately locate the field and burn it to the ground then turn the soil. If you insist on eating it here is a recipe:

Arroz con Huitlacoche (Rice with Huitlacoche)

1 cup rice, soaked 15 minutes in hot water, rinsed and allowed to dry
1/2 medium white onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1/2 can huitlacoche, or chopped, fresh-cut huitlacoche from two ears of corn
2 cups hot chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup fresh corn kernels (optional)
salt to taste

Preparation:

Sauté the rice, onion and garlic in the hot oil until the rice is golden. Add the huitlacoche and cook until the juices that run out evaporate. Stir in the hot broth and the corn, if using, plus salt to taste, lower heat and cook, covered, until the liquid is absorbed.

Good Luck!