Review: Bryner's Classic Hot Sauces

This has been a particularly busy year for me so far and as a result I have gotten quite behind in my hot sauce reviews. I figured this was a perfect opportunity to thin the “to be reviewed” shelf by doing a two-for! Today’s review is a pair from Bryner’s Classics; Bryner’s Best & Momma’s Mild. With two at once your gonna have to try’ in keep up now. So here we go!

Initial Impression: First impressions can be deceiving. I have to admit I was not overly impressed by the overall look and feel of these sauces. That is part of the reason this sauce has been sitting on my shelf for so long. While the actual sauce inside the jars looks great the packaging had me constantly reaching for other selections. I guess it’s true; you really do eat with your eyes first. The smudgy, homemade labels were just not enough to make me want this sauce.

Ingredients: “Bryner’s Best”: Carrots, Vinegar, Peppers, Water, Onions Garlic, Sweeteners, Citrus Juices, Salt & Other Spices.“Momma’s Mild”: Carrots, Vinegar, Peppers, Water, Onions, Garlic, Sweeteners, Citrus Juices, Salt & Other Spices.

Interestingly enough both jars contain the exact same ingredients? Huh, that’s odd? The other thing that stands out to me is “Sweeteners”. Is it sugar? Corn syrup, cane juice, agave, Splenda? What is the secret? I’m pretty sure the FDA would insist that there are no mystery ingredients allowed in a product packaged for sale to the public. Anyways, the list is clean and looks good!

Appearance: Aside from the color; both of these sauces have pretty much the same appearance. They are both nice and thick and pile up on the plate when poured. Both sauces are smooth yet a bit pulpy, and neither sauce has any seeds or particles floating around in it. When left to sit a minute in the plate the liquid began to run out from around the edges of the sauce. Be sure to shake this one well before applying.

Aroma: “Momma’s Mild” is just that in the aroma department. It has a vinegary tang up front and if you Hoover on it some more you will pick out some onion and garlic. The “Bryner’s Best” on the other hand wallops your nose with aromatic spices. There is a definite soy and Worcestershire aroma to this sauce yet neither is listed in the ingredients. The garlic stands out a bit more in this flavor. Let’s Eat!

Taste: Momma’s Mild is certainly mild, with only the slightest warmth the sweetness comes to the forefront. Right after the sweetness there is a vinegary tang that hit me so hard I winced. The warmth of the peppers comes through in the finish along with some garlicky tones.

Bryner’s best is a completely different sauce despite the ingredient declaration similarities. The first flavors that rush over your taste buds are a smoky, sweet, steak sauce type of flavor. The sweetness and heat come in together in the center of your tongue and the finish is a long, garlicky flavor.

The Food Test: Moussaka! No, that is not some kind of Middle Eastern curse word. It is a Greek dish made of layers of eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, ground beef, with sauce and Mediterranean spices. As it turns out, Moussaka is a great pallet for these two sauces. I started with a nice blob of each on separate pieces just to try it out. In the end I poured about a quarter of each bottle on my wonderful meal. The Moussaka’s blend of flavors and spices was able to tone down the sweetness of the sauces and the other flavors were able to shine through.

Conclusion: Whether you like it mild and sweet, or on the spicier side; Bryner’s Classics has a flavor that will suit your taste. They grow their own peppers and have been making this sauce for the past twenty years. There are no preservatives or artificial ingredients. If you go to their site at http://brynersclassics.com/ordernow.htm you can even get a pack with each of their flavors for free!

Packaging 1/10 – Homemade, smudged.
Aroma 7/10 – Fresh & Tangy

Appearance 10/10 – Smooth & Sexy
Taste 6/10 – A Bit on the Sweet Side
Heat 5/10 –Momma’s is a 2.

Overall 6/10

5 Keys to Success In The Gourmet Food Business.

The Specialty Food business can be a great place to forge out your future. You can take a simple recipe and make a fortune if you play your cards right. There are many success stories that illustrate this exact phenomenon. You would most likely recognize brands like K.C Masterpiece or Soy Vay, but how can you get your family recipe produced and elevated to these heights?

Here are five points to help you succeed and avoid the pitfalls that will squash your momentum:

1. Keep It Simple! If your family recipe has 50 ingredients and has to be simmered for eight hours it is definitely not suitable for a production filling process. Food manufacturing is not like home cooking. A simple formula is the best and will help you produce a clean and consistent product. But don’t give up yet; a food developer can take your complicated family recipe and convert it to a production formula that tastes and looks similar to your treasured family recipe. A good food developer is your best friend in the specialty food business. They will know how to recreate your recipes look, feel, and flavor profile, while keeping the process and production costs into account.

2. Avoid Niche Products. While it might be a really cool thing to have the hottest hot sauce on the planet, or a ridiculously hilarious racy label; the reality of it is that the food business is a business of volume. A superhot hot sauce might be ok for a tiny portion of the Chile-head population or as a novelty to put on a shelf, or to poison Uncle Creepy’s dinner when he comes to live on your couch for a week. But you will have a hard time making a living on a product that sits in the fridge for years and is used a molecule at a time. Think repeat sales! A marinade or milder pepper sauce that is used in one or two meals will keep the jars flying off the shelves.

3. Image Is Everything! When it comes to succeeding in a small business image is definitely everything. By being professional in the operations of your business you can appear to be larger than life. When it comes to your product the same rules apply. Hire an artist to design your labels and product packaging. While it seems cool to save a ton of money by creating your own art you will only be hurting yourself in the long run. People need to be drawn to your products and labels that you created in Photoshop and printed on your color laser will do nothing more than have you selling at the local swap meet.

4. Keep Your Customer In Mind. Customers buy benefits not products. Does your product offer customers any benefits over your competition? Make sure you can offer the best possible version of whatever you are producing. You might be the best tasting or a new variation of an existing product. Maybe you are the least expensive or you are offering an all natural version. Whatever it is, if you don’t think you are the best you should probably rethink your product.

5. Never, Never, Never Quit! Unless you have just created a revolutionary new product that no one has ever seen and can’t live without, you will not likely have buyers falling at your feet. Keep promoting your product, Keep calling buyers, and keep the excitement going. It takes some time, but once the stubborn buyers hear your messages for a while, and see your brochures over and over; they will invite you in to show your goods. That is your time to shine. One customer at a time, they will become many and you will be looking for my next blog post; “How to survive the pressures of the specialty food business!”

Conclusion

While these tips might not turn you into Paul Newman overnight, they will get you going on the right track. If you are looking into a specialty food business and have little or no experience, any of the points or possible pitfalls listed here could make or break your business. Please feel free to comment on any of the points listed.

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.

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!

You Can Grill the Perfect Patty!

Everyone can grill burgers right? You might be surprised at some mistakes that are sabotaging your delicious meal. Here is a video to hep you perfect your grilled hamburger!

Review: Cowboy Diner Slings Some Great Hash

Thursday, as on many days, I found myself on the road making customer calls. This day however I am in the Santa Cruz Mountains, that’s right it’s not all on fire. What is smokin’ hot is a little eatery in Felton, CA called the Cowboy Diner; also known as Cowboy Bar and Grill depending on which sign you see first.

We entered through the patio door which leads you right through the bar. This place is really kitschy with a covered wagon pass-through from the kitchen and the faux cow tablecloths. There is even an iguana on the wall next to the horse paintings and cowboy movie posters.

The lunch menu, printed on purple paper is loaded with quirky titled dishes. There is a nice selection of starters, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and larger meals available to choose from.

Our server recommended the soup du’ jour which was a three pork soup made with bacon, ham, and loin. Being a massive carnivore I could not resist a medley of three porks! We also decided to try the Pig Wings; tender little ribs that are glazed in a sweet and zesty sauce and served with a bowl of Pasilla Pepper Cream Sauce for dipping. Both of the starters were top notch.

I decided on the “Range Rover”, a half pound buffalo burger. It was served with American cheese and I opted for an addition of bacon and green chiles. The burger was a perfect medium and garnished with some thinly sliced red onion, tomato, and baby spring greens instead of the usual iceberg. On the side was some horseradish coleslaw.

Monica selected the Angus Beef Burger which also arrived cooked perfectly and dressed similarly. Both burgers were served on a soft bakery roll that really added to the enjoyment of the sandwiches. The Angus burger was served with a side of light and crispy fries, perfect to dip in the Pasilla Cream from the appetizers.

The menu also includes items such as a Sloppy Jed; barbecue pulled pork on a steak roll, and Yam Cakes served with ranch dressing and a sweet Jalapeno Glaze. We will be back to try those selections. With the portions being a large as they are I’m not sure we will ever get to see a dessert menu.

Whether you are a devout carnivore or a vegetarian the Cowboy Diner has something to please everyone. The next time we are in Felton we will be sure to stop in for another mess of vittles.

Gourmet Gadgets: Grill Tek 6-in-1 Multi-Tool

I have real mixed feeling here. While I love new gadgets, I really dislike schlock. In all fairness let's break this new gadget down to see where it fits in!

First of all there are six tools in one and according to the manufacturer they are essential to grilling greatness:

An electronic cooking timer with alarm is definitely essential to achieve grilling greatness. How else will you be able to perfectly time the correct doneness of your steaks and such.

A digital clock was most likely included with the timer module and in my opinion calling this a tool in itself is a bit of a stretch.

A utility knife may not contribute directly to grilling greatness but it will help you open that ridiculously difficult to open bag of salad that will go with your steak. If you try to cut into your steak with this knife to test for doneness as depicted in the photo you will most likely be demoted to grilling grunt for your dry steaks.

A bottle opener? Personally, the drunker I get the better my food tastes so this must be an essential tool. Heck get everyone a beer and open it for them since you have the opener strung around your neck.

A bright LED light to check doneness; especially if you have those pesky guests that insist on well-done steaks. You will likely need this LED as you will be cooking deep into the dark nighttime hours.

And Finally, a built-in whistle to call everyone to the table. Nothing says come-n-get-it like the shrill blast of a whistle.

The whole thing clips to a belt loop or lanyard which is included, then extends on a retracting reel, ensuring that no mater how many beers you have opened you will still be able to deafen your guest when the food is ready.

The Grill Tek 6-in-1 Multi-Tool runs on 3 button cell batteries, which for a change are included. So if you have the Dad that has everything or is just plain hard to shop for you can pick this baby up for only $19.95 at a gourmet gadget retailer near you.

Review: Il Fornaio, San Jose Just OK.

Having heard so many great things about Il Fornaio , I was excited to finally get to this San Jose eatery to experience it for myself.

The venue itself is quite wonderful in the Hotel Sainte Claire. We were sat at a table that looked out to the street; which usually makes dining an interesting combination of food and people watching. Our server was fantastic and looked after us with great care. A basket of assorted fresh breads and some olive oil and balsamic vinegar was presented by one of the server’s assistants. I ordered a Barbera for a nice alternative to the usual Cabernet or Pinot Noir.

Our starter was the Calamari Fritti; it was light and crisp with a tangy marinara for dipping. I did end up with a few pieces of membrane from the squid that I had to spit out. I would have expected that from a lesser chain restaurant but not this type of venue.

We split the Insalata della Casa and I must say I expected it to be a bit larger for nine bucks. Beside the price it was just bland. Hard to figure out why with a Gorgonzola dressing this salad should have screamed tangy, but alas it did not.

The main courses were Cannelloni Al Forno; large pasta tubes filled with rotisserie chicken, spinach, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella, bechamel and tomato sauces and, Cappellacci di Zucca; Ravioli filled with butternut squash and walnuts, tomato sauce, brown butter, parmesan and crispy sage. The cannelloni was under seasoned and lacked any excitement. The filling was just a ground up mix of mush. I found the butternut squash filling in the ravioli to be stringy and also lacked seasoning. The browned butter was more like burned butter and the crispy sage was battered as opposed to the usually crispy light frying of sage in similar dishes.

As if the marginal food was not enough, half way through dinner the sun came blazing in on us in a scorching beam of heat. It was as if there was a giant mischievous boy with a magnifying glass; and we were his ant victims. I wrestled with the blinds but they were either too short or broken to block out the fiery beams of sunlight. We moved to the opposite end of our table in an attempt to escape the rays.

At this point I wanted to leave but my companion felt I should have dessert to keep the review well rounded. So we ordered coffee and the dessert special of the night Canolli and Profiteroles. The coffee was excellent. The dessert was ok. I felt the canolli shell was too hard and the filling was no better than any canolli I had had before. The gelato filling in the profiteroles was more like Dryer’s than gelato with none of the gooey texture you expect from a good gelato. The highlight of the dessert was two little biscuits that seemed like an afterthought on the plate. Those biscuits were awesome with the coffee.

If you are looking for a nice night out with excellent service and you don’t mind paying a bit for it Il Fornaio is a possibility. If it’s great Italian food you are looking for, I would look somewhere else.

Recipe: Roasted Chicken with Honey, Mustard & Curry

This simple and fast recipe makes a hearty supper that everyone will enjoy. This roasted chicken is both sweet and savory with just a hint of spice.

Serve it with some steamed vegetables and your favorite rice or potato on the side!



INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place chicken pieces in a shallow baking pan, skin side up.
3. Combine the melted butter, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder and pour the mixture over the chicken.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours (75 minutes), basting every 15 minutes with pan drippings, until the chicken is nicely browned and tender and the juices run clear.


Submit your favorite recipe to be posted and you could receive a free gourmet gift if selected. Drawing for free gourmet gift is random and at the sole discretion of "The Last Bite".

Sausage Kingdom Destroyed By Pawns.

I’d like to start off by saying that Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom in Venice Beach, California is without a doubt the greatest gourmet sausage or hot dog you might ever sink your teeth into. In contrast to this Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom in Gilroy, California is perhaps the biggest culinary disappointment of the year.

Being a huge fan of this brand from many trips to southern California I always tried to make it out to Venice to get one of these tasty, snappy hot dogs or sausages. The line; always long, but worth the wait and the product never disappointed me. I was very excited to see the brand at the Gilroy outlets one day. I thought I recognized it from the distance but I had to get closer to confirm that it was true, and it was. On opening day I was there to get the goods; a Kobe beef hot dog and some chili-fries. Jody Maroni himself was there schmoozing the customers and the food was great.

Unfortunately, shortly after the Sausage King left for his southern kingdom the jesters quickly took over and the food quality seemed to become a lesser priority. I submitted the following letter to let them know of my concern for the quality of what was a great product:

Dear Jody Maroni's,

I wanted to write to let you know about my latest visit to your Gilroy store.

I have been a huge fan of your products for many years, frequenting the Venice Beach store many times and most lately the Gilroy Store.

We were there on opening to support the brand and have always felt you had a superior product.

Today I ordered my favorite; Andouille Sausage fully loaded.

When I bit into the sausage something was wrong. The outer ¼ inch was hard and dry. The cut end of the sausage looked dried out and black and I was concerned about the quality of this meal. I proceeded to remove the sausage from the bun to find a large fissure on the side, most likely caused by being dropped in the deep fryer for reheating. This dog is dead! Inedible, and really disappointing.

When I would think of the Jody Maroni Brand I knew I was getting a quality product. I'm not sure the people running your Gilroy store have the same conviction to quality as the corp stores.

I'm afraid I no longer have faith that the quality meal I have become accustomed to can be provided at this location. I know that franchises can easily lose the company mission. I know today they did not even come close to meeting that mission:

"To make the world's greatest gourmet sausage.

To carry the spirit of the boardwalk to the boardroom, the

supermarket and the streets - wherever people work, shop and

stroll.

To serve the world's greatest sandwiches, hot dogs and fries.

To amuse, delight, satisfy and enlighten."

Perhaps the next time I find myself in Venice Beach I will be able to enjoy the Andouille Sausage again.

I must say I was very impressed when I got a reply within twenty four hours, in fact it may have been less than eight hours. The reply is as follows:

Dear Mr. Levi:

I am so sorry to hear about your experience but am glad you took the
time to tell us about it.

I have passed on your observation to our director of operations and the
gm of the location. You should hear from them as well.

I can only say that we intend to do a lot better and can only improve
with comments from our customers such as you.

I hope you will give it another try.

The General Manager of the Gilroy location did in fact also reply within a short period of time, here is his reply:

Dear Mr. Levi,

My name is Sean O'Donnell and I am the General Manager of Jody Maroni's Gilroy location. Our corporate office forwarded me your e-mail and, upon reading it, I was shocked, upset and embarrassed.

I can assure that the standards of Jody Maroni's product and service are just as important to us here as they are in Venice. The quality of our product is what sets us appart from the rest of the field and keeps a loyal guest such as yourself coming back for more. All of the Jody Maroni philosophies that you listed in your e-mail are more than just retoric to us. They are the reasons we do what we do. I would not be able to wear the smile that I do and joke around with my staff and guests if I wasn't sure that we were serving the best
product out there.

I can't apologize enough for the sub-standard meal that you received and wish that I had an acceptable reason for it other than temorary insanity. I can only assure you that our staff is dedicated and well trained and that this momentary lapse will not be allowed to happen again. The team members here in Gilroy take great pride in what they do and I can tell you that they were more upset with one another than with me when I read your e-mail to them this morning before we opened.

My words here are sincere but, I know, they are just words. It is our actions that mold and define us. That is why I hope you will accept this email as an invitation for you and a guest to come back to Jody Maroni's in Gilroy and let us show you what we are really made of. You have my personal guarantee that your next visit will be worlds apart from your last. Hopefully, we can restore your faith in the idea that you can get the best gourmet sausage out there, a warm smile, and good laugh at Jody Maroni's no matter what beach it is on.

Sincerely,
Sean O'Donnell
General Manager
Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom

Well I guess he was right, maybe not to the degree that he was thinking; but my next visit was OK. You know how when you have a bad experience; that taste is hard to get out of your mouth. I figured a couple of more times and I would be over the bad joo joo from that last visit.

This leads us to my latest and worst experience at the declining realm of the tube steak. You know; when you know you should leave, but you don’t? We’ve all had it, that feeling. Mine started when we walked through the door and up to the counter to order.

It all started with the whole “no tomatoes” thing or salsa on the steak nachos as it would be in this case. So get over it; California tomatoes are fine! But OK, it’s easier to charge me the same and leave half the toppings off. Oh and by the way we are out of steak, but we have chicken! OK, we’ll have the chicken… Just kidding how about sausage on your nachos? SAUSAGE? Really, on nachos? What the hell; it is a sausage kingdom so let’s live it up; sausage it is! Now that we have the whole nachos thing sorted out we also order a hot dog, an andouille sausage, and some garlic fries. All in all a pretty basic order, or so you would think. But how many things can really go wrong with such a complex order?

No less than twenty minutes elapse before our number was called to pick up our order. Mind you to be fair it was about 3:00pm and there were eight people in the store, never mind that five of them were behind the counter. But I guess 20 minutes goes much faster in Sausage Kingdom time and they all seemed to be having such a great time!

Anyways, I go to pick up the tray of food and even at first glance I can tell that something is awry in the Kingdom. The Sausage Nachos are dark brown; not from the chili that they are loaded with, but because they have been incinerated in the broiler. Oh and the guacamole, I guess it has tomatoes in it as well so you won’t be getting any of that either. What you will get for seven dollars is some burnt chips with chili and cheese!

Have you ever had ice cold garlic fries? I don’t know how fries can get that cold after being in a 350 degree oil bath, but these seemed to have developed frostbite waiting for their suntanned cousins to get out of the broiler. I think the hot dog may have been on the same arctic excursion as it was also on the frigid side, they were neither haute nor hot! When we went up to have some of this food replaced with a warmer version, the cook immediately relieved himself of all responsibility by letting us know he was just called in to help with the rush and is now on his way home. Upon great protest the absent guacamole was replaced with some slices of avocado. God forbid you mash them up and leave out the; oh so scary tomatoes. While the andouille sausage was pretty good, the desiccated shards of charred meat, faintly resembling sausage atop the nachos were a horrendous disgrace to the Kingdom itself.

Jody Maroni’s northern most Kingdom of Sausage was stricken from our list of favorite eateries as their dogs are no longer haute. Perhaps someday the king will return to claim his land back from the jesters. And today if it’s great sausage you seek, you will definitely need to head south.

Sal's Pizza Brings Boston's Best to California

Is there a place you drive by everyday and never go inside? I bet you even think about going in all the time but never seem to get around to it. I drive a lot and as a result I have many of those places. What’s really cool is when you finally go inside and the place rock’s the menu! That’s exactly what happened when I wandered into Sal’s Pizza in Morgan Hill, California.

Upon entering Sal’s we were greeted by a very enthusiastic manager named Tito. He was thrilled that we had wandered in for the first time. It was like he knew something and he was going to share it with us. We were having a hard time deciding what kind of pizza to order because Sal’s Pizza has many signature flavors to distract you from your regular choices. They have flavors like Bacon Cheeseburger, Chicken Fradiavolo, and Steak Bomb! How can you order your standard pepperoni pie with flavors like Magic Mushroom and Eggplant Parmesan? This is where Tito steps in and say’s “We can make any pizza in up to four flavors”. So I was pretty sure we could narrow it down to four or as it turned out three on a nineteen inch pie.

For half the pizza we decided to do a regular choice that we like to eat so that we could compare it to other pizzas that we have had. On one quarter we opted for the Margharita; loaded with Pomadoro sauce, olive oil, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil. The final quarter was a contrast to the previous lighter choice, Bacon Cheeseburger; Sal’s Pizza sauce, mozzarella, American cheese, hamburger, bacon, tomato and onion.

Tito gets to work on our pizza, starting with fresh dough, and I mean fresh on the counter, rising right now, fresh dough. He is a master, working the dough into a circle, tossing and spinning it in the air. It was like being at one of those Food TV challenges where they spin the dough with one hand, across their shoulders and beat records for height. You can tell this guy loves everything about making pizzas.

So we sit at our table watching the Strongman competition on the plasma TV overhead. A lot of the customers that come in are there for the pizza by the slice; a quarter of one of those monstrous nineteen inch pies. You had better be hungry to get a slice at Sal’s. We listen to the customers’ remark about how awesome the pizza is as we anxiously await our custom made, three flavored pie. I glace over to the kitchen to see how it’s going and Tito tosses up his foam rubber practice dough and motions to me that it will be merely minutes until our lunch is ready.

It’s pizza time! I gotta say the size of this pie is impressive in itself. It is a lot bigger on the table than it looks in the display! Now that we admired it for oh ten seconds, it’s time to put the pizza to the test! First the Margharita; this slice was fantastic! The Pomadoro sauce is light and fragrant with a touch of garlic. The fresh mozzarella was perfectly melted into the sauce and the whole thing was dotted with hand torn fresh basil. Me being carnivore supreme I usually shy away from this type of a pizza but I would gladly eat a pie of this quality anytime! Next the Bacon Cheeseburger; I had my doubts about this but we ordered it out of curiosity. I was really surprised by how great this was. The burger pieces tasted as if they had been grilled, there were slivers of red onion, and crispy bacon in overload amounts. The big hit here was the American cheese. You couldn’t really see it under the toppings but when you bit into the slice it was like a creamy cheesy accent; a real pleaser for any burger/pizza lover. Finally, our choice; bacon, spinach and mushrooms, this was our litmus test. While it’s not a typical pizza, it is a combination we are used to eating so we would defiantly be able to tell if something went awry. It was fantastic and our regular pizza place pales in comparison. Here’s the clincher; it’s the dough. The crust is the best I’ve had in California. They use an east coast style thin crust. It has the perfect amount of crunch and the right amount of chew. You can eat your slice straight or do the fold thing. I happen to be a folder and my companion is defiantly not a folder. At Sal’s it’s your choice to fold or not to fold.

If you love this style of pizza you have to try this place out. It certainly has ruined me for the pizza in my neighborhood. It’s a good thing I drive by Sal’s on the way home from work.

In the Bay area you can find them at:

Morgan Hill, CA | 301 Vineyard Town Center 408-778-2162

Campbell, CA | 533 E. Campbell Ave 408-376-0553

Recipe: Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Now that the nice weather is here and you are entertaining outdoors more, here is a quick, easy, and delicious recipe that uses some ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry or fridge.

Wing Sauce is a very versatile ingredient. Here is an example of another way you can use it!

Ingredients:
8oz. pack of cream cheese
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup Monty's Best Buffalo Wing Sauce
2 cups of shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1/2 cup celery

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave cream cheese 1 minute to soften.
Whisk in salad dressing and wing Sauce, stir in chicken, cheese and celery.
Bake 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or vegetables.

Variations: Add a little crunch by topping with chopped walnuts
or sliced almonds before baking

Gourmet Food or WMD. You Be The Judge.

Steve Carell dealves deep into the world of Ultra-Hot hot sauces. While many a Chile-head would argue that this is merely a harmless food, Steve contends that there may be more than meets the eye in the Fiery-food industry. Since this video there has been a huge surge in the popularity of Ultra-hot sauces like, Baboon Ass Brand GONE RABID, Ultimate Insanity, Death Lizard and many more the the Uber blazing hot, face melting sauces.

Really, It's Gourmet: 1000 Year Old Egg

This installment of “Really, It’s Gourmet” will acquaint you with a traditional Chinese delicacy that has been around since the Ming Dynasty about 500 years ago.

The Century Egg , also known as preserved egg, hundred-year egg, thousand-year egg, and thousand-year-old egg, is a Chinese culinary ingredient made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice straw for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing. After the process is completed, the yolk becomes a dark green, cream-like substance with a strong odor of sulfur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, transparent jelly with little flavor or taste. Doesn’t that sound yummy boys and girls? Sulfur and ammonia, I’m sorry, is that the description for food or the public restrooms on Fisherman’s Warf?

As putrid as this may sound to most people, even today this method of preserving eggs is widely practiced. Modern understanding of the chemistry behind the formation of century eggs has led to many simplifications in the recipe. For instance soaking the eggs in brine of salt and for 10 days followed by several weeks of aging while wrapped in plastic is said to achieve the same effect as the traditional method.

There are many ways to eat Century Eggs; on their own as a side dish. As an hors d'oeuvre, the Cantonese wrap chunks of this egg with slices of pickled ginger root. The most popular seems to be to cut them up into tiny cubes and cook them with rice porridge to create Century egg and Lean Pork congee. A popular street food in Hong Kong consists of whole century eggs coated in fish meal, breaded, and deep-fried. Here in the US a popular way to eat 1000 year old egg is to have it force fed to you because you lost a bet!

There are many strange and wonderful gourmet dishes prepared around the world, some we simply embrace and other we must say “Really, It’s Gourmet”!

Recipe: Century egg and Lean Pork Congee

Ingredients
2 century eggs
8oz lean pork
8 cups of plain rice porridge
1 tbsp sliced ginger
1 tbsp chopped spring onion
1 sprig of cilantro

Seasonings
pinch of pepper
1 1/3 tbsp salt
dash of sesame oil

Directions

1. Remove the shell of the century egg and cut into small cubes
2. Marinate the lean pork with 1 tbsp of salt
3. Cook 8 cups of plain rice porridge
4. Add the century egg, lean pork, ginger and the seasonings
5. Cook a further 5 minutes

Review: Cascal - Spirited Pan-Latin Cuisine

Cascal Restaurant in Mountain View, CA is the subject of this Last Bite Restaurant Review.

Upon arriving at Cascal we were surprised at how full the place was. I would expect this type of crowd on the weekend, but not mid-week. The restaurant was two thirds full and the bar was at capacity. We actually had to stand at the bar as there were no seats left. We managed to squeeze into a small spot on the side of the bar closest to the entrance until a couple of seats opened up.

The bartender was on his game and greeted us within a minute of making our way to the bar. He recommended a Mojito or Capyrhania or a glass of wine; however no specific wine was offered. I order an Iced Tea and my guest ordered a Capyrhania. The drinks were wonderfully presented with muddled fruit in the Capyrhania and fruit garnish on the iced tea. Both the cocktail and the tea were fresh and delicious tasting.

The cocktail was served with two tiny straws. This made the beverage a little difficult to consume since the muddled fruit was constantly clogging the straws. I offered my larger straw; which I was not using, to my guest and this problem was eliminated. While we enjoyed our drinks and the newly claimed barstools the bartender came back and asked if we would like to order any food. We mentioned that we would be eating in the dining room shortly.

The bar remained at full capacity the entire time we were there. I even checked upon leaving and there was only a single stool opened. This place was jumpin’ for sure!

When we finished our beverages I got up to have the hostess get our table ready. My guest stayed at the bar while I went to see about our seats in the dining room. When I returned with the manager, who was seating us, the bar tender offered to transfer our tab. We thanked him and moved to our table. I am already impressed at the way the staff here interacts. They all work together supporting each other’s roles and it is making for a very pleasant experience so far!

For an appetizer we ordered the Crab & Corn Soup. It was presented simply yet attractively in a ceramic crock. The soup was creamy, sweet and smoky all at the same time. It was garnished with a medallion of lump crab meat in the center.

The flavors of this dish worked together well. All the flavors were subtle and enhanced the complexity of this dish. I felt there was an element of texture missing as the whole thing was a little mushy. I did find a little bit of crab shell in the soup. While it did not completely put me off eating the soup; it was somewhat unpleasant.

The Mexican Bar tapas was served simply on an oval platter. There was a spicy dipping sauce on the platter for flavor enhancement of the individual items in the sampler. The sampler was quite boring to look at, and the empanada and quesadilla were completely devoid of any garnish. The sopes were garnished with a sprig of flat leaf parsley, and the taquitos with some crumbled queso blanco. This entrée tasted fine; however, my guest was forced to spit out a long thin chicken bone that was hiding in one of the sopes.

The Puerco Cubano was extremely delicious. It was presented simply with an accompaniment of white rice, black beans, plantain and sweet potato mash.

I felt that the pork itself was outstanding and the rest of the dish was just ok. The pork was perfectly seasoned and fork tender. It was moist and delicious and a pleasure to eat. I felt it was just a little fatty in spots but not enough to put me off.

The side dishes; other than the sweet potato mash were somewhat bland. The rice was served plain, the black beans lacked seasoning. Even a little salt and pepper would have helped with the flavor of the sides. We both felt the outstanding nature of the pork made up for the weak side dishes on this meal.

The entrees were delivered in the appropriate amount of time and were served at the proper temperature. Portions seemed to be adequate and neither of us felt like we were still hungry afterwards.

For dessert we ordered the Tres Leche Cake. It was presented wonderfully; with a sprig of mint in the center. The topping of flavored sweetened condensed milk was either broiled or torched for a caramelized effect.

While we both felt the caramelized topping was a little too sweet; overall this was a wonderful dessert. There was a layering of flavors and you could clearly pick out tones of coconut, vanilla and lime. The cake itself was moist but not soggy and this dessert was a pleasure to eat. We ordered some coffee to help cut the sweetness of the topping. The strong coffee they were serving was a perfect pair to this dessert.

The overall appearance of Casacal was very clean and well maintained. The building itself had a new appearance. The property seemed well maintained and there was no sign of any lapse of maintenance anywhere on the premises. The lighting inside was dim yet appropriate for the ambiance that they have created. Outside was also well lighted and inviting.

We did however find the noise level inside to be almost unbearable inside. The venue was at capacity and patrons seemed to almost be yelling to carry on their conversations. Above all that, the music could still be heard. Perhaps the reason for the loud environment was the music level. It’s hard to tell.

Our server was very pleasant and attentive when he was around, with the exception of keeping my iced tea full. We enjoyed the service that he provided. While he did seem to be very knowledgeable of the menu items, no suggestions were made other than pointing out the wine section of the menu. When we asked pointed question regarding menu items he was able to provide some guidance.

He did check back with us a few times; sometimes he simply glanced over as he walked by making sure we were happy while we ate.

Bussers kept our table cleared of excess dishes at all times. They were very effective and after our entrees were completed the busser even wiped down our table as if he was crumbing it. We felt this enhanced our dessert and coffee experience.

If you’re looking for a great Latin food experience and you don’t mind a bit of a crowd we highly recommend Casacal Restaurant on Castro Street, Downtown Mountainview, CA.

Barbecue Recipe: Beer Can Chicken

Here's a great way to break in the grill or barbecue this season. For those of you in the warmer climates that have already been BBQing; you get to cook outdoors again and drink a beer while you do it. What could be better?

Ingredients:

1 (4-pound) whole chicken
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 can beer

Option: Substitute your favorite dry rub for the salt and pepper

Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Massage chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with salt, pepper or dry rub. Set aside.

Open a beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full, if you accidentally drink too much, try again until you get it right). Also make sure you are using a standard size beer can, after all, your poor chicken has to straddle that thing! Place the beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, fit the bird cavity over the beer can as shown in the above image. You can use a special beer can rack or just balance your bird Sumo style on the can. Transfer the Chicken Sumo Warrior to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its two legs and the can like a tripod.

Cook the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (no coals or burners on directly under the bird). If you should have any heat source directly under the bird you will likely end up with an incinerated chicken tripod, and the recipe will be renamed Fire Extinguisher Chicken. Keep the grill cover on, for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F in the breast area, and 180 degrees F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed with a sharp knife. I prefer to use a thermometer; stabbing is so violent! Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Suggestion: Serve with some Gourmet Barbecue Sauce on the side for dipping.

Review: Shipp's Barbeque Sauce

Hey Foodies, time for another sauce review on The Last Bite.

Tax time is finally behind us but gas is up to $4 a gallon. Luckily barbecue season is in full swing; so save some cash by staying home for some great BBQ instead of eating out. We’ll try to point you in the right direction with some product reviews.

Today I tried “Shipp’s Barbeque Sauce”. I checked out their website where you can buy their sauce using paypal. It had the following information to share:

“Shipp's BBQ sauce has been a big hit with family and friends for many years (since 1968) and now it's available to the public. It's great on hamburgers, steaks, ribs, chicken, just about anything! Give it a try - it's time you tried a new barbeque sauce anyway!”

Initial Impression: When I got the bottle of Shipp’s Barbeque Sauce in my hand I sort of had mixed feelings. I was excited about having a sauce from a family owned business all the way from Arkansas, but the plastic bottle and the wrinkly label had me questioning the quality before I ever got to the contents.

Appearance: I really liked the way this sauce looks. It has a deep reddish brown color with little black flecks; my guess is coarse black pepper. The consistency of this sauce is a bit thin but it would do well as a mopping sauce near the end of cooking. I would expect to use a lot of napkins if you are using it on a sandwich. Now I’m getting excited about tasting it!

Aroma: The aroma is very tangy, almost vinegar like with most dominant scent being tomato. Not too unusual for a barbecue sauce. I get a little garlic and black pepper in the bouquet, but you really have to get a big snoot full to get past the tangy tomato scent.

Taste: I always like to have a taste before trying any sauce on food. Sometimes the incredible complex flavors surprise and amaze you. Well, I was surprised but not amazed in this case. Celery and black pepper are the flavors that jump out up front. As a matter of fact I’m sure I have never tasted a barbecue sauce that had that much of a distinct flavor up front. It’s as if the sauce was built around the black pepper and celery. I found it to be somewhat out of balance. Sweetness was a bit of an issue for me as well, I found this sauce to be very sweet.

The Food Test: It just so happened that on this particular day my smoker has been stocked full of dry rubbed beef brisket. What better test for a BBQ sauce than this? I must say Shipp’s BBQ Sauce is better applied to a well seasoned and smoked brisket than it is out of the bottle. The overpowering flavors and sweetness seem to be absorbed by the meat. Other than the bite of the black pepper there is no detectable heat. As I predicted earlier it is a bit thin for sandwich application, maybe as a dipping sauce?

Conclusion: “Shipp’s Barbeque Sauce” is ok in my books. I enjoyed it on my brisket sandwich and on my shirt and on my jeans! If you want a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce with plenty ‘o’ black pepper you have found it. Their friends and families have been lovin’ this sauce since 1968 and now you can too.

Packaging 3/10 – Wrinkled Labels
Aroma 6/10 – Tangy, Tomatoey
Appearance 7/10 – Color, Black Flecks
Taste 6/10 – A Bit Out of Balance
Heat 1/10 – No Heat.

Overall 5/10

Championship Barbecue Equipment by Adidas?

Really?
Barbecue shoes?
You bet!



Thanks to a collaboration between San Francisco's Upper Playground design group and Adidas you can be sporting these spiffy red and white gingham barbecue inspired shoes complete with a kettle grill on the back and some shiny silver utensils on the side. These elements will considerably improve the overall barbecue experience. I understand these shoes are equally effective in the support of both the cookery and eating aspects of the barbecue sport.

Interestingly the inspiration for these shoes is one of my favorite barbecue restaurants; Memphis Minnie's. You can search through the blog archive for a full review on Memphis Minnie's Bar-B-Que Joint.

If you'd like to own a pair of these shoes you might need to look around because only 4000 pairs were ever made. If you find a pair you will want to make sure you don't drip any BBQ sauce on them because they are about $200. Of course there's always plenty of barbecue to go around and it costs significantly less.

We've included a video of the Walrus from Upper Playground at Memphis Minnie's in San Francisco talking about their inspiration for these shoes and other projects.

Recipe: Honey Mustard Rubbed Roast Pork

Mustard is not just for sandwiches or hot dogs. Here is an example of another way you can use it! For this recipe we utilize your Crockpot to save on time and cleanup:

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins
salt and pepper
1 small clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons Pebble Creek Roasted Garlic & Red Chile Mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Wash and trim the pork and pat dry; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place pork in the slow cooker. Combine garlic, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and thyme; pour over the pork. Turn pork to coat thoroughly.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

Remove pork to a plate, cover with foil, and keep warm. Pour the juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until reduced by about one-third. Combine the cornstarch and cold water; whisk into the reduced juices and cook for 1 minute longer. Serve pork sliced with the thickened juices.

Suggestion: Serve with some baby spring greens tossed in a light vinaigrette.

Send In a recipe using one of the products purchased from RoJo's Gourmet. If your recipe is chosen we will post it for all to read. You will also receive a gift from RoJo's Gourmet Foods if your recipe is selected. Thank you all in advance for your great recipes.

Shop For Gourmet Ingredients...

Is Barbecue Season Is Here?

You might be a redneck artist if messy, rib-eating fingers inspires you to finger paint.
As seen on CMT "Country Fried Home Videos"

Get your painting supplies at www.rojosgourmet.com