Sunday, April 26, 2015

Chicken with Queen Majesty Hot Sauce

Chicken with Queen Majesty Jalapeño Tequila & Lime Hot Sauce

Chicken with Queen Majesty Jalapeño Tequila & Lime Hot Sauce
When I first tried Brooklyn based Queen Majesty Jalapeño Tequila & Lime Hot Sauce I was impressed with the fresh taste from the combination of Jalapeño, tequila and lime. You can actually taste all three of these main ingredients and I love the balance of acid. The heat level is medium and it was fantastic on chicken. This is the kind of sauce you can cook with that maintains the flavor profile, but I recommend you dab a little extra after cooking. Allen and I visited the Queen Majesty booth yesterday at the New York City Hot Sauce Expo to let them know we used their sauce in a recipe and loved it. I made this chicken earlier in the week and look forward to cooking next with Queen Majesty Scotch Bonnet & Ginger Hot Sauce. If flavor is important to you and not just heat, you should give Queen Majesty a try. This sauce is so versatile and compliments anything you add it to. Allen added some on roasted vegetables a few days ago and it was great. Queen Majesty Jalapeño Tequila & Lime Hot Sauce is Vegan, Gluten Free, has no sugar and is made with organic ingredients. The ingredients are: white vinegar, Jalapeño peppers, onions, white tequila, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, green apple, ginger root, salt and spices.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons Queen Majesty Jalapeño Tequila & Lime Hot Sauce

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 pounds Chicken Breast

1/2 Yellow Onion, diced

Kosher Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Frozen or Fresh Vegetables, (we used frozen Ranchero Fiesta Blend with broccoli, white beans, dark red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, carrots, Italian green beans, and red peppers.)

Chicken with Queen Majesty Jalapeño Tequila & Lime Hot Sauce

Directions
Cut chicken into chunks and add to a medium size bowl.

Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

Add diced onions to bowl and incorporate.

Using a brush, coat chicken on both sides with Queen Majesty Jalapeño Tequila & Lime Hot Sauce.

Heat large skillet to medium heat and add olive oil.

When hot, add chicken and diced onions and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, flipping over half way.

Season with salt and pepper and steam veggies for a few minutes. Serve with chicken.

To order Queen Majesty Jalapeño Tequila & Lime Hot Sauce and for further information, please visit:
queenmajestyhotsauce.com.

"Like" Queen Majesty on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QueenMajestyHotSauce.

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Monday, April 20, 2015

Black Scorpion Hot Sauce

Black Scorpion Hot Sauce
Made by King Scorpion Hot Sauces NJ USA.


King Scorpion Hot Sauces - Black Scorpion Label (Moderate Heat)
My friend Ray Roda sent me one of his hot sauces to try out, it was really good. I used the hot sauce on some Bacon, Mushroom, Bell Pepper and Olive pizza.. King Scorpion Hot Sauces "Black Scorpion Hot Sauce" is a moderately extreme but tasty sauce. I loved the freshness, texture and moderate heat of the Black Scorpion. King Scorpion Sauces have no added salts or thickeners. They use all natural ingredients, in their hot sauces and vinegars. All King Scorpion Hot Sauces are small batch, and they use super hot peppers grown by them in Southern New Jersey, USA.

Great Texture you can see the pepper chunks and Balsamic Color. 
A lot of TLC goes into these small batch peppers as you can tell by the finished product. I also liked the red and black labeling for Black Scorpion (Moderate Heat). This may be a good sauce for very mild sauce users to move up a notch. Moderate yes but it has a sting and this is a nice treat for your taste-buds. Ingredients as simple as Balsamic Vinegar, Chocolate Scorpions and Black Habaneros, make this a great natural sauce to enjoy on your foods. Or also use Black Scorpion to kick up your recipes a bit, just add some to your dishes (to taste of course).

Black Scorpion - It's whats for dinner, Great on Pizza and Rice Dishes.
I am looking forward to more sauces from King Scorpion Hot Sauces in the future. Check out their Facebook page for more information and inquires. Looks like they currently have 6 or more sauces and vinegars.

Image shows nice consistency and
pepper content, great stuff. 
Visit King Scorpion Hot Sauces and contact Ray for more info.

Facebook: King Scorpion Hot Sauces

-Allen/Two Frys

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Steak and Mushrooms with Mr. Saucy Smoky Nights

Steak and Mushrooms with Mr. Saucy Gourmet Hot Sauce Smoky Nights

Steak and Mushrooms with Mr. Saucy Gourmet Hot Sauce Smoky Nights
I usually steer clear from a hot sauce when it is labelled 8 out of 10 on the heat scale, but I dared myself to give it a shot. Mr. Saucy Gourmet Hot Sauce Smoky Nights has the heat and does not disappoint. While it was a little too hot for my palate, this sauce has great flavor and was perfection on steak with mushrooms. I would recommend Mr. Saucy Smoky Nights as an alternative to steak sauce if heat is your thing. Allen loved the heat and added extra to his steak. When I first tasted Mr. Saucy Smoky Nights it made my tongue tingle and I enjoyed the smoky flavor. The heat lingers after each bite from the combination of Chipotle, Habanero and Cayenne Chili Peppers, but I balanced it by topping the steak with hearty mushrooms. The ingredients of Mr. Saucy Smoky Nights are: Chipotle, Habanero & Cayenne Chile Peppers, Garlic, Onion, Vinegar, Black Pepper and Salt. The ingredients are all natural, fat, cholesterol, gluten and wheat free.

Mr. Saucy Gourmet Hot Sauce Smoky Nights

Steak Ingredients
Beef Chuck Steak Bone-In or any cut you prefer

2 tablespoons Butter, softened

3 tablespoons Mr. Saucy Gourmet Hot Sauce Smoky Nights

Kosher Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Directions
Turn oven broiler on.

In a broiler tray, add steak and season both sides with salt,  pepper and Mr. Saucy Smoky Nights.

Add 1 tablespoon butter on each side of steak.

Broil for 5 to 6 minutes.

Let steak rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with mushrooms.

Mr. Saucy Smoky Nights is great on Steak and Mushrooms

Mushroom Ingredients
Any type of Mushrooms

3 tablespoons Butter

Kosher Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Directions
Wipe mushrooms with paper towel and slice.

Season with salt and pepper.

On medium heat, add butter to skillet and seasoned mushrooms.

Heat for 5 minutes.

Serve over steak.

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Friday, April 10, 2015

Voodoo Chiles Interview NYC Hot Sauce Expo 2015 Vendor

17 Questions NYC HOT SAUCE EXPO 2015 VENDOR
Thom Toth
Voodoo Chile Sauces & Ætérnus Sauceworks

INTERVIEW BY ALLEN FRY (www.twofrys.com)
Foodie and Hot Sauce Blog NYC/BRONX
FOR NYC HOT SAUCE EXPO


Thom, what is the inspiration to make hot sauce and spicy foods your business?
Over the decades of cooking I've done, I somehow found myself drawn to enjoying the creation of sauces, marinades and salsas. The inspiration to actually follow this passion into a business endeavor came from a dear friend of mine who passed shortly before the NYC Hot Sauce Expo last March. For well over a year he repeatedly asked me why I wasn't taking this more seriously. Sadly, Don's sudden, tragic death somehow jolted me and that served as my wake-up call, I suppose. Oddly, one of Don's self-applied avatars in life was the Phoenix, rising from the ashes. We're debuting a sauce at the Expo that is dedicated to Don.

Prior to that, meeting Chuck Evans was also one of those instrumental moments in this journey. He made some comments about how I had done something special with that bacon sauce of ours (Porcus Infernum) and how I should seriously consider something more serious with it. To paraphrase a part of one of our conversations that stuck with me was, "you have something that very few of us create: something that belongs on shelves everywhere."

It took quite some time for me to really embrace that.

Best Sauce on the Planet - Allen Fry (Two Frys)
What is the road that led you to open Voodoo Chile Sauces?
I-95, baby! {Laughs}

I'm kidding, of course … but I do have to say that our trek to the NYC Hot Sauce Expo last year was definitely a catalyst. That's where we solidified our new bond with our first distributor, where Rose and I first started to establish our booth as something designed to be entertaining rather than the taste test equivalent of a feeding trough.   

I've been in and around restaurants and commercial kitchens since I was a teenager. When the hot sauce business sort went through one of its boom phases in the late 1990's or so, I got really irritable at falling in love with a new sauce and then having it disappear. My neighbor, Jason, ultimately pushed me to start taking my marinade recipes and retooling them into hot sauces. It was relatively natural progression, even if it took some time to refine.

What pushed me to feeling confident enough to consider making a real go at this business, in spite of how insanely over populated the field can be, was having the people behind the Peppadew® phenomenon approach and challenge me to make a sauce worthy of their name and reputation.  Nothing in the food realm has intimidated me more than that; at least not so far.

Thom Toth of  Voodoo Chiles
What is the secret of your success selling hot sauces?
There's really no secret, our sauces sell themselves. I don't do gimmicks, I don't follow the whole "me too" bandwagon. I do what I do because I am passionately in love with it, and it blows me away that so many other people seemingly have such similar tastes. The broad appeal of some of our sauces still sets me on my heels most any time I think about it.

But anyhow … there's no secret. It's all about passion and hard work.

Voodoo Chiles picture we took at the 2014 NYC Expo
What is the most satisfying thing about what you do, bringing the heat to the people?
Oh … that look that comes across the faces of people who evidently have a palate that love what I love; they taste something I've made, and you can tell by that look that washes across their face that they just "get it!"

THAT's what does it for me, man!

Something else that really gives me the "inner fist pump" moment is when someone comments on the layering that we do, be it with the flavor profile or the way the heat unfolds.

What is the number of hot sauces Voodoo Chile Sauces has available and some of your hottest selling names?
I've not really set a hard line in the sand as yet. We have about 6 main sauces; they each have their season when they sell well. We have a number of new sauces debuting at the Expo this year, as well as a whole new sauce line: Ætérnus Sauceworks.

Our biggest seller is Porcus Infernum, of course. Next in tow behind that is a pretty tight clutch of sauces, but Psycho Tropic was our #2 regular repeat seller for 2014. We're blessed in that we have a huge percentage of repeat customers!

As for the new sauces to debut at the NYC Hot Sauce Expo, we have BACON TACO, which is a warmer, beefed up cousin to Porcus, but with a bold nod to the traditional taco sauce flavors. PHOENIX is our super food super sauce, for lack of a better description. It's a hot sauce built around a blend of fruits for my smoothie mix (being sold by the name of Voodoo D-Tox), with some additions, including a blend of delicious, and deliciously warm, peppers. This will be towards the upper end of heat for the Voodoo Chile line.

We recently pulled our line of extreme tinctures and rebranded them under a new label: Ætérnus Sauceworks. The label is devoted to extreme heat products and offers me an outlet to entertain the extreme heat side of things without chasing off any of my fans of the Voodoo Chile Sauces line. Last thing I want is to release a new sauce, have it go to distribution, and have someone try it and hate it so much that they'll forever remain reluctant to try something new from us again.

Ætérnus Sauceworks offers me an outlet to work with more extreme products, and Voodoo Chile Sauces will continue to stick to what our company is really all about: mild to medium, lots of flavor, and a unique delivery of layered flavor and heat.

Ætérnus Sauceworks is kicking off with Bacon-X (an extreme version of Porcus), as well as King of Pain (an extreme version of Psycho Tropic, for lack of a better definition), and Phoenix: Fire (the intense counterpart to Phoenix). We are also moving our Scorpion Venom line of extreme tinctures over to this label as well.

VooDew Honeydew, Porcus Infernum, Psycho Tropic at 2014 Expo.
What is your favorite type of fruit and/or vegetables?
Wow … tough call. I pretty much love everything, with the exception of non-fried okra and durian! {laughs}

Silliness aside, as far as sauce making, I can't say right now if I have a favorite. There's not much that scares me; I mean, heck, we even do hops infused malt vinegar for crying out loud! I've worked with everything from apples to zucchini, and a long list of ingredients in between. The go-to things include carrots, peanuts, tomatoes, tamarind, pineapple, and guava. I avoid passion fruit now because the yogurt business has seriously cornered that. I enjoy working with papaya, and just about every type of berry, with the exception of Acai. I wouldn't hold your breath on ever seeing that last one in any sauce of mine …

What is your favorite type of hot sauce, extreme or mild?
I prefer mild for a lot of reasons. For one, you can share and enjoy it with a much larger group of people, and it also forces the recipe to be good.

What is your favorite type of bbq sauce, spicy or sweet?
Easy peezy: SWEET! Being who I am and what I do, I can add spicy to about anything! For me, I dive into a pitmaster's mild sauces, be it sweet or savory, to find out what they're all about! Again, I can add a drop of Scorpion Venom or a dash of powdered extreme peppers and make anything hot.

Voodoo Chiles Hot Rubs and Extreme tinctures.
What are some of your other favorite small batch hot sauce companies?
Oh, man … you know I’m gonna catch some cra* for anybody I DON’T mention who's a friend, but let me try and stick with the first few that pop off the top of my head:
·        PuckerButt … Ed and I are truly brothers from another mother. We instantly hit it off when we met at John Hard's open house a couple years ago in Columbus, Ohio, and the two of us instantly jumped down the rabbit hole of friendship and business collaborations.
·        Hoboken Eddies … I've known about and have been enjoying his creations for a LONG time now! We finally met recently, and what a GREAT guy, but I've been of his sauces for quite some time!
·        Heartbreaking Dawns … every time I talk about truly artisan sauces, Johnny McLaughlin not only comes to mind, but his name almost ALWAYS gets added to the conversation. That dude is a force of nature, both in the kitchen and in front of the camera. What he crafts really rings a bell with what my taste buds enjoy.
·        High River Sauces … another easy one, both because of the person behind the name, as well as the quality and depth of his creations!
·        I may as well finish off the Big Apple Trifecta of Doom here and mention the Uber Cool Ed Bucholtz of Born to Hula. He can totally act like he's just making lucky guesses, but Ed can take some of the most domineering traditional Mexican / Central American chilies and create a work of art with them! When I met Ed and got to try his sauces, I immediately abandoned a few recipes I was working on; I crap you negative. I would rather refer business to him for someone that wants what he's got! What he does is freaking magic. Ghost of Ancho … need I say more?
·        Northwest Elixirs is another 'must have' in both my office and home fridge! Mr. Garrett knows his way around the kitchen and makes sauces that not only stand on their own, but they really shine like nobody's business when used as a cooking ingredient. Andrew is the man!
·        Aw, this is getting crazy long, I'm sorry … but I'd hate myself if I failed to drag Jeremy Walsh into this sloppy, saucy little hodgepodge of bromance. I have incredible respect for what he does. He can take some bold flavors and tame them into something wonderful! If you've not tried one of his latest creations, Double Dark, you had better deal with that neglectful nonsense on your own part, and now. My taste buds experience something that defies words suitable for mixed company when it comes to some of Jeremy's creations.

Whoa … I just noticed that everybody thus far has a totally AWESOME wife beside them! Probably not a coincidence! {Laughs}

·        For the garlic thing, I love Lucky Dog Sauces! Scotty Z must have a deep seeded hatred and/or fear of vampires! Most of the more recent up-starts would be in a world of hurt if they attempted to be as heavy handed with the garlic. Scott, on the other hand, the man delivers!
·        A huge point maker for me in the way of creativity and the crafting of cooking ingredients rather than condiments would be Jim O'Brien of Crazy Good Foods. Of course, given the depth of his formal training and background, he better deliver (and he does!)
·        Tim Bader at Volcanic Peppers.  Great dude, great products!

Aw, man … out of respect of your time and the attention span of your readers, I should cut it short. I do want to mention the guys at High Octane as well as Hot Line, both excellent guys with tasty treats … not to mention being Texas companies!

Voodoo Chile Sauces how many events do you attend each year?
Time has been at a premium for us, so choosing which shows we're going to work is not easy. Sauce specific events are fun … but that's far from my bread and butter and those things tend to draws the freaks out, and they're on the hunt for the BIG BURN! Maybe I'll fare a little better on these types of events now that we have Ætérnus on board.

The flavorful & unique VooDew HoneyDew Sauces 2014 Expo.
What is the hottest hot sauce you have ever tried?
SAUCE? As for natural, Ed Currie's (PuckerButt Pepper Co.), Reaper Squeezin's. If someone claims to have something hotter, that's all natural, I'm inclined to think they're lying, talking out their backside or struggling with some ego driven delusions. {Grins}

I've subjected myself to several extract sauces and those days are long gone. As someone who makes the world's most extreme tinctures, I'm baffled that extracts even exist. I'd rather gnaw soot covered bubble gum off of the pavement of a dank back alley than ever be subjected to that cra* again. That stuff may be fine for something cosmetic, but for food? Uh, no.

Do you believe that hot sauce is good for you and others health?
Unquestionably!

What are your plans for Voodoo Chile Sauces in the future?
Apart from world domination? {Laughs}

I signed the exit papers from my career job at the end of December – I'm committed to full time Voodoo Chile Sauces now – so obviously some level of "success" is part of the plan here. We got about 1,100 gallons of sauce out the door last year, I'd like to at least double that amount in 2015, and then I have certain growth numbers for both sales and bottom line earnings that I'll be gunning for in the years to follow.

How many times have you been a Vendor at The NYC Hot Sauce Expo?
This is my 2nd year here. I LOVE it!

How do you like the amount of fans and vendors that this great event brings together in one place?
It's awesome! Steve really has something cool going on here.

How can our Two Frys Blog readers order your Voodoo Chile Sauces and products?
We still service our own web store, which is pretty old fashioned, sad to say. But if you go to Saucesomeness.com, you can get to either Voodoo Chile or Ætérnus Sauceworks from there. Some portion of our product line can be found in most hot sauce stores or gourmet shops with a good sauce selection.

Any closing comments for our readers about your products and what they should try?
Ummm … all of them, obviously! {Laughs}

Actually, not all sauces are for all people. Something that I believe sets our sauces is that they offer a layered experience, both in the way of flavors as well as heat. I've spent a lot of years cataloging a pretty substantial number of peppers, noting not just their flavor and heat level, but the type of heat they present. Some peppers are right up on the front of the tongue with a really quick blast of heat; others work the middle of the palate, and still others have a long fuse and focus on the rear of the palate and back of the throat. You'll notice that the majority of our sauces incorporate numerous types of peppers; that's why!

Porcus Infernum: like I said, it's our flagship product, its bacon; it has enjoyed some of the most rabid reviews, ever. Try it.

Psycho Tropic: fruity, wins awards, gets fantastic reviews. I tried to one-up the few sauces I've tried over the years that focused on Pineapple, only because I refuse to play the "me too" game. I feel like we've done that.

VooDew HoneyDoo: these are our Peppadew® based sauces. We remain the sole contract manufacturer's of Peppadew® hot sauces on the planet. We have a Mild version that's ultra mild, and the Hot version is pretty toasty!

Bacon Taco: it's a traditional taco sauce wrapped around the core of the Porcus Infernum recipe.

Bhuty Thyme: if there's a more transparent hot sauce for warming up pizza, spaghetti, lasagna or meatball subs, I've not yet met it! Think: homemade marinara sauce with extra Thyme and a nice dose of ghost chile (Bhut Jolokia).

Bacon-X: this is from Ætérnus Sauceworks label, but it's Porcus Infernum, from hell. It's really, REALLY hot!

Phoenix: based on our tropical smoothie mix, Voodoo D-Tox, this super food fruit sauce is made with cranberries, blueberries, apple juice, pomegranate juice, carrots, ginger, green tea and more … the Voodoo Chile Sauces version is medium heat, and Phoenix: Fire (sold via the Ætérnus Sauceworks label) is extremely hot.

We have a number of other products, but I feel like I've babbled enough for one day!

Thanks to Thom for the Saucesome look at Voodoo Chiles and Ætérnus Sauceworks, Allen 



Voodoo & Ætérnus Sauceworks Website: Saucesomeness.com


NYC Hot Sauce Expo: NYC Hot Sauce Expo

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Volcanic Peppers Interview NYC Hot Sauce Expo 2015 Vendor

17 Questions NYC HOT SAUCE EXPO 2015 VENDORS
Timothy Bader
Volcanic Peppers

INTERVIEW BY ALLEN FRY (www.twofrys.com)
Foodie and Hot Sauce Blog NYC/BRONX
FOR THE NYC HOT SAUCE EXPO


What is the inspiration to make hot sauce and spicy foods your business?
I have always loved spicy food and started gardening in my twenties to grow my own tomatoes and peppers to make salsa and sauces for my personal use.

What is the road that led you to open Volcanic Peppers?
My daughter and I started to sell our produce at a farmers market about 6 years ago. With the TV recognition the ghost pepper received during that time the demand became high for our hot and super hot peppers. I smoked some Habanero one day and discovered how much I loved them and out of that our Volcano Dust was born. The Volcano Dusts took off online and that was how Volcanic Peppers got its start.

What is the secret of your success selling hot sauces?
No secret really, we just try to make quality products with quality ingredients.

What is the most satisfying thing about what you do, bringing the heat to the people? 
Hearing people say how much they appreciate heat WITH flavor. People seem to be sick of the novelty stuff that tastes like cr*p.

Timothy Bader working the NYC Expo 2014 Hot Pizza Eating Contest.
What is the number of hot sauces/products Volcanic Peppers has available, and
Some of your hottest selling names?
We have 20 sauces and about 25 dry products.  Right now our hottest selling sauce is Dia de Sol, med heat and great flavor also Volcano Dust 1, 2 and 3, Ghost Dust, Scorpion Dust, and Reaper Dust.
Chocolate Lightning Hot Sauce
Scott’s Ghost
Aleppo
Taco
Raspberry Scorpion
Red Reaper

Volcanic Layout at the 2014 NYC Hot Sauce Expo
What is your favorite type of fruit and/or vegetables?
HAH!, Chile Peppers of course

What is your favorite type of hot sauce, extreme or mild?
Extreme to me means extract sauces which I do not care for. I get plenty of heat out of our pepper dusts and hotter sauces such as Death by Douglah, Raspberry Scorpion and Red Reaper.

What is your favorite type of BBQ sauce, spicy or sweet?
Our Hot Scorpion BBQ which is sweet and quite hot.

What are some of your other favorite small batch hot sauce companies?
Race City, Cajohn’s, High River, Heartbreaking Dawns, Howling Dog, Lucky Dog are some of my favorites.

Volcanic Peppers how many events do you attend each year?
About 8.

Volcanic Sampling at the 2013 Expo
What is the hottest hot sauce you have ever tried?
I would say Black Mamba 6 and my own extract sauce Olympus Mons.

Do you believe that hot sauce is good for you and others health?
Absolutely.

What are your plans for Volcanic Peppers in the future?
Continue to grow and increase our capacity without getting entangled in a bunch of debt. Fortunately we have been able to remain self-funded so far.

How many times have you been a Vendor at The NYC Hot Sauce Expo?
2015 will be the 3rd year. I am very glad to be one of the original supporters of this awesome show.

More Volcanic Peppers goods at the Expo 2014 NYC.
How do you like the amount of fans and vendors that this great event brings together in one place? 
Just awesome, I love seeing all of the energy and excitement.

How can our Two Frys Blog readers order your sauces and products?
You can find us at the festival or visit us at volcanicpeppers.com.

Any closing comments for our readers about your products and what they should try?
We focus on quality and customer service. We will always try to make you happy that you chose us to provide great flavor and heat. Also know that by purchasing our products you are not only supporting us but the growers right here in the U.S. (Mostly right here in Nebraska) that grow fine produce for us.

Thanks Volcanic Peppers for this warming look into their hot biz, Allen Two Frys



Facebook: Volcanic Peppers

NYC Hot Sauce Expo: NYC Hot Sauce Expo



Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Hellfire Hot Sauce Interview NYC Hot Sauce Expo 2015 Vendor

17 Questions NYC HOT SAUCE EXPO 2015 VENDOR
Diana & Merle
Hellfire Hot Sauce

INTERVIEW BY ALLEN FRY (www.twofrys.com)
Foodie and Hot Sauce Blog NYC/BRONX
FOR NYC HOT SAUCE EXPO


1. Merle & Diana, What is the inspiration to make hot sauce and spicy foods your business?
Merle had been growing hot peppers and making chili and other spicy foods and and turning people on to super spicy foods since he was a teenager. He also had an extensive herb garden and blended different herbs and spices together to combine flavor with heat. The first thing we did when we bought our house was to put in a huge garden and Diana quickly fell in love with the heat and flavors of the peppers and spices.

2. What is the road that led you to open Hellfire Hot Sauce?
Naturally we started creating spicy dishes using the fruits of our garden. We gave it to friends, brought it to our local bars and restaurants for the people to try and everyone raved about it. They became addicted to it, almost instantly. We were trying to figure out a way to share the flavors of the harvest all year long and it was like a light bulb when we said "why don't we bottle it up"! After bottling it up and sharing with family, friends and local restaurants and getting an amazing reaction to the sauces we thought "hey, this could be a business"! Then the toughest part....we sent it out for review and virtually every review was a 9 or 10! And in 2010 we won product line of the year from I Love It Spicy! So we decided to go for it!

3. What is the secret of your success selling hot sauces?
Dedication to trying to make the best tasting sauce out there! We have catered to chileheads and not only wanted to provide the heat that chileheads crave but amazing flavors as well! Using all natural ingredients, no extracts and choice ingredients we strive to create some of the best superhot sauces available! We use a pepper mixology in our sauces to create more complex sauces with different peppers for different flavor profiles and burns as well as complimentary herbs and spices.

4. What is the most satisfying thing about what you do, bringing the heat to the people?
The most satisfying thing is watching and hearing peoples reactions to the sauces. At first the heat is intense but, the flavor is so delicious that they end of falling in love with the sauces. Also seeing people coming up with new uses for the sauces and posting pictures of what recipes they use the sauces in and saying that they are the best they've ever tasted. A very well known example was using Blueberry Hell on ice cream not to mention mixed in with blueberry pancake batter.

Merle Hellfire Hot Sauce and Allen from Two Frys Expo 2014
5. What is the number of hot sauces/products Hellfire Hot Sauce has available and some of your hottest selling names?
We currently have 6 sauces available. Within a month we will be adding 2 more sauces. Also, 4 spice rubs and 3 barbecue sauces are in the works. Some of our hottest selling names are: Blueberry Hell, The Elixir, Devils Gold, Pure Hell, First Blood and Fear This. All are multi award winning sauces.

6. What is your favorite type of fruit and/or vegetables?
One of our favorite fruits to eat is blueberries, thus the reason Blueberry Hell was made. For its delicious flavor and antioxidants. We also love heirloom tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and the list goes on and on! We have had gardens growing all of these and more.

7. What is your favorite type of hot sauce, extreme or mild?
Any hot sauce type as long as it has good flavor.

Custom One of a kind bottle Allen Two Frys won in online contest.
This was a prototype bottle only 1 exists (1 of 1).  
8. What is your favorite type of BBQ sauce, spicy or sweet?
A combination of the two is the best! We will have 3 BBQ sauces out very soon that showcase the flavors we enjoy the most.

9. What are some of your other favorite small batch hot sauce companies?
There are so many favorites and quality makers out there that we don't want to single out any individual makers.

10. Hellfire Hot Sauce how many events do you attend each year?
We try to do all the major national events and as many local events as time allows. We really enjoy meeting the people and mingling with the hot sauce community in general.

11. Merle & Diana, what is the hottest hot sauce you have ever tried?
Aside from extract sauces, which we no longer consume...our Evil Bastard and Halloween Hell are the two hottest sauces we have ever tried or made.

Hellfire Hot Sauce Table pic from Expo 2014 NYC
12. Do you believe that hot sauce is good for you and others health?
Yes, it has been proven that hot sauce has many health benefits.

13. What are your plans for Hellfire Hot Sauce in the future?
To continue making quality sauces for the chiliheads and milder sauces for people who enjoy those. Also, making spice rubs, barbeque sauces and jerky. The sky is the limit when it comes to creating new sauces and spicy products! We feel the world is finally catching on to what we have enjoyed for many, many years.

14. How many times have you been a vendor at the NYC Hot Sauce Expo?
2 years.

15. How do you like the amount of fans and vendors that this great event brings together in one place?
We very much like this event and consider it to be one of the largest national shows other than the National Fiery Foods Show in New Mexico. We also have great respect for the high quality judges for the awards and the special events at the show. This has become one of the largest and most respected fiery foods shows in the country.

16. How can our Two Frys Blog readers order your sauces and products?
At HELLFIREHOTSAUCE.COM.

17. Any closing comments for our readers about your products and what they should try?
All 6 of the current sauces have won multiple awards and are highly favored in the Chilihead community. Each one can be used on many foods and combined in multiple recipes. In addition to these products keep an eye out for many upcoming products as well! And as a side note we have some of the most sought after hot sauce collectible bottles available! That is another whole aspect to our company. Thanks Allen!

Thanks to Diana and Merle for this look into their Hot Sauce Company, Allen 





Saturday, April 4, 2015

Easter Peeps Cake

Easter Peeps Cake

Easter Peeps Cake
Turquoise is my favorite color and I bought turquoise color Peeps at Target last week for this Easter Peeps Cake. Peeps are adorable and they adorn the top of this Vanilla Layer Cake with Vanilla Frosting. This Vanilla Cake recipe is from Joy of Baking and is very simple to follow. I tinted the batter and frosting with AmeriColor 128 Turquoise. To do this, use a clean toothpick and dip into the gel paste and then add it to the cake batter and stir with spatula. Use a new toothpick each time you dip into the gel paste. Repeat until you reach the color you want. Do the same for the vanilla frosting.

Easter Peeps Cake

Cake Ingredients
3 cups All Purpose Flour

1 tablespoon Baking Powder

½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened

1 ¾ cups Granulated Sugar

4 Extra Large Eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1 cup Whole Milk, room temperature

AmeriColor 128 Turquoise

Summer Powder Blue Candy Coated Chocolate (I used SweetWorks Celebration Sixlets)

Wilton Blue Sugar Sprinkles

Easter Peeps Cake

Cake Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter or spray with non-stick vegetable spray, 2 9-inch cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, spray over it and lightly sprinkle flour.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Easter Peeps Cake

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Turn off mixer and scrape sides of bowl with spatula.

Turn mixer to low speed and alternately add flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions), beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide batter evenly into prepared cake pans, smoothing tops with offset spatula.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in center.

Place cakes on wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Run knife around the edges of the cake, and invert onto wire racks and cool completely before frosting.

Easter Peeps Cake

Vanilla Frosting Ingredients
4 cups Confectioners’ Sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened

1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2-3 tablespoons Light Cream

AmeriColor 128 Turquoise

My slice - Easter Peeps Cake

Vanilla Frosting Directions
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Beat in vanilla extract.

Turn mixer to low speed, gradually beat in the sugar.

Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons of the light cream and beat to combine.

On high speed, beat frosting until it is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Easter Peeps Cake - my slice

Add more light cream or powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time as needed, until you reach the right spreading consistency.

To assemble cake, place cake layer bottom facing up onto cake plate or onto cake circle and place on cake turntable. For either method, line pieces of parchment paper around the edges and gently remove after frosting the cake.

Using an offset spatula add frosting over the top the cake and spread evenly leaving a little space around the edges.

Place second layer bottom facing up and frost cake as desired.

Easter Peeps Cake - my slice, yummy!
Once cake is frosted cover the top of the cake with Blue Sugar Sprinkles.

Place Blue Peeps on top of cake any way you like.

Cover bottom and top of cake with Summer Powder Blue Candy Coated Chocolate.

Place in cake carrier and keep in fridge for 2 to 3 hours to set before serving. Take out and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Vanilla Cake and Vanilla Frosting recipe from Joy of Baking: http://www.joyofbaking.com/VanillaCake.html

Enjoy! Happy Easter!

-Sophia/Two Frys