The Official Scott Roberts Web Site

The World's Hottest Non-Extract Hot Sauces

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-11 06:15:00

There may be extract-based sauces and additives that are far hotter, but for "all-natural" hot sauces (meaning ones that do not contain chile pepper extract), there may be none in the world more mouth-scorching than the ones listed below that are commercially available.

Many chileheads and sauce aficionados feel that pepper extract possesses a nasty, bitter, "chemical"-like flavor, and prefer the taste and burn provided by ground-up or pureed chiles. If you're looking for the most eye-watering, tongue-throbbing, throat-burning, all-around hottest non-extract hot sauces, take a look at these fine offerings...

New 'Spray Awake' Energy Spray Uses Capsaicin to Deliver Caffeine for Sustained Mental Focus

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-10 18:28:27

Here's a press release a stumbled upon this morning. I can't say whether or not this product would work, but I found this interesting nonetheless...

Most energy products deliver large doses of caffeine through oral ingestion, and this is known to cause jitters and crashing effects. Now there's a new oral spray that delivers sustained energy without crash or jitters thanks to the power of the pepper. Spray Awake is the world's first personal energy spray to use capsaicin as a way to deliver sublingual doses of caffeine with big results and no side effects.

Albany, NY (PRWEB) November 6, 2009 - SiCap LLC, makers of the popular Sinus Buster capsaicin nasal spray, has announced a brand new capsaicin based energy spray called "Spray Awake". According to the manufacturer, Spray Awake delivers caffeine in small sustained amounts to reap positive results without the unwanted side effects associated with energy drinks, shots and pills...

Review - Danny Cash Mean Streak Habanero Mango Hot Sauce

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-10 07:00:00

For my brief, two-to-three minute audio sauce reviews for the Hot Sauce Weekly Podcast, I've been racking my brains trying to gather up a diverse array of products that I completely adore so that I can cover them. While I may eventually get around to recording a negative (or at least a less than glowing) review of a spicy food item, for the time being I want to give solid recommendations on sauces and salsas that I truly believe are some of the very best out there in fiery foods land.

One such product is Danny Cash's Mean Streak Habanero Mango Hot Sauce, a sauce I fell in love with a couple of years ago. Danny Cash is already one of my favorite sauce manufacturers, and I think this would be the grand champion of what they produce. Out of all the hot sauces I've tasted, Mean Streak is easily in "all-time Top 10" territory. I've looked back in my blog's hot sauce review archives and realized that I've never formally reviewed a single Danny Cash product, so here is this write-up to help rectify that problem.

November 2009 Poll: Do You Take Hot Sauce With You When You Eat Out at Restaurants?

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-09 09:34:13

Here's the poll question for November: do you take a bottle or two of hot sauce with you when you go out to eat to put on the restaurants' food?

Do you take hot sauce with you when you eat out at restaurants?(polling)

November 2009 Chilehead T-Shirt of the Month - Fire Goes In...Fire Escape

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-08 19:02:52

Will November's Chilehead T-Shirt of the Month become a modern classic? It remains to be seen, but you'll want to be seen in the new "Fire Goes In...Fire Escape" tee.

Let everyone know where the flammage goes...in your mouth! But the fire must escape somewhere, so turn the shirt around to look at the back to find the answer! Sure to get lots of laughs.

Available in both male and female fittings.

FireTalkers: Interview with Blair Lazar of Blair's Sauces and Snacks

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-06 07:00:41

Whether or not you're a fan of his products, you have to admit that few people have had the impact and garnered a cult-like following quite like Blair Lazar of Blair's Sauces and Snacks. I was recently given the opportunity to have an extended conversation with Blair, and he was candid, gushingly accommodating and extremely passionate as we spoke. We touched on several topics, including his reserves (which struck a nerve when I mentioned some were critical of the prices for which they were being sold), being on the internet, his collaboration with rock guitarist Zakk Wylde on the Berserker Sauces, and the fiery foods business.

Scott: For those who have never heard it, what was the "Reader's Digest" version of how you created the Wings of Death challenge while working as a bartender on the Jersey Shore?

Blair: Well, that's the inception of my Death Sauce back in '89, you know bartending, serving drunks on the Jersey Shore. This was before what's happened in the last 20 years, with the proliferation of spice. I think there's something really exciting about watching somebody eat something hot, and that's just as "simpleton" as I can say it. I think when you're serving people liquor, and it's 2 o'clock in the morning, what can you really do that's legal to get them to leave? You can say, "hey, if you can eat my wings you can hang all night at the bar." I would make four of the hottest wings you could possibly find, and tell them...

Sub Sandwich Review Face-Off: Subway Buffalo Chicken Versus Domino's Sweet and Spicy Chicken Habanero Sandwich

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-05 23:42:04

The spice invasion has begun. Oh, you as a hot sauce fan may think that the current trend of fiery fast food sandwiches are a feeble attempt at best at approximating the capsaicin-heavy, tongue-scorching food items we all know and love. The spicy chicken sandwiches at Wendy's and McDonald's, the Angry Whopper at Burger King, and the Buffalo KFC Snacker, plus many others, may have disappointed heat lovers, but at least the foot is in proverbial door. A pair new sandwiches, the Domino's Sweet & Spicy Chicken Habanero Oven Baked Sandwich, and the Subway Buffalo Chicken Sub have furthered the push of spicier fare into the mainstream, but are they worthy of your money?

The Hot Pepper Awards 2009 - Winners Announced

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-05 06:19:44

The winners have been announced in The Hot Pepper Awards 2009 competition, which is presented by TheHotPepper.com forums. Click here for the full listing of categories and prize recipients. Congratulations to the winners!

Review - Gunther's Gourmet Salsas

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-04 10:15:44

Gunther's Gourmet was one of the highlights of the 2009 Weekend of Fire. A large percentage of vendors at that show featured products that were all over the map; some were excellent, while food items had totally missed the mark with what they were attempting to accomplish. Thankfully for Gunther's Gourmet they were not in that "hit-or-miss" category. Most of the 10+ salsas the company had on display for sampling were above average and were never anything less than high-quality. And although they produce a handful of admirable marinades & vinaigrettes, it was Gunther's wide selection of salsas that impressed me.

Mike Lampros, one of the two brothers that run Gunther's Gourmet, had recently provided a sampling to me of a quartet of salsas (three of which are award-winning): Jalapeño Salsa Fresca, Spicy Ginger Pineapple Salsa, Fiery Peri-Peri Dark Cherry Salsa, and Fiery Cranberry Habanero Salsa Here are my thoughts on these...

Firetalkers - Interview with Jim Campbell of Mild to Wild Pepper Company

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-02 21:53:00

I've respected Jim Campbell for a long time. The guy's done a great many things which make him an excellent all-around ambassador of the fiery foods industry. If you're relatively new to the hot sauce world, you may or may not know that he has worn many hats (no pun intended) in addition to running the Mild to Wild Pepper and Herb Company. His day job is being a firefighter with the Pike Township Fire Department in Indianapolis, Indiana, which instantly earns him the title of "hero" in my book. Jim has founded the Step Up for Charity organization a not-for-profit group that raises funds for charitable organizations, and he once held the world record for stair climbing (106,000 stairs in one 24-hour period!) that he used to help promote this great cause. On his commercial fields, he grows chile peppers that supplies chiles to a large segment of the U.S. specialty hot sauce market. On his fields he also hosts the annual Woodstock-like "Open Fields" pepper event every fall, where chileheads converge for a weekend to pick chiles and to celebrate the spicy life. Overall, Jim is an intriguing individual, so I'm pleased to have been able to ask Jim a few questions, and he was more than happy to provide his often humorous, always knowledgeable insight...

2009 Original Terlingua International Championship Chili Cookoff

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-02 06:44:06

The 2009 Original Terlingua International Frank X. Tolbert - Wick Fowler Championship Chili Cookoff is just a few days away. The 43rd annual event is taking place on November 5 - 7 in Terlingua, Texas where an expected 10,000+ chile fans will converge to watch entrants compete in one of the largest non-ICS chili contests on earth. To get the scoop, go to http://www.abowlofred.com.

Texas Pepper Conference on November 12 - 13, 2009

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-11-01 19:28:17

The following info comes form Dr. Kevin Crosby, Dr. Juan Anciso, and Dr. Ben Villal�n:

The Texas pepper research is fine and doing well in Weslaco, Texas. The Texas Pepper Foundation (TPF), dissolved after 32 years, was organized in 1976 with over 300 members from 25 different states, several other countries including Mexico and Canada who recognize the importance of peppers (chile, chilli) as the number one spice ingredient in the world. Members included research and extension scientists, growers, producers, seed and chemical industry and major food processing firms. TPF members supported the genetic improvement of peppers being conducted at TAES Weslaco previously by Dr. Ben Villal�n and now by Dr. Kevin Crosby and several other scientists throughout Texas. TPF sponsored periodic conferences, field days, and financial research support. This was one of the last major public assisted pepper improvement organizations in the U.S.A. Dr. Crosby has released several outstanding pepper cultivars with more to come, since Dr. Ben retired in 1996.

A Scientific Texas Pepper Conference and Field Day is Being Planned and Organized for November 12 - 13, 2009 at the Weslaco Research Center...

New Blair's 2009 Halloween Reserves with Pumpkin-Shaped Bottles

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-10-31 08:22:43

Blair has sent out the message this morning about the new Halloween 2009 Reserves. Each one is in a unique, glass-blown bottle and contains both a vial of 16 million SHU capsaicin AND bhut jolokia (AKA "ghost chili") powder:

Dear Chilipal,

Some Seriously Spicy Fury is brewing In Death Sauce Land on this festive Mischief Night. What better time than now to announce the release of my over the top 2009 Halloween Reserve !!!! So here it is.... Each bottle is definitely a one-of-a-kind creation. Check out this spectacular, artisan, hand-blown glass pumpkin bottle filled with Jolokia Ghost Chili and Guinness World Record-breaking 16 Million...

2010 Scovie Award Winners Announced

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-10-29 11:58:39

Although some of the 2010 Scovie Award winners had already been contacted days ago, and their placings had been made public knowledge, the full, official list of winners have been unknown until now. The list has finally been announced and was posted up on the Fiery-Foods.com website just minutes ago. If you're unfamiliar with them, the Scovie Awards are considered by many to be the most prestigious awards in the hot sauce and spicy food industry.

Review - Charles Vergos' Rendezvous Famous Seasoning

scott@scottrobertsweb.com (Scott Roberts) — 2009-10-28 22:25:15

Charles Vergos' Rendezvous Famous Seasoning suffers from the fact that it's not a highly versatile product. I wouldn't expect food lovers to be able to sprinkle this stuff on salads, veggies, sandwiches, deviled eggs, or even regular grilled burgers and steaks. It started as one thing: a dry rub for Rendezvous' delicious barbecue smoked meats, in particular pork ribs, and by God that's what it's good for.

It's highly recommended that you use this on foods that you cook over low heat and do it slowly all day, with plenty of wood smoke. You know, real barbecuing. Pork shoulders, ribs, chicken and beef briskets are outstanding with Charles Vergos' Rendezvous Famous Seasoning coated on thick. If you're merely "grilling" (cooking fast with high heat) without smoking the meat, it's just missing something even if this dry rub is applied. It just ain't the same.

I picked up a bottle of Rendezvous Famous Seasoning during my trip to Memphis earlier this year to see if I could replicate the BBQ joint's fantastic dry rub ribs at home. The following is a review of the seasoning and my efforts to achieve rib sucking nirvana...