Come join the festivities on May 5th – Cinco de Mayo. (6-10pm)

YOU ARE HERE - WILD WEST HOT SAUCE!

1.  Mexican Charro Performers – 6:30, 7:45, 9:00pm

2.  The Pinnacle Peak Pistoleros are performing a special show for Cinco de Mayo!

THE MASKED MUCHACHO – 6:45, 8:00, 9:15pm

The Pistoleros!

3.  a Pinnata @ 7:30pm with your favorite Pistolero, “Johnny

Bandito”

4.  Ballet Folklorico Tapatio

5.  Mariachi Luz de Luna

6.  a Jose Cuervo Tasting Table

7.  a Corona Trough

8.  and….the Outpost Snack Shack!

It’s fun for the whole family!! Please stop by our booth.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Now, if you can’t make it or you want to make the party last…you can use some Santa Cruz Green Chili Paste.

a staple for Southwestern & Mexican cooking

Make some favorites – burritos, enchiladas or chimichangas. Roasted green chilies are a staple for Southwestern & Mexican cooking.

Santa Cruz has taken fresh green chilies from the fields & created a delightful chili paste to enhance any dish. Here’s one of their recipes:

Chicken in Santa Cruz Green Chili Sauce

1 Tb flour
2 Tbs. oil
1 C Santa Cruz Roasted Green Chili Paste
3 C Shredded cooked chicken
1 tsp garlic powder
2 C hot chicken broth
1/2 C sauteed onions

Brown flour & oil in a saucepan. Add chili paste, broth, onions, chicken & spices. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Use this sauce to make your own “World’s Best” burritos, enchiladas or chimichangas.

Well, whatever you decide to do, we hope your day is perfectly seasoned : )

~ Dena

Flowering Cactus

Flowering Prickly Pear

….and in the desert….

Springtime ~ April is the time to harvest Cholla buds.

On Saturday, April 7th, Jen and I were invited by Carolyn Niethammer, author of  her new book, Cooking the Wild Southwest: Delicious Recipes for Desert Plants , to go cholla bud harvesting.  She took us out into the Tucson mountains.  What a wonderful view.

She emphasized several points while we were harvesting:   pick the buds before the flower opens, keep your harvest one layer deep in a box or basket, use a torch for quick spine removal and how incredibly nutritious they are for you.  As I was doing my own research, they consider cholla buds as a  SUPER FOOD!  Like Carolyn mentions in her post, it’s loaded with calcium and great for diabetes.

Carolyn harvesting cholla buds.

Carolyn and my friend Jennifer Hill!

Back at Carolyn’s house, we took off some of the spines.  We got a piece of chicken wire set up on buckets and a small handheld propane torch.

Harvest ~ one layer deep.

Getting ready....

Torching the spines

Carolyn using the propane torch.

My side to our Easter dinner ~ Steamed Asparagus & Cholla buds!

Easter Dinner - yum!

Well, over the last 10 days I’ve had a few things reinforced for me.  You really DO WANT Cholla buds one layer deep.  It’s ten times harder to get the spines off if you don’t : (  Do listen to people who’ve had experience.  They just might know a few things to make your life easier.  Cherish the time you can share with family and friends.  They may not be there tomorrow.

This post is dedicated to my special friends Carolyn & Jen, my family and especially Herm Wille.

Kicked Up Grilled Reuben Sandwich with Spicy Slaw!

Ingredients:

Nice sliced rye bread of your choice

12-16 oz. Corned Beef (cut off any extra fat) (3-4oz./sandwich)

4-8 oz sliced Swiss cheese (1-2 oz./sandwich)

7 oz. canned sauerkraut, drained

2 heaping Tbs. mayonnaise

2-3 Tbs. Hot Flash Green Chile Paste (to taste)

Butter

Hot Flash Roasted Green Chile Paste ~ All Natural & Gluten Free!

Directions:

Preheat griddle to 350 degrees.

Mix drained sauerkraut, mayonnaise, and Hot Flash together.  Set aside.  Warm up meat on the griddle.

Butter (2) slices per sandwich. (1-2 sandwiches per person)

With buttered side down, layer on corned beef, cheese, and  scoop of sauerkraut.  Top with buttered bread – buttered side up.

Repeat until all sandwiches are made.   Cook on griddle until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Spicy Coleslaw

3 C green cabbage, leafy part only, julienned

2 C red cabbage, leafy part only, julienned

1/2 red bell pepper , seeded and membranes removed, julienned

1/2 yellow bell pepper , seeded and membranes removed, julienned

1/2 carrot, peeled and cut into very fine julienne

The other night Dad Pfeenerbar, from the Old Time Photo Studio in Trail Dust Town brought in a box full of old apothecary bottles and among them were 2 old Tabasco Hot Sauce Bottles!    What a treat!

Corker Tabasco Bottle

Tabasco Hot Sauce, a family owned business, has been around since 1868.  Founded by Edmund McIlhenny from Louisianna.  Their original sauce is made from Tabasco peppers, vinegar,  salt and aged in white oak barrels for 3 years.  On the Scoville Scale, Tabasco rates about 3500-8000 SKU.  Since then, they have expanded their line from a Sweet & Spicy Sauce (100-600 SKU)   to a Habanero Sauce (7000-12,000).

Not only have they added products, but they’ve changed how they package their product.  For lunch on Tuesday, a friend & I met for lunch at a local fast food joint.  As we were getting our condiments, I spied this….

Hot Sauce in a packet!

Wow, times they are a changin!!! Tabasco is a great product & readily available.

My goal or mission for Wild West Hot Sauce is to find as many good tasting local sauces as I can.   A hot sauce made right here in Tucson is Poblanos Hot Sauce, a family run business for 86 yrs.  They carry a Green Jalapeno, Red Jalapeno, Salsa Ranchera and their Mexican Hot Sauce.   These are some must have sauces for your “bottle” collection.

We’re happy to carry for you locally made sauces.  Look forward to seeing you.

Until then, may all your days be perfectly seasoned!

~ Dena

Now, if you do like a bit of spice, chiles and spice can be found in wonderful places other than a hot sauce.  I carry a wonderful line of flavored peanuts which will burst with flavor in your mouth ~ A** Kickin Original Hot, Honey Roasted, Jalapeno Cheddar and Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts.  Each can has a different recipe on the back, a creative way to use each product.   Today, I’m going to highlight the A** Kickin Chipotle Honey Peanut Brittle Recipe.

A** Kickin Chipotle Honey Peanut Brittle

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup  sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup water

1 cup A** Chipotle Honey Peanuts

2 Tbl butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS:

Grease large cookie sheet.  Place a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium heat – slowly heat corn syrup, sugar, water & salt.  Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and boiling.  Place a candy thermometer in mixture until temperature reaches 300 degrees Farenheit. (hard crack stage)  Remove from heat and stir in Ass Kickin’ Chipotle Honey Peanuts , butter or margarine and baking soda.  Once all ingredients are mixed well, immediately pour onto the cookie sheet.

Use two forks to lift and pull peanut brittle mixture into a rectangle approximately 12″ x 12″.  Once cooled, break into pieces and enjoy!

Now after you try this delicious treat, you can say….it’s more than hot sauce!

A delicious treat!

P.S.   Packed in pretty tins, you can give this peanut brittle as  gifts for birthdays and holidays.

Well, it’s time to say Good Night now so until we meet again….

May all your days be perfectly seasoned!

Dena

On Wednesday, I had the wonderful opportunity to have Carolyn visit my store, Wild West Hot Sauce located in Trail Dust Town.  She conducted an interview about me and my store.    It can be viewed here on her blog:  http://cooksouthwest.wordpress.com/  In addition to talking about my products, we discussed harvesting Cholla buds and Barrel Cactus fruit.  Trail Dust Town has some cacti onsite so we went to take a gander at them.  The barrel cactus had some fruit.  Carolyn has a recipe for Barrel Cactus Salsa,  Pineapple Cake, and Chutney in her cookbook.  She even found a way to use the seeds by making Crispy Barrel Cactus Seed Chips!  Since I had some fall/winter fruits, I made a warm Barrel Cactus Compote with my harvest.  Here are the ones I picked!

My harvest!

If you’d like a warm tasty treat.  Here is my recipe for Warm Barrel Cactus Compote!

3 Granny Smith Apples – Washed, peeled, deseeded and sliced

3 pears – Washed, peeled, deseeded  and sliced

8 Barrel Cactus Fruit – Washed, cut off ends, deseeded and sliced

1/3 C Light Brown Sugar

about 1Tb Lemon Juice

1/2 C Tangelo Juice (could substitute Orange Juice)

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

2 Tb Butter, melted

Nuts on top, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a baking dish.  I used my 13 x 9. Wash/clean and slice the apples, pears and barrel cactus fruit.  Place fruit in bowl.  Sprinkle on lemon juice.  Stir and coat thoroughly.   Arrange coated fruit in baking dish.

Next, melt butter in microwave.  Combine butter, tangelo juice, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.   Pour juice mixture over arranged fruit.  Sprinkle with nuts if desired.

Bake for 25-30 mins.  or until bubbly.  Serve hot with a dash of cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream for a satisfying desert dessert!

Warm Barrel Cactus Compote ~ Yum!

Like Carolyn has said, the cactus tastes a bit lemony.  It’s a great compliment to the apples and pears.  However, make sure to get the fruit as yellow as possible.  Mine had a bit of green on them.  They didn’t soften up as much as the real yellow ones did.

It is such a pleasure to talk with Carolyn.  She is so knowledgeable.  I hope to be able to go on a Cholla Bud harvesting Day trip with Carolyn this Spring.

Until then, look for my next post as I will highlight a recipe using the peanuts that Carolyn highlighted in her post, specifically the AK Chipotle Honey Roasted peanuts – Peanut Brittle!

Thanks for reading!  Until we meet again….

May all your days be perfectly seasoned!

Dena

What a great event – February 12th, 2012.  It was Pinnacle Peak/Trail Dust Town’s 50th Birthday and Arizona is now 100.  Trail Dust Town had the day packed with goodies from beginning to end.  Lots of fun was had by all!  I  sampled JC’s Midnite Salsa in front of the store.  Everyone who tried it loved it : )

We took photos through out the day.  Below are few choice ones…

Part of the beginning ceremony

Military band!

Processional Parade - Arizona is a State!

Part of the parade through the town square!

Give Women the Right to Vote!

Cowboys with Loop Rawlin's

One of the Oldtime Classic Cars

Sampling JC's Midnite Salsa - Mild, Garlic Chipotle, Hot & Blackout!

Well, there’s just a cross-section of the events that happened.  It was nice to celebrate the day with some wonderful people.  And, a big thanks to my husband who helped the day go smoothly at Wild West Hot Sauce.

If you get a chance to stop by, we’d love to see you.  And, if you’ve read my posts on either my blog or facebook page, please let me know.  I’d like to be able to connect.  See what’s working and what’s not.

Thanks for stopping by…Until we meet again, may all your days be perfectly seasoned : )

Fish Rub from Christopher Creek Company

Christopher & Brooke

Getting ready to eat!

Heidi, an employee @ Trail Dust Town says, “My son never ate fish until I started using the Fish Rub we got @ Wild West Hot Sauce.  Now, he eats it all the time!  I’m so happy he’s getting his Omega 3’s now.”   : )

Yum yum! Yummy fish : )

Thank you Christopher & Brooke for your support!

Our wish to all of  you……….May all your days be perfectly seasoned!

Dena

Happy Holidays to All!

The Rupp Family

Just wanted to update you on the happenings at Trail Dust Town.  Along with our food demo from RPMS – We B’ Jammin Foods, CNN will be visiting Trail Dust Town.  They are doing a segment on the best kept secret in Tucson.  They interviewed 1 person.  Trail Dust Town was his favorite place!

Come by for a full night of entertainment and go home with a bottle of hot sauce or salsa from Wild West Hot Sauce.

Tonight, November 11, 2010  – starting at 4:30pm – ?

Until then……….may your day be filled with flavor!

Dee