I am making my grandmother-in law's spaghetti tonight!! Mmm!

[JLO]

Yeah, I love experimenting in the kitchen. I have taken my mom's recipes (and now my MIL's) and tweaked them and I get rave reviews. 

Sign of a good cook!   

[debk]

Uh.  The Tabasco and Trappeys don't even count as add ons.  They are assumed.     I have a hot sauce shelf in my fridge.  Nothing but hot sauces and peppers.  I am currently on a Tabasco Chipotle kick, but that is only because I CANNOT FIND ANY CRYSTAL HOT SAUCE HERE ANY MORE.  Down to my last bottle, from the last time I saw it.  Gol durn it. 

I also like curry, saffron, ginger, et. al.

But don't get me near lima beans or dark meat poultry.  Or poultry period. ew.   Love me some eggs tho!

If you don't mind ordering, try Peppers of Key West. I have been in their shop several times, shipped stuff home from there, and ordered from there. They don't charge a lot to ship, at least not compared to some places.
www.peppersofkeywest.com

[Madam Firecracker]

yum Deb!!!! I will have to try that out!

Yeah I don't do dark meat poultry either. Or hot dogs or lunchmeat. I will eat carved meats on sandwiches but I find biting into packaged lunchmeat kinda ooogey.

[IassaFTots]

yum Deb!!!! I will have to try that out!

Yeah I don't do dark meat poultry either. Or hot dogs or lunchmeat. I will eat carved meats on sandwiches but I find biting into packaged lunchmeat kinda ooogey.

Me too!  Texture of plastic!!!!!   

[IassaFTots]

I think I've seen it around here. I'll keep an eye open.

Keep me posted Mike.  I don't mind a drive up to Denton town.  I used to get it at the Tom Thumb, and the World Market.  Now, it is no where.  I look at every store I go too.

Deb, thanks for that link, I see some Christmas ordering happening soon.

[vesta111]

3 types of hot sauce one made with carrots the other made with tomatoes and one hot green peppers.

By accident when having a breakfast of hash browns, sausage and eggs the resturant brought me this very odd hot sauce. 

This bottle was full of orange stuff, not red and I read the ingredents and found carrots was the first ingredent.

In the south I use the green bottle of sauce on BBQ, in the west the red stuff, this was my first time here in New England to ever see Orange stuff.

I tried this and by golly, I fell in love at first bite.

After breakfast I headed for the local supermarket and found they carry this item, imported from Mexico with a WOOD stopper called Cholula original hot sauce.   There was also 3 or 4 other brands of hot sauce that were also Orange. 
Yummy, makes my tongue dance.

[debk]

Keep me posted Mike.  I don't mind a drive up to Denton town.  I used to get it at the Tom Thumb, and the World Market.  Now, it is no where.  I look at every store I go too.

Deb, thanks for that link, I see some Christmas ordering happening soon.

If you order, make sure to order the Roasted Pineapple and Habenero Dip. It really isn't what I would consider a dip as it's too liquid-y. It is incredible mixed with cream cheese for a cracker spread. And I also use it when baking a pork loin. It would be good with ham too. Makes a nice gift.

[IassaFTots]

If you order, make sure to order the Roasted Pineapple and Habenero Dip. It really isn't what I would consider a dip as it's too liquid-y. It is incredible mixed with cream cheese for a cracker spread. And I also use it when baking a pork loin. It would be good with ham too. Makes a nice gift.

Oh yeah, that is what I am talking about!  Sounds great!

[debk]

Oh yeah, that is what I am talking about!  Sounds great!

There's a hot pepper peach jelly/jam (look for peach) that's great with pork or chicken. And a orange and some kind of pepper - habenero, maybe - jam/preserve that killer on bisquits. A mango/tequila/jalapeno grilling sauce/dip that I use to marinate pork chops or chicken breasts in before grilling.

I think I need to do an order..

Most of the stuff is under $7 and make great single item gifts, when you need something during the holidays, and don't want to spend much. Sometimes I randomly find them in the food section at Ross's, Marshall's or TJMaxx too.

They have dozens of hot sauces, too. If they don't have what you are looking for, the owners are really cool and may order it, because they pride themselves on having the hottest ones available. You can sample anything in their shop, they let you bring in alcohol and will sit there and chat, drink and sample with you....for hours even. 

[crockspot]

You can't start a thread like this without spilling the recipe.

Here is my Italian grandmother's recipe for "gravy".

Garlic and onions, sauteed until the onions are translucent
1 large can (industrial size) of stewed tomatoes, each one squished through your fingers. (one secret she never told anyone is that she removed the seeds tediously before this step, which eliminated any kind of heartburn.)
2 small cans tomato paste
Parsley, salt, oregano, pepper, basil, bit of sugar, and a tiny pinch each of clove and nutmeg.

Let it simmer, the longer the better.

[soleil]

You can't start a thread like this without spilling the recipe.

Here is my Italian grandmother's recipe for "gravy".

Garlic and onions, sauteed until the onions are translucent
1 large can (industrial size) of stewed tomatoes, each one squished through your fingers. (one secret she never told anyone is that she removed the seeds tediously before this step, which eliminated any kind of heartburn.)
2 small cans tomato paste
Parsley, salt, oregano, pepper, basil, bit of sugar, and a tiny pinch each of clove and nutmeg.

Let it simmer, the longer the better.

I do saute onions, garlic, and bell pepper. They have to saute long because I don't want any crunch to them.

I cut up fresh tomatoes, use oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, bay leaves. And that is all I am saying!!

Oh, and NO sugar goes in mine. My husband would have a fit.

[BEG]

I do saute onions, garlic, and bell pepper. They have to saute long because I don't want any crunch to them.

I cut up fresh tomatoes, use oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, bay leaves. And that is all I am saying!!

Oh, and NO sugar goes in mine. My husband would have a fit.

I have a spaghetti and meatball recipe the my mom got from a neighbor over 40 years ago (the neighbor was italian). It calls for sugar and cinnamon in the sauce. The sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.

[soleil]

I have a spaghetti and meatball recipe the my mom got from a neighbor over 40 years ago (the neighbor was italian). It calls for sugar and cinnamon in the sauce. The sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.

A lot of people do add sugar. I could do the sugar. I couldn't do the cinnamon or the nutmeg. My husband doesn't want any sweetness going into his gravy. And since I've already altered his Nona's recipe to an extent, I've backed off on trying to to add the sugar part. However, I've often wondered if he'd notice if I did.

[BEG]

A lot of people do add sugar. I could do the sugar. I couldn't do the cinnamon or the nutmeg. My husband doesn't want any sweetness going into his gravy. And since I've already altered his Nona's recipe to an extent, I've backed off on trying to to add the sugar part. However, I've often wondered if he'd notice if I did.

You can't taste the cinnamon or sugar and it's not sweet. Sometimes when I'm lazy I'll sauté some garlic (actually quite a bit of garlic) in olive oil, add a few cans of petite diced tomatoes, a little sugar, italian seasoning, basil and salt then serve it over angel hair pasta with parmesan cheese on top. My husband and kids love it.

[JLO]

You can't taste the cinnamon or sugar and it's not sweet. Sometimes when I'm lazy I'll sauté some garlic (actually quite a bit of garlic) in olive oil, add a few cans of petite diced tomatoes, a little sugar, italian seasoning, basil and salt then serve it over angel hair pasta with parmesan cheese on top. My husband and kids love it.

Sounds good!  Do you do fresh basil?

[BEG]

Sounds good!  Do you do fresh basil?

If I have it, otherwise I have freeze dried basil that tastes pretty good.