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We’re Moving…and Will Be Back Soon!

We're Moving...and Will Be Back Soon!Greetings blog readers! This post is serving as a gentle reminder that my boys and I will be moving into a new house this weekend. Added to the chaos surrounding this is that we will not have home internet access until it is installed sometime next week. Because of this, as you can probably guess, there will not be any new blog posts for several days, no new Ultilmate Hot Sauce Showdown matches, and no new Weekly Firecast episodes arriving in your RSS feeds out this weekend. Probably most disappointing of all, we will be unable to make the trek to Columbus, Ohio to attend ZestFest Midwest (so I wish all of my compadres in the chilehead world a hugely successful and fun weekend there in the Buckeye State!). Life keeps rolling along, and we look forward towards the future and to bigger and brighter things!

NYC Hot Sauce Expo Featured On The Cooking Network Season Premiere

NYC Hot Sauce Expo Featured On The Cooking Network Season PremiereFood Network Star Kelsey Nixon and host of Kelsey’s Essentials asked High River Sauces owner Steve Seabury to take her on a spicy adventure at the first annual NYC Hot Sauce Expo, one of the most buzz worthy food festivals in the country. Seabury charters an in-depth journey around the Hot Sauce Expo and provides insightful information to Kelsey about the different unique hot sauces styles, various peppers types used and how these sauces are used to enhance your savory and sweet food recipes.

The NYC Hot Sauce Expo highlights the best and most talented artisanal hot sauce companies from around the country and hosts the prestigious Screaming Mi Mi Awards. During the segment Kelsey stops by to discuss with a handful of vendors including Peppers DistributionPuckerbutt Pepper CompanyDefcon, Heartbreaking Dawns and others about the history of hot sauces, the characteristics and medicinal measures of the chile pepper and how the popularity within the mainstream has tremendously increased sales in North America the past couple of years.

After the Expo, Kelsey visits JoJo Collins who truly turns up the heat on her homemade Sriracha. Kelsey then gets started on her own hot sauce menu: Fresno Pepper Hot SauceSpicy Kale Caesar Salad and Spicy Roasted Chicken with a Hot Sauce Compound Butter.

Kelsey’s Essentials Season Premiere episode titled “Fiery Foods” will air on the Cooking Channel, Wednesday, July 3rd. 8:00PM ET | 5:00PM PT

NYC Hot Sauce Expo – April 20th & 21st – Brooklyn, NY

For More Info Please Visit:
Cooking Networkwww.CookingChanneltv.com
Kelsey’s Essentialswww.CookingChanneltv.com/shows/kelseys-essentials.html
NYC Hot Sauce Expowww.NYCHotSauceExpo.com
High River Sauceswww.HighRiverSauces.com

Weekly Firecast Episode #39 – ZestFest Midwest Preview with Greg Bagarozy and CaJohn Hard, Plus How to Smoke Chile Peppers

ZestFest Midwest Preview with Greg Bagarozy and CaJohn Hard, Plus How to Smoke Chile PeppersThe Audio Weekly Firecast with Scott Roberts:

Weekly Firecast Podcast Episode #39 – ZestFest Midwest Preview with Greg Bagarozy and CaJohn Hard

Both Spicy Food Productions LLC President Greg Bagarozy and Ohio-based sauce maker CaJohn Hard return to join Scott and talk about the new ZestFest spinoff show, ZestFest Midwest in Columbus, Ohio. Ken Alexander talks about how to add flavor and lose weight by adding spice to your diet, and Scott tells you how to cold-smoke chile peppers.

 Links mentioned in the episode:

• ZestFest Midwest
• CaJohn’s Fiery Foods
• Ken’s Fiery World
• Scott Roberts Facebook Page
• Scott Roberts Twitter Page

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Weekly Firecast Episode #38 – Hot Sauce Festival Chat with Dana Romero

Hot Sauce Festival Chat with Dana RomeroThe Audio Weekly Firecast with Scott Roberts:

Weekly Firecast Podcast Episode #38 – Hot Sauce Festival Chat with Dana Romero

The Chairman of the most recent Cajun Hot Sauce Festival, Dana Romero, stops by the Firecast for a fiery interview. Dana discusses his ambitious plans for the upcoming International Hot Sauce Festival, which is slated to be held in a different city every subsequent year, plus his concept for a World Hot Sauce Awards. Regular guest Ken Alexander chats with Scott about the proliferation of spicy foods in the mainstream diet, Scott reviews Red CAT-astrophe Hot Sauce made with red wine, and tells you how to achieve bite-through skin in your barbecued chicken.

 Links mentioned in the episode:

• International Hot Sauce Festival Facebook Page
• Louisiana Hot Sauce Festival
• Cajun Hot Sauce Festival
• Red CAT-astrophe Hot Sauce
• Ken’s Fiery World
• Scott Roberts Facebook Page
• Scott Roberts Twitter Page

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McDonald’s Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder Burger Review

McDonald's Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder Burger ReviewYep! The world’s largest (in terms of sales) fast food chain now has something on their menu with theword “habanero” on it. McDonald’s Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder is certainly not the first time a major QSR chain has introduced a habanero product. In fact, it was four years ago that I had reviewed a habanero chicken sandwich from pizza outlet Domino’s, and other have had the capsicum chinense chile pepper in uses such as wings sauces, among others.

But with the Golden Arches debuting this type of level of spice in a sandwich, it certainly marks a milestone in the proliferation of fiery foods in the mainstream, albeit a relatively lame one…

Yes, I’ll cut to the chase. Mickey D’s Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder is…

Ultimate Hot Sauce Showdown – First Round – Captain Thom’s Thai Monkey VS. Jungle Heat Caribbean Sauce

Ultimate Hot Sauce Showdown It was a relatively easy victory for Heartbreaking Dawns in last week’s duel between their 1542 Chocolate Habanero Sauce and challenger Puckerbutt Pepper Co with their extreme heat Voodoo Prince Death Mamba .

Today’s battle is ensuing between chilehead favorite  Captain Thom’s Thai Monkey Sauce, an Asian blend of teriyaki, soy sauce, peanut, wasabi and hot sauce, and their opponent this round, Jungle Heat’s  full-bodied frenzy of tart, sweet, fruity and oniony toned Caribbean Heat.

Ultimate Hot Sauce Showdown - First Round - Captain Thom's Thai Monkey VS. Jungle Heat Caribbean Sauce 

Like many of the UHSS match-ups, these two are very different in flavor, so it’s up to YOU, the hot sauces fans, to determine the winner of this brawl.

You have until the End of Day on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 to make your choice.

You can view the bracket as it currently stands here.


Weekly Firecast Episode #37 – Scott Zalkind of Lucky Dog Hot Sauces Interview

Scott Zalkind of Lucky Dog Hot SaucesThe Audio Weekly Firecast with Scott Roberts:

Weekly Firecast Podcast Episode #37 – Scott Zalkind of Lucky Dog Hot Sauces Interview

One of the hottest new pepper sauce concoctors to hit these parts in a while, Scott Zalkind of Lucky Dog Hot Sauces, drops by and chats with Scott Roberts. Blogger and reviewer Ken Alexander returns from a trip up to the Pacific northwest, the Yukon and Alaska, Scott reviews Fireque Original Kentucky BBQ Sauce, and gives a quick foodie tip about charcoal.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Lucky Dog Hot Sauces
Fireque BBQ Website
Ken’s Fiery World
Scott Roberts Facebook Page
Scott Roberts Twitter Page

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Ultimate Hot Sauce Showdown – First Round – Puckerbutt Voodoo Prince Death Mamba VS. Heartbreaking Dawns 1542 Chocolate Habanero Sauce

Ultimate Hot Sauce ShowdownTwo sauces with large online fanbases duked it out in last week’s matchup. High River Sauces Grapes Of Wrath took on Jungle Heat Garlic Heat, but Jungle Heat was not hot enough to face High River’s massive Wrath.

This time out, it will be newer sauce maker Puckerbutt Pepper Co. with their extreme heat Voodoo Prince Death Mamba going toe-to-toe with Heartbreaking Dawn’s flavorful 1542 Chocolate Habanero Sauce.Puckerbutt Voodoo Prince Death Mamba VS. Heartbreaking Dawns 1542 Chocolate Habanero Sauce 

Like many of the UHSS match-ups, these two are very different in taste, so it’s up to YOU, the hot sauces fans, to determine the champion this bout.

You have until the End of Day on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 to make your choice.

You can view the bracket as it currently stands here.

Weekly Firecast Episode #36 – Insanity with Dave Hirschkop of Dave’s Gourmet, Plus Listener Feedback

Insanity with Dave Hirschkop of Dave's Gourmet - Weekly Firecast Podcast Episode #36The Audio Weekly Firecast with Scott Roberts:

Weekly Firecast Podcast Episode #36 – Insanity with Dave Hirschkop of Dave’s Gourmet

Dave Hirschkop of Dave’s Gourmet stops by and joins Scott for an interview, and discusses his origins of using chile pepper extract with his famous Dave’s Insanity Sauce, how he branched out with super-hot sauces and how he’s hit a flavor home run with his distinctive pasta sauces. Scott reviews Spicey Rooster Bourbon BBQ Sauce and dispenses a saucy tip of the week.

 Links mentioned in the episode:

• Dave’s Gourmet Website
• Spicey Rooster Website
• Scott Roberts Facebook Page
• Scott Roberts Twitter Page

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