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Ramblings from Chef Jay

In this issue, I am going to address the most common topic of chileheads this time of year, canning salsa. If you are a home canner and would like to try canning salsa, or if you just don't have access to fresh chiles and vegetables year round and would like to try your hand at canning, you will enjoy these recipes.

I will also tell you about the most recent hot sauce festival to come to the bayou city, Houston, Texas. The third major such festival to grace our city this year, The Houston Hot Sauce Festival left the other two in it's dust. I got to meet one of the great grass roots producers of hot sauce in America and a few from as far away as Australia.

Thanks for all the kind emails you have sent full of suggestions, questions, and even thanks for the few complaints, they help too. Keep them coming. It is time to get ready for the fall, so start here and enjoy this issue of The Heat!.

Canning Salsa

Now, when canning salsa the most important thing is to use a reliable, laboratory tested recipe. I am going to show you two here. You should follow these closely.

Bottled lemon juice may be substituted for vinegar if you don't like the taste of the vinegar, I don't. Also, these recipes are pretty mild. It is OK to increase the heat by using a hotter chile pepper, but you must use the same amount. Do not change the amount of chiles used in these recipes as they are calculated precisely to work with each recipe.

The spices are optional and the amounts may be decreased or omitted altogether, but should not be increased. You may choose to add fresh cilantro just before serving, if you prefer a stronger cilantro flavor.

I recommend processing using a boiling water canner. Be sure to follow the manufacturers suggested guidelines and use these recipes to insure a safe and tasty salsa you will love for the months to come. And check back to my website often, I will be adding more recipes for canning salsa in the future.

Tomatillo Green Salsa

Yield: 5 pints
5 cups chopped tomatillos
1 1/2 cups seeded, chopped long green chiles
1/2 cup seeded finely chopped jalapeños
4 cups chopped onions
1 cup bottled lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin*
3 Tbsp oregano leaves *
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and stir frequently over high heat until mixture begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot salsa into pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner 15 minutes at 0-1,000 feet altitude; 20 minutes at 1,001-6,000 feet; 25 minutes above 6,000 feet.

- You may use green tomatoes in this recipe instead of tomatillos.

*Optional

Chile Salsa

Yield: 7 to 9 pints
10 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes
4 cups chopped onions
1 cup vinegar
6 cups seeded, chopped chiles*
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

- Combine ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner: 15 minutes at 0-1,000 feet altitude, 20 minutes at 1,001-6,000 feet; 25 minutes above 6,000 feet.

*Use mixture of mild and hot chiles.

Soul Food Recipes

Every time we went to visit her, she would pack our trunk full of all types of canned goods...tomatoes, okra, you name it. So, thinking about all of Granny's great cooking reminds me of a cookbook you may want to try, "Soul Food Recipes".

If you miss the days of good down home cooking and would like to try and recreate some of it in your kitchen, you'll want to check out this book. You can even get a free sample to try. The recipes include macaroni, fried chicken, biscuits, red-eye gravy and baby back ribs. Check it out here!

Fiery Foods Event

There were people selling their versions of hot sauce from all over the United States and as far away as Australia. In all, nearly 100 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors came to the show, and I'll venture to guess that no one left dissappointed.

The food concessions were excellent, including tamales, fajitas, chinese food, funnel cake, kettle korn and there was even a booth hosted by Hooters giving away free samples(of chicken wings;). My favorite snack food of the day was a crawfish sausage served on a huge hot dog bun with grilled onions, made by the Texas Cajun Meat Company(www.gocajun.com), simply delicious.

I was happy I finally got to meet Jim Campbell in person. You may have seen him on Food Network during one of their fiery foods shows. He is the fireman from Indiana who grows his own peppers and produces and packages his own herbs and sauces. You can check his products out at WildPepper.com . His Red Savina Garlic Sauce is widely considered the best of its kind. I wholeheartedly agree!

Other vendors included CaJohns Fiery Foods, who displayed his wide array of sauces. Two companies from down under, Byron Bay Chilli Company and Redback Chilli, came all the way to Houston to exhibit their products. But, probably the most popular booth was the amateur salsa competition. For just $1, visitors were allowed to sample each and every entry in the competition and vote for their favorites. Mine didn't win, but Lisa said it was her favorite;) So, I was happy. Maybe next year.

If there are any fiery foods events in your area, or heck, any food festival for that matter, I strongly suggest you attend and try some of the different foods. There is always a good time to be had and you just might find your new favorite food while you're at it!

Recipe Corner

It is that time of year to get your chili pot out and start stewing. You can see my recipe along with the other nine finalists at the above link. Give mine a try and let me know what you think.

Chef Jay Asks You

Have a great month and don't forget to Eat the Heat!

Chef Jay