In This Issue:
= Texas Christmas Feast, Salsa Recipe
= E-Cookbooks Library, Party Recipe
= Louisiana Hot Sauce, Reader Recipe
= Product Release, Special Announcement!
= Blackeyed Peas, A New Years Tradition
= Chef Jay Asks, Vote for ME!

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Ramblings from Chef Jay

My website and this newsletter have gone from ground zero at the beginning of the year, to something that I am very proud of. The growth has been tremendous thanks to all you subscribers and the visitors to my site. Can you believe that some people actually visit the site and don't join my newsletter? I can only dream that the next year will be as filled with surprises for Chef Jay as 2003 has.

Of course on a personal note, 2003 has brought more to me than I could have even dreamed of. I am so lucky to be able to share my life(and all it's spiciness) with a truly wonderful woman. Lisa and I have come a long way in the past year. I asked her to marry me in June(she said yes!), we bought a new house and moved in at the end of the summer. Now we are finalizing plans for our wedding in April. I thank my lucky stars every single day for her and the happiness she brings me.

As for this issue of The Heat!, first off, there is only going to be one issue this month. But, it is going to be jammed with more recipes than normal. Since this time of year finds us cooking for large groups of people, I'll be showing you my favorite salsa recipe, and mexican party dip that you will just love. You can try these out on your friends at your next gathering.

I also have a Louisiana Hot Pepper Sauce recipe, sent in by a reader, to share with you. If you want a good recipe to try for a simple hot sauce, this is a great place to start. And, since the New Year is upon us I wanted to share a spicy blackeyed pea recipe with you all. I have been eating them on New Year's Eve for as long as I can remember. You'll love this simple recipe.

Finally, there is a special announcement that I am releasing to subscribers only. You'll have to keep reading to find out though;) I hope you enjoy this issue, and want to wish each and every one of you a very Happy New Year!

Texas Christmas Feast

Ahhh, the simple pleasures. My favorite thing to cook with heat... is just about any ordinary, everyday dish. I just love to experiment with making normal foods hot and spicy, or hotter and spicier, as in this case.

On Christmas eve, I made a trip to the grocery store to buy ingredients for salsa, my contribution to our annual Christmas day gathering. Well, while browsing the produce department, my favorite section of course, I came across a rare treat. Fresh habaneros!

Now, most of the grocery stores around here do carry habaneros, but they're usually old and whithered. So, it was truly a Christmas treat to find some beautifully shaped, smooth skinned(as habaneros go), orange habaneros. Without hesitation I grabbed a few and threw them in my basket.

The next day, when I arrived at my sister-in-law's house and pulled out my salsa ingredients, a few eyes widened. "What are you going to do with those?", I could see the words in Lisa's eyes. I explained that I wasn't quite sure, and proceeded to make a batch of my "not so hot" salsa(tomatoes, serranos, garlic, onion and cilantro). Then, before serving the salsa, I took out about a cup, and threw it in a blender with two chopped habaneros, with some of the seeds. Voila! Just the right heat for me.

Of course, for the rest of the afternoon I had to warn everyone which bowl of salsa to eat from. But, everyone who tried it actually liked the habanero salsa. And that, along with some delicious enchiladas, beans, rice, queso, and guacamole made for the perfect Texas Christmas Feast.

"Not So Hot" Salsa

Ingredients:
7 tomatoes (plum or roma preferred)
10 serrano peppers (of course add more to suit your taste)
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cilantro bunch

Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Spread the tomatoes and peppers on a cookie sheet or other tin and roast on the upper rack(about 4 inches below heat) of your oven for about 10 minutes or until skin starts to blacken. Remove from oven and use tongs to turn over and repeat for 10 more minutes. After both sides of tomatoes and peppers are charred, remove from oven. If you want to remove the skin, allow to cool in a plastic bag(ziploc, etc.), then remove skin. I like the taste of the cooked skin, so I leave them on.
- Finely chop the onion, garlic, and cilantro.
- In a blender or food processor, add tomatoes and peppers, careful to reserve as much of the liquids as possible. Add onion and garlic. Pulse the contents a few times to your desired consistency. Then add the cilantro, and salt to taste.

Party Recipe

Hot Mexican Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, diced and softened
1 cup evaporated milk
1 (2.25 ounce) can chopped black olives, drained
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a medium baking dish, mix together salsa, chopped spinach, Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, evaporated milk, black olives, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Bake mixture in the preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until bubbly.
- Serve with tortilla chips.

Reader Recipe

Louisiana Hot Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:
3 cups Distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons Salt
2 pounds Cayenne OR jalapenos, seeded and chopped

Directions:
- Simmer vinegar, salt and peppers at least 5 minutes.
- Process in processor.
- Store in a glass bottle, in a dark cabinet and let age at least 3 months. Strain when ready to use.

Honestly, I haven't tried this sauce yet, but if you're looking for a simple hot sauce to try out at home, this is it. So, give it a try and adjust the flavor to your taste. You can try different peppers, add some garlic or carrots, or anything else that sounds good to you. Hope you enjoy it!

And as I promised, D. D. will receive a special gift. And what, you may ask, is it?... He'll be receiving one of the first bottles of my new hot sauce!

Special Announcement!

I wanted my first sauce to be pepper based and as hot as it comes, without using pepper extract. I also wanted it to have a nice pepper and garlic flavor. So, naturally, to make the hottest sauce possible, we used the hottest pepper known to man, the Red Savina® Habanero. These babies pack in 577,000 Scoville units. In comparison, jalapenos measure about 5000 units.

I have to warn you, if you "think" you like hot sauce but aren't really sure, then please don't waste your money on "The Heat!". This habanero pepper sauce is for the extreme hot sauce lover only. It is made from Red Savina® Habaneros, fresh garlic, herbs and spices. In addition to a lot of heat, this sauce packs in a ton of flavor. I don't think you'll find a non-extract sauce hotter or more flavorful than this one.

Now, if you still think you want to give it a try, it will be available for sale by the middle of January. I'll send out a special newsletter and give you all the first chance to buy it, before it is available on my website. But remember, I'm warning you, if you don't like it really hot, don't try "The Heat!".

A New Year's Tradition

Jalapeno Blackeyed Peas!

Ingredients:
2 cups dried blackeyed peas
4 jalapenos, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups water
hot sauce

Directions:
- In a large pot, cover the peas with 4 cups water, add onion, garlic and peppers.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and allow to simmer gently until tender, about 2 hours.
- Serve in a bowl, adding your favorite hot sauce(preferrably mine;), salt and pepper to taste.

Blackeyed Peas go with just about anything. You can serve them with beef, chicken, pork or even add some rice and cornbread and you've got a traditional southern meal.

Vote for Me!