Dalston Double

Hello again, everyone. Today, we’re looking at a sauce that’s been gaining a lot of traction, lately, but that I still hadn’t heard hide nor hair about until it arrived on my doorstep. A gift from my aunt, in london, to whom this week’s product is quite local.

This is Common Sanity’s Dalston Sunshine – The name of the sauce telling you exactly what borough its company are based in and their own hinting at an interest in mental health. With a portion of the company’s profits going to charity for that very reason.

Yet the common “Common Sanity” name, as a whole, is apparently a play on commensality, the act of communal eating. Not anything to do with the word “Common”. Which is just as well because, as much as it may look like a common caribbean mustard sauce, their Dalston Sunshine’s main ingredient is actually the fatalii chilli. An african relative of the habanero which, despite growing popularity in recent years, is still far from “common”.

And it’s not today’s only unexpected fusion flavour, either, since my little care package also contained a second item from the company:

Not a sauce, this time, but a chinese or filipino-style crispy oil. Filled with mexican chillies, seeds and nuts for a beautifully rich sounding, yet equally unorthodox blend that they call Fuego Greeze.

I’m very eager to try them both out.

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Psycho Bonnet

Hey folks, this one’s a little bit of a last minute review. Not because I didn’t have anything to show you – I’ve got plenty of products in reserve – but because I only just realised that my last two purchases from Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm might not be a great fit for the dry january that some celebrate. Not when they’re two of the booziest hot sauces that I’ve ever tasted.

So their return can be something for you all to look forward to, come next month, but, today, I’m focussing on another former feature: Doctor Burnörium’s Psycho Juice.

And, this time around, the good doc has graced us with something a little bit different. A beautiful-looking sauce that’s more bonnet than scotch and far from his usual, red shade.

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Piratical Pineapple

Arrr, me hearties, it be talk like a pirate day again* an’ the sun be o’er the yard arm somewhere.

Which spells good winds fer this ‘ere recipe, as we’ll be hittin’ the grog hard in a mo’.

Yer see, today’s bounty hails from the pirate isles an’ were plucked from me hold fer her thematic relevance. She be laden t’ the brim wi’ enough rum an’ pineapple to satiate any sea dog or marooned scallywag!

Aye, they be the mainsails o’ today’s vessel. O’ our golden, spice-glazed cure fer scurvy.

She be a real blossomin’ beauty, this un!

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From Pirate, With Love

Greetings, spice lovers, today is talk like a pirate day again* and I’m sure it’s late enough to drink somewhere in the world.

Which is good news for this particular recipe, since we’ll be using a fair bit of booze.

You see, today’s treat comes from the caribbean and was chosen specially for its connection to today’s theme. Since it features both rum and pineapples – Favourites of pirates and castaways, alike.

Indeed, those are the main ingredients of today’s golden, spice-glazed fruit.

And it’s a face-reddening delight!

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Mayan Sunshine

Speaking of finishing off things from last year, my chilli eating friends, it saddens me just a touch to tell you that today is the last we’re going to see of Opal’s range. It was, after all, a real pleasure trying her original and lime sauces.

Yet all good things must come to an end and I do, at least, have this one last bottle to try: Her Mayan Mango.

omm

And, despite habanero and mango being the two ingredients named on the front, it’s not going to be quite the usual blend. You’ll see what I mean in a second.

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The Jerk that Stole Christmas

Merry early christmas, everyone. It’s the end of november again and therefore time for another seasonal dessert. This time, a quick and easy take on christmas cake, with a blend of jamaican-style spices.

It’s not going to be a traditional jerk flavour, since it lacks any thyme, but it’ll still bring together the fragrant peppercorn flavour of allspice and black pepper with some christmassy dried fruit and the blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves that both influences share.

A real taste of the season but also of the caribbean.

Plus, I swapped out the chillies in my old “mincemeat” recipe for a couple of scotch bonnets to give this cake a little bit of extra jamaican goodness and I strongly suggest that you do the same. Continue reading

Witch Time

Happy may day, everyone! Today I’d like to celebrate a special occasion but perhaps not that one.

Instead, I’d like to talk about a lesser-known german holiday, walpurgisnacht.

It’s the night of Saint Walpurga, the last night of april and, due to my upload times, the night I’m actually posting this on. But it’s also known for being the night when the witches come out. The night when people stay indoors to avoid being spirited away, never to return.

So, with that in mind, I’d like to show you the Chilli Pepper Company’s Witches’ Brew. A sauce which is supposedly their caribbean take on Tabasco.

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Tropical Blood

Greetings, spice lovers, and welcome to the last of my Dragon’s Blood reviews.

There is one more item from Chilli Pepper Pete that I’ll be looking at but it’s not a part of their main line. It’s a wild stand alone item that I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait for because today, we’re looking at the Dragon’s Blood Hot Fruity Sauce.

DB Fruity
Image provided by Chilli Pepper Pete.

 

A far brighter bottle than most of the others. Maybe even than the neon product art of the Green Salsa.

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Something Cheesy

I hope you’re all enjoying the start of your weekend. I know I am.

Why? Because I’m particularly happy with this month’s recipe.

It’s a common, highly popular, streetfood item, spiced up in my own signature style and, while it was never my intention for it to be such, it’s come out as another part-italian fusion food.

We’re talking scotch bonnet mozzarella sticks, using many of the same spices as a caribbean jerk.

They’re tasty, they’re savoury and they’re more representative of jamaican food than most of my past work has been. What’s not to love?

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Pineapple Primate

Hello again everyone and welcome back to another tuesday sauce review.

Over these past months, we’ve looked at most of the Screaming Chimp’s sauce range. Some have been hot, some have been mild, some have been sweet, some have been smokey and some have been just a little bit sour.

They have, however, all had one thing in common, aside from their very similar packaging. A fruity base made mainly from simmered fresh tomatoes.

Today’s sauce bucks that trend in favour of another fruit. Pineapple.

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