I have a confession to make…I’m a hot sauce junkie. I just love the stuff! Maybe I’m addicted to the endorphin rush that comes from eating spicy foods. Whatever the reason, hot sauce makes me happy.

Recently, I bought a bottle of Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce (Aardvark for short), a local Portland-made product. The spicy concoction is a blend of roasted tomatoes, habanero peppers, onions, carrots and other stuff. Its consistency is similar to thin ketchup, and is less vinegary than a Tabasco-style sauce (which I also love). The bottle states that it is “a unique Caribbean/Tex-Mex hybrid” … “Dump on Everything”.

Aardvark is currently my favorite hot sauce and is different from any other I’ve tried. Some sauces are all burn and no flavor. Aardvark, however, has loads of flavor. Yes, it lights my mouth on fire but that’s the point. In fact, I can still feel the slight afterburn of a liberal dousing of Aardvark on my eggs and toast this morning. It’s a beautiful thing…

Are you intrigued? The fiery condiment is sold throughout the Pacific Northwest and one market in New York City. Or you can order it online. Buy some and make yourself happy!

P.S. I’m not being paid to write this — I just really love this product.

Tags: chile sauce, endorphins, habanero chile, habanero hot sauce, habanero peppers, hot sauce, Portland products, Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce, Secret Aardvark Trading Company

This salsa rocks! It’s easy to make and can be served with tortilla chips or as a topping for grilled chicken, pork or seafood. YUMM! Husband was skeptical of the mango/avocade combo at first but after his first bite, he was blown away by all the flavor. He then kept commenting on how good it was. I served the chunky salsa liberally spooned over slices of grilled pork tenderloin that had been marinated in a combo of olive oil, orange juice, garlic, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin and salt/pepper. Delicious!

The only thing I did differently from the recipe was substitute 1/2 a seeded jalapeno for the habanero chile. Next time, I start with less salt then add if needed. The amount of seasoning will depend on the size of avocado and mango being used.

If serving the Mango and Avocado Salsa for company, you’ll probably want to double or triple the recipe because it will disappear quickly! After you make it, let me know how you served it. Enjoy!!!

Note: Always use caution when seeding spicy chiles like habaneros and jalapenos. The seeds and veins inside the chiles can cause skin irritation. There’s lots of info on the web about seeing chiles if you’re not sure.

Mango and Avocado Salsa
-recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced medium
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced medium
1 small red onion, diced small
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 to 1 habanero chile (stem and seeds removed), minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Makes 3 cups.

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Tags: avocado, cilantro, Dip, habanero chile, lime juice, mango, Mexican, olive oil, red onion, salsa, tropical