Welcome to the first edition of the Pepper Coast Press. We will keep you updated on our products, new recipes and ways of cooking with dry rubs and other interesting products we come across from time to time.

Florida Keys Gourmet Green

One of those interesting products we found last January on a trip to the Florida Keys. It's called Florida Keys Gourmet Green, The Hot Sauce With a Difference. What makes it different is that it is made with Scotch Bonnet peppers (Habanero to some) and avocado. All natural ingredients and only 35 calories and 3 grams of fat in two tablespoons. I like this stuff and use it on scrambled eggs along with tortillas for breakfast. While we don't intend to turn this into a catalog operation we did lay in a small supply of this great stuff and can supply it to you. Only $3.95 an 8 oz. bottle with the usual shipping charges you find on our order sheet.

Mexican Cantina, Florida Keys

Also on that same trip to the Keys we came across a great little Mexican restaurant that you should give a try if you are down that way. The Mexican Cantina was located in Matecumbe which is near Islamorda, MM 81.5. What was so impressive about this place was the many, many different kinds of sauces and appetizers they had. The menu listed nine sauces and two moles that could be had with various dishes. We made a whole meal of just appetizers and were delighted. We loved the Empananda de La Casa, made from taco meat, raisins, chopped onions, cheese, chipotle sauce. Even more interesting is the fact that they grow many of the peppers used in their sauces right out back. We'll definitely be making a stop there again on our next trip back.

Here's a recipe that Kathy has been perfecting and gets better every time. We came up with this when it was just too darn cold and wet outside to tend the smoker. (Like it is now; there's so much snow we can't even find the smoker!)

Everyone has heard of pot roast, but this is a roast with spice and a Southwestern attitude! The roast should be marinated 24 hours in advance of cooking for best results. You can cook it in the oven or, conditions permitting, it can be smoked or barbecued.

For a

2 to 3 lb. pot roast

(bottom round or chuck will do nicely) brush with

1/8 cup vegetable oil

over the entire surface. Use only as much oil as is needed to barely moisten each side. In a small mixing bowl mix together

1/2 cup dry red wine

(we like to use Cabernet Sauvignon or Beaujolais) with your choice of

4 oz Sprinkle Plenty or
4 oz. David's Devil Dust

(You can vary the amounts to change how hot you want it to be.) until it forms the consistency of a paste.

Using a spoon, dab the paste onto the roast and spread it on until all sides of the roast have been covered with a thick layer of the paste. Cover or place in a plastic bag and refrigerate until time to cook.

If you are cooking in the oven mix together

1-2 tbs. liquid hickory seasoning
1/4-1/2 cup dry red wine (as used in marinade above.)

Set the oven temperature to 225 degrees, place the roast in a baking dish or pan and add the hickory smoke flavoring and wine. Put the roast in the oven with the cover on. Roast until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees (approximately three hours.) The roast will be tender and pink inside. The wine and the meat juices make a wonderful sauce.

If barbecuing or smoking, cook as you normally would for a piece of meat that size and skip the hickory flavoring and extra wine.

The holidays have just passed and while everyone loves good food who needs any more calories and fat! Here's a way to have your dip and eat it too - without worry!

Sour Cream Dip

Mix together

1 pint nonfat sour cream
2 tb. David's Devil Dust

(or to taste.) Chill and serve with those new nonfat corn chips!

Chile con Queso

Mix together in a sauce pan

1 1b. container reduced fat Velveeta cheese, Mexican or Regular
2 tb. David's Devil Dust

(or to taste.) Heat slowly while stirring constantly until cheese has melted. Serve immediately with corn chips.

Fiery Foods Show

We'll be back at the Fiery Foods Show in Albuquerque this coming March 1-3. Same booth location as before, D43. Come and look for us there. What's even more exciting is that we have been notified that we are finalists in the Fiery Foods Cook-off Challenge. This was a blind taste testing where the contestant's foods were prepared by professional chefs and tasted by a panel of restaurant owners, chefs and other food professionals. We are honored! Exact placement will be announced at a banquet on Saturday night of the show. Come and join us for the festivities!

New Look for '96

We are also very excited that very soon we will have new packaging with new labels for each of our products. Try as we might, glass for shaker bottles just doesn't seem to be available so we have chosen instead to use a recyclable plastic bottle that is both attractive and has good keeping properties. It is a bit bigger than what we have used in the past, so we will be dropping the medium bag size at that time.

So long till next time,