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Gindo’s Year–Round Sauces

I’m still not 100 percent about why Gindo’s Spice of Life Hot Sauces are called “Year-Round Sauces,” when in Texas we tend to think of morning-noon-night heat that goes from breakfast tacos to Cajun gumbo.

But let it be known that in Batavia, Illinois, there’s a couple who has put their pepper love to the test, and passed. I love heat, but these tall, 4-sided bottles packaged like red, green and orange jewels, do more than heat your meal. They inspire creativity with flavor, aroma, color, texture and nutrients, just like the makers intended.

So Honey Habanero, “lusciously sweet with a fiery finish,” was perfect to jazz up some chicken while Jalapeno Poblano, “vibrant and zesty with a mid spicy finish,” glazed some salmon in style. I could rotate these with “original” until I have to go shopping again and start over. My husband also took notice that his plates had a little something special about them. Check out this couple who www.gindos.com

 

Wayne Farms Chef’s Craft Gourmet

Sometimes you just deserve to have it good and quick, and to feel confident in the people who helped you get it.

Wayne’s Farms Chef’s Craft Gourmet came to me as a package of Flame Grilled Chicken Breast Fillets and cooked bite-sized Grilled Chicken Breast Chunks. The chunks are ready in minutes to add to salads, rice bows and kebobs and I’m very glad these survived the Hurricane Delta power outage. These are 100 percent vegetarian fed, gluten-free chickens with no antibiotics or artificial ingredients.

I always like to do things myself, but I’m very happy to let Wayne Farms folk help me out a bunch. Get recipe ideas at www.chefscraftgourmet.com

           

Georgia Native Cattle Co.

The Wells family operates an independent farm on a mission to preserve the historic Pineywoods breed at Georgia Native Cattle Co. They’re justifiably proud of all their “high-welfare” Hickory Smoked Beef Sticks that I have tried and enjoyed. Thank you for the jalapeno version.

A Greener World is a nonprofit farm certifier who has their own press about this well-meaning Georgia Native Cattle Company. There are pages of merits and I’d like to meet some of this beef with a “true supply chain sustainability and ultimate farm-to-fork traceability. You can actually “get involved” with this program beyond eating some good food. Impressive.

 

Vegg

We have a growing number of friends who are eschewing meat for health and other reasons. It was with them in mind that I procured Vegg, egg-free cooking powders for breakfast fare and baking.

“The Veg Cookbook” offers Egg-Free Cooking Uncaged ideas that are deemed 100 percent vegan and 100 percent delish. I confess I haven’t mastered the product for straight up eating, but I have found it useful as a binder for my husband’s French toast.

Recipes do look delish and with some work and calcium chloride beads, you can spherify a yolk and create recipes such as “World’s Best (& Most Realistic) Vegan Fried Egg.

Looks like the real thing, and there’s myriad reasons why people are willing to take on a pantry with sodium alginate, kala namak and other ingredients I’m not yet familiar with. Tofu and Pajeaon (Scallion) Pancake? Looks great. Vegg Carbonara is one made with stock we’re all likely to lay our hands on and it does look like a welcome plate of comfort food. Cookbook contributors and makers seem a very sincere lot of Culinary Thrill Seekers. www.thevegg.com

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie eating as fast as she can to share holiday finds with readers. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com