Okay, so there’s one more thing that I must confess to…habanero peppers. Ten years ago (July 16, 1999) a group of coworkers gathered at one of the homes to ‘make’ our first batch of Hoowah Salsa. The back story of this gathering is the simple quest for a salsa that would fill the void left by the disappearance of the Stonewall Chili Pepper Company and the excellent Salsa del Diablo. I know – a pastor eating sauce of the devil. I got the theological significance. That being stated Stonewall Chili Pepper’s owner, Jeff Campbell’s wife Vicki had become too ill for Jeff to continue in the business and we all miss them very much.
After several years of trying we finally agreed upon a formula for habanero-based salsa that we thought was a satisfactory substitute. We did make one batch that was habanero heavy and truly numbed your taste buds - #2. I think AG probably still has a jar. The name Hoowah comes from two places. The first is the acknowledgement of the U.S. Army’s response to any question and the second is the sound you make when the heat of the salsa hits you…
We blend the salsa in a concrete mixer – yep that’s right. I think we washed it when we first bought it. Not important, although I should caution anyone who tries this that you should dedicate the concrete mixer to blending food stuffs.
Before you blaze off into the dawn searching the perfect habanero salsa recipe let me warn you that there are thousands of them. Also and the most important thing to remember: THIS IS NOT A COMPETITION, do NOT play with the habanero. It is hot. Just the cooking aromas of the habanero can cause your eyes to water and your sinuses to drain. Wear double gloves when chopping.
Ten years ago we began the process. Good friends, good salsa and great fun!!
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