There are thousand's of hot sauces on the market varying in intensity and flavor with tantalizing names like -- Scorned Woman, Ass Blaster and Crazy Mother Pucker's -- each professing to be the hottest and baddest concoction out there. So what prompted Miami-based siblings Rick and Sharon Kahn to jump on this bandwagon and bottle their family recipes into Captain Rick's Hot Sauce and Sharon's Spicy Tamarind Sauce?
Rick, a boat captain by trade, has traveled the Caribbean trying every chili sauce there is and laments that "hot sauce is often just heat, so instead of enhancing the food it just kills the flavors." Like many entrepreneurs, Rick saw an opportunity and has embarked on a journey to market a sauce that goes back to his mom's kitchen in Trinidad. "There is no salt or preservatives" he assures us - "just lots of natural chili flavor." It's a crowd pleaser at Scotty's Landing where fans like to mix it up in their Bloody Mary for some extra hair of the dog.
Not one to be left behind, Rick's sister Sharon, quickly followed suit, bottling up her own version of their favorite childhood tamarind sauce. It's their mom's secret recipe and the woman did not leave anything to chance. "She left me with a control batch last time she came to visit." It's paid off. Sharon's spicy version keeps the crowd coming back for more and the folks at Scotty's took note. Not only are both versions available for sale there for $5.95 per bottle but, Sharon tells us , "my spicy tamarind sauce is now the dipping for their shrimp dishes," she says smiling. Another reason to smile is the true motivator behind this venture. "We have a piece of property in Trinidad and want to build an orphanage on it." With 10 percent of the profits going into the pool there is a lot of sauce to be sold for a good cause.
So what's next for this dynamic duo? "We're working on getting our product out to the public and are going at it together", says the pair, conceding that they've planned future sampling events together. Nothing like a little healthy sibling rivalry to get your taste buds going!
To give your mouth a morning wake up call try Captain Rick's Bloody Mary recipe.
Captain Rick's Bloody Mary
1 oz. good quality vodka
3 oz. tomato juice
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
0.5 oz lemon juice
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
2 dash Captain Rick's Hot Sauce
1 stalk celery
Add vodka, tomato juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper.
Pour back and forth between two mixing glasses.
Strain into an ice-filled highball glass.
Garnish with celery stalk.
Stay tuned for Sharon's spicy tamarind grilled shrimp coming up next...
To order Captain Rick's Hot Sauce and Sharon's Spicy Tamarind call 786-291-6999 or email [email protected].
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