The Hot Sauce Bible
Until hot sauces got trendy about two decades ago, Americans were playing ketchup with the rest of the world, which has long appreciated fiery condiments. DeWitt, editor of Chile Pepper magazine and author of Fiery Appetizers, and Evans, a hot sauce collector, define their subject ("any sauce, regardless of thickness, that contains chile peppers") and extol its virtues: healthful, low in calories and fat, and versatile, with an unparalleled zip. While leading a lively tour of bottled and homemade heat (including barbecue sauces, sambals, srirachas, Tunisian Radish Relish, Israeli Sabra Dip and Trinidad Rum Sauce), they provide dozens of recipes organized by geographic region of origin, accompanied by a heat scale rating and suggested use. The informal layout includes reproductions of labels and playful sidebars (Hot Sauce Names on Animal Themes lists Viper Venom, Mad Dog Liquid Fire and Hogs Breath Salsa), and concludes with an annotated listing of Evans's hot sauce cellar. There is also a lengthy guide to the major mail-order sources, a listing for retail shops that specialize in spicy products and a generous bibliography.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.