The Great Hot Sauce Book
With American tongues becoming acclimated to the spices and tastes of world cuisines, it's no wonder that Thompson has claimed hot-sauce expertise as her market niche. Either she emptied out her pantry or embarked on a global shopping trip to showcase more than 300 currently available hot sauces. For each, she provides a color photograph of the package or bottle, an indication of heat level (from mild to unbearably hot), place of manufacture, and a blurb about owners, history, ingredients, distinctiveness, and related products. Some sauces are made by loving hands at home; others, by fairly large conglomerates. Thompson also presents more than 25 recipes, many of which are arguably forgettable. Still, the results remain the same; there's always someone who can endure the hottest of hot sauces better than you.Barbara Jacobs