Introduction:
Hello, I'm Al. I like hot sauce.
Define 'hot sauce':
A liquid condiment which derives its spiciness from hot peppers. Usually made with a vinegar &/or tomato base.
Why hot sauce?
If you'll indulge me and allow me to tell a story: The year was 2014. It had been a cold and brutal winter when I found a recipe for potato soup [included below] with a garnish of Frank's Red Hot. Amazingly, I didn't have a bottle in the fridge. Actually, I had no hot sauce whatsoever anywhere in the house. A trip to the supermarket was in order.
Anyway, I garnished that shit with Frank's-- that and about everything else that came across my plate. And something miraculous happened: I DIDN'T SUFFER FROM HEARTBURN. It was like a choir of angels sang their asses down a sunbeam every time I went to bed and I wasn't in extreme pain. I chalk it up to quitting smoking (side effects: getting your sense of taste and sense of smell back, less heartburn, less money spent on mints), cutting back to one boozy drink a day, and drinking high(er) quality coffee.
After I got bored of Frank's, I cleaned my local supermarket out of their (admittedly, limited) selection of pepper sauces. And now I'm on the hunt for more, more, more.
What to expect from Al's Hot Sauce Blog:
Weekly updates. Ratings/rankings. I will attempt to answer "what do I put this on?". Recipes when I find a good one.
And now: potato soup!
I clipped this recipe out of a magazine, but I have no idea which one (so if it looks familiar, let me know). It's simple and satisfying when it's cold outside (not today. It's like 85F out).
(I highly recommend using an emulsion blender-- I suppose you could use a regular margarita blender, but don't even think about if you're a clumsy asshole like me.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, white and green parts chopped
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2 inch squares
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1 lb corn kernels
4 sliced scallions
Frank's Red Hot
Crumbled bacon
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add leek, cook until tender (5 minutes). Add potatoes, broth, milk. Bring to a boil, let simmer until potatoes are tender (15 minutes). Using an emulsion blender, puree until smooth. Mix in the corn and scallions, top with Frank's and bacon.
