Hello, and welcome to the first of my many incessant ramblings you’ll see here at HSB! Let the good times roll!

My name is Jim, and I currently live in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas. I’m originally from a small town in southwest Louisiana. I was born and bred Cajun, learning to love spicy food as I spent time with the adults around the stove. There was always something cooking: etoufee, seafood courtboullion (pronounced coo-bee-ohn), shrimp Creole, and my absolute favorite, my grandmother’s gumbo.

My first love was Tony Cachere’s seasoning salt, as it was readily available everywhere you went – home, my grandmother’s house, McDonald’s, etc. It’s not too spicy, but does add a little zing. It was a quick jump from that to Tabasco, and before I knew it, I was eating jalapenos straight from the jar.

I stuck with these favorites until one night about ten years ago. I was enjoying a gathering at a friend’s house, when someone suggested we make hot wings. Great idea, right? Little did I suspect I was in for a life-changing religious experience…

We doused the wings with Ass in the Tub sauce, and after the first batch, a few people were grumbling that they weren’t quite hot enough. Marshall, the owner of the house, steps out the back door, disappearing into the night, and returns a few minutes later with some of the most beautiful peppers I’ve ever seen. Turns out Marshall had quite a garden in the back, with serranos, chipotles, jalapenos, and habaneros.

Marshall sliced a handful of habaneros, added them to a blender with a little water and the rest of the Ass in the Tub. After blending this, he put it in a small pot on the stove and allowed it to heat. Once the wings came out, they were immediately added to the hot sauce bath for about five minutes. This resulted in a searing of my tongue and the roof of my mouth, the likes of which I had never felt. It was amazing!

Fast-forward to today. I’m single, no kids, and have just started a hot sauce collection of my own. I intend to take my family recipes and modify them a little, adding whatever I’m asked to review. I’ll include the recipes as part of my post, so that you may try a little bit of south Louisiana in your kitchen! I also intend to visit events here in my neck of the woods, such as local cook-offs and the like, and post on those. Thanks for taking the time to visit, and I hope to hear from you!