by Micky Ellenbecker, Purchasing Assistant
When it’s time for dinner prep, we don’t always have that much time or necessarily want to give that much time to the process. Or maybe we want to be sure we eat our vegetables, but we also don’t want to get bored with them either. What I have to say is: we’ve got a sauce for that!
Madame Chu Sauces
Yet another locally made staff favorite, Madame Chu Sauces are authentic Southeast Asian cuisine made by Chef Josey Chu. The Sambal Nyonya sauce is a spicy, red chili paste with a deep caramelized flavor and it’s great with noodle dishes, in ramen broths, or anything you want to add some heat to. The Satay Peanut Nyonya is a rich peanut-based paste with a mild level of spiciness and is great with noodle soups, dishes with a coconut milk base, and goes great with chicken or tofu. The Ginger Garlic has a strong ginger kick with a hint of garlic, but no heat; it’s a good option for folks that aren’t accustomed to spicy foods, but it still brings a lot of flavor. It’s delicious as an addition to rice while cooking. Since all three varieties are in a dense paste form, you usually only need a few teaspoons per meal and one jar will last you several meals. Adding a small amount of liquid to the sauce, such as broth, coconut milk, or water, will aid in its distribution. All three sauces can be found at all of our stores.
Mango Man Red Salsa
This locally made sauce has been a staff all-time favorite for years and is an authentic Latin American/Caribbean fusion masterpiece by Chef Thony of Cafe Costa Rica fame! Though it is coined a “salsa,” it is more like a sauce in nature. It has a smooth texture with a deep, rich flavor, and a little goes a long way. It’s both sweet and tangy, has a mild to medium level of heat, and a unique flavor profile that includes curry. It’s great on tacos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, eggs, as a marinade…well it’s good with just about anything really. Think of all other foods as the medium for this delicious sauce because it will take just about any dish to the next level. You can find it at all three of our stores.
Bitchin’ Sauce
This almond-based dip is, you guessed it, another staff favorite. It has similar applications as hummus, such as a veggie dip or included on a sandwich or wrap, and that’s likely how it’s used most of the time; but its flavor and thinner texture allow for more versatility than hummus. It can be used as a creamy sauce that you drizzle over tacos, pasta salad, burgers, and nachos. The Original and Chipotle varieties can be found at all three stores, and West carries the Cilantro Chile and Bombay varieties in addition.
Maya Kaimal Simmer Sauces
These simmer sauces make dinner about as easy as it gets. They have their pitch right when they say all you need is some rice, veggies, and chicken (or veggie option), and they’ll bring the sauce. You can start by sautéing your choice of veggies and protein, pour the sauce over, and cover and simmer until fully cooked. Pair with rice or your grain of choice and you have a satisfying meal. You can find a selection of five to six different flavors at each of our stores.
Bachan’s Japanese BBQ Sauce
When one thinks of BBQ sauce, the thick, smokey southern-style of sauce usually comes to mind, but Bachan’s is quite different from that standard. It’s closer to a teriyaki sauce, both in flavor and thickness. Like southern-style BBQ sauce, that traditional application is to be used as a marinade and/or grilling sauce, but its salty, sweet, tangy flavor also livens up noodle dishes, fried rice, and veggie stir-fry. All of our stores offer the Original BBQ Sauce, and West also offers the Hot & Spicy version.
Mike’s Hot Honey
Hot Honey has been really trendy lately, and it may not be what makes the meal, but many see it as adding sweet, tangy, spicy flavor dimensions to salty dishes. For example, Mike’s Hot Honey got its start as a pizza topping at the pizzeria Mike was working at. Other applications include drizzling over cornbread, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, salmon, roasted brussels sprouts or other roasted veggies, and, if you’re feeling like you really want to splurge, fried chicken and waffles. East and West carry the original Hot Honey, and East and North carry the Extra Hot.
