Trinidad Trio

CaJohns Fiery Foods
http://cajohns.com

Before everyone ran off to ZestFest in Texas last week, I placed an order with CaJohn for some of his new Trinidad scorpion products. I bought some scorpion seeds last year but it was too late in the season to start them. These products would be my first experience with the newest "World's Hottest Pepper". I anxiously waited for the package which, as usual, arrived just a few days after placing the order. I've had several of CaJohn's products in the past, as reviewed on here, so I knew I was in for some pain. In the box was the Trinidad salsa, hot sauce and puree.

It was fairly cold the day it arrived so the salsa, after sitting on my front porch, was as chilled as it would have been in the fridge. I opened it immediately and took a generous dip with a tortilla chip. The heat hit me instantly. No waiting for the pain like you would with a habanero and sometimes a bhut jolokia. I dipped about 10 more chips in the jar from Hell and found the flavor to be amazing. CaJohn always uses all-natural ingredients. The sugar made it very sweet, but this had no impact on the heat. I noticed that the heat was actually cooling off but that was due to my tongue going numb. After I stopped, it hit me really hard in the throat. It was warm all the way down to my gut like a shot of moonshine, except it crawled slowly, unlike a swig of liquid. Milk was no help. The pain did not cease inside me for well over an hour. This was, without a doubt, the hottest salsa I have ever had. Stand back, Death By Salsa. There is a new leader in town.

I was in no mood to try the other two products for a few days after my salsa excursion. The menu in the near future was open for some kicked-up additions. I was very curious to see how the puree would be, considering it's just a mixture of scorpion peppers and vinegar. The opportunity quickly came in the form of a hot wing sauce. I usually make my wing sauce from scratch but wasn't in the mood for the task at hand this particular day. I mixed up some Franks Red Hot, butter, spices and 1/2 a teaspoon of puree to about 16 ounces of wing sauce. I then shook some fried wings with the sauce and went to town. I could not believe how much that little addition kicked up the wing sauce. Even the flavor of the scorpion pepper was evident with all the other ingredients. Unlike the salsa, however, it did not burn my insides, but I got a very good sweat from the wings. The little 2 oz bottle of puree will bring the pain for several future wing cooks.

Dinner was served this evening with a side of red beans and rice. Finally, a perfect time to try the last of the trio: the Trinidad Hot Sauce. After reading about CaJohn bringing home an unreal number of awards at ZestFest (including 2nd place in the hottest non-extract category), I stared at the bottle wondering what it would do to me. I put a half a dozen or so dabs on the red beans and rice and took a seat, turning on the TV. I could instantly smell the sauce which was a very potent, sinus-clearing sensation. I took a bite and fell in love. As hot as it was, it added an amazing flavor to the meal, even better than the other sauces I have in the pantry with John’s name on them. After I began my meal, the Modern Marvels episode of "Hot and Spicy" came on, which I've seen several times. It never gets old, especially when you're indulging in a mad creation from a man who is talking about his crazy products on your TV screen at the same time. Meant to be? I think so!

So, once again, I thank you, John. Another super hot experience is in the books. You never cease to amaze me. Keep the trolls busy in the kitchen, cooking up the mad concoctions and I will continue to keep burning my mouth on your awesome products!

Habanero Chicken and Cheese Soup Recipe

Here is a great recipe for the winter. Not only will it warm up your body from the temperature, it will also light you up good from the peppers. Taken from a jalapeno cheese soup recipe and modified for my desire, I have created a monster soup here and would like to share it with you.

*1 lb boneless chicken breasts, diced
*6 cups chicken broth (one large can)
*8 celery stalks, diced
*1 cup white onion, diced
*3 garlic cloves, minced
*1/4 teaspoon white pepper
*1/4 teaspoon black pepper
*2 pounds Velveeta cheese, cut in cubes
*1/2 cup habanero peppers, diced

1. In large pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add chicken breasts and lower heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes uncovered or until breasts are white throughout. Remove breasts and set aside.
2. Place celery, onion, garlic, white and black pepper into pot. Bring back to boil and cook for another 10 minutes.
3. While waiting, dice up cooked chicken breasts into half-inch cubes.
4. At this time, if you have a hand-held food processor/blender, add Velveeta to pot and blend together until mixture is thick and even throughout. Otherwise, take mixture along with the Velveeta and place in a large food processor. Mix together until smooth and place back in pot.
5. Add peppers and diced chicken. Reduce heat to below boil and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Remove from heat and let sit for another 5 minutes. Add a dab of sour cream and serve with hot tortillas.

Tips:
As always, the amount of peppers added is up to you, depending on your tolerance to heat. I use a hand-held mixer for recipes like this and it makes life much easier. After adding the peppers and chicken, make sure you stir often to keep the cheese from separating. Too much heat and no movement will cause the Velveeta to clump and give an unpleasant texture.