Salsa help

[Maxvla]

i went to the store a bit ago and i'm not usually a salsa person, but i felt like getting some.

since i don't get it very often i just went with the Tostitos Restaurant Style Medium.

this stuff isn't even close to spicy.

can you please recommend something a little spicier but not too far?

they didn't have anything hotter than medium

 

[elrod-tom]

Old El Paso - HOT. I like it spicy, and some times even the MEDIUM is too spicy to me.

 

[Maxvla]

walmart didn't have that. i'll hafta look elsewhere.

thanks for the tip. so do you think their medium is hotter than other sauce's medium?

if so i should probly get their medium. i want it a bit spicier but not alot more.

 

[chillysalsa]

My handle should tell you something about how I feel about salsa.

Of all the store-bought salsa I've tried, 1 stands head & shoulders above all other brands:

PACE - HOT

- A balanced flavor, and consistent texture combined with lively spice. It's quite hot, but if it's too hot for you - don't bother with the Medium version, it's not as good flavor-wise. They go very well with Tostitos chips - their triangles seem to have less salt.

For a real treat, spread a 1/4" layer of light cream cheese on a plate, pour a layer of Pace over it, and sprinkle finely diced tomatos and green peppers. Serve with Tostitos. - YUM!

 

[Andrew Pielet]

Pace? Going out on a limb, are ya?

 

[dhwilkin]

NEW YORK CITY?!?

I also like Pace. I usually stick w/ the medium (Cilantro-style). Tried hot, but unlike chillysalsa, I thought the hot one had the same amount of flavor as the medium, but more heat, which meant I couldn't taste the flavor as much. You should try both, though.

 

[BDA_ABAT]

Suggestion... make your own!

It's rediculously easy to do. Here's my (current) favorite salsa recipe.... Scott's Southwest Style Salsa (TM):

Ingredients:
can of diced tomato (28 ounce)
6-8 cloves garlic, chopped fine
two large handfulls of fresh cilantro, chopped
small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt
~ounce of vinegar

heat/fire: you can add whatever you want to make it as hot as you like... chopped up chilis of whatever kind you like (jalapeno, salerno, anaheim, chipotle, habanero, whatever). You can mix and match to suit your specific tastes. I'm very fond of using some Sriracha (Thai chili garlic sauce... I use ~ 1/4 cup for this amount of tomato.. but taste as you go, adjust, and use what works for you) with some dried chipotle powder (~ 1/2 to 1 teaspoon). The chipotle provides a lovely smokey heat that is wonderful!

Mix it all up and you've got salsa that will sate your cravings. Matches REALLY well with those lime flavored tortilla chips. If you share this with anyone, you'll also find that you'll be asked to make it regularly.

The ingredients can be scaled down to make whatever size batch you want. This batch will equal the amount of salsa used by ~ 3 extra-large bags of chips. Leftovers (if any) can hang out covered in a fridge for ~ 2 weeks without problem. Tastes great on everything from burgers to pizza as well.

If you have access to a food processor, just roughly chop everything so it fits inside the processor and then let it do the work for you. Literally takes me 5 minutes to mix up a batch.

NOTE: would NOT eat this before an interview or if you have a date later... the garlic will, ummm, make you memorable, but probably not in the way you intended.

Good luck!
Bruce

 

[RickG]

Very cool, Bruce...

I'm gonna' try that!

 

[Maxvla]

that doesn't seem too hard.

i'll give that a go pretty soon.

 

[fyrfytrhoges]

laredo and leftys - the ULTIMATE salsa!!!!

 

[LobsterSan]

1rst choice -- homemade

2nd choice -- pace picante, hot

3rd choice -- safeway select, hot (this stuff's made in new york city! ... maybe not, but it's not too horrible and it's cheap -- they put corn in it, too, which is rather yum imo).

 

[RickG]

Quote:

Originally posted by LobsterSan 3rd choice -- safeway select, hot (this stuffs made in new york city! ... maybe not, but it's not too horrible and it's cheap -- they put corn in it, too, which is rather yum imo).

Yeah, I dunno. My sis buys this stuff all the time, but I could do without the corn. Believe me, I dig corn almost anyway: on the cob, creamed, popped, caramelized, Cracker Jacked, in relish and stews, etc. However, there's just something about corn in my salsa that just doesn't get there!

 

[kentamcolin]

I too make my own:

(2) 15 oz. cans DelMonte stewed tomato
(1) large white onion, chopped
(6) jalepino peppers, chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

Chop stewed tomatos in processor into small chunks. Add other ingredients. I sometimes add some black beans if I want it to be more "substantial." Tastes great with some authentic corn chips. I have also sauteed many kinds of fish is this salsa, it has a very nice flavor.

 

[nanahachi]

getting sooo hungry

thanks for the recipes, ill definitely give those a try

 

[LobsterSan]

Quote:

Originally posted by RickG Yeah, I dunno. My sis buys this stuff all the time, but I could do without the corn. Believe me, I dig corn almost anyway: on the cob, creamed, popped, caramelized, Cracker Jacked, in relish and stews, etc. However, there's just something about corn in my salsa that just doesn't get there!

i can understand that. at first i wasn't so into it, but it kind of grew on me. i remember my initial impression was that it reminded me of corn being in strange places... such as the toilet after a meal involving corn

. but luckily that thought is beyond me now