JFCampbell

Scotch Bonnet peppers ... where can I get them for my recipe? So far no one on this forum has provided a useful answer. Perhaps they aren't available by mail order? Maybe I have to locate a local grower and get them fresh? I don't see how it is possible for me to buy them locally here in Michigan. Is there any other solution? Are they sold dried or preserved in a fashion that I could use them in my recipe? Does any mailorder house ship them? Google has failed to locate anyone who can help me, so ... Help, guys! What can I do? I don't know of any farmers markets in the Lansing, Michigan area where I could hope to buy fresh peppers.

I now have this book and the recipe and am anxious to give it a try. However, I was unable to find one ingredient locally ... scotch bonnet peppers. So far I've been unsuccessful in finding a supplier. I found several sites on the Internet where the seeds are offered, but growing them from seed would present a longer delay than I had anticipate. Does anyone know a source for the scotch bonnet peppers? I'd like to get some on order ASAP. Thanks.

Good news! Today I received in the mail a copy of "Big Flavors of the Hot Sun" from the East Coast Grill. As advised, there is a recipe on p. 355 called "Home-Style Inner Beauty Hot Sauce" with a couple hand written notes. I'll need to find some scotch bonnet peppers and a mango. I've ordered some Whey Low to use as sweetener, and if that works out I'll substitute it for the brown sugar called for in the recipe. This forum has been a fount of information ... thanks to everyone. I'll let you know how the hot sauce works out. It may take a couple tries to get it right.

Thanks to everyone for their great ideas for birthday food. FYI, my birthday was April 26 (I'm 62) and my daughter prepared a simple chocolate cake with light icing. This time I applied a simple approach ... small serving size. My family wasn't ready for the use of artificial sweeteners and I wasn't doing the preparation, so this was the easy way to go. However, I've read these many suggestions with great interest. I already have some of the ingredients for recipes using these ideas. I'm still looking for a source of Whey Low ... I guess I'll have to order on-line since local stores don't stock it. I'm anxious to try some of the nut flours. So far I've only been able to get Almond flour, but I could grind some nuts myself. So many of these ideas sound good that I'll be trying many of them, but doing my own cooking. By next birthday I'll be able to offer my daughter a recipe that should satisfy not only me but the rest of the family. That "Linzer Torte" could be a real winner.

When I joined eGullet I expected to find people who are knowledgeable about all subjects food, but I hadn't expected such complete knowledge and generosity of spirit. Thank you to all who have provided such complete and valuable information! Now I have to ponder my next step. I have a set of websites where I can find a variety of sauces to order, and I know a collection of good alternative sauces, ones that are readily available. So I can order three or four sauces and try them out. All this is thanks to my new friends here at eGullet. A second approach is to try making my own. I've found some tips on making hot sauces, and I now have a specific cook book recommendation. I have found the restaurant on the web, and they have ordering information for the book. I definitely plan to go that route, but perhaps I can get faster satisfaction by ordering a few recommended sauces first, using the messages above. Thanks again, everyone. I hadn't expected such a complete and satisfying answer to my questions. I think I'm going to enjoy eGullet for a long time.

I'm looking for a good source for hot sauce by mail order in the USA. Are there any great web sites where hot sauces can be ordered? In particular, I'm looking for a source for "Inner Beauty Real Hot Sauce", a personal favorite that seems to be impossible to find now. I sure hope they haven't gone out of business. So, I like a spicy hot sauce, but one with good flavor in addition to heat. I'm guessing I'll have to find a substitute for my favorite "Inner Beauty". Any experts out there who can suggest a good alternative? Any suggestions for excellent on-line suppliers who may be able to help by providing both expertise and a good selection?

Wow, that sounds great! Maybe I could tweak it a little, or maybe the carbs won't add up to too much. I couldn't find a recipe at eGullet, though. Can you point me to a recipe?

Each year by daughter prepares a birthday cake for our little family celebration. Of course, she wants to make a cake I will particularly appreciate. In the old days that meant a rich chocolate cake with a ton of icing. In fact, I really like to mix cake crumbs in a bowl of icing for a really special treat. Now that I have diabetes I have to restrict my carbs. Last year she made a cake substituting Splenda for the sugar. We didn't find it particularly satisfactory (in fact, after eating a small piece she had to resort to using her tongue scraper in an attempt to get rid of the aftertaste ... I didn't think it was that bad, but I didn't think it was that great, either). This year my intention is to ask for a small but rich chocolate cake. She recommends icing it with Cool Whip. I would just need to eat a small piece. Perhaps people here have a better idea. I'm no fan of fancy flavor combinations. I don't want nuts, fruit or anything else to compete with the chocolate flavor. I've read elsewhere that using almond flour reduces the carbs without affecting taste, but I haven't found any almond flour locally. Recommendations ... anyone?

For a good selection of only the top brands check out Chocosphere. I have had excellent service from them. http://www.chocosphere.com/ An excellent source for quality chocolates is See's Candies in California. http://www.sees.com/ I particularly like their Chocolate Cremes (other chocolate cremes pale in comparison) and their Bordeux, both with dark chocolate coating. Be careful ordering the chocolate cremes ... twice I wasn't clear enough and got vanilla cremes. Alas, I'm diabetic now and can't really eat these delights, but I can dream ...

Forget the ketchup and pick up some Heinz Chili Sauce. Don't let the name fool you, this isn't a hot sauce. Rather it is a refined ketchup. Since tasting it the first time I've avoided ketchup whenever possible, preferring this better version of what ketchup is trying to be.

A great all around condiment is chili sauce. I prefer Heinz brand chili sauce. It isn't spicy, but rather strikes me as a higher quality ketchup. I use it as a replacement for ketchup whenever possible. Some other brands may have more spice, which isn't to my taste (though I love hot food in general). This would seem to me to be the perfect spread for a meatloaf sandwich.