Austin and Back, Part 2

 Valdez!

Artwork by Jon Meeks

 Burning out.

 Morning view over the water at the last campsite

Austin and Back, Part 1

So I had big plans to document this run with words like I did the OK is OK trip but there was too much fun being packed in to keep a ride journal going. I even went so far as to compose some drunkenly one night at 4am but when I looked back it was just incoherent and laughable. As a result, two posts of some pics is all you get. Enjoy and if you ever have a chance to visit Austin or camp in Louisiana or Mississippi, I highly recommend all three. 

 Officer Smith

 This place...just wow. Overwhelming.

Blur

Photo courtesy of Kustom Jeff

So the last couple weeks have been a blur. I am going to take a page from my other blog and let a few pictures do the talking. An in depth report is coming once I have a chance to get my thoughts together.

 

In other news, I am now on Instagram here. 

Hot Sauce of the Week

Tabasco Habanero Sauce-habanero pepper is the second ingredient in this bad boy so you know it means business. Oddly enough, Tabasco Sauce is also on the list. There are a ton of other interesting additions at play here too, lots of purees that make for a great flavor. If you like the heat up a notch or two, this is a good one. Watch it though, it can sneak up on you real quick.
0 cal/tsp

Hot Sauce of the Week

Vampfire-I bought this one on my recent trip to New Orleans completely for the goofy Dracula artwork. Turns out it is actually a pretty good sauce. It sticks to the Louisiana formula of vinegar based pepper sauces. With three peppers in the mix it packs a punch alone, put it on food and the spice is subdued a bit and the flavor comes out. This one is my by the same folks who make Panola which is a great sauce. It even has a bloody look and consistency to it which may have been an inspiration for the name.

The Big Easy

Though this wasn't a motorcycle trip and wasn't during Mardi Gras, it was still an awesome, relaxing time. We were down for the wedding of some of our close friends and got a great vacation out of the deal. We were able to see a lot of the city, do some drinking, gambling and we ate some awesome food. Instead of saying more, I'm just going to caption the pictures and that's it.

      Coffee, day drinking and a good book.

View of the water.

 Our limo.

 Jackson Square

 Bourbon Street

 The same.

 Cafe Du Monde.

The Napoleon House

Totally different sight in the morning.

Hot Sauce-The Empties

The hot sauce shelf in the kitchen is getting full so it is time to put some of the (almost) empty bottles out to pasture. Here's a rundown of the ones that are going and whether or not they will return.

Mad Dog Teriyaki-I would like more of this.
Cheech Mojo Mango-novel sure but no.
Tabasco Soy- again, novel but not enough to necessitate getting more.
La Costena Jalapeno-not bad but unnecessary.
Blair's Jalapeno Death Sauce with Tequila- yes, I need a big bottle of this one.
Pickapeppa Hot Pepper Sauce -hard to find, want it.
Sriracha- are you kidding? A staple.
Spice Exchange Habanero Hot Sauce- yes, this one too...need more.
Blair's Original Death-I like it but Blair's has sauces I like better.
Panola-more please, one of the best Louisiana sauces.
Louisiana Japapeno-Blair's does it much better.
Hell Fire-very unique, must have more. Chocolate in a hot sauce? Sold!
Tiger Sauce-probably my favorite, not-seriously-hot "hot" sauce. 
Cholula Chili Garlic-needs more heat, regular Cholula is better.
Yum Kax Sabor Ajo Limon-good sauce, needs more hot.
Chad's Obsession-my obsession. Too bad it came from Maine. If I could get it here I would advise you to buy stock in it.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Louisiana Habanero Hot Sauce-it is amazing how one little change can make such a huge difference. Seems to me like that is all that happened here and substituting habanero for cayenne and not changing anything else actually resulted in an awesome hot sauce. This has the same basic Louisiana formula but more heat thanks to the habanero. I am really enjoying this one. I enjoyed the jalapeno variety too. Funny, I wasn't overwhelmed by their original sauce but the spin offs are great.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Bayou Fireballs-If I were going to draft an open letter to Louisiana regarding "Louisiana-style" hot sauces, I would make sure that I spent a good part of the letter on this. See, I've tried quite a few of these sauces and if you are keeping score here, I find them to be all too similar. I was understandably skeptical when I saw the "Cajun Certified" logo on this one and was afraid I was in for another boring, formulaic sauce. Imagine my surprise when I found more heat than cayenne in the addition of habanero. The differences continued with a liberal helping of garlic. It wasn't thin like a typical Louisiana sauce, it was chunky and I could visibly make out the ingredients. Alone, the flavors are a bit much but put this monster on something and it is unbelievable. In less than a week I've almost finished the whole bottle. Its awesome. Good job Louisiana, my faith is restored.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Bulliard's Louisiana Hot Sauce-how can one state support so many local hot sauces? It is kind of uncanny, the number of similar sauces Louisiana has to offer. This one is quite good. I'm not quite sure what makes it just a little better than the others, maybe its the fact that the peppers are aged a bit. There is a hint of smokey flavor and it really adds to the taste. I'm also a fan of any sauce that has it's own wing sauce recipe right on the label. 

Courtesy of Uncle Bill.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Louisiana Supreme Hot Sauce-yep. Peppers, vinegar, salt and xanthan gum. I guess if it ain't broke don't fix it. I've never had a Louisiana hot sauce I didn't like so I guess there is something to be said for that. Marked "Certified Cajun" and it has a lasting burn but it is nothing special. Find me a Louisiana style sauce I'll hate and I'll send you a goody package.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Trappey's Spicy Hot-much like the difference between Crystal and Crystal Extra Hot, take Trappey's Bull and kick up the heat a bit and this is the result. Not much else changes, the pepper is the same but now there is more of it, so much so it jumped up before vinegar in the ingredient list. There is garlic now also and it is a nice addition. If you are a Trappey's Bull fan and are ready to graduate to something hotter, this is the answer.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce-more tang than heat, there is a sweetness to this sauce that can be a bit overpowering but not unpleasant. On the bottom end it tastes a lot like a bbq sauce, likely from the vinegar, salt and garlic. The main ingredient is listed as "Aged Pepper Mash." I guess this is their proprietary pepper mix and they are right to want to protect it. While it treads familiar ground with every other Louisiana style sauce, it is a standout. If you are looking for Louisiana hot sauce flavor that takes the taste up a notch, give this one a go.

Thanks to Uncle Bill and Mom who have both gifted me a bottle.  

Hot Sauce of the Week

Sho Nuff New Orleans Hot Stuff-once again we find ourselves staring down the barrel of a Louisiana style hot sauce. I admit, I have grown a little skeptical of these sauces as there are so many out there and so many that are average. At least this one is a product of Louisiana and if they are claiming to rep New Orleans, they better deliver. Well...this one really does. The spice was a little sharper than most varieties like it and the vinegar tang really jumps out too. I'm looking forward spending some more time with this one.

Once again, brought to me by Uncle Bill, my hot sauce homeboy.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Flaming Coonass Hot Sauce-a not bad but typical Louisiana habanero sauce. Just like all the countless other varieties of this sauce but a little hotter. You could do a lot better but it's ok, just nothing remarkable.   

Hot Sauce of the Week

Louisiana Jalapeno Hot Sauce-a basic but excellent sauce. I like the flavor of jalapeno so this was a no-brainer. Only three ingredients...awesome. If you want something with a great taste and not too much heat, this is it. Simple, cheap and tasty.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Panola Gourmet Pepper Sauce-one of the best Louisiana hot sauces I've had. Comes on strong with cayenne and jalapeno. I've seen onion listed in a lot of sauces, in this one it is really a standout. Full of zest, temperature and flavor...a new favorite.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Chong's Red Bud Cayenne Hot Sauce-apparently Chong is not the creative hot sauce mastermind that Cheech is. This is your basic Louisiana style cayenne sauce, just a little hotter. The only thing that sets it apart from so many others just like it is the smoking picture of Chong on the label.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Yucatan Sunshine-another awesome habanero sauce and another sauce with carrots. The heat overshadows the flavor a bit. Not my favorite sauce but worth a go. Product of Louisiana.

Coming next month: an assortment of hot things that don't really fit in the strict hot sauce definition and some that aren't sauce at all.

Hot Sauce of the Week

Tiger Sauce- Hello beautiful, where have you been all my life? Excellent, unique flavor. Sweeter than hot and great for someone who likes the lower end of the heat scale, the cayenne is forgiving. This one is versatile and would do well in a wide range of meals, I see it's future in this house as a additive to sweet and sour or duck sauce...but for now, it's just going on everything. Product of Louisiana.