Blog

Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Spread - A Classic Cheese Pairing 

Our ideas for our new product releases always start way before they are released, we think about what flavors we would just love to add, what has inspired us, what flavors we may have had years prior and want to bring back to the table and we think about our customers...what are they asking for and what can we offer them that really rounds out our product line.   

This year we have released our newest cheese pairing spread ~ Sour Cherry Spiced Wine.  We pulled our inspiration for this one last winter mainly influenced by what are customers were leaning towards...they wanted cheese pairings for the holidays and we wanted to extend our offerings...and who doesn't love sour cherries?  I say cherries and cheese is like strawberries and cream...it's a throwback classic. It's made with local cherries from upstate New York and it's simmered out in a red wine reduction sauce with a medley of warm winter spices and finished with a touch of cracked black pepper (just enough to make your palate say aha!).   I love this new edition and it is truly a classic pairing for cheese. The cherries are nice and tart yet the reduction sauce pulls a bit of sweetness and spice into the mix.  We paired it with a bonne bouche and it was just perfection.  It works so well with this style of aged goats cheese and when you pair it with pate it is just...well...they are no words.  Try it.   

Our Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Spread is still new to the Wozz! family but so far she has not disappointed.  These cherry and creamy goats cheese crostini have been a knock your socks off appetizer and if you want to go sweet with our Spiced Wine Cherry Spread you can pair it with cocoa cakes or chocolate grahams and simply use cream cheese.  Eating this cherry cheese dirt cake was like reliving your 7 year old birthday party.  Spoon over cheesecake and swoon.

So this is a short but sweet blog post introducing our newest cheese pairing addition ~ Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Spread!  It's sweet tart and spiced and a shining star in the cheese department!

 Wozz! Sour Cherry Spiced Wine Spread ~ $10

You know I really don't like chicken breasts.  I think they are bland and boring and if I had a choice I would pick chicken thighs over breasts any day of the week. But over the past year, Wozz and I have changed our eating and exercise habits and chicken breasts are now a staple in our diet.  Obviously (as you can see on this website) we love to cook, create and eat.  We love red wine, aged cheddar and chocolate bomb cake. We love juicy roasted lamb with roasted buttery potatoes and rich Indian curries with naan and beef stew with crusty bread...we love coconut shrimp and sticky chili wings all washed down with great craft beer. You get my point and I know you all love this kind of food too. But, feeling frumpy, out of shape and tired is the worst...so eating a bit cleaner, choosing leaner healthy protein packed foods like grilled chicken with fresh veggies is essential to feeling good.  

Fortunately, Wozz and I own this condiment business and a plethora of our sauces and condiments are healthy, low in sugar and fantastic on chicken. I know this sounds like a shameless plug for our business (of course) but over the past year or so we've had a bunch of fitness bloggers and customers of ours, either write to us and tell us they have lost weight by eating our condiments or they Instagram or Facebook us about it. All their stories are the same in that they eat lean proteins (chicken, fish, tofu) and use just a little bit of our condiments to mix up the flavor profile.  One night it's Moroccan chicken with a side of couscous and veggies, the next night it's salsa verdé chicken with a side of black beans. Wozz and I have taken our own customers advice, funny how that works...here we were for years giving all these fancy recipes out for our products and now we realize you can just keep it simple.  Just grill up a piece of chicken, add a few tablespoons of Wozz! and serve on a bed of greens and you are good to go.

If you are seriously into fitness or bodybuilding, you probably eat grilled chicken or fish on most days and after a while, it's pretty refreshing to liven things up with a bit of unique flavors. So with that, here are a few of my favorite healthy picks of what condiments and sauces to use on your next chicken dinner.  

 

1. Thai Orange & Ginger Relish 

A relish that is low in sugar, savory and full of bright citrus tang and spice.  It's made with fresh carrots, 100% orange juice, Thai spices, fresh cilantro and a bit of chili.  It's complex with great depth of flavor and designed for chicken, fish and seafood.  Mix into turkey burgers, spoon over a baked white fish or simply spread over chicken breasts - it can be used warm or cold. 

Get The Recipe:  Thai Orange Ginger Chicken 

2. Bruschetta Caponata

Our Bruschetta Caponata is a Sicilian inspired relish with tomatoes, eggplant, olives, red pepper and capers.  It's delicious over caprese style chicken breasts with fresh basil and balsamic drizzle and it's perfect with this lemon-y chicken piccata recipe below.  

Get The Recipe: Chicken Piccata Caponata

3. Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde 

This salsa verde is super fresh and fitness friendly.  There are only 80 calories in the entire jar - 7 calories and 1 gram of sugar per serving.  Guilt free and packed with healthy ingredients - fresh grilled tomatillos, fresh zingy kiwi, fresh cilantro, fresh jalapenos and 100% lime juice.  It's so good, it won outstanding salsa at the NYC fancy food show in 2015 and was featured on The Today Show.  If you love tangy spicy vibrant sauces then this is the perfect salsa verde to drizzle over chicken breasts and grilled fish.  Or try it over these fish tacos (you can also use chicken instead of fish if preferred).  

4. Japanese Sesame Miso Dressing and Sauce

Creamy nutty and tangy this Japanese Sesame Miso Dressing makes a wonderful marinade for chicken skewers and it's also delicious drizzled over a grilled chicken salad or slaw.

Get The Recipe:  Japanese Sesame Miso Chicken Skewers

 

5. Spicy Tomato Kasundi BBQ Sauce

Our Spicy Tomato Kasundi Sauce is a cross between a tomato ketchup and a barbecue sauce with an aromatic smokey spice profile.  It's fantastic as a marinade for chicken skewers or oven roasted chicken. 

Pictured Below:  Oven Roasted Kasundi BBQ Marinated Chicken Thighs with Jalapeno Yogurt Sauce

 

6. North African Chermoula Sauce 

Lemony, bold and spiced.  This Moroccan style marinade is perfect for chicken! It's also low in sugar and packed with healthy super food spices - cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika and saffron. It's got bold flavor!  If you love Indian style food and prefer more tang and savory than sweet, than this is your sauce. It's delicious with lentils, falafel, chickpeas and couscous.  Mix it with Greek yogurt and you got yourself a fantastic healthy dip for grilled chicken skewers.

Get The Recipe:  Chermoula Chicken with Olives and Potatoes

 

7. Moroccan Tomato Onion Relish

This relish is currently my favorite go-to sauce for a lot of meals.  It's so full of flavor and it's pretty low in sugar - 3 g per 2 tablespoons which is actually less than ketchup (ketchup has 8g per 2 Tbs).  It's perfect for braising chicken in a pan with a little bit of chicken stock and serving over brown rice.  When you are in a hurry and have cold grilled chicken breasts in the fridge just spoon this over top with feta cheese crumbles and serve on a bed of arugula (see below).  Full of aromatic Moroccan spices including cumin, coriander and ras el hanout, it is a great alternative to tomato sauce.  I also use it on turkey meatloaf, veggie burgers, mini chicken pizzas and spoon it over cabbage rolls.  

Get The Recipe Grilled Chicken Breast with Moroccan Tomato Relish and Feta

  

8. Ginger Soy Infusion Dressing & Marinade

Also a NYC fancy food show sofi gold winner, this sauce is a favorite among our customers.  It's not as thick and heavy as a traditional teriyaki style marinade.  It's light and layered with flavor.  We actually don't use soy sauce, we use organic tamari so it is gluten free and the base of this sauce is a homemade dashi stock (which is made from sea vegetables and spring water so it's packed with nutrients). We infuse the sauce with fresh hand chopped garlic, ginger and it's finished with toasty sesame seeds.  

This is one of our sweeter sauces and marinades so if you are looking to keep the sugar really low, just use a tablespoon or two, that is really all you need. Everything in moderation. This sauce is absolutely delicious and when you just can't stand chicken breasts anymore, just drizzle a bit of this on them.  Your love of chicken will be renewed. This sauce can also be used with chicken broccoli stir-fry's, on steak tips, salmon and drizzled over sautéed greens like bok choy, kale and Chinese broccoli. 

Get The Recipe:  Wozz! Ginger Soy Teriyaki Chicken

9. Vietnamese Mint Lime and Chili Sauce and Marinade

One of our favorite chicken marinades.  Simply marinade your chicken then pan sear, bake or grill.  Serve atop salad, in Vietnamese noodle bowls or in lettuce wraps.  This sauce does have sugar but it makes a delicious sticky sweet and spicy glaze and if you use just a small amount, it makes your ordinary grilled chicken salad really delish!  All in moderation.

Get The Recipe:  Vietnamese Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts

10. Super Hot Chili Sambal Hot Sauce

Made with fresh chopped Thai chilis, fresh ginger, garlic and lemon, this is a great hot sauce. It's similar to sriracha.  So if sriracha is your go-to chicken condiment, give this a try. You won't be disappointed.  It's about 7/10 on the heat scale and it's packed with flavor and fresh ingredients.  It's low in sugar - 2.5 g per tablespoon. 

11. Cambodian Coconut Peanut Sauce

All I have to say is grilled chicken satay.  Just dip it a little bit.  We make this sauce with all natural peanut butter, creamy coconut milk, fresh lime and Thai spices - it's nutty and creamy with a nice bit of lime zing and chili kick.  It's a bit higher in calories 60 Calories per serving (2 Tbs) but if you want your chicken to taste good, this is it and you don't need a lot of it. Winner of the NYC fancy food show sofi™ gold for outstanding cooking sauce.  Try it as a peanut sauce for chicken meatballs with rice or as a satay style dressing for a Thai chicken and mint salad.

Get The Recipe: Chicken Satay with Wozz! Cambodian Coconut Peanut Sauce

12. Spicy Summer Mango Chutney

A little bit of sweet mango and spice is a wonderful accompaniment to any chicken dish.  We love mango chutney in the summer alongside Indian or Jerk grilled chicken or spooned atop shredded rotisserie chicken with a little coconut rice.  

Get The Recipe:  Indian Grilled Chicken with Wozz! Mango Chutney and Green Sauce

13. Balsamic Blueberry Maple Vinegar 

This vinegar is so versatile.  Use it as a salad dressing or as a marinade.  It works well with all your white meats, turkey, chicken, pork and duck. This is a customer favorite - who doesn't love a good balsamic with their chicken, veggies and salads?  

Get The Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Blueberry Sauce

 

14. Jamaican Jerk Pineapple Chutney

If you love jerk spice and grilled chicken, than this is your kind of chutney.  We use fresh grilled pineapple, sweet and spicy aromatic jerk spice, chili pepper spice and fresh mint in this condiment and it is awesome spooned over grilled chicken skewers, grilled chicken breasts, blackened fish and shrimp.  You can also fold it through a chicken and brown rice stir fry.

Get The Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Wozz! Jamaican Jerk Pineapple Chutney and Grilled Sweet Potato

 

15. Southern Style Rustic Mustard

Our Southern Style Rustic Mustard is a wholegrain hearty mustard that combines a little sweet Southern BBQ flair with a touch of vinegar tang and mild peppery spice.  Spread this rustic mustard on a chicken sandwich or use as a sauce for creamy mustard chicken.

Get The Recipe: Creamy Mustard Chicken with Wozz! Southern Style Rustic Mustard

16. Lemon Green Tahini Dressing 

This dressing is so healthy and super clean.  We make this with 100% lemon juice, sesame tahini, fresh dill, fresh greens and olive oil.  It's zingy, lemony, creamy and herbaceous. We don't use canola oil in any of our products and we only use non GMO ingredients.  There is no sugar added to this. ZERO!  Only a little bit of fat from the sesame tahini and olive oil but both are "good for you" fats. This dressing is the bomb diggity for a healthy drizzle over chicken.  I use it over chicken skewers, grilled chicken salads with roasted veggies, and I use it instead of mayo for chicken salad lettuce wraps. It's one of my favorites!

17. Middle Eastern Shawarma Sauce

Full of aromatic spices with tangy citrus notes, our Middle Eastern Shawarma Sauce is a lovely marinade for chicken.  When served with  traditional Middle Eastern sides including tabbouleh, yogurt and pita, it makes a delicious light and healthy dinner option with no lack of flavor.  

Get The Recipe:  Middle Eastern Shawarma Chicken

Okay, so those are my picks for the best healthy condiments and sauces to go with chicken. Try them out and let me know what you think!  And don't forget to Instagram tag us in your photos! @wozzkitchencreations  We love to see what our customers are eating, it give us ideas. We are all in this boring chicken conundrum together right?

Wozz! Low Sugar Condiments and Sauces Set

Wozz! Glazing Sauces For Chicken and Salmon Trio

Check Out The Whole Line: Wozz! Total Collection of Condiments Sauces and Marinades

All content copyright of Wozz! Kitchen Creations.  Copyright infringement is strictly prohibited.

  

Gourmet Gift Baskets, gourmet gift boxes, gourmet crates, plates and platters. Where should you start your search when there are so many great ideas out there. It's easy, It's all about whats on the inside, avoide the generic stuff.  Don't be fooled by an online store that classes themselves as "gourmet" and overcharge you for the privilage just by using the word gourmet in their name. You'll need to wade through these in your search for gourmet authenticity, but it's easy. As both a chef and myself a producer, I'll point out what I think are "red flags" in the gourmet world. So I have some simple questions for you to ask yourself as you browse, tips of what to look out for, and gourmet gift tricks to avoid. At the same time I'll give a shameless plug as to why we here at Wozz! think we are one of the best gourmet gift choices out there. Crafting by hand, the real deal. No middle men, no fillers, and no BS.

5 Quick Research Hacks to Remember

* Are the gourmet gift items available from a supermarket.

* Are all gourmet items useful or just mini sample sizes only.

* Is the packaging Eco friendly.

* Are these artisan products or mass produced co-packed items.

* Do any items in the gift basket support local producers, communities and farms.

Things to avoid.

A Bucket of Beer and Basket of Biscuits
The ultimate gourmet gift trap. This one comes in all shapes and sizes and is the main barrage of gourmet nonsense you get hit with online. $100 for a mixed six pack, an ice bucket and a bag of peanuts titled "fathers day gifts" or "man boxes" or something equally dubious. Rest assured they'll have something for mum too, in the tune of a basket holding nothing more than a box of cake mix, some shortbread cookies and raspberry jam from goodness knows where. All finished with a bow and wrapped in plastic. Everything in these buckets and baskets you can pick up from your local supermarket and are about as gourmet as a box of fruit loops and a choosy mums choice of peanut butter.

Ugh!

That's not how we roll, everything in our collections is unique, made with ingredients locally sourced and not available in supermarkets! Our flavor combinations sound gourmet and special because they are.

 

The Big Gourmet Gift Basket of Minis
You've seen this, a basket that looks huge and full to the brim with big jars and boxes all sprawled out in the product photo. Unfortunately, when you send as a gift directly to the receiver you might never know the truth. All those big jars are actually 4oz or smaller and more comparable to the single serve butter and jam you'll find served for an in flight meal than anything gourmet. They look great in a photo with a big gift basket or box as a backdrop, but completely useless to use. How can something be gourmet if you can't actually put it to use?

Rookie error.

Don't worry all our jars are the real deal, 12oz and designed to be used. We always include recipe cards and pairings that create a meal and an experience beyond simply receiving a gift in the mail.

Gourmet Gift Packaging and nothing Gourmet inside.
To be honest some of the packaging ideas out there are quite brilliant and a whole lot of fun in their opening, for the guy in your life anyway. For instance, you can buy these cans in Australia and the label reads "Canned Koala" It seems a little ominous at first. You tilt the can this way and that and realise the only way inside is obviously a can opener. Off you go digging in the second draw and begin the unusual unwrapping. Once inside you pull a fluffy toy out of the can and the joke comes full circle. I enjoy watching someone struggle with ten minutes of packaging for a bag of peanuts and couple strips of jerky as much as anyone. But we are talking gourmet and jerky and peanuts, just like a Koala stuffed in a can, might be a fun gift; in the same breath it's isn't very gourmet.

Our presentation is simple, clean, eco friendly and with attention to detail. No plastic, bubble wrap of foam peanuts. Just corrugated cardboard and locally sourced renewable wood curls. Presented with recipe cards and a note saying who the gift is from, even if you forget to write a note. We've got your back. A gourmet gift means from the farm, to chef to you and that's what we do.

 

Who's a Maker & who's a faker
For anything truly authentic always start with a maker. To often we get caught starting our search with the middlemen websites, resellers, and hawkers. You find the best wine at the vineyard, the freshest bread from the bakery and the finest cuts from your butcher. Why would the best gourmet gift choices come from anyone other than a true producers themselves. Simply having a brand's name on a co-packed product doesn't count either, not if you are looking for the best or even just good. Co packers don't process fresh ingredients. They buy processed purees and concentrates in buckets and bags from other factories, calling them "ingredients" and mix them all together and bottle them. I don't care if those ingredients say organic or Non GMO, the end result is still a sub-par product that has nothing to to with quality or gourmet.

Not us. We still source and peel fresh ingredients, we use no frozen purees, concentrates, citric acid, additives or flavors. We do not use copackers to mass produce and pump out crap. The owners of the company (that means me and the wife) make everything. We pay a fair price to our farmers, create thoughtful products with you in mind using other local ingredients. Our award winning products are known for their quality and innovation. At Wozz! we want to see that everyone wins, and that includes you.

Chili Paste, Sambal, Sriracha, Hot Sauce!!! What's it all about, which should I choose? Are they really that different? The answer is well yes and no. Yes they are all based on hot chili peppers and in their own right are all hot, but if it is character of flavor that drives your hot sauce obsession than the differences are like chalk and cheese.

Hot Sauces of the World

Let's break down some differences of the worlds hot sauces. The first noticeable differences between hot sauce, sambal, pastes and sriracha are simply their countries of origin.
Pastes: most all countries having a hot paste to call their own.
Hot sauce: or "hot salsa" being of the Americas
Sambal: versions being from Indonesia, Malaysia or Sri Lanka.
Sriracha: though being Thai in origins, most are more familiar with the bastardized American version of this sauce. 

Countries of origin directly influence ingredients typically used in each and in turn flavor profiles differ as a result. Asia using common ingredients like tamarind, shrimp pastes and ginger where the Americas typically use vinegar and fruits. Fermentation goes a long way to bring an umami funk to all these ingredients.
Finally, the method of "how is it made" goes a long way in how the ingredients are represented, presented and respected. Some are chunky, some are fresh straight pastes and many resemble a more ketchup type consistency.

Let's start with Pastes:

Chili Pastes: Most all countries have a version of a hot condiment or paste which is essentially just that, the local chili peppers of the region are ground into a paste via a mortar and pestle. From here they might be seasoned with only salt, a sweetener or one or two other herbs and spices and perhaps thinned to a more dipping sauce consistency or rounded out with a Umami ingredient like dried shrimp or through fermentation. Pretty much everything falls under the umbrella of chili paste and for anywhere you can stab your finger at the map, you'll find a complimentary hot condiment for that region. I've listed some favorites and a few lesser known. Every household will have it's own variation and family recipes of these. Some are sweet, others meaty or bright and fresh in flavor.

My Favorites.

Nam Prik Pao: Thailand. I love this bad boy. Classically Thai in that clash of sweet, sour, savory, umami and spice. A very sweet jammy medium heat paste. Great for seafood, noodles and stir-fry. Made chunky, with scallions, garlic, palm sugar, dried shrimp, and fish sauce which helps rounds out the sweetness with a salty savoriness. Great fun; unmistakable flavor, I love it!!! Found in Asian supermarkets labeled chili paste in soy bean oil, but plenty of recipes online to build your own.

Harissa: Tunisia. Another "more than just chili" chili paste. Full of cumin, fennel seed, caraway, garlic, sometimes tomato or lemon juice, usually roasted red pepper. Great for meats, seafood, eggs, and tagine. Our Moroccan Tomato Onion Relish is all this but without the heat. Full of flavor, an Australian favorite.

S'rug: Yemenite. Similar to South America chimichurri, and North Africa's Chermoula, by that I mean its a herb packed, bright and fresh hot sauce. Different by the fact it lacks the acid of a vinegar or preserved lemon as in the other two, but all are full of cumin, garlic, coriander seed, chili and fresh coriander and brought together with olive oil. A bright fresh full flavored paste. Think hummus, falafel and lamb as pairings for this one.

Gochujang: Korea. is a savory, spicy, and pungent fermented Korean condiment made from red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. Traditionally, it has been naturally fermented for months even over years in large earthern pots outdoors. Once fermented, the gochujang resembles tomato paste in color and texture, and has a similar earthy sweetness punctuated by a bite of lingering heat from the red chiles. Gochujang is similar to sriracha in taste, but there are some key differences. Garlic is a major component in the making of sriracha, and you won’t find that same flavor in gochujang. What gochujang offers, though, is a big dose of umami that sriracha just doesn’t have. The fermentation of the glutamates in red chiles produces an almost meaty flavor in the background.

What about straight HOT Sauce

Hot Sauce: Americas. Although everything in this post is a hot sauce, when I hear "hot sauce" as the only name used, I think about it in the Caribbean, Louisiana sense of the word and by that I mean vinegar based.

Sometimes sugar is added along with fruit or vegetables and the variations on chili peppers used leads to a greater variance in heat or what is referred to as the Scoville scale. Some are thin, others resemble more a ketchup consistency like ancho chili paste. Earlier American versions of hot sauce often used a milder Tabasco or cayenne pepper where as Caribbean and South American versions used hot mustard and the very hot Scotch Bonnet or Habanero pepper and were often balanced by fruits or a little sugar.
 
Now I'm not here to listen to your hero's encounter of the hottest hot sauce you ever tried and how you had to sign a waiver before trying it and now your big man on campus... no. The common thread for me in all these hot sauces is that sour bite of cheap distilled vinegar hidden in there. With vinegar as the main preserving ingredient you basically have a product to be used to add heat for the sake of adding heat, it's rarely about the meal you are using it with or the peppers used, as much as it is just about how hot is the sauce that you are using. For me a traditional "vinegar-based" hot sauce (of which there are so many wonderful variations and flavors) are a great way to add heat to a finished meal. Although they can work in some dishes like wings or salsa; as a leading ingredient, they are notoriously difficult to cook with.

Take Americas earliest recognizable brand of hot sauce Tabasco. No matter what you do with it or where it's used, you can almost always taste that unmistakable vinegar flavor of Tabasco sauce. Don't get me wrong, that's all I want over my rich buttery scrambled eggs, but when it comes to cooking I'd rather use fresh chili or something else any day of the week. Most of these vinegar based hot sauces are at home in American and Tex-Mex styled cuisine. I think often due to the high sugar content in basting and barbecue style of cooking, the vinegar helps balance the sweetness in these sauces. For me, as a chef, when I attempt to use these vinegar based hot sauces on their own, that comes with it's problems.

Hot Salsa: Mexico. There is an exception though, well two actually. Mexico and New Mexico Hot Sauce or Hot Salsa. In both cases, vinegar is used sparingly or not at all. In Mexico's case the individual flavor takes precedence over it's heat, popular chili peppers include chipotles, jalapeño and Ancho along with Pasilla and Guajillo which make up the “holy trinity” widely used in mole sauces. Because many of Mexican traditional hot sauces or "hot salsa" are made from fresh ingredients and balanced and enhanced with the flavors of chili peppers, it makes them much easier to cook with. There is great respect to all the ingredients used and a freshness unsurpassed by a vinegar based hot sauce designed just for heat. New Mexio's two hot sauces often made more like a gravy and come in either red or green. The peppers are roasted skins removed and cooked with a roux made from lard and flour which thickens and brings the sauce together. Almost every traditional New Mexican dish will be served with one of these sauces.

How about Sriracha?

Sriracha: Thailand/USA The story begins in Thailand and it goes that a local woman named Thanom Chakkapak started making the popular sauce in the 1930's originally for her friends and family, but later released it commercially as Sriraja Panich. Traditionally, this Thai version of Sriracha hot sauce tends to be a bit tangier and runnier than what has become so popular in the states. The flavor enhancer consisting of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt gets its namesake from the coastal city of Si Racha on the east coast of Thailand where it is commonly used as a dipping sauce for seafood. Originally fresh ingredients were ground down with a mortar and pestle.

The American version of Sriracha for me is more like a ketchup both in consistency, culture, flavor and method of preparation. Just like ketchup in that it has been so far removed from it's humble beginnings, by that I mean it has been processed from within an inch of it's life drowned in vinegar, sugar and salt, boiled thickened and bottled....  just exchange tomato for peppers. This might explain why America found it so very easy to embrace.

Despite being authentically Thai, in origin it would have to be one of the least Thai flavor profiles I think I can imagine. We usually associate Thai food with light fresh ingredients, sweet, sour and salty notes and chili. For me American Sriracha or rooster sauce is none of those things. It uses dried garlic, is heavily processed and its flavor, though hot is very muddy. Despite it's flavor it is much easier to be used than your usual vinegar based hot sauces. Lets face it, it's in everything over here from lollypops to pop corn. Thick enough for dipping, and a little squirt will add a nice little bit of heat with out completely changing the over all dish. For me Sriracha is always a bottle sitting lonely over in the corner of a Chinese restaurant on some tired fold out side table with the spare bottles of soy sauce. It is not very popular in Australia, I've never bought a bottle either as a chef or consumer and probably never will.

 

So What is Sambal Then?

Sambal: Indonesia, Malaysia or Sri Lanka. Sambal comes in many slight variations and with each is a variation in name. Sambal in it's simplest translation means chopped or ground. This fresh ground chili condiment is usually chunkier and full of seeds and texture and often with the addition of a sour, sweet or umami ingredient like lime, palm sugar, fish sauce or shrimp paste or a little bit of all. Usually served fresh, but can be cooked. Sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, hot or mild. Sometimes with the addition of tomato, herbs, fruit or spices. Some variations like ambal durian or Sambal tempoyak are fermented and aged creating wonderful depth of flavor while others made fresh and clean are sharper. The constant varieties and simple fresh ingredients and obvious lack of vinegar make Sambal a perfect companion to actually cook with and an essential addition to your pantry or culinary repetitoire.
 
Let's break down some variations, but there are hundreds more to explore and create.
The most recognizable;

Sambal Oelek (elek) A sambal in it's purest form and essentially just chopped chili with some variations calling for lime and/or salt. (bright red, thin and a little sharp in flavor)

Sambal Goreng Literally means "fried sambal". It is a mix of crisp fried red shallots, red and green chili, shrimp paste and salt, briefly stir-fried in coconut oil. Crisp fried shallots and Umami of shrimp give this a nutty flavor, great for noodles .

Sambal uyah-lombok A kind of sambal which is only made from raw chilli and salt. Very simple and easy to made, and usually eaten with steamed rice and fried foods like fried chicken. Clean savory heat.

Sambal tauco A Sulawesi sambal, contains the Chinese tauco (an Indo Chinese sauce made from fermented yellow soybeans), lime juice, chili, brown sugar, and salt. Balance with an Umami richness.

Sambal rica rica A hot sambal from Manado region, it uses ginger, chili, lemon and spices. Suitable for barbecue meats. Higher fresh notes.

Sambal tumis Chili fried with belacan shrimp paste, onions, garlic, tamarind juice. Tumis means "stir fry". Often the cooking oil is re-mixed with the sambal. A balanced, well rounded flavor.

Sambal lado mudo Literally a word for "green sambal". It is also known as sambal hijau or sambal ijo, also "green sambal". Sambal lado mudo, a West Sumatran specialty, used green chili, with dried shrimp, red shallots, garlic, and spices. It is one of those taste sensations that’s hard to beat with a unique fresh flavor that compliments the richness of Sumatran food so extremely well. The sambal is stir fried. 

Sambal setan A very hot sambal with Madame Jeanette peppers.  The name literally means "devil's sauce". (red brownish, very sharp)

That's why we choose a Sambal as our go to hot ingredient in our collection of condiments. We wanted something to be cooked with, with a balance of flavor, a medium high heat that will blend in and add heat to any type of cuisine, even if it's not Asian. What we took was the best of everything above to bring about a balance of flavor with a long palate. 

We use fresh Fresno peppers, onion in place of shallots, 100% lemon and lime juice. High notes of ginger and warmer notes from garlic. For Umami we use an anchovy fermented fish sauce and a little sugar to bring it all together. What we have is a fresh clean tasting sambal, with a slight sweetness in the beginning, washed away by the citrus for a long full flavored, slow burn. This so that you can taste all the other ingredients before the heat kicks in after half a minute or so. We testify it is the perfect heat.... and don't get us wrong, it is quite hot.

Health and Nutritional Benefits:

and last but not least are they good for you?

• Hot peppers and thus hot sauce are a great source of antioxidant such as vitamin-A, and flavonoids like ß-carotene, a-carotene, lutein, zea-xanthin, and cryptoxanthin. 

• Chilies carry a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.

• Chilies are also good in B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that human body requires them from external sources to replenish.

• Chili peppers have amazingly high levels of vitamins and minerals. Just 100 g provides (in % of recommended daily allowance):

240% of vitamin-C (Ascorbic acid),
39% of vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine),
32% of vitamin A,
13% of iron,
14% of copper,
7% of potassium,

Diabetes Prevention and Well Being

A study published in the July 2006 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that when participants consumed a meal with capsaicin and a meal without it, their insulin levels were more normalized after consuming the capsaicin meal than the plain meal. This was especially true for overweight participants. The study indicates that the habitual consumption of meals containing capsaicin may be useful in preventing meal-induced hyperinsulinemia, or increased insulin levels, which can lead to insulin resistance -- and Type 2 diabetes.

Adding hot sauce to your diet is good for your mental health too. Eating spicy peppers feels good. Capsaicin binds to pain receptors in the mouth and nose, which creates a burning feeling that gets passed along to the brain. The brain reacts by releasing endorphins, which are natural opioids that produce a feeling of well-being. So if your too old to hit the rave scene any longer than that spiritual explosion of endorphins you're looking for might be as easy as reaching for the hot sauce!

Recipe:  Poached Eggs with Wozz! Super Hot Chili Sambal 

Cooking with Condiments.  How to use em up, add authentic flavor and make easy meals that cut your cooking time in half!

I get this all the time.  I bought a jar of your sauce but I am not sure what to do with it. 

Whhhaaaat? 

First of all, our website has heaps of recipes so no excuse but let’s take a minute or two to talk about condiments and why they should be your best friend.   First of all most “true to their craft” artisan condiment makers like ourselves, strive to create the best authentic condiments we can, using fresh fruits and vegetables, quality spices, non gmo ingredients and have spent years developing recipes, so use us as your kitchen go-to. Most of our products, because they are savory rather than just sweet, are a perfect accompaniment to everything from simple roast chicken to stir-fry’s, noodles, salads and sandwiches. 

Now think about this.  You get home after a long day at work and you want to make Asian noodles, just like you had the other day at that Japanese lunch spot….you kind of know how to make an Asian style dressing to put on noodles. Maybe a little soy mixed with sesame?  Add some fish sauce?  Oh wait, you think to yourself, do I need rice wine vinegar and fresh ginger?  Oh forget it!  You are tired, don’t have any vinegar or ginger on hand and you definitely don’t want to run to the grocery store.  Sound familiar?  Now here is where we come in.  Take our Ginger Soy Infusion Dressing and pour over noodles.  Done.  It’s got all the above and then some…we start with Dashi stock, add fresh ginger, organic tamari, saki, fresh garlic, unhulled sesame seeds…. You see we just made your dinner go from…recipe hunting, ingredient buying and stressful to easy peasy Japanesey!  And our dressing is authentic and all natural, just read our ingredients.

 

Scenario number 2.  Chicken.  Boring Chicken Again?  What am I going to do with these chicken thighs tonight?  Hmmm…Do you want to make caramelized onion chicken with rosemary and potatoes…yes, yes you do BUT, you don’t want to chop onions, cry, ruin your eye makeup and then caramelize onions for 20 minutes before you even think about baking your chicken so instead you add Wozz! Triple Ale Onion Spread to your chicken thighs with some potatoes and pop em in the oven for 20 minutes.  YUP. 

 

That’s condiments.  Wait… at least that’s Wozz! Condiments.  Let’s not stoop so low to be compared to ketchup, because we are far ahead of the curve of corn syrup and canned tomatoes…we are a whole lot of fresh local ingredients, bold spices, no concentrates or gunk wrapped up into a whole lot of hard work in the kitchen and some real handcrafted love and care is added to each and every jar that may be sitting in your fridge right now.

Some may say, but I can make all that myself….sure you can but do you always want to?  Some say, I can make it better, I challenge that.  But hey…if you are a condiment champion, we’ll rise to the occasion. :) We spend hours painstakingly perfecting our recipes, sometimes we are in the kitchen for 12 hours making 1 batch of product.  Some say but mine are healthier.  We source a variety of our ingredients from local farms, use local 100% local maple syrup, fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, super spices including coriander, turmeric, paprika, fresh ginger and garlic.  We use only apple cider vinegar and fresh lemon juice to acidify our products, no purees or concentrates so If you are worried about them not being clean…you can stop worrying. If you would rather make all your sauces from scratch than that is ideal, of course!  but we just make it easier for you.  If you are worried about sugar, please know that because most of our condiments are savory rather than sweet that they are pretty low in sugar.  Our Kiwi Lime Salsa Verde has no added sugar, our Thai Orange Ginger Relish, Moroccan Tomato Onion Relish and North African Chermoula Dressing and Marinade are just a few others that are very low in sugar compared to most other jams and spreads on the market.  

 

Unless you only put a squeeze of lemon on everything…then yes maybe we are not for you.  But if you want full flavor and weeknight dinners that give you those memories of your travels around the globe but take less than 30 minutes to make than look no further than Wozz!

From burger toppings to salad drizzles to salmon marinades to chicken dinners to shrimp stir-frys to grilled pork chops, our condiments and sauces take your boring ole dinners and transform them into a unique tasting experience that takes no time at all and makes you look like a pro in the kitchen.

Want to make Japanese Sesame Beef and Broccoli?  All you need is Wozz, beef and broccoli.  Think about how you would make it from scratch. 

Think about it….

….

….

I bet I got most of you stumped….well unless you are an Asian cook connoisseur….if you are than good on ya.

 

Break out those condiments folks.  Open that bottle and pour it in the pan with your favorite meat, seafood or veggies. Cook and Serve. Garnish with parsley or a kale leaf if you must! ;) 

Cooking with condiments is easy, and with the rise of artisan food makers, it’s not unhealthy, it’s not generic, it’s not hard.  It’s easy, delicious and it will awaken your palate!  No one wants to eat another baked chicken breast dipped in ketchup.  No one wants to empty their kitchen cupboard at 7 at night looking for 18 ingredients to make an Asian stir-fry sauce.  So don’t!  All you have to do is buy Wozz!, eat Wozz! and repeat. And if you are stuck for ideas….just check out our recipes!

 

We are excited to announce that our Thai Peach Basil Salsa is back for a limited time!   We make this salsa once a year using only fresh summer peaches, fresh basil and Thai chili spice.   This salsa, I have got to tell you is a labor of love.  Every peach is pitted and hand cut by us.  It's a lot of work which is why we do 1 big batch and call it good until the next peach season arrives!   So get in while the gettin's good!   It's delicious atop grilled swordfish, mahi mahi, pork chops, duck, on these killer chicken tacos and with plain ole tortilla chips.  

Most of the time, we all don't think about breaking out the cheese board until fall settles in and it's time for a cozy fire and red wine or the holidays have arrived and you need to pull something together to impress your guests or work mates, but cheese plates are also a great addition to a summer picnic, camping trip, bbq or family gathering.  Break out the rose or some savignon blanc, assemble a cheese plate with some in-season summer fruits, raw honey comb, your favorite condiment (hint hint), charcuterie, savory crackers and voila, your average summer day just got a bit more special. This is what cheese plates do to you, they make you savor that glass of wine and pay attention to the medley of flavors that hit your palate.  Cheese plates just seem to slow time down, allowing you to savor and truly enjoy the moment.  I know that sounds a bit like a hallmark card but it's true.  Think about when you gather with a glass of wine around a cheese plate, you don't bite in like you are eating a big mac, you don't throw back your wine like it's 1992 and you are tail-gaiting at a pearl jam concert.  You just become a bit more postured, a bit more intellectual, a bit more well traveled, a bit more aware of what you are putting in your mouth.....right?   A bit more sophisticated in both taste and experience.  

Cheese does that to us.  

Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company is an artisanal award winning cheese company based out of South Woodstock, Vermont.  They handcraft their cheeses in small batches and have their own herd of Holstein, Jersey, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss and Milking Shorthorn cows.  They also work with local Vermont dairy farms so all their milk is 100% from Vermont.  They were kind of enough to send us a variety of their amazing cheeses to pair with our condiments and we spent the week not only making a couple cheese plates but experimented with their cheese in a bunch of new recipes.  We actually assembled two cheese plates, one that was a bit of a romantic style with their creamy Lille Cheese that paired beautifully with our Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread and another cheese plate featuring a variety of their cheeses and a few of our condiments including our Moroccan Tomato Onion Relish, Triple Ale Onion Spread and Sticky Date Candied Orange Spread. 

We came up with our favorite pairings and with that we went a step further and created a few pizza, salad and sandwich recipes that were out of this world delicious...like this Bacon, Triple Ale Onion, Apple and Smoked Tilsit Pizza.  

Here are our Wozz! condiment pairing suggestions in collaboration with Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company.

1. Lille (Coulummiers)

Lille comes from the northern regions of France and is an ancestor to Brie.  It's a soft-ripened bloomy rind cheese that has a supple paste core enveloped by a rich creamy body and reveals a subtle mushroom nuance with notes of nut and butter.   This cheese pairs very well with our Sticky Date Candied Orange Chutney, Cranberry Blood Orange Cognac Gourmet Chutney and our Balsamic Fig Mostarda Savory Spread.  

2. Sugarhouse Edam

Vermont Farmstead added a twist to this semi hard Dutch cheese by adding the spice Fenugreek. The traditional Indian spice imparts a maple and walnut nuance that is reminiscent of Vermont beloved sugar shacks. The Edam has a soft buttery note that adds just enough savory to balance the sweet.  Our favorite Wozz! pairings with this cheese were Sticky Date Candied Orange Gourmet Chutney and our Moroccan Tomato Onion Relish.  

3. BrikHaus Tilsit

 A medium firm cheese and a distant relative of the Havarti family, Vermont Farmstead Cheese BrickHaus Tilsit is rich with buttery and fruity notes and a full flavor and is also a terrific melter.  Tilsit paired best with our Balsamic Fig Mostarda Spread and our Triple Ale Onion Savory Spread.  

4. Smoked BrikHaus Tilsit

 A smoked version of their BrikHaus Tilsit.  Absolutely delicious.  Pairs best with our Triple Ale Onion Savory Spread and our Sticky Date Candied Orange Chutney.

5. Alehouse Cheddar

Made with two brews from Harpoon Brewery.  This cheese leads with a fragrant ale nose, has a flavorful balance of cheddar and nuts and ends with a strong hop finish.  Obviously is a classic pairing with our Triple Ale Onion Savory Spread and also a great pairing with Sticky Date Candied Orange Chutney and Balsamic Fig Mostarda.

6. Windsordale

This firm, flaky raw milk cheese which leads with a hint of tart apple and delivers a honeyed aftertaste that pairs perfectly with all things apple.  It was fantastic paired with our Sticky Date Candied Orange Gourmet Chutney and with our Triple Ale Onion Spread.  

and there you have it....summer days paired with artisan cheese and Wozz! condiments. Don't forget to also add these delicious accompaniments to your cheese plate:  artisan crackers including Jan's Farmhouse Crisps and Castleton Crackers.  If you are looking for cheese and cracker pairings check out Vermont Farmstead's website they have a great pairing guide featuring Castleon Crackers.  Additions to our cheese plate also included charcuterie, in-season fruits including apricots and grapes, raw honeycomb and these fantastic greek olives from Lakonia Greek Products.

Don't forget to check out our complete cheese pairing guide here or have a look at our complete line of cheese pairing condiments. They make perfect hostess and housewarming gifts!

 

 

 

 

We are dancing in the living room today....all gitty and gleaming with the latest announcement that our North African Chermoula Dressing has won the prestigious NYC sofi™ Gold award for outstanding dressing.  Chermoula was one of our original products introduced back in 2010 and has always been one of our faves.  It's eye popping puckery and spiced...it will hit all your senses and people often try it and say "wow" as they get all wide eyed and crazy....okay i am exaggerating but not really.  Trust me...It is the most un-boring dressing you will ever try.  

Questions:  

Is it hot?

No..it's not spicy...it's full of spice and flavor but it's not hot spicy.  It's intriguingly spicy and bright and zesty! 

Is it curry?  

That is a question we often get because of it's bright yellow color...it's full of Moroccan and North African spices but it's not curry...

What is Chermoula you ask?  Our North African Chermoula is a bold lemony dressing full of Moroccan spices including coriander, cumin, ginger, turmeric, paprika and saffron.  It's super healthy and full of clean non gmo ingredients including 100% fresh lemon juice, fresh local cilantro from our local friends at Meadowstone Farm, high quality spices and olive oil. Full of tang and bite, chermoula traditionally is served over fish and seafood but is just as delicious used as a marinade for lamb, beef and chicken.  We often drizzle it over a dish of warm lentils or couscous with fresh torn mint or cilantro.  We also mix it with Greek yogurt for a zingy dipping sauce for grilled lamb chops or chicken skewers. You can use this same dip in place of mayonnaise on a wrap or pita sandwich. 

It's May and it's grilling season....Who isn't excited?  A time to eat healthy and clean, so marinate some chicken wings, lamb chops or beef skewers with our chermoula and chuck em on the grill...you won't be disappointed.  

Oh Chermoula....you make us proud!