My culinary journey began at a young age in the legendary food markets of Mexico. Back in the early 1970’s, much of this magical land was rustic and rural. To this day I can shut my eyes and remember the wonderful scent of fruits, peppers, and spices swirling around the colorful stacks of produce. This is where my love of peppers began. There were literally hundreds of varieties, each with their own identity and flavor. Nearby, loud noisy food stalls sizzled, sending complex aromas high above the busy local Mercado and down into the streets. They resembled smoke signals that whispered a deciphered message “don’t forget the pepper sauce.” Most of the sauces were family secrets, the ingredients mixed under the dark of night with an occasional peak over one’s back, I imagined. Some were done burning hot, but many simply woven with the flavors of the land and of course….love.
Hard to believe, but after 50 years, my own pepper sauce has reached its zenith. The sauce I make weekly has evolved for decades, but the evolutionary development is now complete! My “Surf Dog’s Hot Sauce” will be available to the masses this summer. A professional bottler will carefully blend my selected measured ingredients for large scale production. My wife, Kim Mosher, designed the label from her Surf Dog character who has appeared in beach safety books, puzzles and assorted Island apparel. The sauce will first be available in local markets, stores, and restaurants by early summer, but the rapid expansion is expected. Like the bottle write-up says…
“Lose Your Leash” and jump onboard a new wave of Hot Sauce. Surf Dog’s unique blend of ingredients pair well with life and anything you can shake it on. Our long-awaited OBX hot sauce is ready to ride, so be brave, and drop on in!