Heinz gets FANCY

So the folks at Heinz ketchup (yes, I said ketchup, not catsup you weirdo) are getting fancy with their sauce. Their ordinary ketchup contains vinegar, but they've decided to up the ante and switch the normal stuff over to balsamic. You can order your promo bottle here for a reasonable price, and for today only orders will ship free and come with one free bottle!

My order went through just fine, and I cannot WAIT to try the stuff. I'm thinking on hand-cut french fries that we fry in our own deep fryer. Let's see if I can get Tim working on that.

I want to go to there.

So check out this amazing article about a boutique shop opening up in New York featuring (drum roll please) only mayonnaise. ONLY MAYONNAISE I said!

I do think the article has one misnomer - mayonnaise is already my "big thing," no next about it.

While I do love the stuff, at our house we have a tendency to stick with the lighter versions (check out the Kraft Olive Oil version w/ Cracked Pepper). Super good, and not too bad on calories.

What do you love to put mayo on? I'm a sucker for sandwiches, and of course tuna/chicken salads, but am I missing out on slathering it somewhere else?

Condiment Crackdown: Cooking Channel Fans Like Their Hot Sauce

Condiment Crackdown: Cooking Channel Fans Like Their Hot Sauce

Oi! There are other condiment whores out there too! I must admit, I am on a total Sriracha kick, and have a tendency to stick it in runner up Mayo. I am, however, surprised by the nod to ketchup - really? I rarely use ketchup on its own, but I will often mix it with tabasco. We also recently re-purchased some curry ketchup from Dunderbak's. I really enjoy it in place of ketchup, although certain versions can be a bit sweet. It's great on tater tots and fries though. I might be interested in using it on a lamb burger with some roasted veggies and perhaps cilantro (just a nod to some Indian spices).

Are there any condiments you use on a regular basis that didn't make it on the list? I would probably add soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, and vinegar (mostly white and rice).

Japanese Kewpie?

I saw this article on Banh Mi (you say it "Bun Me" just like Pho is "Fuh") and they talk about Japanese Kewpie mayo. I actually saw Kewpie at world market a few weekends ago and was curios - mostly because of the cute baby on the bottle. Has anyone tried it?

You can buy the cute stuff by clicking the photo. Oh - and how about the Banh Mi for you? I think we may have our next sandwich in the making!

-Leanne

Condiment Write-Off?

Yes, you read that correctly. Write-Off, not Write-Up.

Check out this post from a savvy tax lawyer which discusses whether or not the condiments Tim and I buy to try for the blog are tax-deductible!! Well, actually it just discusses this generally, but it's more fun if we think I actually asked the question.

Essentially the answer is no (boo-hiss), mostly because Tim and I don't make money off this blog (we do it for the love of the condiments MAN. not the money!), and even if we did, we would only be able to write off that portion of the condiment we used for blog-related purposes; any items left over for household use would not be deductible.

Can you really imagine that? Ok, let's see, I tested 1/12 of this bottle of ketchup, so I can write off 1/12 of the $3.69 I paid for it. Um. Yeah. No. As much as I'd love to make this blog and condiment taste-testing my full time career, my guess is that this is just a pipe dream.

There's still great ways to use all the extra condiments you're storing, however. Check out Greg's awesome ideas for "mining out" your fridge and putting those good leftovers to use. I especially dig his Frank's reference, because we all know its one of our faves!

Best Condiment List!

Check out this article for a list of some of the best condiments in the world!

There's several that I've had on there, and completely agree with. I don't know how I'd like without mayo (regardless of whether it's full fat or one of the several light versions) or Sriracha (and they're even better when put together - maybe we'll get Tim to list his full recipe). I also really love currywurst, although right now my fridge is stocked with a mild version, and I'd like to see if there's a spicy one available. Can't find currywurst near you? I pick mine up at a local German pub - Mr. Dunderbak's. Dunderbak's is a chain, so they may have one near you, but also try places like Cost Plus World Market - they carry it as well.

Cholula truly makes my top 5 list, and is fantastic (hot sauce that has a great taste). I also think fish sauce (and fresh ginger) makes most asian food taste better - a little will go a long way and make your food really pop!

I also completely agree that Heinz makes the best ketchup (YES KETCHUP NOT CATSUP) and won't stock anything else in the fridge (except the currywurst).

I do disagree with a few on there. I've never been able to stomach vegemite for example (sorry my South African friends) and while I think tahini has good uses (hummus, babaganoush), I'm not a fan of it on its own.

So what are your top 5 list? I'm sure mine varies from day to day, but right now I'll go with:
Frank's Hot Sauce
Cholula
Horseradish Mustard
Mayo
Peanut Sauce

A little V-day and Condiment connection!

So I know this is a little late, since Valentines Day (AND MY BDAY - HINT HINT) has since come and gone, but this is a pretty cute article about hot sauce and love that I thought everyone would enjoy:

Hot Sauce a Love - is there a Connection?

So what do you think? Does that delicious spicy hotness you get from Cholula or Franks hit you the same was as your significant other might? (No, I am not condoning hitting anyone). And what about those kids? Think their tastebuds are still in development, or do they have it right?

I believe that the rush I get from Tim is a lot like that delicious fire I feel from hot sauce, albeit Tim's rush is longer lasting. It's not like I can freebase hot sauce all day long to maintain that high. And those kids - well, I'm not sure if they have it right, but they're just so darn cute!