A wonderful verde salsa made right here in the heartland – Oklahoma.

Folks, El Rancho Verde is my new favorite green salsa, and if you love jalapeños, then it may become yours as well. It’s bursting with pungent jalapeño flavor, and an earthy, yet lively, aroma. Its rustic consistency makes it equally at home on everything from tamales to enchiladas, to chips and eggs. It’s a simple blend of jalapeño peppers, garlic, comino (cumin), salt and cider vinegar which lets each ingredient stand on its own, yet, enhance and showcase its main attraction: the jalapeño chile. Not only does this result in a verde sauce with a profoundly delicious jalapeño flavor, but also one that has quite a spicy kick. I’ve eaten some of the hottest peppers on the planet, and even I was surprised with how much heat this bad boy packed. And better yet, the heat is at an optimal balance with El Rancho Verde’s fantastic flavor, so one can enjoy the vibrant zestiness of the ingredients without feeling too uncomfortable. And to top it all off, El Rancho Verde is fat free, and all-natural, with a minimum of vinegar being used so as to affect the overall taste as little as possible. So, for those of you who have an aversion to vinegar-based products, this is a bonus.

El Rancho’s Verde salsa gives even store-bought Mexican fare a boost of authenticity.

I already knew that El Rancho made a quality red salsa, but I’m particularly impressed with El Rancho’s foray into green chile-based salsas. Hands down, this is a great product, and makes me eager to see what El Rancho will come up with next. Oklahomans should be proud that this product is made right here in our state. Check out El Rancho’s background and other products here.

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Okay, when I first tried Gunther’s Gourmet Black Bean Dip with Lime, I actually thought it was their Black and White Bean Salsa. And, after trying it thought, “Wow, this would make a great bean dip!” Well, it’s fortunate that this was not lost on Gunther’s and that they actually marketed as, well…a bean dip. And what a remarkable bean dip it is.

Indeed, it’s easy to see why this bean dip won a 2012 Hot Pepper Award and 2013 Fiery Food Challenge Award. It’s a superb dip, and of such a sublime nature that among its all-natural ingredients it has sweet potatoes and Bermuda Onions. I love both of these additions because they add a mild sweetness and understated complexity that really set this bean dip apart from any I’ve had, and are a fitting complement to the rest of the high-quality ingredients. The full rundown consists of: tomatoes, black beans, sweet potatoes, Bermuda onions, jalapeno peppers, lime juice, fresh garlic, honey, sea salt, cumin, habanero chilies, cilantro, cayenne pepper, black pepper, oregano, herbs and spices. This expertly crafted combination of ingredients produces not only a bean dip of impeccable flavor, but of remarkable consistency; thick enough to stand up, and stay on, whatever someone is scooping it with, yet, supple and velvety enough that one doesn’t have to use a 2 x 4 to get it out of the jar . As far as piquancy goes, this product shouldn’t be too spicy for the person who only sometimes indulges in spicy fare, and for those who do more than occasionally, the exceptional flavor more than makes up for any lack of heat.

Gunther’s Spicy Black Bean Dip with Lime stands up amazingly well. This factor, along with its well executed complex flavor, make it a must for bean dip connoisseurs. A sublime ziggurat of wonderful bean flavor, accentuated with a supporting cast of high-quality, all-natural ingredients.

All in all, this is not your average bean dip, and one that must be experienced to be truly appreciated. What’s more, Gunther’s Gourmet Groceries, LLC, out of Richmond Virginia is not the typical gourmet grocery; one can tell that making the finest products is a passion and goal for them, and that they devote the necessary time and attention to bring this about. And not only do they make this wonderful dip, but they also produce salsas, marinades and vinaigrettes. To find out more about Gunther’s Gourmet and their products and recipe suggestions, check ‘em out here!

Gunther’s Spicy Black Bean Dip was perfect on this twice-baked potato with Colby-Jack cheese.

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Lay’s implores people everywhere to “do them a flavor” in their recent effort to select a new national taste sensation. The three flavor candidates are Cheezy Garlic Bread, Chicken and Waffles, and Sriracha. Obviously, the one I’m most interested in is Sriracha flavor, but I also tried the Chicken and Waffles, and, sadly, will not be trying the Cheezy Garlic Bread. Why? Because I cannot understand why Lay’s can’t get it right. Undoubtedly, Frito-Lay has come up with some classic chips and great flavors, but sometimes their offerings are a bit too audacious, and amount to a big swing and a miss.

I do commend Lays for attempting to push the envelope and trying to come out with new and “relevant” flavors, but it’s frustrating that they aren’t more successful. For instance, the Chicken and Waffles flavor neither tastes like chicken or waffles; it tastes like syrup. Why proclaim your product tastes like chicken and waffles when it doesn’t? Where is the break down in the process of bringing a flavor to market? It would seem somewhere along the way in the focus groups and taste tests someone, somewhere, would maybe mention, “Hey, this doesn’t actually taste like chicken and waffles.” Just putting a picture of a drumstick and fluffy homemade waffles isn’t going to transfer flavor to the product itself; or, somehow convince someone that, “Yeah, I thought it tasted like syrup, but it has the picture of chicken and waffles on it, so I must be mistaken and it really does taste like chicken and waffles.” (And why all the overemphasis on superficial considerations by manufacturers. Who hasn’t seen the tired proclamation, “New Look!, Same Great Taste!”? I don’t care what a product looks like. I care about its actual, inherent value to me as a customer. Just because a product’s packaging is made more appealing doesn’t mean I’m going to like it more and buy more of it. Instead of using all that time improving the looks of something, how about spending time improving the actual flavor and quality of a product? Call me crazy, but that would be a much more constructive and valuable use of everyone’s time, and, producers may even sell more of their product.)

But I digress…somewhat…All that about Lay’s Chicken and Waffles flavor to say this about the Sriracha flavor: It tastes good, but it doesn’t taste like Sriracha. There may be a vague resemblance, but these chips do not truly capture the essence of the classical rooster sauce that spicy connoisseurs have come to know and love. I’m sure almost anyone who’s tried Sriracha will agree (and for those who’d like to know more about Sriracha, feel free to go here). Again, at least these taste good (the Chicken and Waffles doesn’t taste bad, per se, either), but neither of these flavors taste good enough for me to purchase them again, and, I suspect, neither will catch on and take their place among the pantheon of other beloved Frito-Lay flavors.

In this day and age, I’m not sure why a company cannot reproduce almost any flavor out there. I know Lay’s can create some incredibly good chips because I’ve had their non-U.S. Walkers brand Roast Chicken crisps (potato chips), and they were outstanding; they tasted like actual slivers of dried, yet succulent, savory roasted chicken. If they can pull off this flavor feat, then there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to do any other flavor successfully.

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One of the purposes of this blog is to bring attention to anything of a spicy nature sold, and better yet, produced in Oklahoma and the surrounding states, with the intent to encourage further growth in the spicy foods industries in America’s relatively heat-deprived heartland. So, naturally, showcasing spicy products made in Oklahoma would be in keeping with this goal, and I recently came across a salsa made in Oklahoma City by El Rancho Salsa Co. called El Rancho Extra Hot Salsa. I found it at Akin’s Natural Foods in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and to my knowledge, this is the only place it’s sold here in town. My immediate reaction when seeing phrase “Extra Hot” was dubiousness. So many times I’ve seen similar claims and have been let down by mediocre tasting sauces and salsas that do not deliver the goods in flavor and their much-touted heat. And here we have El Rancho’s salsa asserting that it’s “Extra Hot,” with the ingredients (tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, cayenne peppers, garlic, comino [cumin] and salt) continuing to leave me skeptical, to say the least. Although it’s somewhat refreshing that El Rancho’s salsa does not contain vinegar, none of the ingredients would inspire fear in any self-respecting fire-eater (or excitement, because that’s part of what motivates a die-hard chilehead; the anticipation that maybe, just maybe, we’ve gotten ourselves into more than we can handle. In that way, I guess we’re sort of the adrenaline junkies of the “extreme” food world, always searching for that next pulse-pounding taste adventure). But I digress…

Upon removing the lid, I’m immediately hit with an aroma which has a strong resemblance to a chili base, and if the smell is any indicator, it will taste quite savory. I already cannot help but think how terrific this would be on a cheesy omelet. So far so, so good. Now to taste. Dipping the spoon, tasting….tasting…tasting. Hmmmm, I have to admit that my expectations were limited, but this stuff actually tastes really good! You can certainly taste the jalapeño, cayenne and cumin, and, unsurprisingly, they all work together beautifully. El Rancho also has a pleasant, but surprisingly noticeable heat. These earthy, savory flavors would be a suitable addition to chili or any kind of Southwestern-style beef entrée such as tacos, burritos or enchiladas. What’s more, it’s perfect as a dipping salsa, and allows one to get just the right amount on a chip without losing it all, and risking the social awkwardness of a double-dip .

There are many blogs and review sites that measure a product’s value by using rating scales such as 1 out of 5, 1 to 10, and those scales have their advantages. But one simple way I use to determine the value of a product for myself is by asking the question, “Would I buy this again?”. I can say that I would be happy to purchase El Rancho’s salsa again. Besides, it looks like I’ll need to because I almost consumed the entire bottle before I could get any pics for my post.

After trying El Rancho Extra Hot salsa I’m really encouraged that there’s an Oklahoma company that’s trying their hand at spicy foods, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ll come up with next. With the increasing popularity of spicy foods and products around the nation, it appears to be in El Rancho’s best interest to come up with more varieties and hotter salsas, and a successful future for this Oklahoma-based company would seem almost assured. But in the meantime, I’d better grab another jar (Be sure to check out El Rancho’s whole line of salsas here.)

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Admittedly, the pic doesn’t do El Rancho’s color, consistency and taste, justice. It has a strong “chili” taste due to the peppers and cumin, which makes it heavenly on omelets. When making omelets, I like to add cheese and a tablespoon or two of corn masa. Together with the light crispiness of the omelet’s outer layer, the masa imparts a taste distinctly reminiscent of hot-buttered popcorn. It’s an interesting and yummy departure from the usual omelet, and with a topping of El Rancho salsa, makes for a unique Southwestern-style riff on a breakfast classic.

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Studio edit: They taste like salty, whole corn Fruity Pebbles.

Director’s cut: I like Post Fruity Pebbles, but I don’t want my “Mexican” themed snacks to taste like an American pop-culture breakfast item. I was skeptical about this gimmicky offering from Frito Lay, but I like most of their other products well enough, so I gave it a shot. Besides, I’m not a food snob, so anything that purports to be even a little spicy is fair game for this blog.

Despite the Dynamita’s freakishly red aspect and remarkably inauthentic flavor, one of the questions I always consider when appraising a product is whether or not I would buy it again. I can safely say that I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice and purchase Doritos Dynamita again, at least not this particular offering in the line. The Chile Limón flavor is okay if you like the idea of eating dry, salty, whole corn fruity breakfast cereal, but for me this is an experience I don’t care to repeat. However, the experience of eating these brought back vague, half-remembered images (dreams, perhaps?) of a short-lived cereal, I think it was in the mid-70s, called Captain Salty’s Deep Sea Corn Loops. I can’t imagine why this cereal didn’t become a hit, but I think the main reason for Captain Salty’s downfall was that the actor who played Captain Salty for the Saturday morning show tie-in had been apprehended for keeping a small Chinese woman locked in his basement. Yeah…yeah, it was probably that, or the fact the cereal probably tasted like a Slim Jim. Hmmm, come to think of it, maybe I just didn’t give Doritos Dynamitas much of a chance. Maybe they would be more at home in a bowl of 2% milk with a glass of orange juice on the side. Wait…that’s just gross.

You can actually O.D. on Red #40 just lookin’ at ‘em.

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