It’s that time of year again! Although it’s almost too late to start a batch of sauerkraut in order for it to be ready in time for gift-giving (or perhaps to mail a tea set to you niece in Amsterdam), it’s perfect timing to start thinking about most other gifts.
Last year we made bath salts for the people we love. The recipe is here along with a big list of other thoughtful ideas for people who may (or may not) be going through cancer treatment. We have a fresh new list of ideas this year too.
The idea for making my own BBQ spice blend was born out of trying to block BBQ chips from becoming the norm at my house. I’m not proud of it, but when I was pregnant I had cravings for salt and vinegar chips that I could not shake, and no matter what I tried, no healthy substitute would do.
I didn’t eat them as much as I wanted to (good thing because I would have given birth to a potato chip or worse, a Costco-sized bag of them) (let’s be honest, it kind of felt like I did anyway), but when I did, I got my husband his own bag because I was not sharing. I got him BBQ, because that is his thing whether or not he’s pregnant. He was in hog heaven because chip-eating was not a regular event in our house before then.
This recipe was a long time coming. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that my husband has a thing for spicy food, so this hot sauce (and/or this spicy ‘compote’) is something that I make all of the time and is always in our fridge.
I guess I was waiting for a week during this end of summer time, when so many of the most exciting local fruits and veggies are at their best, to find room in my heart for something as everyday as hot sauce. Evidently this was the year, and I hope you find it to be worth the wait.
This is a selfish post, as I’m satisfying a craving that just won’t let go. Rhubarb compote (stewed rhubarb?), one of the most unique textures, delightfully seasonal, extremely easy to prepare and for some of us, deeply nostalgic.
We moved to the suburbs when I was 11. This move brought with it a bigger back yard which meant a big garden, already filled with fun and mysterious fruits and veggies that kept popping up before our eyes. We had more raspberries than we knew what to do with (at least above the snout level of our giant dog) and lots of exotic-looking, jungle-y rhubarb plants.
