So, I had a book club meeting in Fredericksburg, Texas, this morning – which was a blast for me personally, as it was one of my own books that they had read for the monthly selection. Just about everyone in the group came to the discussion, which was a definite coup for the member who had contacted me with a question about one of my website pages. So – a great time had by all, and on the way back, we decided to stop at this place.
We have been driving by the place every since we began visiting Fredericksburg, and never had gone in – so, why not? Fischer & Wieser is a local small business and their products are terrific, if sometimes a bit pricy. When we first began visiting, Fredericksburg was about the only place where you could buy them, but the two guys who founded it are terrifically enterprising – and not only are their sauces, jams and preserves available in the Texas HEB chain of grocery stores, they are also available through Amazon. But the old Peach Haus is still their main show room and activity center.
Last November at the Hall of Authors at New Braunfels’ Christmas Market, the woman at the table across from us had a stack of the Fischer & Wieser cookbooks, and let me leaf through one. Oh, the temptation! But I need another cookbook about as much as I need another dog or cat – so I gave it a miss. I was still very impressed with the story of the company, though; two local guys from two of the old-line German-Texan families, a generation apart in age, who teamed up to create fantastic specialty foods.
So – it shouldn’t have been a surprise to see a little Romney campaign “I Built This Company” sticker on one of the windows – and certainly not to see this brand of sweet ice tea on display.
I gave a miss on the tea, myself – but I bought some local honey and one of their new barbeque sauces. I sampled and gave a miss to the Ghost Pepper BBQ sauce, though. That is for people who believe that Tabasco sauce is a little too bland.
That ghost pepper sauce will take the top of your head off. I sampled it once at a hot sauce store in Galena IL 4 years ago and it took over an hour for the burn to stop. I sweated put a gallon of water just from my head.
That stuff would violate the Geneva conventions on chemical warfare if it were used on the battlefield.
All the scouts in the troop thought it was extremely funny too. Especially when I could not let loose the words I really, really wanted to….
What the Texans consider hot and what the rest of us consider hot are 2 different things
There was the time, while stationed in El Paso, I started pouring this hot sauce on my taco and the street vendor looked at me funny – didn’t know why until about 10 seconds later
Rush’s tea is not to be “missed.” Myself, I favor the plain (unflavored and unsweetened) version. Takes me back to my aunt’s screened porch in the DC summer. Available on line with free shipping.
Bill Brandt: What the Texans consider hot and what the rest of us consider hot are 2 different things.
And that reputation has spread far and wide. One time I was in a small cafe in Guatemala, eating a standard lunch: tortillas, black beans, coffee, and a bit of meat. On the side there was a small bowl of Cobanero peppers [smoky and hot] in vinegar.
As I was spooning some Cobanero peppers onto my beans, a local patron told me [translation], “Be careful.”
I replied,”It’s no problem.”
“You’re from Texas.”
I prepared my lunch today: a stew/roux of six serrano peppers w 5 tomatoes, an onion, celery,and some seasoning, w eggs and meat for protein. Six was not hot at all. At least with such dilution.
But I am VERY careful with habaneros.
Gringo – my 15 minutes at the Taco Stand in El Paso 40 years ago was one of life’s memorable moments. I an throwing this sauce on the taco like I would in California and the vendor is just looking at me funny.
One bite and from my reaction he started laughing.
Bill Brandt
I an throwing this sauce on the taco like I would in California and the vendor is just looking at me funny. One bite and from my reaction he started laughing.
Yup, it helps to know your hot peppers and hot sauces before you ingest them. BTW, I was very familiar with Cobanero peppers in Guatemala, so I knew what I was getting into- how much was too much.
But sometimes knowing hot peppers isn’t a help. From train and street vendors in Peru, I had been very accustomed to eating stuffed Rocoto peppers. Hot but not too bad. As I was tired of cheap monotonous cafe food, I had bought a kerosene stove from East Germany for $10 for preparing my own meals. I basically prepared a meat and vegetable stew. In Peru, I added several Rocoto peppers to my stews. No problem. In a hotel in Huaras, seeing that I cooked my own food, the hotel clerk prompted me to eat a RAW Rocoto pepper. Not only was it hot, but my heart stared palpitating. I was too fit and young for a heart attack, but even so, I was concerned. Lesson: never eat raw hot peppers!