Salsa Time - More Culture for You

Many of you know that I have always been a fan of Salsa. So this morning I started off the day with some Salsa. See picture to the right - this is not Nancy and I doing the Salsa - it is some other people doing the salsa, the same way Nancy and I would have done it about thirty years ago.






Some of you might not know that the name "Salsa" is the Spanish word for sauce, connoting (in American Spanish) a spicy flavor. Salsa also suggests a "mixture" of ingredients, though this meaning is not found in most stories of the term's origin. Honestly, I am a bigger fan of the sauce than I am of the dance. Which brings us to today's real subject, Salsa Michigan Family Style.



A few weeks ago my buddy in Michigan, Bryce Spencer sent me a jar of special home made salsa. It is called The Spencer Family Salsa. That's a picture of the jar to the right, and although the picture isn't very good - you can see a picture of a young man in front of a 30's - 40's automobile. This year's Spencer Family Salsa was dedicated to Bryce's late father-in-law and salsa making partner, Dick Esch. That's his picture on the label. Pretty cool family tradition if you ask me.




I asked Bryce how they eat Salsa up north in Michigan - because I really wasn't sure it was the same as we do down here. Quite often, in Texas, Salsa can be used to spice up beans and peas, and other normally ordinary foods. Bryce told me that he liked to use the Frito-Lay Scoops. Well anyway this morning I decided to give the Spencer Family Salsa a test.




I didn't have any "scoops", besides who wants Frito-Lay Scoops for breakfast? So, I whipped up some Huevos Rancheros and toast to go with the Salsa. On opening the jar, you can smell pungent fragrance of jalapeno peppers. Bryce had warned me that this stuff was hot, and the fragrance pretty much gave you a warning. I put two tablespoons of Salsa on the eggs, which turned out to be just about right. The sauce was just the way I like it, hot and tangy. Great batch of Salsa.

I suppose I am biased on the flavor of this Salsa, because it was home made by the Spencer Family. The friendship and love they cooked into it are unmistakable; and I am going to enjoy every last drop. Thanks Bryce.

All the best,

Mike