The holiday season is in full-swing, the family is ready to gather around the table for all kinds of tasty treats, and you want to make things interesting with some TorchBearer, right? But wait, don't trick grampa into slathering his turkey leg with Reaper Evil! You supposedly like this guy, don't you?
Luckily, we've got all kinds of sauces that can make a splash at a big family meal without getting you ostracized to the back yard to think about what you've done to poor Uncle Bill. You know he has irritable bowel. Why are you like this?
Sauces That Are Safe for the Dinner Table
So, if you aren't allowed to hurt the family, what can you do to still get their attention? Why not throw a few of these on the table and make some recommendations?
Cranberry Jalapeno
Obviously Cranberry Jalapeno was going to come up. From turkey and stuffing to the salad no one touches, you can feel at ease having this at the ready. It has just enough of the cranberry flavor to peak the interests of those skeptical cousins and a little bit of earthiness and heat to make a few cheeks rosy. This is a great one to start with because cranberries are familiar and not as frightening for people who swear they don't like hot sauce. Now that you've eased them in, let's get a little wild with...
Danny Wood's Jalapeno Cilantro
After Cranberry Jalapeno hit and left leaving everyone still upright and breathing, it will be an easier sell to get them to taste this fresh and tangy verde. Add a little zing to the turkey or anything green and leafy with Danny Wood's Jalapeno Cilantro and you'll be sitting pretty. Be sure you remind Aunt Beatrice that it has cilantro (which she thinks tastes like soap) and she'll thank you later.
But we don't just make hot sauce and you should let them know this, too! Maybe it's time to break out...
Smokey Horseradish
Their ham will sing, their turkey will dance, and their fondness for you will only grow after you convince them to dab a little of Smokey Horseradish on their plate. Encourage them to mix it into their mashed potatoes and don't be surprised when the bottle goes missing at the end of dinner. Someone has pocketed it and will have the best leftover sandwich of their lives tomorrow. Don't be upset, you just converted someone! Maybe this will net you a win but, if not, you can always fall back on...
Oh My Garlic
All of the above may still not be what the fam is craving or sound just a little too scary or spicy. If you have some of those pesky Pennsylvania Dutch folks milling around your living room, you probably couldn't even open those bottles near them without them clutching their chests in fear of spices more extravagant than salt and pepper. Don't worry. We got you.
Oh My Garlic contains NO HEAT. None. Nada. It's just creamy, garlicky, and savory with a taste even the grumpiest grandma will gum down with gusto. You could even be extra sneaky and use some in your mashed potato recipe or rub it under the skin of the bird before it goes into the oven. Then, when the fam is wary of trying it, you can laugh maniacally when you reveal that they've been enjoying it THIS. WHOLE. TIME. MWAHAHAHAHAHA.
Crowd-Friendly Hot Sauces (and Not-So-Hot Sauces)
Alright. that got weird. We admit it. But, in short, you really can make getting together with your loved ones for those few times a year even better with some thoughtful choices and sauces that are fire without the flame. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.
Stay spicy (or not, it's cool this time) and have a great holiday!
