Happy Monday, everyone. I hope everyone had a lovely weekend, and to all you momma’s out there, I hope that you were properly celebrated for Mother’s Day! My family took me to the always fantastic Leaning Pear Café, and enjoyed a super mouth-watering brunch. Yum. I especially loved my crab cake, and the buttermilk panna cotta with macerated peaches and strawberries that we shared… It was crazy delicious. So thank you to the little one and my husband for making yesterday so blessed and so special.
Last Wednesday, I was part of something SUPER exciting. That’s right. I was able to spend a full day on set of Food Network’s new reality food truck competition set here in Austin. Ow, ow!
After arriving at 11 a.m. on set on South Congress, I signed a bunch of legal paperwork saying that I don’t mind if I’m on TV and yes, they may use film of me on the show, got my photo taken, and gathered with the rest of the “talent.” I felt fancy being called “talent.”
Around 12:45 p.m., the director came onto the scene where we were all gathered to explain what our day would entail.
Basically, it would be long, and hot. But that was a-OK with me, especially as I started smelling the amazing smells of delicious food wafting through the air. The folks in their trucks were getting settled in, and preparing for the frantic service that was about to begin.
Basically, I can’t give away too many details. Like I said, I signed a bunch of stuff and to give away the show this early in the game isn’t alright. BUT, I can say that the two trucks that were facing off against one another at the competition last Wednesday were both pretty good. I was surprised to learn that both teams had never once cooked in a truck before, but I guess that is the point of the show: Inexperienced cooks with a dream of owning a food truck here in the food truck mecca of the world.
Once the filming got started, I was whisked away by some of the camera crew, sound guys and producers to eat in front of the camera, order a dish for the camera, and then talk about the dish in question on camera. I had to do things several times to get the right lighting or a better angle, or fix my hair, but I have to say, it was one of the coolest and most exciting experiences I’ve been fortunate enough to experience. I can’t wait to tell you guys more about it when the show is closer to completion, and is getting ready to air. I’m just crossing my fingers my shots make the cut, and you’ll all be able to see yours truly on Food Network!
One of the highlights of the day was getting to meet some really neat people. From the cooks to the producers, and other people like me involved in the shoot, there were a lot of hands shaken and quick conversations. One of these people I was able to connect with that afternoon was a man that I learned is the father of one of the most popular girls from MTV’s notorious 16 and Pregnant, and Teen Mom, Farrah Abraham. Crazy. After talking with him through the course of the day, I learned that Mr. Mike Abraham is a super cool dude, and it was an exciting connection to make.
Through his family, Mr. Abraham is connected to Mom&Me Foods, makers of premium hot Italian pepper sauce, a sauce that is brought to the shelves of supermarkets by four generations of women, including the infamous Farrah Abraham, her mini-me, Sophia, her mother Debra, and grandmother Carmella. Lucky for me, he was able to provide me with a jar of this stuff to take home, and test out.
I have to be honest here. I didn’t know what to expect. After hearing what Mr. Abraham had to say about the product, along with my own light research on the stuff, I learned that Mom and Me Premium Hot Pepper sauce is made with only natural ingredients and is both Gluten Free and Vegan and is certified as such. The garden fresh ingredients of hot banana peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic capture a Sicilian flavor that is natural, healthy and delicious. “We shall see about that,” I mumbled to myself as I opened the jar.
The first thing that I noticed was the aroma. It sent my mouth-watering glands into overdrive. The smells were fresh, bright and pungent in the best way ever. The tomatoes and the peppers intermingled with the spices to create something heavenly.
I loved the appearance of the sauce too. It was thick, chunky, and vibrant. I could actually tell what each ingredient was by looking at it, and I couldn’t wait to dig right in. My husband and I chose to treat it like a salsa for taste testing purposes, and dunked our tortilla chips right into the jar.
I’m actually drooling as I write this. This sauce is special, you guys. Its flavors mirror its looks: Bright, vibrant, exciting. There’s a definite Italian flavor, but my word, this sauce is spicy but in the best of ways, I assure you.
Neither Michael nor I couldn’t stop at just one bite. Or two. Or even three for that matter. We put down half of that jar SUPER fast, and it took all of the strength in me to put the lid on and save some for later. But I did. It was hard. But I was able to put it away.
Now, this stuff isn’t made to eat just with chips. Weird. I mean, I could eat that stuff with a spoon. Or just drink it. But after that light reading I mentioned earlier, I learned that this sauce is best used with Italian bread dipping, bruschetta, hot dogs, hamburgers, over Italian sausages, eggs, meats, noodles, or on anything that needs spicing up. I guess that includes chips too. Yay. There’s a few good recipes on their site, but I can see where this sauce could add some deliciousness to pretty much anything. I’m thinking about subbing it in for Rotel when I make queso next!
If you’re curious about this stuff, check them out over at iBurn.com - your store for all things spicy! A jar goes for about $10, and I know when this jar complements of Mr. Abraham is empty, I’ll be needing to restock. ASAP. Here’s a BIG thank you, Mike, for the jar of AMAZING Mom&Me Sauce. I’m hooked.
Be sure to stay tuned to learn more about the Food Network show I’ll hopefully be part of on screen! Yay!
