Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

A tremendous foreign policy asset… to all of our adversaries.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

Not all heroes wear capes.

Anne Laurie is a fucking hero in so many ways. ~ Betty Cracker

The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.

Dumb motherfuckers cannot understand a consequence that most 4 year olds have fully sorted out.

Beware of advice from anyone for whom Democrats are “they” and not “we.”

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

Humiliatingly small and eclipsed by the derision of millions.

Petty moves from a petty man.

They don’t have outfits that big. nor codpieces that small.

In after Baud. Damn.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

Not loving this new fraud based economy.

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Another Open Thread

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Just watched a couple episodes of The Firm, and liked it quite a bit. I really like the lead actor, although I can not remember his name. I’m also eagerly awaiting the new season of an Idiot Abroad.

Got a shoe question- Since I broke my shoulder two years ago in that nasty fall (another January anniversary I forgot about, this time because I think I blocked it from memory), I just hate doing anything outside in nasty weather because I’m afraid of falling. I feel like an 80 year old who has broken both hips in falls, I am so tentative on snow/ice. At any rate, I normally kick around the neighborhood in Merrell’s ( I like the MOAB), and I normally kill a pair of those every year, but I am thinking it might be a good investment for me to spend some money on a nice shoe/boot that handles snow really well. Any suggestions? Should I just break down and drop the cash on these? I don’t want my damned feet sweating.

Also, I’m looking for a new hot sauce. Not something perilous or crazy, just a nice every day hot sauce with a touch of a vinegar taste along with the heat. I kind of collect hot sauces, so I have alot of high heat stuff, but I’m just looking for something I can use regularly.

Finally, we have the weirdest snow coming down right now, and it is treacherous. It varies between something that looks like a snow-cone shot through a fan and straight up sleet and big goofy flakes that almost sting when they come down. If you live in the tri-state area of WV/OH/PA, don’t be the fool and drive anywhere.

Reader Interactions

129Comments

  2. 2.

    passerby

    IMHO, Crystal brand hot sauce is the best around. Because I prefer extremes when it comes to hot flavors, I get the Extra Hot.

    I’ve tried many other brands, it’s a hobby, and many other brands disappoint (Texas Pete is just boring).

    But for a nice, straight forward, vinegary hot sauce, I recommend Crystal.

    [Wow, two years have gone by since that shoulder event!?]

  3. 3.

    res ipsa loquitur

    I only like hot sauce on home fries, hash browns, and hummus, but my beau likes it on all manner of foods and is partial to Cholula.

    And that snow is headed my way.

  6. 6.

    John Cole

    @passerby: I’m glad you two both understood what I meant. I want something with good flavor, good heat, yet with vinegar so I can splash it on eggs and grits or whatever else.

  7. 7.

    passerby

    [Oops, where’s the edit function?]

    Also, i agree with inventor. Tobasco is a whole nother entity when when it comes to hot sauce.

    They did a brilliant job marketing it so it can be found on restaurant tables around the country, but the aging process gives it a decidedly different flavor from a nice vinegary cayenne hot sauce.

  12. 12.

    kwAwk

    I think you’d be better off just wrapping yourself in bubble wrap every time you walk outside.

  13. 13.

    DanielX

    Crystal or Frank’s, one. On the boot thing? It’s two different questions, snow versus ice. If it’s ice, which it most certainly is around here at the moment, Yaktrax are awesome. Waterproof Merrell’s are great, but if it’s really truly nasty, deep snow and cold, Sorel pacs are the best. Yes, your feet will sweat, so wear wool socks with polypropylene liner socks and don’t plan on doing any running.

  15. 15.

    Schad

    For a really straight-forward vinegary hot sauce that can be used on anything, Huy Fong Sriracha is simple and versatile. It’s the hot sauce equivalent of ketchup.

    For something a bit more interesting, I love Caribbean sauces; tend to be vinegary, very hot, but with really wonderful flavouring. Hard to recommend one just because I have no idea what’s stocked in WVa.

  16. 16.

    John Cole

    I only like hot sauce on home fries, hash browns, and hummus, but my beau likes it on all manner of foods and is partial to Cholula.

    I like cholula a lot.

    I make the world’s best hash browns, btw. I take potatoes, clean them, leave the skin on, and then shred them with the big holes on a regular grater. Then I get a big bowl, throw them in, and soak ’em with water for a little bit and pour them through a colander a couple times to get rid of the starch.

    Then I dice up a little garlic, a half an onion, and throw them in a pan and cook them over low-medium heat for a while with some cumin, some chili powder, a little salt and pepper, and some olive oil. After about twenty-thirty minutes of gently cooking them like that, I turn the heat up and get a good brown on them on.

    Throw two eggs sunny side up on top, drown in hot sauce, and YOU ARE IN FUCKING HEAVEN.

    Although since my NY resolution was to stop being such a disgusting fatbody, I have not had them for a while.

  17. 17.

    BGinCHI

    Second the Cholula. It’s got exactly what you are looking for. The go-to sauce at the mom and pop Mexican places here.

    And yaktrax for your boots. But also Keens instead of Merrell. More comfortable and better design.

    Also, you need to do some winter spin classes Cole. You can thank me later.

  22. 22.

    BGinCHI

    @John Cole: Seriously, if you have a gym in your town with spin bikes, get on one for an hour a day and you will get some great low-impact cardio. Put your earbuds on with some peppy music (Jesus, even Little Feat will do) and you’ve got a fun weight loss plan without injury or fucked up joints.

    Best way to get fit.

    I really suggest Arctic Monkeys on the shuffle for max motivation for your legs.

  23. 23.

    freelancer

    I don’t like vinegar based hot sauces too much. So I really like the habanero based El Yucateo hot sauce. 4 or 5 drops on some eggs or a burrito is like giving it a squeeze to your ole spice weasel. Knock it up a notch! Bam!

    As for shoes, I found Merrell’s because you mentioned them a few years back and like the pair I have. Getting around in slippery winter though, I had a friend in the Peace Corp in Ukraine for 2 winters, slipping on her ass constantly until her parents sent her a pair of these.

    Personally, I decided to GTFO of frigid climates instead of suffer another ice-laden fracture with months of painful, lonely recovery. My ankle aches whenever the weather turns, and I’m not even 30 yet.

  24. 24.

    CoastalMike

    Keen Summit County boots are the best and they are on supersale at REI now. An absolute steal.

    Sorels are great but clunky.

  25. 25.

    BGinCHI

    Now that I think about it, if you had a serious hot sauce in a sprayer bottle, you wouldn’t need the traction from the boots so much. It would just melt the snow and off you go.

    I like it when a plan comes together.

  26. 26.

    Yutsano

    Hate regular Tabasco. Love the chipotle Tabasco, though it’s not hot enough for me. My little bro eats Tapatio on just about everything imaginable.

  28. 28.

    Mnemosyne

    @inventor:

    Are you in or near Los Angeles? Tapatio seems to be the default hot sauce choice here, at least for Mexican and Central American places. The aforementioned rooster sauce seems to show up a lot, too.

  29. 29.

    BGinCHI

    @Mnemosyne: It’s a tie between that and Cholula here, unless they have a homemade version, which is usually hot as balls.

    There are several small places we go here to get mediocre burritos just so we can get their tomatillo salsa. Damn.

  30. 30.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    My recommendation is to rent out half of your house and charge the tenant less in rent in order to make *him* do all of the yardwork. It works for me. (Though, in fairness, I think my tenant grossly undercharges me for his labor.)

    As for hot sauce, I can’t help you. Tabasco used to make a garlic sauce that was a lot less spicy than it’s regular but more flavorful. Unfortunately, they seem to have discontinued it a few years ago and I’ve never found a good substitute. One of my personal mottos is, “There’s Not Enough Garlic in That,” and I’ve found it to be true about hot sauces.

  31. 31.

    Ed in NJ

    I’m not a fan of Tobasco, I prefer Frank’s for cooking and traditionally hot dishes that require it. But as a condiment, on eggs, potatoes, etc, I love this:

    Louisiana Supreme Chicken Wing Sauce

    Dirt cheap, and it’s surprisingly good, and very tangy, as I think most “chicken wing” variations are, as they are more vinegary. I was hesitant to try something from Dollar Tree until a friend told me about it.

  32. 32.

    Joey Maloney

    I like your basic Durkee’s Louisiana hot sauce, but I’ve been known to dope it by seeding a couple of fresh jalapenos or anaheims or chipotles – depending on how much heat I want – and food-processing them into slurry.

    For footwear, I’m with freelancer: I don’t live places where the wintertime lows make huarches untenable. Problem solved.

  34. 34.

    Yutsano

    @Mnemosyne: I think Tapatio actually is Mexican, so that would explain its popularity.

    I take it back. It’s from LA. So that explains its popularity in your locale. It’s easily found up this way too.

    @BGinCHI: Regular Tabasco tastes like straight vinegar to me. I can’t really taste the pepper in it at all. And I LOVE tomatillo salsa! I should make some soon. :)

  35. 35.

    Ray

    I grew up in MN and and had a nice pair of sorels for a while. They were nice but I agree with most others that the strap ons are great for ice conditions. I am now in NOLA and talking about hot sauce can lead to blows. I prefer tabasco, hate crystal and don’t mind Louisiana hot sauce. Outside of NOLA I like them all but, here you gotta pick a brand and stick with it.

  36. 36.

    Ray

    I grew up in MN and and had a nice pair of sorels for a while. They were nice but I agree with most others that the strap ons are great for ice conditions. I am now in NOLA and talking about hot sauce can lead to blows. I prefer tabasco, hate crystal and don’t mind Louisiana hot sauce. Outside of NOLA I like them all but, here you gotta pick a brand and stick with it.

  38. 38.

    Yutsano

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Always take TP and Tobasco to the field.

    I’ve actually eaten an MRE. This is wise advice on both counts.

    @TBogg: I have a friend who’s a demo merchandiser at Whole Foods. I might leak this sauce to her and see if she can’t get it a wider reach (she’s in Santa Rosa, and they had demos in Sacto on there).

  44. 44.

    Citizen_X

    I’ll second/twenty-third the be-bop-Cholula, but no love for Bufalo or Valentina? Opposite ends of the (respectively) thick-runny spectrum.

  45. 45.

    Martin

    How did I never realize that TBogg is from SD?

    Gringo Bandito is really good stuff. They have it on the table at Wahoos (local Baja fish taco place). They do sell it at Whole Foods, and at Mothers, so it has at least some reach.

    I just checked and there are about 20 different kinds of hot sauces in the house. I’m not really that picky about hot sauce, but with the recent rash of deaths/divorces in the friend circle, we’ve become the nexus of condiments from refrigerators being cleaned out before folks move and divide up the possessions. I don’t think I bought even one of them.

    That’s really fucking depressing.

  46. 46.

    Yutsano

    @TBogg: Per the Gringo Bandito website it’s in 24 stores (so far) but she’s pretty good at getting her suppliers to get her new stuff like that to show off. Plus if she can crack into the San Francisco-San Jose-Sonoma County market it’ll probably be a win-win situation. I’ll let her know anyway. It can’t hurt right?

  48. 48.

    Steeplejack

    I second the recommendations on the Yaktrax. I got the no-frills model as a test, and it works great. You can use them on any shoes, and once you loosen them up a bit you can put them on in just a few seconds. I do a lot of walking in snow in the urban hiker lifestyle. Last winter I kept a pair in my messenger bag to use (or not) as the daily weather changed.

    I guess the subtext here is that I have never found a pair of boots that were really slip-proof on ice or snow. The Thermo 6 ones might fit the bill in really bad conditions, but are you going to be constantly changing into and out of them because you don’t like wearing them inside? The Yaktrax you can just throw on as you go outside. You could even wear them over your usual Moabs, as I have done. (I’m also a fan of the Merrell Moabs.)

    Finally, let me say that there is probably a post-injury psychological thing going on. I had that same “I’m a fragile 80-year-old” feeling for a long time after breaking my jaw. I felt really unsteady on my feet, like I was going to take a big comic-book banana-peel flip and land on my jaw, and it affected the way I walked, even though at the time I knew it had to be mostly psychological. That feeling does fade with time.

  49. 49.

    silver

    I’ve been lurking here for years, and hot sauce is what lures me out. Tapatio for everyday use as much as you want sauce, Pico Pica taco sauce for the hoard it for special breakfasts/burritos sauce. Now I have to find and try some Gringo Bandito.

  50. 50.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    Tapatio and Tabasco are the ones I actually use the most, along with Sriracha, and this garlic chili sauce that is also made by Huy Fong, the makers of the Sriracha stuff. I do like the Cholula as well.

  51. 51.

    Delphium

    No reason to trust a rando on this one, I know, but I’ve lived in the Southwest for a good several years now and I can tell you with a degree of bravado and self-assurance befitting only of the youthful and stupid that, so far as hot sauce goes, one of your very first commenters was correct in suggesting Arizona Gunslinger. It’s smoky, with plenty of spice and vinegar to boot. I put it on everything from eggs to pizza to exotic cheeses and it has never led me astray. As a matter of fact, ever since I first discovered Gunslinger, the only other hot sauce I keep in my pantry is Sriracha, and that’s simply for the sake of variety.

  52. 52.

    greylocks

    JC wants a “touch of vinegar”, which IIRC Tapatia doesn’t have. Cholula Original is probably closer to what he wants.

    I do like Cholula Original a lot, but not their other varieties so much.

  54. 54.

    Steeplejack

    Getting ready to go to bed, and I looked outside to check the weather. The forecast was for a “wintry mix” overnight, and now there is a thin crust of ice and snow on the ground. Temp 29° (in NoVa). I went to the grocery early in the evening and got a few things so I can chillax in the man-cave all day Saturday.

    Got sucked into a couple of old ’70s movies on TCM: The Anderson Tapes and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. Hadn’t seen either in a long time, and they both held up surprisingly well. One thing that really struck me was how prominent the scores were. Anderson was sort of jazzy pre-techno, and Pelham was straight-ahead ’70s boom-chucka-mauw-mauw, but done really well.

  55. 55.

    Don K

    @res ipsa loquitur:

    I’ll agree with Cholula. It’s what I keep handy for all sorts of uses from eggs to hummus to soups (esp. split pea or lentil). It’s got good flavor and you can adjust the heat level easily (i.e., a few drops doesn’t take you to blindingly hot right away).

  57. 57.

    JohnK

    For snow, slop, wet, Google Muck boots. I have mid length “Chore” boots that are easy on and off and absolutely dry and comfortable. They are under the ranch section. They sell in feed stores round here. I also have a pair of caulked work boots. They are spiked bottoms like golf shoes on steroids. Google Wesco boots and look for the Timbers. I use them in ice storms or when I am in heavy timber on steep slopes. They sell on logging supply. Don’t wear them on wood floors. Both are serious boots that can keep you warm and dry or stable and safe.

  58. 58.

    mick

    i spend alot of time in africa, and a common table hot sauce over there is called pili-pili sauce. it’s usually homemade and kind of salsa-like in consistency and always very hot. one of the few red hot sauces that can kick my ass. you can google a recipe for it on the web, i have no idea how to make it myself. the stuff is really good when i have encountered it in west africa.
    cholula is a wonderful sauce. mild heat, much flavor.

  59. 59.

    Ruckus

    Pico Pica sauce. There’s hot and mild. Considering your taste in sauce I’d go with the hot. It is definitely warm but not overly hot. The mild is more of a taco sauce with a bit of a kick. Used to only use the hot but have changed to the mild to keep the holes in my stomach from catching on fire.

  60. 60.

    ruemara

    seriously people. No love for the pickapeppa? Blessed awesome sauce I adore, That I cannot find stranded ‘pon these shores.

    Or Solomon Gundy which is the bomb and I make mean homemade version of. There’s also a great south african peri-peri sauce that rocks. The Nando’s Garlic Peri-Peri is so amazing I would just eat it by the spoonful. Cholula and Jalapeno Tabasco have that nice vinegar tang with heat too.

  66. 66.

    catdevotee

    Tabasco is too vinegary for me. The DH and I prefer either Melinda’s Habanero Sauce or the very flavorful Tamazula Extra-Hot (it’s not actually all that hot to us, but we’re from Texas). If I’m having scrambled eggs with tortillas, the hot sauce of choice is definitely Tamazula.

  68. 68.

    Paul in NC

    It doesn’t snow a lot where I live, so what do I know. But whatever boot you choose, keep in mind that heavy tread has other consequences. They are very difficult to wipe the soles before entering the house and you end up tracking a lot more than just snow into the house (mud), unless you take your shoes/boots off every time you walk in your house or someone else’s house. This may be SOP where you live anyway, so just a heads up. There are tradeoffs to consider.

  69. 69.

    dr.hypercube

    I’m afraid I’m going to pooh-pooh Yaktrax and recommend the nuclear option: Stabilicers Orig. My test track is the salt marsh (slabs of ice/windblown snow/mud) in January and February. If you slip w/ Stabilicers you are really drunk.

  70. 70.

    Lojasmo

    There are better options than yaktrax. I love my keen summit county boots, though they are pretty heavy duty.

    I would suggest trail running on single track (mountain bile) trails. Does wonders for balance, is a great workout (especially in snow) and is an excellent method of stress relief.

  71. 71.

    Groucho48

    If you are actually going to spend a lot of time walking on ice…like across a pond…you will need something with cleats. If you are mainly dealing with snow, something waterproof and with a good tread will be fine. For the occasional and totally unexpected patch of ice under snow, you’ll just have to be careful walking. Most of us Buffalonians have perfected a gait where you don’t do the usual heel-toe-push off kind of walk, but, more plant each foot squarely and sway side to side, then forward gait. Kind of like ice/roller skating but with no push off on each step.

  72. 72.

    Josie

    The local HEB grocery store makes a great hot sauce to go on the barbacoa they sell every weekend. The lady in the deli told me they slow roast tomatoes, serrano peppers and garlic, add a touch of vinegar and that’s it. You can adjust the amounts to suit your taste.

  73. 73.

    Susan

    I live in Northern Ontario and love my Merrell boots. Be careful with YakTrax, they are very slippery when you step inside but they are fantastic on ice. Sorel boots are also very good.

  74. 74.

    Peter

    Nobody has mentioned Melinda’s yet? Habañero, Belizian style, comes in several hotnesses and also a wicked mustard-based version. My favorite (after my homemade stuff).

  75. 75.

    Jeffro

    You could try Ashanti hot sauce if your local store carries it – it’s got a good vinegar and garlic kick to it.

  76. 76.

    RedKitten

    Dr. Hypercube is right. Yaktrax are fine for slippery, hard-packed snow, or for slightly icy conditions. But if it’s a rink out there, then something spikier, like the Stabilicers, are a better bet.

    Yesterday was icy as fuck. We’d had wet weather, then a freeze, and then a skiff of snow. Perfect conditions for treacherous sidewalks. I actually had a bad fall yesterday heading across the parking lot towards my chiropractor’s office. (Probably better than if I’d fallen AFTER my adjustment, I suppose…)

    And to answer the question that my husband asked and that many of you may be thinking: no, I wasn’t wearing girly, impractical footwear.

  78. 78.

    Samara Morgan

    we have the weirdest snow coming down right now

    in a climatechanging world, that may be your new normative.
    i hate snow coming in over the top of my boots, but i guess you could get gaiters. a pain to put on tho.
    i’d just go with a good pair of sorrels. they last forever because you can just replace the liner.
    i like sriracha for stir-fry.
    But Jack’s might be better on hash browns.

  79. 79.

    Samara Morgan

    check out the Newtmentum.

    Jed Lewison of Daily Kos, which uses PPP as its pollster, guesses it’s now Newt by nine or 10 points, which makes sense if you assume another little boost from last night’s debate plus Perry dropping out and endorsing Gingrich. The exact numbers are less important, though, than the fact that Newt’s apparently putting distance between himself and Romney as time runs out. Hard to see how he doesn’t win now — dirty tricks notwithstanding. (He’s at 82 percent on InTrade, up more than 10 points from this afternoon.)

    Joe Scar thinks the conservo-puppetmasters are now pinning their hopes on a brokered convention.

    Via Newsbusters, here’s Scarborough claiming that all of the “conservative movers and shakers” he’s spoken to recently are angling for a brokered convention. You know who that benefits? Right: Ron Paul. Exit quotation from Dan McLaughlin: “Basically, if Romney sees Newt’s shadow tomorrow, it means six more weeks of primaries.”

  80. 80.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    Hi,

    Dunno about the boots – they’re a very personal thing. My wife has had some Merrell’s she’s liked but on getting roughly the same model a couple of years later the sole was much harder and uncomfortable. Try getting a few varieties at Zappos (also an Amazon company) and see what you like. Harder soles will last longer, but won’t be as grippy on ice. I’ve had shoes and boots I liked resoled, but it’s probably harder these days with wrap-around soles, etc.

    For info on chilis and hot sauces, and lots of other stuff on cooking ingredients, check out CloveGarden – chili sauces and chilis if you want to make your own. AG has put a lot of work into the site over the years – its a goldmine for cooks, and there’s lots of info you won’t find other places. (I know AG from another site – no financial interest, etc.)

    HTH. Have fun.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  81. 81.

    HeartlandLiberal

    Try Melinda’s brand habnero sauces. There are multiple levels of hotness. But even the hottest still provides heat and enhances flavor, without burning your mouth. Melinda’s also makes other varieties, I recall a chipotle variety a liked last year.

    I have never understood sauces that seem to think destroying your taste buds is an accomplishment. If the sauce lures you with a label that says it is insane, steer clear of it. That is NOT what hot sauce is supposed to be about.

    I make my own habenero sauce every year. I grow three bushes, two orange, one red. I harvest the ripe peppers, and cook them down lots of garlic, some onion, and shredded carrots, and fresh squeezed lemon and/or lime juice, into a pulp. Usually add a dash of sugar, too. Let it cool. Then run it through the blender till it is pulped completely.

    I then mix a batch with about 1/4 pulp to 3/4 good balsamic vinegar. I vary using a white balsamic or a dark balsamic, the taste effect varies.

    I freeze the rest of the pulp so it can be thawed to make
    later batches.

    I use it in everything from scrambled eggs to soups to stir fry dishes.

    Footnote: the peppers when growing and ripening in the garden on the plant are absolutely beautiful.

  82. 82.

    Samara Morgan

    the cost viable alternative would be accessorizing your Merrells with gaiters and crampons for the conditions.

  83. 83.

    Skepticat

    I’m not a fan of hot sauce, but everyone else at lunch yesterday was going through Conchy Joe’s with great enthusiasm. http://conchyjoes.biz/products.html

    Very wise of you to learn from your experience and take it easy on the ice and snow. I still have sympathy pains when I recall that trauma.
    I’m so grateful that I don’t have to deal with that slop any longer (though we did have two nasty fall blizzards before I left this year; I simply stayed inside).

  84. 84.

    Mike in NC

    Outstanding selection of sauces, hot and otherwise, available from Half Moon Bay Trading Company.

  85. 85.

    Jamey

    Your whole post read like an Abe Simpson monologue. But don’t sweat it; my kids say the same thing about me.

    “I wore an onion tied to my belt, which was the fashion at the time…”

  88. 88.

    JMochaCat

    Another vote for Srichacha (chicken sauce, as it’s known here) and chipotle tabasco. Also, Goya makes ‘salsitas,’ and we’re fond of their arbol and ancho flavors.

  90. 90.

    Wombat

    Have you tried Outerbridges Sherry Pepper sauce? From Bermuda but available on line in the US. Also goes well in soups.

  91. 91.

    Turbulence

    Instead of buying new boots, you might want to just add Yaktrax to your current boots. Think of them like snow tires (or snow chains?) for your car.

    For feet overheating, I’d strongly recommend getting some Smart Wool liners. It doesn’t have to be the smart wool brand, but it should be a wool+poly blend, and NO COTTON. Although liners are made to be worn with other socks, if it is not too cold, I’ve often been fine wearing just the liners. They are really effective at keeping my feet warm (but not too warm) and dry.

  92. 92.

    Garbo

    @dr.hypercube: I second the Stabilicers rec. Got some for my 89 yo Dad who still skis. He can wear these over ski boots for back and forth to the mountain, so should fit any other boots. Also, spikes are replaceable if they get worn.

  98. 98.

    Don SinFalta

    My wife’s in the hot sauce business http://www.kalaskuisine.com/
    She makes fusion sauces/salsas that are some of the most flavorful I’m aware of (south Asian fusion, she’s from Nepal). She’s won multiple awards in various hot sauce contests in New Mexico and Texas. John, I’d be happy to send you some if it looks interesting, look in your email for a contact. And anybody can order it from the website, but, of course, it’s kinda hard to taste it in advance that way.

  101. 101.

    BruceJ

    My go to hot sauce is by a local outfit, called Poblano Hot Sauce. Actually I like their Salsa Ranchera better, which doesn’t have all the chunks filtered out of it.

    And for snow and ice, get winter boots then put these in em.

  104. 104.

    Ronzoni Rigatoni

    @ruemara: Years ago I helped the very old grandmother of the owners of the Pickapeppa sauce company at Miami Int’l and helped her get through Customs and into a cab. She wanted my name and, to be friendly, I gave it. About a month later my boss calls me in and sez “It’s a sorry day when the Supervisor has to accept the gratuities for the Inspectors,” presenting me with a case of the stuff. “How many bottles you want, Bill?” I asks. Bastidd took half the case. I use it on fish dishes.

  105. 105.

    peggy

    John, as someone VERY prone to falling let me recommend hiking sticks. Also Ultra Trax, which are scaled down crampons for city wear and excellent on ice.

  107. 107.

    JR

    I make a vinegar hot sauce by slicing serrranos into dime sized slices, boiling vinegar (any flavor, I use plain white distilled, balsamic, apple cider, etc) with 1/4 cup salt and a heaping tablespoon of sugar, pour over peppers in mason jar, seal and forget.

    By varying the amount of sliced seranos you can make it as hot as serranos get, which is good. If you want hotter, you could add some habs. I worked with a very good software guy from Burma once, he ate stuff the hottest of anyone I ever knew.

    LL Bean has good Maine boots, also carry crampons and in-between gadgets too. I like Merrills, what I have now. Ecco does a nice low-cut boot too. Folks are right, if you have enough traction to not fall down, you will track stuff into the houses.

  111. 111.

    WhyKnot241

    John! Please! For the love of FSM forget those gortex foot logs!

    Unless you are going to be spending hours, and I mean hours, go with a year-round breathable the Moab ventilator and wear some DryMax (trail runners) or smartwool (mid-weight) socks.

    Go for comfort, support, and year-round wearability. I wear the Keen Voyageur (non-gortex) a lot in the mid height style. It has pretty good support (though I always after market on the insoles) and a very roomy toe box. Also look at Oboz mids in the non gortex.

    If you are going to be out in the snow for an hour or more lightly spray your boots with an off-the-shelf fabric water proofer (most are labeled for just about everything). And if the snow is over your ankles…get some gaiters!

    The only, only time you might need those goretex logs is if your trekking in the winter or mountain climbing and your life depends on dry feet.

  112. 112.

    JWL

    Jeezuz, Cole. To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld to (a velvet wearing) Jason Alexander, why don’t you just buy a pair of white shoes, move to Florida, and get it over with.

  114. 114.

    NW Barcus

    We make our own Sriracha “rooster” sauce, it’s quite easy and tastier than pre-made.

    Commercially, I’d recommend Brother Bru-Bru’s, it’s vinegary, tasty, and not overhot. I also enjoy Marie Sharp’s and the habanero Tabasco, though those are probably hotter than you’re looking for. Enjoy!

  115. 115.

    iLarynx

    Melinda’s has a selection of some of the best hot sauces on the planet.

    http://www.melindas.com/

    My preference is for their standard habanero sauce – Lots of flavor that doesn’t get lost in the heat.

    ALSO, if you like vinegar, try adding some to your V8 in the morning. Gives it a nice tang.

  116. 116.

    barry

    @freelancer: “Okay tell me if I’m crazy.

    I’ve been watching Downton Abbey, and the main theme to me sounds a very slight variation of Grand Funk Railroad’s I’m your Captain.”

    You’re crazy.

    Or deaf.

    Or you watch the show after smoking some, ah ‘happiness’.

    Not that there’s anything wrong with that :)

  117. 117.

    punkdavid

    I bought a pair of Vasque boots (not unlike these) in about 1997 for something like $105. A couple of sets of replacement laces later, I still have them and they are probably the best $105 I ever spent.

  119. 119.

    kideni

    I live in oft-frozen Madison, have a thing for footwear, and attend to a dog who loves winter, so I own several pairs of boots for varying needs. You’ll really only need something like the Sorel pac boots if you’ll be standing or sitting around in sub-zero temps for long periods of time (e.g., ice fishing)–they’re too heavy for walking more than a few blocks. Merrell boots are nice because they tend to be lightweight, and they have good tread. My Merrells were great last winter when I was going up to rallies at the Capitol all the time, since they were comfortable to walk in and kept me reasonably warm when standing in the cold during the speeches. I also really like Bogs boots, which are Neoprene and fully waterproof so you can use them as rain boots in the fall and spring; those you have to get a full size up because they run tiny.

    Yaktrax and Stabilicers are both great, and I’ve used both on my Bogs for walking on the frozen lake or on bad sidewalks. Yaktrax have metal coils for grip, while Stabilicers have little things that stick down, so it all depends on your druthers. Whatever you get, remember to rinse them off every time you come home, or they’ll rust from the road salt (do I speak from personal experience? yes, yes I do).

  120. 120.

    wmd

    @catdevotee:

    People that enjoy Melinda’s will probably like the various Tropical Pepper company offerings. I like their scotch bonnet sauce with eggs and home fries.

    Iguana makes a number of nice hot sauces, as well as a decent Bloody Mary mix and condiment sauces like brown Pick-A-Peppa sauce.

  123. 123.

    jimbob

    Blair’s after death hot sauce has ended my search for a hot sauce with flavor and heat.

    there are lesser and greater versions to adjust the heat to ones preference.

    i dont work for them, but i just love their product too much:

    more info at http://blairshotsauce.com/

  124. 124.

    mai name

    Trader Joes had two hot sauces a jalapeno which is good and a habanero one which is burn your tongue hot. I think they’re pricy for what they are though. I think they’re four bucks for a bigger than the small tabasco bottle but smaller than the large tabsaco bottle size. I also like their plain salsa which I use as my hot sauce. And yeah, to the sciracha too.

  125. 125.

    Margit

    YakTrax are pretty good for not slipping, but they tend to break after not much wear time. I went through two pair in one winter season. The ultimate is Stabilicers – http://www.rei.com/product/760283/stabilicers-traction-devices-unisex – the downside is that you can’t wear them inside – they will chew up your floors. Both strap on over boots or shoes. The stabilicers keep me upright on my slanty driveway covered with glare ice. Re hot sauce, have you tried Sriracha?

  126. 126.

    PNW Warrior Woman

    1. Yaktrax (as several have mentioned) on normal low heel shoes for ice.
    2. Z-Coil pain relief footwear for non-sno/ice conditions.http://www.zcoil.com/
    3. Medical grade orthotics – be measured for a 3D electronic digital casting for your orthotic. Your foot is placed along a pin bed of sensors that take the casting. No plaster casting where temperature changes from the casting happen since all those castings are sent to Houston to be made and there are often changes the original cast. You end up paying big bucks for custom orthotics that don’t fit. Find a pedorthist who can do this along with being fitted in your Z-Coils by a board certified Pedorthotist.

  127. 127.

    deerfield choate loomis III

    Red Pickapeppa hot sauce. Or Grand Anse #5, if you can find it. (The brown Pickapeppa sauce is delicious too, but is tamarind-based rather than pepper based, more like a steak sauce.) All three are great on eggs, fish, potatoes, or anything else you might put hot sauce on, and they wear well over time. Even for people who don’t generally like hot sauce, a few drops of Red Pickapeppa in scrambled eggs, a soup, or a stew is an excellent alternative to black pepper out of a mill.

  128. 128.

    JohnnyG

    Late to the hot sauce debate, but I’ve been converted to Slap Ya Mama. Doubt it’s in your area, but they ship. Their cajun seasoning is better than Tony Chachere’s and the shrimp/crab boil is absolutely the best I’ve ever had. I would suggest going for a package of their cajun seasoning, shrimp/crab boil, and a couple of bottles of the hot sauce (that stuff goes fast at my house).

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