This post brought to you by TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

I often tell people that I have a British palette. By that, I mean that I can’t really handle much in the way of spiciness. I have rejected certain brands of “mild” salsa for being too hot. Seriously.

So why in the world would I, of all people, be writing about TABASCO® Original Red? Because believe it or not, I use it rather frequently in my cooking. No joke!

I know people who keep their bottles of TABASCO® Original Red on their kitchen counters. I actually knew people in college who would bring a bottle with them to the campus dining halls. It’s no wonder that so many people have been fans for as long as they can remember: TABASCO Original Red has been around since 1868. Clearly they are doing something right!

I actually never even dared to try TABASCO until I noticed that so many dishes I really wanted to try called for just a little splash of it. I finally caved and bought some, and I’m so glad that I did! Depending on the dish I’m making, I’ll sometimes use half the amount of TABASCO called for, or on occasion I’ll go for the full amount. What I have discovered is that TABASCO Original Red can add tremendous flavor to a dish, and that flavor isn’t just heat. I think there are some versions of hot sauce out there that are just that: HOT. TABASCO Original Red really enhances the flavors that are already present in a dish, and I find that adding it it improves the taste of many of our soups and casseroles. You know how sometimes you are working on some food, and you taste it, and realize that it needs something, but you aren’t quite sure what it is? It just might be a splash of TABASCO Original Red!

Tabasco Recipe

I really appreciate that TABASCO Original Red sauce comes out very slowly. This gives me confidence when cooking with it that I won’t easily over-do it. I’ve actually got a great traditional African food recipe on my blog that I shared with you last year, and it has just a splash (1/8 tsp!) of TABASCO in it. It is delicious, and perfect for a cold day! It’s called Rice with African Peanut Sauce. Check it out and give it a try!

Since it is almost time for the Super Bowl, TABASCO has a terrific Game Day party menu page with some great recipe ideas. I’m loving all their ideas for improving a simple cheese pizza and will most definitely be trying the caramelized onion pizza idea!
Please let me know if you are TABASCO fan. Do you cook with it? Do you eat it like any other condiment? Do you have any suggestions for how to use it? And also, be sure to print out the coupon on the TABASCO site!