Beans

So, growing up in the northeast, we ate Boston Baked beans, which were soaked overnight, then slow baked in a think molasses based liquid, and flavored with bacon or more typically, salt pork. Preferably, they were baked in the oven in a ceramic or crockery bean pot. 

When I moved to Texas, I was introduced to pinto beans or kidney beans, most often cooked with onion, garlic, tomato sauce or stewed tomatoes, and cumin, pepper, and maybe other spices.  I eventually adapted my own recipe that included beans, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato paste (or tomato sauce), bacon or salt pork, or cut up ham, or even a ham bone, ham hock or some other pork pieces for flavoring, green chilies, jalapeño peppers, green peppers, black pepper, chili powder and cumin and maybe some beer to supplement the liquid.  These are actually a mild version of beans, spicier than Italian food, but not hot.

I was somewhere along the line, introduced to Ranch Beans http://www.conagrafoods.com/our-food/brands/ranch-style-beans. I prefer the kind with jalapeños, but sometimes settle for beans with onion or plain beans.  Even if I get the beans with jalapeños, I add more.  I like jalapeños.  Well, the past weekend, when I was grocery shopping, I saw Charro style Ranch Beans, and Boraccho Style Ranch Beans, available for a limited time.  I bought a can of each, and tried the Boraccho Style Beans today. I was not impressed. That is okay, I can try them once.

Ketchup vs. Hot Sauce

Okay, so when I was growing up, I did not like spicy food.  I thought Italian food was too spicy, so I did not like it.  But, I did like ketchup:  I liked ketchup on hamburgers and hot dogs, French fries, fried clams (I also liked tartar sauce on fried clams), home-fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, meatloaf, and golumpkis.   I suspect there were other foods that I also liked to cover with ketchup.

So, then I moved to West Texas, and I was introduced to hot sauce, picante or salsa, depending upon who you talk to.  I am not sure what the difference is.  But I think there is a difference.  Hot sauce seems to refer to concentrated sauce such as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_sauce, as in Habeñero Sauce, Tabasco Sauce www.tabasco.com or Louisiana Hot Sauce http://www.louisianapepper.com/. 

Picante sauce seems to refer to commercially prepared hot sauces http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsa_(sauce) .  These sauces are also called salsa. 

I also make my own hot sauce, salsa, or picante, depending upon your definition, using tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, lemon or lime juice and salt.

When I moved to Texas, I discovered that there were foods that I preferred to eat covered with hot sauce, salsa or picante vs. ketchup. Specifically, but not limited to omelets and other egg foods, cheese foods,  and meat foods. 

I still prefer ketchup for French fries, hamburgers, hot dogs, and onion rings.

So, the distinction between ketchup and hot sauce or salsa or picante for me is made. 

Most of the time.  Every once in a while, I will find myself preferring ketchup over hot sauce, because I crave the sweetness of ketchup.  

Tex Mex and Spicy Food

Fast forward to 1977, when I moved to Texas. I was introduced to Tex-Mex food.  I liked the blending of spices and flavors.  I did not know it at the time, but the blending of spices and flavors I liked included cheese, jalapeño, chili, cumin, cilantro, garlic and onion.  I found that the spices, cheese and corn moderated the flavors, so the spice was not so harsh. Cold beer and ice cream also helped to ameliorate the spicy heat of the food.

Garlic to me is addictive, and I have read that Capsaicin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin is also addictive.  I believe it.  When I travel to parts of the world where Tex-Mex, New Mexico style, or Mexican food is not common, I find myself not just craving the pepper heat, but devising ways to acquire it.

So, yes, I am addicted to hot, spicy food.

Spicy Food

So, when I was young, I did not like spicy food.  We would go out as a family for Italian food, and I did not want spaghetti and meatballs. I just wanted spaghetti and butter.  What a shame.  I am sure that when we went to Tommy's Spaghetti House, when I was a child, it was excellent Italian food.  But I thought it was too spicy.

I persisted in thinking Italian food was too spicy until I was in high school, and I was introduced to pizza. Then, Italian food was not too bad. 

Fast forward to college, and I could deal with Italian food. In fact, I decided it was very good.