Habanero Macaroni Poppers

(Note: This is Part 2 of a three-week series published on Friday in place of “Friday Favorites” which features recipes using hot sauces from All Spice Cafe.  For Part 1, click here.)

Last week, my recipe for Caribbean Spiced Prosciutto-Wrapped Scallop Skewers was a smashing success.  JD Cowles, the owner of All Spice Cafe sent me a note asking if I was interested in hearing more background about his fascination with making gourmet hot sauces.  Always interested in a good business “story” I eagerly agreed.  Reading through his very personal journey of starting a business made me crave some comfort food.  And nothing I know of fits the “comfort food” bill better than mac n cheese.  Seeking to add some of JD’s signature spice to them, I embellished muffin tin-fulls of homemade macaroni with All Spice Cafe Cayenne Habanero hot sauce, sliced jalapenos, and breadcrumbs (for a little bit of crunch!).

habanero macaroni poppers (above image: before baking, below: before "popping" out of pan)

JD’s “story” begins several decades ago when he began experimenting with flavors and bottling his own sauces.  His intent was never to sell them, but instead to use them for home cooking and sharing with friends.  As a full time motion picture digital artist for companies like Kodak and Sony (credits include: The Matrix and Matrix Reloaded, Spiderman and Spiderman 2, Ghost Rider, I Am Legend, and the new Alice in Wonderland movie – among others!) JD has been influenced by world travel to meet clients and a love of ethnic foods.  At the urging of family and friends, he finally began bottling and selling his sauce to Stroh’s deli in Venice, California.  As his product line expanded to include three flavors, he began entering competitions – and winning!  Now highly decorated, All Spice Cafe has taken home 11 Scovie Awards, 6 Fiery Food Challenge Awards in Ft Worth, TX and “Best Hot Sauce” honors from Los Angeles magazine in the Aug. 2008 Best of LA edition.

On a more personal note, an excerpt directly from one of JD’s e-mails to me reads, “I’m currently trying to figure out how to make All Spice a full time gig but the day job is pretty intense working 60+ hours a week, 6 and 7 days a week as a digital artist for Sony Pictures in Culver City, CA.  It’s an awesome job but I think more about food than anything else!  With the day job, it’s is getting harder and harder to stay employed as much of the work is leaving southern CA for many less expensive places around the world.  Many people wonder where All Spice Cafe is.  It currently exists only in my mind and on the label of some delicious hot sauces.  I’m hoping one day to open up the cafe where everything on the menu will be spice based, spice for flavor, not just heat.”

Thank you, JD, for sharing your life story and aspirations.  I am amazed at your ability to do so many incredible things at once!  I wish you the best of luck in making your dream of opening a cafe, a reality. Now with that… on with that recipe!

spicy macaroni? please...

Habanero Macaroni Poppers
(for dreamers… and people who just like good food)

1. Elbow Macaroni (mini shells also work well)
2. Aged White Cheddar Cheese
3. Swiss Gruyere
4. Cream Cheese
5. Parmesan Cheese
6. Breadcrumbs
7. Flour
8. Butter
9. Milk
10. All Spice Cafe Cayenne Habanero Hot Sauce
11. Jalapeno Peppers

Heat 2 cups of pasta (macaroni or mini shells) in a pan of salted, boiling water.  Cook 7-8 minutes until not quite al dente (as pasta will be baked to completion in oven).  In a large skillet, heat 5 tbsp of butter.  Stir in 3 tbsp of flour and cook out the “flour taste” for a few minutes.  Slowly add 1 c. milk, whisking constantly to form a rue.  When mixture is creamy, begin adding cheese.  First add 2 oz. of cream cheese, stirring until melted.  Next, add 1.5 c. shredded white cheddar, 1 c. shredded gruyere, and 1/2 c. shredded parmesan.  Once cheese is added, add 1 (or 2, if you like things “spicy”) tbsp All Spice Cafe Cayenne Habanero Sauce.  This will give the cheese sauce a warmer orange color.  If mixture becomes too thick, add milk, 1 tbsp at a time to bring to desired consistency.

making mac n cheese from scratch!

Separately, add 1 tbsp of butter to 1/2 c breadcrumbs.  (FYI – The photo above is deceiving… I learned “the hard way” that 1 c of breadcrumbs was too much and I had to toss out some extras.)  Ensure the breadcrumbs become coated in butter – this will help them bake up nice and crispy in the oven.  Rinse and chop 1 jalapeno pepper into small cubes.  Stir into cheese sauce.  When the noodles have cooked and the cheese sauce is ready, combine, mix well, and spoon mac n cheese into a buttered muffin tin.  Add buttered breadcrumbs and thin slices of jalapeno pepper on top.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven and add 1 drop of Cayenne Habanero hot sauce on top of each sliced jalapeno.  Isn’t that cute? Run a knife around the edges of each popper and gently pry out of the muffin tin.  Serves 4-6 (or in my case, 1, with many tupperware containers of leftovers…).