Hot sauce, barbecue sauce, green sauce, red sauce, white sauce or brown sauce, I can’t imagine food without sauce on the side. Sauces enrich a dish and add a dash of pizzazz to meats, vegetables and side dishes such as rice and quinoa. Sauce is queen when it comes to making a meal. My family and friends tease me endlessly because rarely is there a dinner I serve that doesn’t include a sauce of some sort.
My family and friends tease me endlessly because rarely is there a dinner I serve that doesn’t include a sauce of some sort.
At a recent driveway happy hour, Will Richardson, executive director of Tahoe Institute of Natural Science, asked me: “What constitutes a sauce? And, what’s the difference between a sauce, condiment and a dressing?”
A sauce tends to go over food while a condiment, such as mayonnaise or ketchup, is used in small amounts. But, if you add them together with a bit of relish, it creates a thousand island dressing. Dressings are generally uncooked, often used on salad. However, dipping French fries and topping pizza with ranch dressing has become quite popular. Some foodies define dressings as generally cold and sauces are usually hot or warm.
Green sauce reigns in my world. My latest passion is my rendition of chimichurri sauce and avocado green sauce. I use them on almost everything, including my turkey and chicken salad. I also love my mayo and tamari sauce blended with cilantro, which is great for sandwiches.
The beauty of sauces is that they genuinely enhance a dish, yet do not mask the meat or vegetables they accompany.
Lake Tahoe Sauce Co.
Ryan Miller of Lake Tahoe Sauce Co. in South Lake Tahoe has perfected his sauces over the last five years. Miller, a California native who graduated from South Lake Tahoe High School, also owns Firewise Chimney, a chimney sweep and inspection business.
“I started making sauces as a way to fund my mission trips to other countries,” says Miller, who funds medical and construction trips to countries such as Guatemala, Honduras the Philippines, and Africa. “My friends call me the condiment king. I worked on my recipes for months and it took a long time to create them. I wanted them to be unique.”
Once he had the recipes dialed in, he worked on his labels, which depict Lake Tahoe and the elevations of some of his favorite peaks. Miller’s motto is: “The label sells the first bottle; the flavor sells the rest.”
Miller bottles three signature sauces: Tahoe Heat, Double Black Diamond and Elevation 6622 smoked Serrano BBQ. He also makes Bear Paw Serrano Ketchup.
Tahoe Heat and Double Black Diamond sauces start with the same base ingredients: yellow onion, ginger and garlic. Tahoe Heat is a milder sauce and made with serrano peppers.
“Tahoe Heat goes great with milder foods like stir fry, fish tacos and scrambled eggs,” says Miller.
The Double Black Diamond is hotter and made with habanero peppers.
“It has a smoky habanero flavor and compliments foods like cheeseburgers, pulled pork tacos and ribs,” Miller says.
Elevation 6622 smoked Serrano BBQ sauce is all natural with a hickory smoked flavor. Miller suggests mixing the Double Black Diamond with his barbecue sauce for an awesome smoky, hot sauce. Find a list of local retailers for Lake Tahoe Sauces or purchase online. | laketahoesauce.com
Green Sauce
From the kitchen of Priya Hutner
1 avocado
3 T olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1 T soy sauce
½ C fresh cilantro
½ C fresh basil
1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, de-seeded
1-2 cloves of fresh garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Blend and let sit for an hour in the fridge and serve on almost anything.
