f excuses, but finally, Saturday morning, we got down to it. Part way through, I am standing at the sink, and I suddenly get the most excruciating pain in my lower leg, in the front. I literally couldn’t walk for a few moments. Matt then helped me to a chair and for the next hour or so it kept coming and going. Eventually it decided to go altogether, but that was the most painful hour I ever remember. No idea what it was other than one of those strange pains you get with diabetes. Could also have been vascular. No real idea. All I can really say is “ouch”.Life isn’t treating me too well. I like horseradish with my beef, but I do like it really hot so it brings tears to one’s eyes. I can’t seem to
find one – had one fairly good one but didn’t make note of the name – bought a new one last week and tried it on Saturday night, yuk, it was horrible, it tasted so sweet I wanted to upchuck. Why on earth would you need sugar in horseradish? Revolting stuff. I know that fresh horseradish doesn’t keep its pungency for very long, but adding sugar won’t help. There are markets around here with quite a few Germans or Mennonites, who sell homemade horseradish. It is great, but it doesn’t retain it’s heat for very long unfortunately. I guess I need to buy a root and grate it when I need it. I wonder if it freezes. It seems, in Ontario anyway, they don’t like really spicy horseradish. 
I was raving about Michael R. Hicks and his books last week – his In Her Name series, one of which is not yet available. As I said, great stories. Then I started reading another series by him Season of the Harvest which I have just finished. The story is very edge of the seat, and this time the aliens are NOT sympathetic one little bit. The first book would stand alone, but in fact there are two more, once again the last one is not published. It is due summer of 2013 so any time now I guess. Summer isn’t quite over, not that it ever really started here. Have had a few nice days recently. I must be honest, I don’t enjoy days of sweltering heat, so I shouldn’t really complain.The following recipe from Cooking.com for a barbecue sauce looked good enough to share. Personally I would omit the yellow mustard and add Colman’s mustard powder. That would make it really spicy. I think I would omit the grape jelly, but that is a personal preference, I don’t like grape jelly. Actually I don't like yellow mustard either, horrid stuff. I make my own mustard with mustard powder. A note for my British readers, when something is what we would call hot, it is usually referred to as spicy here.
Spicy Barbecue Sauce
Contributed By: David, KYPick your favorite protein - this easy barbecue sauce is delicious on any meat of choice!
INGREDIENTS
½ cup molasses
½ cup honey
1 ½ cup catsup
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup yellow mustard
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp black pepper
1/1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs minced dried onions
2 Tbs grape jelly
½ cup dark brown sugar
DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and slow simmer for 30 minutes.
Enjoy
Have a great day
![Jo_thumb[2]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-DsNhGjHcf8XpEYcEfp4n1lRXj3WnaDxiuhJEQpkx9_HbDg8MEz5t_Ajiw8lVp2vCRCjyET-TnreJuJsWOeDZkpCdygzYGabOFEZ0b2YXJxDt9dmKUC50T2PiB0I85oq_hhDpM4Al9E/s1600-h/Jo_thumb%25255B2%25255D%25255B4%25255D.png "Jo_thumb[2]")
Hi Jo - for my sauces .. they have to be the right brand, otherwise I'm an unhappy eater! I love horseradish, but prefer the cream type.. fresh and then it's hotter.
ReplyDeleteI expect you/your parents made it fresh - I remember digging roots out of the garden, grating the root and making our own - that was incredibly pungent!
I hope your leg pain doesn't return .. cheers Hilary
I shall have to look around and see if I can find horseradish. I think you are right, my parents did make their own. Matt doesn't eat it.
DeleteHi Jo
ReplyDeleteI like my horseradish hot also. We are growing some in a pot in the garden as its expensive and difficult to find in our greengrocers here.
Try adding Colmans mustard to the creamed horseradish (I do) :-)
Tried mustard on the last pot I had, didn't seem to work. This latest pot was so disgustingly sweet, nothing would help it.
DeleteWhat is horseradish? Should look it in the dictionary, I know but it is too early and dragon feels too lazy.
ReplyDeleteIs that picture of the chicken one you took? You have me drooling all over my keyboard, hahaha.
Its a root, like a white carrot, and when grated and I think mixed with vinegar, it is great with beef. I have never actually made it from scratch so I don't know how to prepare it.
DeleteNope, I didn't take the picture, it does look good though doesn't it?
Okay, no, no, no - I can't stand horseradish, but my hubby loves it and the hotter the better! I just wasn't built to eat food! :)
ReplyDeleteSorry for the leg pain. But I might try that BBQ recipe - love the milder version though, of course! :)
Congrats on your re-release by the way.
DeleteI love it hot, and am seriously considering buying a root.
I do love a good BBQ! And I'm going to check out Michael's first book. I'll read it alongside Tara Tyler's Pop Travel later this month.
ReplyDeleteThe In Her Name books are great, IMHOP of course. Hope you enjoy.
DeleteI get strange pains in my legs, probably due to pinched nerves.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know why they have to dump so much sugar in ketchup and spaghetti sauce, too.
I believe North Americans have a very sweet tooth which doesn't cater for those of us who don't.
DeleteI hope I never get this pain again, it was very, very bad.
We grated our root in the food processor but be warned. Grating sets off enzyme activity which releases extremely pungent volatile oils and these BURN your eyes and nose. Best to do it a very well ventilated area. David can normally peel onions with no reaction but the horseradish reduced him to tears for half an hour or so LOL
ReplyDeleteFor mild horseradish add vinegar immediately. For hot horseradish leave for 3 mins or more before adding vinegar. Then seal tightly in container and store in fridge for up to a month, or longer in a freezer.
Enjoy!
Thanks for the tips Sue. I am thinking of storing the root itself in the freezer if I can find one. Apparently they do keep for a while. It's not like I eat beef all that often.
DeleteSo hot it brings tears to your eyes - that's how hot I like it!!
ReplyDeleteYou and me both
DeleteI love hot horseradish. A friend of mine grows them and when she harvests them she has a sand box in the basement and she puts them under the sand and uses them as needed. Best to grate or dice them with gloves because it does burn. Vinegar will preserve the pungency for several weeks in the fridge if you have the container tightly sealed. When I've helped her make up horseradish, we dice it and let it sit for about 10 minutes and then use a food processor and add vinegar. Unused portion goes in sealed jar and in the fridge. Alex, my girlfriend, uses a vacuum seal and freezes the unused portion of the root, but I imagine you can double seal it in a ziplock freezer bag.
ReplyDeleteI also love a good wasabi. I like it hot enough to bring tears to the eyes too!
Sia McKye Over Coffee
All I need now is to find out if I can buy it locally.
DeleteI'm so sorry you had leg pain - sounds really horrid since it was so unexplainable.
ReplyDeleteAs to horseradish, I LOVE it hot (or spicy) just like you. There is a brand that is available all over Colorado called Silver Spring (not to be confused with the town I grew up in) and I'd be glad to ship you some if you'd like to private email me your physical address. I have plenty of cryo-vac shipping stuff from all my importing of Swedish caviar, but I do think it's shelf-stable until opened.
Tina @ Life is Good
Thanks Tina. It was very odd and thankfully it hasn't reoccurred. Finger crossed.
DeleteThat would be wonderful I would so appreciate the horseradish. Thank you so much.
Let's hope that pain was a once-off fluke. Doesn't sound like something you'd want to see show up for a return visit.
ReplyDeleteThe doctor said it was a muscle spasm, I don't believe it.
Delete