Heartbreaking Dawns - The Next Level of Hot Sauce!

As a golf writer, I am usually resigned to reviewing golf-related products: training aids, equipment, clothing, shoes and the like. So, when the opportunity to review something out of the ordinary, I jumped at the chance.

I was talking with a friend of mine, Stuart Goldstein, at the PR firm of Raker Goldstein. We were talking about a couple of his golf clients whose products I had recently reviewed when out of the blue, Stuart asked me if I would be interested in reviewing a new hot sauce client.

Now, anyone that knows me knows that I have an entire cupboard devoted to hot sauces; I think there is over 40 or so in there. My answer to Stuart was "sure!"

About a week later, I received my 3-pack of sauces of Heartbreaking Dawn. Heartbreaking Dawns gets its name from the Arthur Rimbaud poem and is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Nicole and Chef Johnny McLaughlin. Although currently located in New York's Hudson Valley, Heartbreaking Dawn has its roots (pun intended) in New Jersey. There, the McLaughlins grew many of the ingredients in their garden and after many years of prompting and prodding from family and friends, the couple began bottling and selling their sauces to the public. In October 2009, Heartbreaking Dawns Artisan Foods was formed and their three original sauces, Jalapeno Pineapple, Mango Habanero and Classic Gold debuted. Shortly thereafter, their Trail Preserves would garner more recognition in the world of fiery foods and continues to earn awards in the Hudson Valley.

The company has since evolved to include the 1776 Beverage Company - a line of natural sugar cane sweetened soda, a line of dry rubs, chutney, seasoning, BBQ sauces and grilling sauces.

Heartbreaking Dawns continues to be the Tri-State area's premier producer of all-natural artisan sauces and spice blends. Their award-winning sauces come in a variety of flavors and heat levels.

Here's a brief description of some of their sauces:

1498 Trinidad Scorpion Sauce - made from fresh Trinidad Scorpion Peppers and Scotch Bonnets with a fruity notion of apricot, blueberry and carrot. Designed to arouse the palate.

Jalapeno Pineapple - fresh pineapple and traditional jalapeno flavors create a sweet, seductive hot sauce.
Classic Gold - features golden and red habanero peppers blended with a hint of tomato and brown sugar.

Mango Habanero - red habanero peppers, fresh, mango and top-shelf spices make this tropical hot sauce a welcome addition to many dishes.

1542 Chocolate Habanero - classified as a "Superhot", this fiery hot sauce features Congo peppers, natural garlic and cumin flavors

1841 Ghost Pepper - another "Superhot;" it's a mixture of ghost chili pepper, pear and apple that creates heat and sweet fruitiness to tingle the palate.

Whether you are simply trying to add flavor or intensity to your favorite dish or intentionally harm an in-law, hot sauce can be a home cook's secret weapon. Hot sauce can perk up anything mixed, tossed, roasted, brined or grilled - just about anything we eat or drink.

If you are in New York's Hudson Valley on the weekend, you can usually find Chef Johnny at Brooklyn's year-round flea market - Smorgasburg. Their booth features Baltimore Pit Beef sandwiches - they serve about 400 each weekend - as well as samples of their sauces.
Chef Johnny can also be found cooking chops on his You Tube channel at www.youtube.com/user/spicysauces. He has a wide variety of videos featuring hot sauce recipes as well as tours of his hot pepper garden.

Does your imagination limit your thinking about what to do with a hot sauce other than stick it on a chicken wing? Check out Chef Johnny McLaughlin's bog at www.heartbreakingdawns.com. Here you will find all kinds of recipes, guaranteed to expand your mind and awaken taste buds you didn't know you had. You can also place an online order through Amazon.com