Friday The 13th

Several years ago, Francine and I started a tradition. It started when chatting with my neighbour Chad about the enjoyment of hot and spicy foods, and somehow we got on to talking about how every Friday the 13th, motorcyclists converge on Port Dover.

We thought we'd start our own Friday the 13th ritual. And thus, the "Fran and Mark's Semi-Occasional Hot-Luck" was born, with our neighbours Chad and Trish being the most regular attendees. (It's real easy for them to find the place, of course and even easy to get home at the end of the night). For every Friday the 13th we invited over friends who enjoyed hot and spicy foods to a sort of pot-luck event. We asked folks to bring a single dish to share and we'd provide the beverages.

Over the years, we had as little as five people (during the great black out of August 2003), to as many as 40 folks. And occasionally, we didn't end up holding an event on a Friday the 13th, once when Fran was pregnant and so nautious that the THOUGHT of food was overwhelming, and again today (because I was supposed to be in Dallas this week and to be honest, we're still recovering from Christmas). That's why we'll occasionally have a Hot-Luck close to a 13th and on a Friday.

We won't be having one today, but if you do live anywhere near Hamilton and are interesting in attending, go to my profile, get my email address and let me know so I can include you on the invite list for the next gathering (I'm guessing spring)

But because today is the traditional day for us to be sharing hot and spicy stuff, I though I'd share a quick recipe. I used this sauce originally on ribs -- back in August 2003 -- they got named the infamous "blackout" ribs, but have since applied it to wings, mainly so that my friends who do not eat pork can enjoy the painful delight.

Mark's Blackout Sauce
(For ribs or wings) - Mix ingredients together in the order listed below. For ribs, boil ribs then marinated in sauce overnight. Cook ribs on BBQ occasionally adding sauce. For wings - two options - marinate in sauce overnight, or initially cook wings on BBQ, then marinate in sauce overnight and then reheat on BBQ next day while adding remaining sauce. (For those not all that experienced in cooking, don't re-apply the sauce used when marinating- keep some non-contamined-with-meat sauce aside to use)

- 1 cup of Grace Jerk Seasoning or Grace Jerk BBQ*
*(please note that the Jerk Seasoning is far far hotter than the Jerk BBQ sauce - use with caution - perhaps only 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of the hotter variety)
- 1 cup of Bull's-Eye Hot Southern Cajun BBQ sauce
- 1 clove of minced garlic (or tablespoon of garlic powder)
- 2 tablespoons of The "Original" Louisianna Hot Sauce
- 3-5 drops of Da' Bomb Beyond Insanity Hot Sauce

WORD OF CAUTION: This recipe is very tasty and still quite hot and spicy without the final ingredient. Adding Da' Bomb will push the scoville (heat) factor well over the top and potentially hurt the uninitiated.