A Salsa Superstar Is Born!
By Doc Lawrence
Brenda Craig proclaims, “There’s a little bit of Texas in every jar.” Her amazing salsa, branded as Texas Brew, is getting the attention of respected culinary critics, and no wonder. It’s salsa with subtle hints of Lone Star locale, what the French call terroir. Connecting the taste senses with local, preferred flavors. Tasting is believing, and tasting each was a tour de force of the full range of a new and very exciting salsa experience. If boring, mass-produced salsa is your idea of good food, be forewarned: Texas Brew Salsas are unlike anything on the market today. Each bite is a taste epiphany and every now and then, you may even hear some authentic Texas music. Texas Brew Salsa truly honors the gourmet glory of great Texas food.
With six varieties, Brenda Craig’s recipes address the reality of today’s taste diversity while maintaining the traditions of old Mexico. That’s part of her product story, but the origins are compelling to those who love such good food. “We started,” Brenda told me, “in 2005 when our family garden produced more tomatoes that we could eat. I began to roast the tomatoes with other ingredients with some amazing results.”
Recognizing a grass-roots consumer desire for more local produced products, Ms. Craig founded her company and Texas Brew Salsa debuted. It has never been just another salsa. It’s a miracle in a jar, salsa for those who love the experience that comes with food enjoyment that connects the tastes and flavors that recall days when all food came from local farms and gardens. I found that salsa from Texas Brew is on par with the recipe created by the esteemed Chef Dean Fearing (The Ritz-Carlton Dallas), his marvelous shrimp, avocado and jicama masterpiece.
Salsa has been the new ketchup in America for years. But, salsa has too often traveled the same dull road as ketchup: a mass produced, corn sweetener-laden, red sauce. As one celebrity chef commented, “a burger and fries deserve better.”
Texas Brew drew raves from my very informal panel, a rich mixture ranging from crusty old restaurant veterans, backyard chefs and some kitchen wizards. We found each respective Texas Brew salsa clean on the palate, true to the label and farm fresh. `The Habanero Salsa, branded “Hot Iron” is not for the faint of heart, but the heat didn’t overcome the flavor and thus the magic in Brenda’s recipe and preparation.
Which salsa is most popular? “The medium,” said Brenda, “but now that I have the fruited ones, pineapple and peach, they are doing well.” I told her that my son Stephen, an avid gardener who loves salsa, raved about each one. She responded that her “mild salsa isn’t really mild but is truly a no heat/spice salsa excellent for cooking, and the hot is a slow burn. The medium is not a typical Texas medium. It’s more about the smoke than the heat and has a slow kick-building heat. The pineapple is mild and peach is more medium.”
Brenda Craig, President
Texas Brew Products
Ph: (210) 663-5067
www.texasbrewsalsa.com
brenda@texasbrewproducts
