"Chutney" news and stories

• You may think of maple syrup when you think of Vermont, but it turns out there's also a lot of hot sauce. Gotta keep warm up there!
• Perhaps some of that Vermont hot sauce will come in handy for your next Bloody Mary.
• Vermont chefs ward off winter by recalling the hottest things they've ever eaten.
• For another spicy snack, here are ways to use the chutney idling in the back of your fridge.
• Once you've finally warmed up, head for some refreshing wines.

Thanksgiving or not, cranberries are invited to our table anytime, lending tartness to just about any relish, compote, jelly or chutney.

We love the way they form red carpets over New England bogs, the way they plump up and burst when they're cooked and, as the blogger who combined them with orange zest, honey, cinnamon and cardamom rhapsodizes in the caption to this photo, the way they "make the kitchen smell heavenly."

That cranberries are loaded with antioxidants and help fight infections are just two more good reasons to find yet another way to serve them, such as in a tart-and-creamy cranberry-horseradish dip.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

• Strawberries are ripe for more than just whipped cream: They work well with lots of dairy like mascarpone, fresh ricotta and sour cream.
• Baco Noir "Southern Oregon" is one of the state's best reds, and Nebbiolo d'Alba "Briccola" is an steal for an Italian red at $22.95.
• Lucini Gran Riserva Balsamico wins a taste test to determine a good and proper balsamic vinegar.
  
• Cutting through the confusion, the Oregonian explains the terminology behind the different varieties of cream that clutter grocery shelves.
• A recipe for Smoked Salmon Hash, which was once a breakfast favorite at Portland's Heathman Restaurant.
  
• Instead of throwing your rhubarb in a pie, stir it into a chutney.
• Fresh market fungi are perfect for crepes.
  
• Small Bites nibbles on everything from Danny Meyer's new cocktail book "Mix Shake Stir" to the phenomenon of "pine mouth."

When it comes to figuring out who created various condiments, history tends to be amazingly vague. For example, although we know that mustard was developed by the ancient Romans, we have no idea about the identity of the unknown chef who first combined wine vinegar and ground mustard seeds. Similarly, history records that ketchup originally came from China, where it was a form of fish sauce; however, there is no record of the person who made this great leap forward. Similarly, the sands of time have swallowed the name of the great pioneer who first drizzled the magic ingredient on french fries.

So it goes: from relish to chutney, jelly to ice cream, history may occasionally honor a key innovator or entrepreneur, but all too often neglects the silent inventor who toils in obscurity. With that in mind, it seems particularly vital that we honor those few, rare pioneers whose names have not been lost to history. One such man was Alan S. Geisler, who died last week at the age of 78. Geisler, an MIT-trained food technologist, developed the iconic red onion sauce that is a standard condiment on New York City hot dogs. Comprised of vinegar, onion, tomato paste and other ingredients (including corn syrup), Geisler's concoction is better know as Sabrett onion sauce, for the company that markets it.

While hot dog cuisine can be fiercely regional, Sabrett sauce is a vital ingredient for New York dogs. Transplanted New Yorkers (or those who are curious about this distinctive condiment) can order it here or follow this recipe to make it at home. It is best served atop either a dirty water or freshly grilled dog, along with sauerkraut and spicy mustard. Enjoy!

What a fantastic idea: splitting waffles into individual squares and filling them with chutney! Genius.

The recipe comes to us from Vegalicious, and you'll find a recipe for the waffles as well as for the chutney.

Hmm - what if we can't find papayas? Perhaps mangoes would be a good substitute?

And just a reminder: this is most definitely a vegan recipe, so the recipe calls for "egg replacements" instead of eggs, as well as soy milk and soy margarine. And before you go changing the ingredients to real-milk products, try it vegan! You might just like it...