WORDS BY OLIVIER J. BOURGOIN (AKA OLIVIER THE WINE GUY)
JD’s Chili Parlor Introduces Its First-Ever Texas Pasta Sauces
Photo by JD’s Chili Parlor
Chili heads unite! If you enjoy a great bowl of chili, you probably already know that locally-produced JD’s Chili Parlor’s Chili Fixin’s are a must. Since their humble beginnings in 2016 selling their first few batches at the New Braunfels Farmers Market, Diana and John Anderson have been tantalizing Texan’s palates with an array of mouthwatering, high-quality products. After introducing a full line of enticing items such as their unique Chili Mary mixers, which come in a variety of flavors such as Honey Hot Habanero and Sea Salt Lime, well deserved accolades came pouring in. First, they were a finalist in H-E-B’s 2019 Quest for Texas Best competition. Most recently, they won in three categories at the international Fiery Foods competition, including for best chili, with their Fixin’s called Date the Reaper.
Now, JD’s Chili Parlor aims to keep mouths salivating with the introduction of chilified pasta sauces. These Texas pasta sauces happen to be the first of their kind, not only in Texas, but in the world and come in three unforgettable flavors: Traditional Tomato Basil, Mushroom Merlot and Arrabbiata (made with yellow bell, habanero and hatch peppers).
“We call them Texas pasta sauces because they’re made with a ‘whisper of chili,’ which is really what we’re known for,” says Diana, who has been crowned a modern day chili queen of Texas. “I’ve been working on these pasta sauces for years and am so excited for people to finally try them.” Chili is such a seasonal dish, but who doesn’t love pasta any day of the year?
You can find the new pasta sauces on shelves at Central Market or online at jdschiliparlor.com.
River Whey Creamery Celebrates 10 Years of Cheesemaking
Photo by River Whey
If you love cheese as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to treat your tastebuds to some of the delectable products from River Whey Creamery, a company which has clearly stood the test of time. During a recent tour of the creamery, the accomplished owner and founder, Susan Rigg, shared her knowledge and expertise about the five aged cheeses she and her team produce. Caldera España is a Spanish-style manchego cheese, smoked with pecan wood and crafted from sheep’s milk. Indigo Ridge is a gouda-style cheese with a “gruyère flair” that is aged for 12 months. It has earned the highly desirable certification as an “American Original” from the American Cheese Society. Keystone is made from raw cow’s milk and aged for four months, which Rigg says is “the cornerstone of what we do.” The Welshman is a scrumptious tribute to Rigg’s family heritage, which is inspired by Caerphilly, a cave-aged Welsh cheese. And, finally, Whey Blue is a raw milk blue cheese, aged 60 to 90 days, and made in the style of creamy French blue cheeses.
Most of the cheeses from River Whey Creamery are made from premium quality cow’s milk procured from third generation 4E Dairy Farms in Moulton, Texas. “We make the eighty-seven miles round trip from here twice a week, and we buy about four hundred gallons of milk per week,” says Rigg.
River Whey cheeses are sold online as well as to hotels, restaurants and wineries, and are available at Whole Foods Markets and about 10 Central Market stores across Texas. Keep an eye out for upcoming specials in honor of the company’s 10th anniversary this October. Tours of the creamery and cheese- making classes are also available. For more info, visit riverwheycreamery.com, and use the coupon code 10YEARS to receive discounts on their website.
Ultra Fresh Alaskan Fish Right Here in Texas
Photo by Savory Alaska
“If you want fresher fish, you’ll have to go to Alaska and catch it yourself!” That’s what you’ll hear when speaking with Sarah and Nathanael Ferguson, owners of Savory Alaska, which they started together in August 2018. “I grew up on a commercial fishing boat in southeastern Alaska,” shares Nathanael. “It was a family business. We caught cod, halibut and salmon.”
The couple, which is now based in Texas, sell all five species of Alaskan salmon: coho, keta, king, pink and sockeye. “We also offer black cod (sablefish), black and yellow eye rockfish and lingcod as well as spot prawns, weathervane scallops and bairdi and Dungeness crab when in season,” says Sarah.
All products from Savory Alaska are sourced from small businesses and fisheries in Alaska and are premium quality, hook-and-line wild caught (never farm-raised), then hand processed and flash frozen on the spot in small batches, one at a time by independent fishermen.
You can “catch” some of their seafood at The Pearl Farmers Market every other week. Orders can also be placed and more informative tidbits can be gleaned online at savoryalaska.com.
About the Contributor
Olivier J. Bourgoin has been a wine broker and consultant, as well as a freelance writer, who has been involved in these industries in and around the greater San Antonio area for more than 25 years. A native of France with family roots deep in the wine producting region of Burgundy, he is known as “Olivier the Wine Guy” and featured as such on a local weekly radio segment for 20 years.
