Nan’s Chili Sauce

Price: Big jar is $12 and the smaller one is $8

Bought at: Inglewood Farmers Market

Ever since picking up a jar of this at a local farmers market I’ve kept a constant supply.  That says a lot considering it costs a pretty penny.  I recently went to the last farmers market before winter so I stocked up on Nan’s Chili Sauce.  They even gave me a free jar because I bought so many throughout the summer!

At first I ate it strictly with steak but I enjoyed the flavour so much I started experimenting with other foods.  In doing so I realized it goes great with other meat like chicken and pork.  Some other more obscure pairings I discovered are with eggs and chicken pot-pie.  For those who enjoy spice there is also a Smokin’ Chili Sauce which has the same ingredients as Nan’s but with cayenne and hot peppers.

Nan’s Chili Sauce with a side of steak and garlic shrimp

Nan’s & Eggs (The sausage may look a bit odd, they’re South African, 100% beef. I didn’t like the spices that were used in them)

Ranch

I’m going to start this off with my favourite sauce/dip/sandwich spread/dressing etc. out there, Ranch.  I’ve been known to add Ranch to pretty much everything.  This creamy condiment, originally created as a salad dressing, has the versatility of a Swiss Army Knife.  Some of my favourite foods to accompany Ranch are chicken wings, pizza, baby carrots, lasagna (especially leftover, Ranch gives it some moisture back), sandwiches, and I guess lettuce.

I began my love affair with Ranch while I was a poor student.  I found myself buying mayo for sandwiches but it’s uses were extremely limited within my diet (I’d use it strictly on sandwiches).  One day I was making a turkey sandwich and ran out of (probably left out of the fridge) mayonnaise.  The only creamy substitute I had in my fridge was Ranch I had recently bought for pizza because I was sick of paying $1.00 for dipping sauce.  I squirted some Ranch on my toasted bun and dove in.  My fridge hasn’t been the same since.  There’s always a bottle of Ranch dressing top shelf between the orange juice and milk.  Nowadays I have a hard time tracking down Mayo which is usually on the bottom shelf behind a pickle jar.  The versatility of Ranch dressing has made it a permanent staple in my refrigerator.