A Cabin in the Woods

a little old cabin

cabin style

jar haul from Grandmére Yvonne's

Rob's tiny tableaux

always cooking (notice orange jars of the
hottest delciousest hot sauce)

Our friend Roberto's cabin up in the country is small and rustic, filled with cookbooks, lies in front of a swimming hole on the Esopus Creek and is right down the street from Grandmére Yvonne, a Perigord French woman who grows all her own fruits and vegetables and makes her own duck confit, cornichons, huckleberry preserves (look for her giant sign in the road for "duck pot pies"). Love at first sight.

When we were up, the first flowers were coming out up North and the night was crisp and dark. We grilled and ate dinner late everynight, sitting outside with Rob's infamous mojitos, shaking off the city and the world a little.

Rob greeted us the first day after just having made three big jars of scotch bonnet hot sauce (see orange jars above) which we used to dip homemade tortilla chips, bbq chicken wings and grilled ramps, amongst other dippables .

Roberto's Über Hot Sauce
about 15 scotch bonnet peppers
4-5 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup cider vinegar
maybe a little sea salt, to taste

Purée all ingredients until no coarse bits remain.
This is a sauce to be used sparingly and deliciously.
To dilute add more cider vinegar.