flaming culo hot sauce

since the summer I've been freezing all the habanero and serrano peppers that were growing on my roof, in anticipation of my second annual holiday hot sauce.

this year i went with a more traditional formula - last year i was messing around with coffee and molasses and whatever, it was good but not too hot.

the hot sauce that you buy in the store is usually fermented, they make a "mash" of hot peppers and vinegar and let it age in oak barrels for months.

having neither oak barrels or time, I opted for cooking my hot sauce which worked out great but my apartment was like a habanero gas chamber for the next two weeks, and my hands burned for about 2 days (gloves? what's a glove??)

flaming culo hot sauce

• shallots, garlic, ginger, vidalia onions, carrots


• habanero, serrano, red bell peppers


• apple cider vinegar


• white vinegar


• salt, sugar

Melrose Diner

I admit parts of South Philly are a little on the ugly side. Especially when it's cold and wet like it has been lately it's hard to find anything charming when its all kind of awash in grey. 

But amoungst these grey streets resides the Melrose Diner. Diners are never a disappointment, especially 24 hour diners. The Melrose already looks cool before you go in, with it's giant coffee cup sign on the outside. 

I went there for brunch and I was expecting some morning South Philly sass from my waitresses. Yes, they we're crazy ( I accidently got 3 checks?) but really really nice, like you'll always be "hey hon" nice. 

The food was regular diner food ( I will review cakes next time, which they are famous for) and came in the greatest dishware, of pink and white "toile". 

I plan on being a regular already.

Melrose Diner
1501 Snyder Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19145-3092
Phone: (215) 467-6644

Breakfast with Brielle

It was just really nice.

Vietnamese Deli

Vietnamese delis are great. Vietnamese hoagies to go, vietnamese coffees sitting and waiting for you to pick up and stir up the condensed milk at the bottom, and yummy strange jelly desserts for the taking.

I finally found one in Philly that I really enjoy. That's super nice and makes a great vietnamese hoagie and its only 3 bucks. They make there own mayonnaise which I also really enjoy. I picked up bbq beef, summer rolls, and this mochi rice dessert that's in this sweet ginger sauce and you pour coconut milk all over it. It wasn't as good as my grandma's but it was close enough. 

cheap and super good!

Nam Phoung ( in the supermarket corner of 16th and Washington )

1601 Washington Ave.