I am Paul White (aka Pablo Blanco), lover of all things with spice! I am a life-long fan of spicy foods, and I am constantly seeking out new culinary delights that bring the heat. I’m not looking for the hottest stuff out there, though, as I like to have flavor with my spice. The best spicy foods are those that delight the taste buds while also delivering a good kick. The insanely spicy items out there do not interest me as much beyond a quick sampling. Of course, my tolerance for heat is definitely higher than the average mortal, so some of the items that I consider delicious others might find to be beyond their pain threshold. But I typically appreciate anything that works in a nice amount of heat while also proving tasty.
I currently live in San Antonio, Texas which offers plenty to choose from for spicy food lovers. I have also traveled across the country over the years and found a variety of hot foods to enjoy across the many states.
My love of heat began many, many (many) years ago in my hometown of Houston, Texas, and I can trace it specifically to when my family used to go to Romana Cafeteria (which I believe was later bought by Luby’s) in Houston on Sunday’s after church. One of the items amongst the many offerings in their pick-what-you-want food line was a pickled jalapeno cut in half and stuffed with a cream cheese filling (Luby’s still has them). They really weren’t that hot, but for a five-year-old, they offered a spicy challenge. My brother and I used to dare each other to eat it whole, and eventually that just became the standard way that I gobbled them down.
Throughout the ’70s and into the early ’80s, spicy foods were not that common across the country, but living in Houston I was able to track down some good options. Of course, the ubiquitous Mexican restaurants had their salsas and hot sauces (we miss you Felix’s). And a growing international population brought other spicy foods to my attention as I learned of Asian dishes beyond sweet and sour pork and I also discovered the wonders of Indian food. But it was in the ’90s that I really discovered the world of spice as more and more international offerings started to show up in restaurants and in grocery stores.
That is also when I started to learn that there were many, many (many) more chili peppers out there beyond just the Jalapeno. I discovered the Habanero (quite by accident, actually), the scotch bonnet, the serrano, the Thai chili, the poblano, and more and started to incorporate them into my cooking. This opened a whole new world of culinary spice, and I have been discovering and creating my own spicy flavors ever since then. Now I have decided to start writing about the food I love and hopefully help introduce others to the wonderful world where fire meets flavor. I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to share some of your spicy favorites.
If you have some recommendations for spicy foods and/or sauces I should try, let me know. If you make hot sauce and/or salsa and would like me to review one or more of your products, contact me at spicyfoodreviews [at] gmail [dot] com. I am located in San Antonio and if you would like me to review a spicy dish at your restaurant, contact me at the same email. Once the current pandemic situation improves, I will consider doing reviews in the Austin, Houston, and Corpus Christi areas as well.