Five Great Locally Produced Condiments, Ready For Picnic Season
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<strong>Mike's Hot Honey:</strong>It's sweet heat in a bottle with Mike's Hot Honey, Mike Kurtz's chile pepper-infused honey that's currently found atop the Hellboy pizza at Greenpoint's <a href="http://www.pauliegee.com/dinner_menu.php">Paulie Gee's</a>. Kurtz, a bartender at the pizzeria, discovered the joys of spicy-sweet honey while in Brazil, and he's been making batches of the stuff in Brooklyn for the past few years. It goes just fine on biscuits and breads, roasted chicken and fish, and, of course, pizza. Available <a href="http://www.mikeshothoney.com">here</a>.
<strong>Anarchy In A Jar:</strong>Sure, jelly isn't normally that exciting, but when you get flavors like spiced beer and rhubarb hibiscus, it is. Laena McCarthy, the lady behind the Anarchy, shops locally and seasonally at the city's <a href="http://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket">Greenmarkets</a> to concoct her gonzo spreads. Find her at <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/04/20/brooklyn_flea_launches_snack-centri.php">Smorgasburg</a>, Eastern District and Greene Grape Provisions, among <a href="http://www.anarchyinajar.com/get-jam/">other places</a>.
<strong>My Friend's Mustard:</strong>When beer-loving Brooklynite Anna Wolf quit her "soul-sucking" ad agency job, it left her with plenty of time to play around in her kitchen, finding the best way to combine food with beer in one convenient jar. The result is <a href="http://www.myfriendsmustard.com">My Friend's Mustard</a>, a small line of whole grain beer mustards made with <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/05/16/you_can_has_cans_of_six_point_brook.php">Sixpoint Craft Ales</a>, infused with everything from jalapenos to brown sugar. Slather it on sausages, pretzels, or a spoon; find it at Lucy's Whey, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/12/23/marlow_daughters.php">Marlow & Daughters</a>, and <a href="http://www.myfriendsmustard.com/where-to-buy">more</a>.
<strong>Empire Mayo:</strong>From heavily-tattooed former Tailor chef Sam Mason comes this <a href="http://empiremayo.com/">"luxury mayo" operation</a>, featuring fancy-pants varieties like sun-dried tomato, smoked paprika, pistachio and black garlic, some of which are made with emu eggs. It's available at <a href="http://www.brooklynflea.com/markets/">Brooklyn Flea</a>/ Smorgasburg, and they're offering "sandwich parties" by appointment.
<strong>The Saucy Sauce Co.:</strong>Run by a brother-sister duo out of Brooklyn, the cheekily-named <a href="http://getsauceynow.com/">Saucy Sauce Co</a> makes a fresh Vietnamese-style Ultimate Fish Sauce, in flavors like spicy garlic, fresh lemon and sweet ginger. Use it as on grilled meats, as a salad dressing, or even on French fries; the siblings are currently developing a sweet-savory Ultimate Ketchup as well. Find them at the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/hesterstreetfair">Hester Street Fair </a>and a few <a href="http://getsauceynow.com/find-us-in-stores/">other spots</a> as well.