Move Over Grey Poupon . . . Her Sassy Sauces are about to take off By Adam St. James (Edited and reprinted with permission from the: November 22, 1995 Food Section of the San Luis Obispo County TelegramTribune. )
MORRO BAY-- Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon? No, well perchance you could pass the Cranberry Sass fruit ketchup from Sassy Sauces. Or the Hot Cot Sass, or the delicious Apple-Berry Spread--a cross between apple butter and apple sauce, blended with olallieberries, cranberries and a hint of brown sugar.
These and the five other unique concoctions that make up the Sassy Sauces product line are the brainchild of Roz Rogoff, a former radio station owner and aerospace executive now living in Morro Bay.
"I've always considered myself a good cook," she said. She had been making the tasty mixture she now calls Cranberry Sass for herself for years, but in the spring of 1995 Rogoff decided to experiment with other recipes for fruit ketchup she came across in old cookbooks. They all proved to be tasty forgotten treats from a bygone era.
Rogoff's product line is basically two-fold: Cranberry, Plum and Hot Cot Sasses (Mild or Hot appricot jalapeno blends). These contain vinegar and can be used like ketchup, steak sauce or a meat marinade.
Pear Sauce, Plum Sauce, Cranberry Spread and Apple-Berry Spread are sweet sauces that can be used with meats and other dishes, but are just as good on toast, muffins or as a topping for desserts. Rogoff's products are all-natural without the use of preservatives, thickeners, or food colorings.
"The Cranberry Sass is good as a steak sauce," she said, "and it's real good with turkey. I've had a lot of people tell me they use the Plum Sass to glaze ham, which I've used it for."
Rogoff recommends using a canned ham, removing the "jelly" it comes in, and basting it in Plum Sass. Cover it with wax paper and microwave it, spreading more Sass over it every 10 minutes to bake in the plum flavoring.
"It sort of leaves a brown crust over it," she said, "making it look like it was baked in an oven." She said the Plum Sass is also good with chicken, or on a ham sandwich.
Sassy Sauces are currently available through a number of retailers in San Luis Obispo County.
So, do you have any Cranberry Sass? For complete information on ordering Sassy Sauces, or wholesale price list, E-mail Roz Rogoff at SassSauces@aol. com.
