Spicy & Saucy Bloody Mary Ketchup!

Tomato sauce or ketchup gets a fabulous spicing up with this Bloody Mary ketchup. Bursting with flavour, your burgers, fries and hot dogs will get the royal treatment with this sauce fit for a queen or king! And for American readers enjoying a 4th of July BBQ this is perfect (the extra vodka doesn't hurt too right?).

I was so excited once I made these, I had to go out to buy some hot dogs to serve this with and they were so much better with the addition of this sauce. There was so much flavour to dress up the frankfurters. Dare I say team this with a Bloody Mary?

So it's been a very, very busy month here and a busy one In My Kitchen where I show what's new in my kitchen-check out Sherry's blog to see what everyone else is up to!

I brought back some edible souvenirs from my Peru trip. There are La Cholita chocolates made in Cusco-pretty as a picture! Some of the shapes are said to resemble natural wonders of Peru.

Next is something really exciting for those that don't eat pork...it's venison bacon! I recently did a shibori chocolate class with Jessica Pedemont and her partner Tommy Prosser was kind enough to come in and cook us lunch with some beef and venison bacon made using his Black Market Bacon. It's such divine stuff and great news for those that don't eat pork but want the flavours of bacon.

Next is a really lovely gift also via Jessica (she really brings people together). Imby from Karmme made my beautiful shibori apron and then she also made me a gorgeous, buttery soft leather clutch in bright red to match my red lipstick. I was so chuffed I used it the next night!

Next is a gift from a Dear Reader and life twin Stefanie who knows of the frustration that I have with finding a good green papaya peeler to make green papaya salad! She sent me one and now I can green papaya salad away! Thanks Stefanie :D

Next are some salts and chocolates from Peru. I bought them all at a market and the salts are incredibly cheap-fleur de sel was something like $3AUD while Maras salt was just $1AUD a packet. The chocolate is made with coca leaves and quinoa so it's herby and crunchy-so good!

And last are some products from my friend Shakti from Nourished and Nurtured. We've been going a bit crazy over Winter with the 27 Cacao Elixir which makes a fantastic hot chocolate. But my favourite item is the 36 Soothing Tisane tea which has done wonders for my throat this winter with a bit of honey!

And of course I now have a supply of spicy, bold Bloody Mary tomato sauce!

So tell me Dear Reader, how have you been keeping warm this Winter? Or if you're in the Northern hemisphere, how have you been keeping cool? Have you got anything interesting in your kitchen?

Bloody Mary Ketchup

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

• 700ml/25flozs. tomato passata
• 120ml/4flozs. Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons horseradish cream
• 2-3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons celery seeds
• 100ml/3.5flozs. vodka
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Tabasco sauce to taste

Step 1 - Place the passata, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, horseradish cream, honey, onion powder and celery seeds in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer without a lid to reduce and thicken the sauce. It should take about 10-15 minutes or so.

Step 2 - Add salt and pepper to taste and then stir in the vodka and Tabasco sauce. Decant into a sauce bottle. This should last a month or so.