Me salsa es su salsa

Ok, so last post I promised a salsa recipe. First I’d like to show the difference between Pico de Gallo (pronounced ‘gah-yo’) and salsa. Salsa is Spanish for “sauce”. Salsa Verde, is green chili sauce. Salsa Picante is hot sauce. Pico de Gallo on the other hand means “peck of the rooster”. Why it’s called that I have no idea and every Mexican I ask has no idea either. Same thing goes for burros (ok, the rest of the country may call them burritos, but in Arizona they are always called burros). I have no idea why they call them “donkeys” or “little donkeys” The English have funny names for everything they eat, (Bubble and Squeak, anyone?), but at least they know why. So if anyone knows why they are called burros (or burritos), please let me know! Anyway, Pico de Gallo is not salsa. It is a mix of diced fresh tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, cilantro, garlic and either lime juice, vinegar or, hey, why not, both.

Salsa has always been a staple in my house. Every year we grow tomatoes to turn into salsa which my mother cans for just the winter. That’s about how long it lasts in our house. By spring, we’ve either eaten it all or are down to our last bottle. When I was growing up, my Grandma Laverne told me that the best thing for a cold is the hottest salsa you can find. Wouldn’t you believe it if she was right. In fact, after experiencing a bhut jolokia I know she’s right. A good dose of chili peppers warms up the body and sweats out the cold. It’s true! If you don’t believe my Grandma Laverne (Shame on you!), try it yourself. You will believe!

In my opinion, the best salsas are fresh. Nothing is cooked. However, many times, canned tomatoes or tomato sauce is a better bet than fresh tomatoes because they will have a stronger tomato taste. I like to use both.

1 16 oz canned tomatoes - stewed, diced or crushed.
½ - 1 bunch cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
2 jalapeños or your choice of peppers - seeded, not seeded, it’s your choice
½ white onion, cut in large pieces
2 T lime juice
2 large tomatoes, seeded and cut in large pieces
3 green onions, chopped

Put everything but the fresh tomatoes and green onions in the food processor and blend well. Add the tomatoes and green onions and just pulse the food processor. This will make the salsa nice and chunky. Taste for salt and you can add a little black pepper too if you like.

The great thing about this recipe is nothing is written in stone. You can omit the canned tomatoes and use 4 large tomatoes. You can omit the tomatoes and use 2 canned tomatoes. You can also use tomato sauce if you want.


Here’s something I found while reading about Brazilian food. This is supposedly something from the region of Bahia. It really blew me away when I read it.

1 large tomato, diced
½ white onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro
Juice from one lime
20 (yes twenty!) Serrano or Thai chilies, seeded and chopped
Dash salt and pepper

Mix everything together in a bowl, say your prayers and enjoy!