Poopie Sauce

There is a sad new trend occurring on Ventura Boulevard. The Baja Fresh at Coldwater and the La Salsa at Laurel Canyon have both closed their doors. These were two of my favorite quick fixes for lunches and solo dinners. And the sole reason for my continued passionate patronage of these joints was their salsas -- particularly the medium spicy, dark colored, fire-roasted, zesty, tangy salsa.

When Jackie used to work at the office, she would pick up our lunches and she nicknamed my beloved condiment the "black poopie sauce." With the frequent visits to both eateries and the imperative component to the meals, the name stuck.

Trader Joes, Ralph's, Pavilions sell salsa, but nothing nearly as sassy as the black poopie sauce. Something similar was sold at Whole Foods, but bizarrely has been discontinued. So, how do I get my fix? Yes, there are other Baja Freshes and other La Salsas, but it seems frivolous to take a trek for salsa. So what is the other option? Make it myself, of course!



With some encouragement and assistance from Tony, my salsa turned out EXACTLY like the Baja Fresh salsa. Fresh from the blender, it is a little frothy in this photo, but that passed and it was delicious. We dipped chips into it, slathered chicken soft tacos with it, and I, personally, loved just looking at it. It's just a little thing, but I know that even on the worst of days, I can create a rainbow with some black poopie sauce.