ROBERT THOMPSON · FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ · ORIGINAL CHAPTER

"When I was in the Navy I was stationed on a minesweeper - one of the smallest ships in the fleet, hence one of the smallest shipboard kitchens in the fleet. We had a fraction of the food options and amenities other ships do. Hot sauce was a must with every meal, especially after your hundredth serving of yakisoba or shepherds pie. After several weeks at sea we ran out of our usual hot sauce and the cook bought a case of Cholula when we pulled into Cozumel. After trying it the first time I almost cried at how it made my tastebuds sing in the face of this bland food. I couldn’t fathom why we didn’t stock it instead of the generic flavorless sauce we usually did and many of my shipmates agreed with me. From that point on I don’t remember a time that we didn’t have bottles of Cholula available on the mess deck. My love of Cholula left the service with me and to this day is one of the most coveted ingredients in my kitchen."