One of my favorite things: Sriracha Sauce

**Note: Please bear with me as I'm getting started and becoming accustomed to getting my ideas out. Thanks!**

So one thing I like to do is make recommendations to people about different food items and kitchen items that I love. I figured why not start with one of the best?

Sriracha sauce (made by Huy Fong Foods) is a versatile must-have condiment to me - I think it's by far the best hot sauce and I'm definitely not the only one. This hot sauce has been getting a lot more attention lately and even has a number of fan pages as well as was featured in an article in the New York Times. This hot sauce has a unique hint of garlic and other flavors making the spiciness more complex than your average hot sauce. Although I can tolerate heat, I typically just add a few drops to my food and it does the trick. I most like putting it on cooked vegetables and stir fry, but it's also really good in chili, soup, on rice, and almost anything else you could think of, which is one reason it's so great to have around.

Last summer I discovered that it's perfect to use when making buffalo sauce and since then I've been tweaking my recipe to improve it. Here's one that I changed to make it a different kind of wing sauce that hopefully you enjoy. I made it today while I was watching football and it's a great party snack. This uses a lot of Sriracha, so it's very hot! Most of these ingredients can be added to taste as you're making the sauce, so you can make it your own version! Also keep in mind that this makes enough sauce to coat a lot of wings, so it might be perfect for your Superbowl Parties.

Kate's Hot and Sweet Buffalo Wings

1-3 lbs chicken wings (thawed and rinsed if frozen when purchased)
1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1/4 C Sriracha sauce (less if you don't want it too hot)
3/4 C Ketchup
1 Tbsp Vinegar (apple cider works well)
1 tsp of Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of cumin (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Begin by patting chicken wings dry and brushing both sides of each wing with the vegetable oil. (wings can also be deep-fried if you prefer)
   
2. Arrange the wings on a non-stick or foil lined cookie sheet. Bake wings for 22 minutes, then turn over and bake for 22 minutes more until wings are cooked thoroughly and are a crispy golden brown on each side. (*Cooking time may vary based on oven and size of wings, but will average 20-25 minutes per side)
3. Begin preparing the sauce in a small pot on the stove set to medium heat. Melt the butter or margarine in the bottom of the pot.
4. Add the Sriracha, ketchup, vinegar, and soy sauce next. Once you stir those together, add the dry ingredients. Allow to simmer for approx. 8 minutes to blend the flavors, but not too long or it will reduce too much and get gunky.
   
5. Coat the wings with the sauce and serve with celery and ranch or blue cheese dressing

The cinammon is what makes the sauce slightly sweet. Not much is needed in order to notice it, so really add only a dash to begin with and see how you feel about it. Hope you enjoy this version of buffalo wings!