The story of Artisian Sunset Salsa TM goes back many years. It all started with my stepfather, Jose Evaristo Ocana, and the family tradition of great Mexican food. His parents passed their cooking secrets down to him and through the marriage to my mother, my interest in the "family recipe" was piqued! I have always, since, been fascinated with the joys of cooking and preparing scintillating dishes, especially Mexican & Italian. I grew up with Mexican tradition, so it was only obvious that I picked up many wonderful recipes along the way. One day, back in 1987, while watching Andy prepare some "serrano" chiles for roasting, I asked if I could watch the process of salsa being born. Andy obliged and I watched him slice and dice green onions and fresh garlic. He mixed it all together with a culmination of herbs, spices, and fresh roasted habaneros to make this south of the border, delightful, "bowl of red gold". I remember the first bite, my tastebuds lit up with delight, and I was astonished at the awesome flavor of this timeless family recipe. Fast forward to 1997, when I spent some time at my mother's home, and saw this transformation of fresh garden vegetables being cultivated once again.

I studied the entire process from beginning to end, and immediately tried my own batch. With some delight, I did a decent job, of course, due to my love of cooking. I tried another half a dozen times before I took some off to work one day. In the course of four hours, one gallon of salsa and three bags of chips had been consumed! The response: Why don't you sell this stuff, it's great?! I don't want to boast, but many people said the same thing, and again, the thought slowly crept in- maybe they have a point here. After careful thought, I approached Andy about the idea of marketing this great family recipe and showcasing it for everyone. Andy gave me the green light and I have been working this idea in my head for the last seven years. Now it's time for this to become a reality. I now serve this salsa in my house and my wife really enjoys it with chips and tacos. My neighbor's response: "I eat it with eggs or right out of the jar!!"--He's a wild man! We have since incorporated my in-laws’ taco sauce recipes into our product line as well. We offer both hot and mild

I want to thank, first and foremost, the good Lord for giving me the talent to produce; Mom, Emma, Andy, Jose, Irma and Manuel, who put up with my many hours and messy pans in the kitchen. To my wife, for the encouragement to "give it a shot." We have now decided to bring Artisian Sunset Salsa TM home to your family. We hope you'll enjoy it!

Muy-Bien!!