Great Mexican Food

Ninfa's by the bottle: The Original Houston eatery brings its salsa to thegrocery store

Ninfa's salsa creators Dan Jardine and Alex Padilla
Photo by Geralyn Graham
Are you ready for Ninfa's in a jar?
Photo by Dan Jardine

Nothing can replicate the unique near perfection of Houston's Original Ninfa's on Navigation. Not the embarrassing franchise chain that proliferates around that city with the same name, and not even the later concepts by the Laurenzo family. You might recall the old Ninfa's on west Sixth a few years back. So I didn't know what to think when I heard that Original Ninfa's was releasing a line of salsas for sale in Central Market and select H-E-B stores.

But several store-bought flour tortillas and about a quarter of a bottle later, I can breathe a sigh of relief. This salsa is good. It's really good.

Ninfa's executive chef Alex Padilla worked with salsa specialist Dan Jardine to recreate the fresh Ninfa's salsa flavor in a retail package. The duo came up with four versions: mild and hot house red roasted salsas, green hatch chile salsa, and chipotle salsa, all of which are all natural, gluten free and preservative free.

I got my hands on a bottle of the chipotle version, and it's truly addictive. It's laced with a smoky, dry heat — I won't say it hits four-alarm status, but it does pack a kick — and while it's not exactly chunky, there's a substantial quality to it. From the color to the smell, the earthy spiciness of chipotle is front and center.

The house salsas are made to imitate the version served with chips on every table in the restaurant, and Padilla says he's planning to integrate his new green hatch and chipotle recipes into the Ninfa's repertoire. But despite never having been served at the restaurant, the chipotle salsa still has an undeniable Ninfa's flavor.

The Ninfa's salsa won't replace a trip to the East End of Houston for some of the best Mexican food on the planet, but it might replace the no-name salsa currently in your fridge. The bottles are $4.49-$4.98 at Central Market and H-E-B.

Ever been to the Original Ninfa's on Navigation and what do you think of Ninfa's and their salsa plans?

unspecified

More pumpkin, less milk

Austin-based vegan milk ready for fall with new pumpkin spice flavor

Photo courtesy of Malk

Pumpkin is one of the first ingredients in this flavored almond milk.

Vegans may avoid dairy, but they deserve a pumpkin spice latte in the fall. Malk Organics, an Austin-based almond milk company, is taking care of that with a new pumpkin spice variety.

This seasonal flavor is hitting shelves now, and will be available "throughout the fall season while supplies last," according to a news release. It joins three standard flavors — unsweetened, vanilla, and chocolate — for a total of four almond milks across the board. The company also makes oat and cashew milk, or "malk," and some creamers.

The second ingredient after filtered water is organic pumpkin, so that flavor should come out strong in whatever drink it's spicing up. It also contains almond butter and sugar, plus extracts of vanilla, cinnamon bark, nutmeg, ginger, and clove — all organic, too.

"With the popularity of the pumpkin spice flavor profile, we wanted to offer consumers a healthier way to enjoy their favorite fall beverages." said Malk CEO Jason Bronstad in the release. "We have meticulously crafted a pumpkin spice SKU featuring the cleanest ingredients without compromising on delicious flavor."

When Bronstad talks about health, he's referring to claims made in the release that distance the completely organic product from "gums, oils, and fillers." The brand prides itself on these things, plus few enough ingredients to count on one hand — not quite the case for this more intricately spiced product, but surely an exception can be made for that pumpkin pie flavor.

This isn't Malk's only seasonal effort; it's also bringing back its holiday nog made with almonds, maple syrup, nutmeg extract, and Himalayan pink salt. So far there aren't really any exotic flavors on the permanent menu, but a caramel creamer enhances the otherwise vanilla and unflavored line.

For those who feel called by the dairy-free pumpkin spice but don't know what to make with it, Malk has plenty of recipes on its site that might be nice to spice up. The Pumpkin Protein Pancakes are an obvious candidate for an extra bit of pumpkin oomph, as is the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. Actually, there are lots of pumpkin recipes already on the website using other varieties of Malk; but perhaps the Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Bars could use some additional adventure.

Pumpkin Spice Malk ($6.99 for 28 ounces) can be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Erewhon, Gelsons, HEB, Fresh Market, and other local retailers. Find nearby options at malkorganics.com.