Where to Start with Jennifer Trainer Thompson
Jennifer Trainer Thompson is a cookbook author, food writer, and the creator of Jump Up and Kiss Me, an all-natural line of spicy foods. Nominated three times for a James Beard Award and dubbed the “Queen of Hot” by the Associated Press, she has spent decades exploring the world of chili peppers, hot sauces, and spicy cooking. Her writing balances practical technique with a genuine love for heat, and she brings an easygoing, encouraging voice to subjects that might otherwise intimidate beginners. She has written more than eighteen books, ranging from spicy vegetarian cooking to fresh egg recipes, but her hot sauce work remains her most influential contribution.
Start here
Hot Sauce!
Jennifer Trainer Thompson · 192 pages · 2012 · Easy
Themes: hot sauce, chili peppers, condiment making, spicy cooking, sauce recipes
Thompson’s essential guide to making your own hot sauces at home, covering 32 sauce recipes and 60 dishes built around them. The book walks you through chile varieties, storage, and technique before diving into recipes ranked by heat level.
Why Start Here
This is the book that earned Thompson her reputation as the authority on homemade hot sauce. It combines everything she has learned about chili peppers and spicy cooking into a single, well-organized volume. The structure is smart: you learn the fundamentals of chile types and heat levels first, then move through sauce recipes organized from mild to blistering. Each recipe is practical and clearly written, designed for home cooks rather than professional kitchens.
What sets this apart from other hot sauce books is the second half. Thompson does not stop at sauce-making. She includes sixty recipes for dishes that use hot sauce as a key ingredient, from barbeque and Buffalo wings to bouillabaisse and black bean soup. This means you finish the book with both a shelf of homemade sauces and a solid repertoire of meals to use them in. That practical completeness is rare in the genre.
What to Expect
A medium-length paperback with a friendly, encouraging tone. The recipes are organized by heat level using a one-to-four chile pepper rating system, making it easy to start mild and work your way up. The difficulty level is accessible throughout, and most sauces require common ingredients and basic kitchen equipment. A strong starting point for anyone who wants to move beyond store-bought hot sauce.
Alternatives
Jennifer Trainer Thompson · 352 pages · 1996 · Easy
Thompson’s comprehensive spicy vegetarian cookbook, featuring nearly 200 recipes that draw on cuisines from around the world. The book covers everything from vinegars and condiments to drinks and full entrees, all built around the bold flavors of chili peppers and spice.
Why Read This
If “Hot Sauce!” is Thompson’s focused guide to sauce-making, this is her wide-angle view of spicy cooking. The recipes span multiple ethnic traditions and reflect her belief that vegetarian food should never be bland. You get fiery condiments, spiced drinks, and full meals that prove heat and flavor can carry a dish without meat. The range makes it a useful everyday cookbook for anyone who cooks with chili peppers regularly.
What to Expect
A substantial paperback at 352 pages. The scope is broad, covering breakfast through dessert with global influences. Thompson’s writing is warm and accessible, and she provides enough context on chili varieties and spice levels that you can adjust recipes to your own heat tolerance. Best suited for readers who already enjoy “Hot Sauce!” and want to explore Thompson’s broader approach to spicy cooking.