I began making my own hot sauce during Peace Corps - peppers were plentiful, but good, non-tabasco-style sauces were hard to find (and generally bad). It's always a big hit, but actually really easy to make.

You can also see this recipe in a much more amusing flowchart form (PDF)

• 3 medium diced tomatoes / 1 16oz can
• 4 pods diced garlic
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• juice of 3 limes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 T cumin powder (comino)
• 1 T sage

This is the base. I sometimes withhold some of the chopped onion, tomato and peppers (below) until the very end to make it chunky.

Next we start adding heat:

• 5 T chili powder
• 3 T ground chipotle (optional - gives a nice smoky depth)
• 2 T cayenne powder
• 5 diced jalapenos (seeds optional to add more kick)
• 1 diced habanero (no seeds!)

I usually add four to eight jalapenos with seeds, and 2-3 habaneros or serranos in total (no seeds unless you really want some pain)

I usually start with the lime juice + first round of peppers + garlic + tomatoes in the blender, then start adding the spices and cilantro and such. Always end with a half-shot (that's 2T for those of you following along at home) of tequila or light rum to express the tomato flavor more and diffuse the heat slightly.

Audrey likes to take a bit of this and mix it with whipped cream cheese and a bit of lime for a less burning version...