The Magic Valley Pantry

STORY BY NOELLE BRESSON

Apple Cider Vinegar Hand Soap

Thanks to ButterFaye Organics, we can kiss kitchen germs goodbye with Cash Casia’s Apple Cider Vinegar Hand Soap.

Made with all organic, farm grown lemon, bergamot and sage essential oils, this handmade soap is antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic. It’s perfect to reach for after handling raw meat or working in the yard. While apple cider vinegar can be harsh, this soap also contains coconut, avocado, olive and castor oils as a base to keep your hands soft after each use.

ButterFaye Organics is a side project by alternative medicine guru Cash Casia, who started making home remedies to complement her homeopathy practice during the pandemic. She says her product line started “completely by accident.”

“I took a few hundred bars of soap to the farmers’ market and sold out the same day,” says Casia. “ It’s fun because I get to be creative and combine my knowledge of pre-med chemistry and herbs.”

She’s expanded her product line to include luxury organic skin care, insect repellent and healing syrup products. You can find her merchandise at various farmers’ markets throughout the Rio Grande Valley.

While experimenting in the kitchen, Tom Dunn of Brownsville created the recipe that we know as Al Chile Salsa.

“We had invited some friends over, offered them some of Tom’s salsa. From that point on, everyone asked us to bring our salsa to parties,” says Tom’s wife Claudia.

Friends and family encouraged the Dunns to take the salsa to the next level, selling it to local stores, but they were very busy raising their young children. Claudia says, “It seemed unreachable.”

That all changed in 2021, though, when Claudia debuted Al Chile Salsa on Instagram. After posting a picture of their homemade family salsa, just like that her phone pinged over and over with notifications of rave reviews, including “riquisima” (delicious) and “once you start dipping, you can’t stop eating.”

Locally sourced, the salsa contains natural tomatoes, tomatillos, onions, peppers, garlic and a unique blend of spices and is made with “pride and honor” in Brownsville.

Al Chile Salsa is perfect by itself with tortilla chips or for adding flavor to your recipes at home.

Many local restaurants and stores in Brownsville carry the salsa, and you may also purchase it online at alchilesalsa.com.

Visit butterfaye.com for locations and product info.

SEASIDE WOOD CO. MORTAR AND PESTLE

Ivan Benavides, local artist, owner and “wood turner” at Seaside Wood Co. has created a mortar and pestle that looks like a work of art. Benavides makes all of his products out of Texas timber found in the landscape around us here in the Rio Grande Valley.

In 2017, Ivan, a former professional photographer, was looking for a new art form to try and decided on wood turning.

“My wife and I would drive around just to see what we could find. At first I kept picking up driftwood, but I soon learned that driftwood didn’t work.” Now, instead, Benavides takes pride in using Texas native trees such as mesquite, fresno and ebony. “All of my pieces start off as a log. In that way, each creation is unique.”

You can use his beautiful mortar and pestles to grind spices and make salsa, sauces, guacamole — the options are endless.

Check out his other creations on Instagram @seasidewoodco or on Facebook.

I Love Chamoy

Annie Leal admits she wasn’t looking to get into the food business but her calling came shortly after her father was diagnosed with diabetes. “My dad had his own drawer of sugar free candy filled with all sorts of sweets and chocolate, but there was no sugar free Mexican candy [available].”

This surprised her, as the family originated from Monterrey, Mexico and often had spicy and sweet treats on hand. Chamoy was always a staple in their home.

Leal wanted to create a chamoy that her dad and others trying to limit their sugar intake could enjoy and love. It took her six months of testing recipes and ingredients to develop a formula that her family approved. The result is a sugar- and carb-free candy sauce made with a special blend of spices, lime powder, monk fruit and hibiscus for the bright color.

Using her background in social media and marketing, Leal launched I Love Chamoy in 2021. Since then, the business has been an “incredible experience,” she says.

In 2022, I Love Chamoy was named the grand prize winner in the H-E-B Quest for Texas Best, a huge accomplishment for the McAllen native. Now, Leal is working on expanding the I Love Chamoy line with new flavors. “Stay tuned!” she says.

To get your hands on a bottle, shop at ilovechamoy.com or your local H-E-B store.

What’s in your kitchen?

What RGV products do you like?

Send us a note at hola@ediblergv.com.