Happy Birthday

Next time you reach across the table for that iconic bottle of hot sauce, be sure to say "Happy Birthday."

Tabasco sauce, that red hot set-your-mouth-ablaze pepper sauce, celebrates its 140th birthday this year. Created in 1868 in Avery Island, La., the sauce is made from peppers grown on the island and mixed with salt derived from a natural salt deposit.

Celebrate the milestone with this recipe:

Creole Jumbolia
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound fresh, pure pork sausage, removed from casing
1 fryer chicken (3 1/2 pounds to 4 pounds) cut into serving pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups long grain rice
1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
2 teaspoons original Tabasco sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring to break the meat up, until all pink has disappeared or 5-6 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Season the chicken pieces with the salt. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the chicken and brown evenly on all sides. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully drain off any excess oil that has accumulated in the pot.

Add the sausage, rice, tomatoes, broth and Tabasco sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed or about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Serve warm from pot.