In a small pitcher or a glass, add the vodka, horseradish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and vegetable juice. Cover the glass with a shaker, shake well, and then let rest in the shaker.

Prepare Bloody Mary mix (but with no garnish). Drop one raw oyster into a shot glass. Fill the glass half way with Bloody Mary mix. Add a splash of vodka on top. Chill glasses on crusted ice. Serve immediately.

Rinse the peppers with cold water and dry them with a paper towel. Remove the stems and chop them coarsely. Place the chopped peppers in a stainless bowl, sprinkle the salt on top, stir, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a cool, dry area for 2 days, stirring every 12 hours. All that salt is there mostly to promote ripening of the peppers.

Add the vinegar, and puree with a hand blender or in a food processor. Place in a sterilized glass jar with a fresh, sterilized lid, and refrigerate.

As time goes by, whenever you have an excess of ripe peppers, remove stems, chop and add to the jar. (The salting step isn't necessary for these additions.) When the jar is filled, remove the sauce, puree if you wish, place it in a clean jar, and age it until it reaches the desired flavor ? at least 2 months, or longer.

Use as the hot sauce in many recipes.

Note: Use rubber gloves when handling hot peppers, or wash your hands thoroughly before touching your eyes or skin.

Yield: approximately 1 quart Recipe courtesy Ti Martin and Jamie Shannon, From Commander's Kitchen, Broadway Books 2000.