Awnie McGowan (nee Moreno) has been making salsa most of her life. When Awnie first started making her salsa, some of the wimpier ones who tasted it, like me, were dubious. It was spicy! Later, she also made a mild version.
Last year she did something she had always dreamed of doing. She formed her own company. She began Mouth of the South Salsa Company, and in company with her husband Tony, she spent most of the year jumping through all the hoops and paying the fees that are part of establishing a business.
Awnie’s salsa has earned praise from those who have sampled it. Recently, she entered her Mouth of the South salsas in the prestigious Salsa and Tequila Challenge in Tucson. This annual charity affair draws some of the finest Tucson establishments. Their chefs were resplendent in their white or black coats, and their manner was properly decorous. Awnie, Tony and their friends who attended bantered with tasters, encouraged “shots” of salsa, and in general provided some fun and excitement at the event.
The judges did not award them with a placing, but the crowd voted them their favorites. “The people loved our salsa,” said Awnie, a Patagonia native and PUHS grad.
Awnie McGowan is the granddaugh [text missing]