ANNE KALLAS/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Rosemarie's Hot Sauce was on display at the Westlake farmers market on Sunday.

Rosemarie Mildengren of Thousand Oaks always wanted to cook and sell her homemade hot sauce as a way to make extra money.

But when she looked into bottling her tasty sauce, which she cooked up in her kitchen, she found that the rules and regulations would make it almost impossible to accomplish her dream.

"Three years ago, my family and friends told me to make the sauce and sell it. I tried to get a permit, but I was told I could not make it in my home," Mildengren said. She looked for someone who could help her bottle her hot sauce, but the minimum orders were for 5,000 cases, which was far too expensive.

Someone told her about Red Hot Foods.

"I was just desperate to make this. The recipe is really good. Then I found out about those people at Red Hot Foods and they made this happen," Mildengren said as she gestured at the bottles she had on display at the Westlake farmers market where she now sells her hot sauce.

A native of Sweden, Mildengren said she had always been fascinated with peppers and the way they made her food taste. She experimented with making salsas.

"After my family and friends commented to me that I had found the right flavor and consistency for my salsa, they encouraged me to create a hot sauce where the flavor would not disappear, but linger from mouthful to mouthful," she wrote in a piece displayed at her booth.

Butch and Burma Baselice of Red Hot Foods said they helped Mildengren understand the bottling process, as well as comply with the regulations governing food manufacturing. They said they enjoyed working with her in developing her product.

Mildengren had one batch made in October, and it has been selling well.

"It's very pure and fresh. I use Fresno and habanero peppers, which are washed and cleaned and put in a mixture with just a few other ingredients," she said.

She said she sold about seven bottles at the Westlake farmers markets on her first outing, and she's been selling them at the family business, Hockey Alley in Newbury Park, where she has sold six boxes.

She said her experience with the Baselices couldn't have been more pleasant.

"I feel like they are my own family," she said.

Rosemarie's Hot Sauce is $9.95 for an 8-ounce bottle. For information, call 796-6092.

My friend, RoseMarie was in the Ventura County Star today, with her new, awesome hot sauce!