Fort Wayne – Joseph M. Johnson III is an attorney and the chief public defender for Adams County. He and his wife, Amanda, have two children, Ellie, 7, and Jack, 4.

Since 2004, he’s been making about 50 bottles a year of his own hot sauce and passing it out to friends. Recently, Johnson, 35, decided to start selling it.

A 5-ounce bottle of Joe’s XXX Hot Sauce sells for $6 and is available at the Double Eagle Club House Grille in Decatur or at www.joesxxxhotsauce.com.

In addition to being a hot sauce entrepreneur, Johnson is also a member of the Fowl Butt Barbecue team, which includes four other Decatur residents. They compete as part of the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

Q. Who does most of the cooking at home?

A. I do. Amanda does more of the baking. My wife is a part-time dental hygienist and teaches dance. I like to do it.

Q. What’s your favorite cookbook?

A. “The Cook’s Country Kitchen” from America’s Test Kitchens, but I don’t go by recipes a lot. This magazine I like, too – “Cuisine at Home.” It’s got really good recipes in it, and it has tips and techniques on different things.

Q. What’s one thing people won’t find in your refrigerator?

A. Seriously, you won’t find liver. That’s one that’s never been in my refrigerator unless it’s for catfish bait.

Q. Who is your cooking idol?

A. Jacques Pepin. I just love watching him. He’s really good with a knife. Most of those French cooks are good with knives. He can seriously work a knife, which I think is important.

Q. What’s your “go-to” meal?

A. I always have ahi tuna. I sear it up in a couple of minutes and serve it up over a salad. For the family, we usually eat a full dinner every night. Usually we have steak on hand. We grill a lot. A couple times a week.

Tidbits:

I still want to learn …

A. How to make a really good homemade pizza. Like a pizza margherita with a few ingredients and a nice crust. An Italian-style pizza.

I can’t wait to …

A. See if this hot sauce business takes off.

Joe’s Crab Cakes

1/2 cup crushed Funyuns onion-flavored rings

1/2 cup crushed Chicken in a Biskit crackers

2 eggs, beaten

12 ounces lump crab meat

2 tablespoons chopped green onion (green and white parts)

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon spicy mustard

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Few dashes of hot sauce

1/2 cup cooking oil for frying

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and gently fold together so that the lump crab meat does not fall apart. When fully combined, portion the mixture into 4 equal-sized balls, then press them into cakes.

Heat the cooking oil in a non-stick skillet. When the oil is hot, gently place the cakes into the skillet and cook until golden brown on the bottom. When browned on the bottom, gently turn the cakes and cook until golden brown.

Serve drizzled with lemon chipotle aioli (recipe below). Makes 4 crab cakes.

Lemon Chipotle Aioli

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 chipotle pepper (canned, minced fine; reserve 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce from the can)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Few dashes hot sauce

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

Take one chipotle pepper from the can and remove the seeds. Mince the pepper as fine as possible. Add about 1 tablespoon of the reserved adobo sauce. Add all ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk together well until combined. Makes 1/2 to 2/3 cup.

Seared Spicy Asian Ahi Tuna Steaks

2 (6-ounce) ahi tuna steaks

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon Sriracha hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon wasabi powder

2 tablespoons coarse-ground black pepper

3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided

Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, Sriracha sauce, red pepper and wasabi together until fully combined. Marinate the tuna steaks in the mixture for half an hour. (Do not marinate much longer as the tuna really soaks up the marinade).

Remove the tuna from the marinade and pat dry with paper towel. Brush both sides of the tuna steaks with 1 tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoon of the black pepper on each side and press it softly onto the tuna.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet until almost smoking. When heated, place the tuna steaks in the pan and sear on both sides. For a very rare tuna, cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Serve over soba noodles with Asian vegetables (recipe below). Makes 2 servings.

Soba Noodles with Asian Vegetables

8 to 10 ounces soba noodles

3 green onions

1 medium carrot

1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms

1/2 red bell pepper

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha hot pepper sauce

Pinch black pepper

2 tablespoons cooking oil

Cook noodles according to package. Julienne all vegetables, except mushrooms, into thin 1-inch strips. Whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, Sriracha sauce and black pepper until combined.

Heat cooking oil in a non-stick skillet. Sauté vegetables, including mushrooms, in the hot oil for about 2 minutes until al dente. Add sauce mixture to the skillet along with the cooked and drained noodles. Gently combine the vegetables, sauce and noodles. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Serve hot from the skillet. Makes 2 servings.