5 things about me

I was thinking the other day about how I could help you get to know me and my company better so I’ve written a blog called ‘Five things about me.’ Did you know:

1) I was born in Hannover, Germany. German cuisine and flavors inspire many of my homemade dishes and there’s nothing I love better than sitting down to a plate of meat and potatoes. While I love the richness of European dishes (who doesn’t?), I think sometimes they can be a little heavy handed with butter so I developed my products to be flavorful with little to no fat.

2) I inherited my passion for cooking from my mother, who also had her own store. As a kid, I would spend countless hours bonding with her in the kitchen. I loved spending time with her, learning how to cook and creating decadent meals. If she was alive today, I know she would be proud of my company and store.

3) I have three children: two daughters and a son. One of my daughters is a vegetarian and also had severe food allergies growing up. Finding foods that she could eat was sometimes a struggle and the experience made me aware of other food allergy sufferers. As a result, the entire line of Smokin’ Texas Gourmet products is vegetarian and has reduced sugar, no gluten or MSG. It’s important to me that people with dietary restrictions and food allergies also have the opportunity to enjoy my products.

4) I have an organic chemistry degree, which means in layman’s terms that I’m very good at mixing things. My kids call me a mad scientist, but the truth is I understand how chemicals complement and react with each other and apply this knowledge to my products. You’ll find that my products are perfectly blended and have the right balance of flavor. Also, I was in charge of new product development for a major company at one point in my career, which has helped me tremendously now that I create custom developed sauces for companies.

5) I launched my company after one of my daughters gave me an idea. I’ve always kept my recipes for seasonings and sauces under lock and key, which only seemed to make people want them more. I was telling my daughter one day about the requests and she said, “You’re a chemist. You should just formulate and sell them.” I had always wanted to be in the culinary industry and her casual comment gave me the push I needed to finally follow my dream. I launched the company with my BBQ sauce recipe, which I initially made in my kitchen. I sold it to friends and at the Keller Farmers Market. Our company has grown since then to now include more than 25 Smokin’ Texas Gourmet products, including pepper sauces, salsas, condiments, herb and spice blends, rubs and smoked salts.