Our Story

Our family is deeply rooted in the State of Texas, with her people, her land and the fruits of that land. Texans have earned a reputation as a hardy and determined folk and I am grateful to my forbears for instilling that spirit of determination in me. But native Texans also display a great creative and entrepreneurial spirit. The great industries of oil and cattle that are forever associated with the State of Texas are clear examples of her people’s industry and creativity.  

My mother was born on a small family farm in central Texas and grew up working that farm with her Mother and Father. In addition to raising cows and chickens, they grew a lot of cotton. The sandy soils also produced good melons. She and her Father sold melons and other fresh vegetables from the back of a horse-drawn cart in the nearby towns. She left the farm while still a teenager, married a young man, worked as a waitress, gave birth to a baby girl, and eventually studied to be a beautician. She and her first husband eventually went their separate ways, but with characteristic grit and determination, she owned and operated her own beauty shop in the 1950’s while raising her daughter on her own. She was still the owner of this business when she met and married my father in 1960. I’ve always been proud of her ability to make things happen, no matter the obstacles. She never quit in the face of adversity. No doubt a quality she acquired from choppin’ cotton under the Texas sun! 

My Father was born to 19th century German immigrants and grew up speaking German in the household. Even late in life he was fond of expressing himself in German, preferring to say “Ich liebe dich!” instead of “I love you!” After serving in the First World War, and then as a Merchant Marine, he came to Dallas in 1920 to seek his fortune. He had a three-year commission in the Texas Rangers, but he made his name as a journalist and photographer. He was the official photographer of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition and went on to become a well-known commercial photographer in Dallas. Like my mother, he was also a small business owner when they met.  

So “OK” you ask, “where does the food part come in?” Food was a big part of our family life, and I inherited my love of cooking and working in the kitchen from my parents. Dad was artistic in his professional life and this creativity extended into the kitchen (he was even friends with David Wade, a local Gourmet and Dallas media personality). I learned an appreciation for home grown and homemade foods from my mother, who in addition to being a whiz in the kitchen, knew about fresh ingredients from life on the farm. After growing up eating fresh meats, fruits and vegetables, I never knew her to be satisfied with produce from the grocery store, nor those “cold storage eggs!” Many of my recipes today are inspired by what I learned from them, and so I feel that my cooking is deeply rooted in the traditions of Texas, her people and culture. And I most definitely inherited an entrepreneurial spirit from them both! But where did my cooking career start? 

One word: Baklava. When I was young, in the 1960’s, my parents had a friend with a Greek restaurant. All I remember is the baklava. But the portions were so small! And had my parents not declined my requests for a second serving, I would have eaten my weight. I eventually decided to try and bake baklava myself. Back then, the ingredients weren’t easy to come by but after some phone-calling, I had it all together. I followed the instructions carefully, and success! We enjoyed baklava with dinner for several days, and even had second helpings! 

Once I had conquered baklava, I felt I could make anything. I was fearless. I have shared this spirit of cooking with my family; to be innovative and unafraid in the kitchen, and all three of our kids love to cook. Today, our nuclear family of Native Texans is growing to include an extended family who are also Native Texans. Now we are the parents (and grandparents!) who are passing on that love of preparing and sharing healthy meals with family and friends. As our children find their significant others in life and create the next generation of our family, the kitchen is getting crowded! But we wouldn’t have it any other way, we find great joy in cooking and eating together. Also by cooking for ourselves, we can strive to eat healthier. Since my wife and I have become aware of our food allergies and sensitivities over the years, we stay keenly aware of the ingredients we use to prepare our foods.  

With all this cooking and eating of good food going on, inevitably someone says “This is great! You should sell it!” And we finally decided to do just that. We’ve selected some of our favorite recipes that we have always enjoyed with our family meals, the barbecue sauce, the salsas and especially the bread and butter jalapenos, and have crafted them for sale to you, our extended friends and family. But we also strive to maintain our tradition of cooking with healthy and natural ingredients in the foods we prepare. We sincerely hope you enjoy our recipes as much as we do!