All our seasonings have a backstory; how I got there and some of the unexpected turns they took to become the great flavors they are now.
Original Rub/Seasoning
My original rub/seasoning originated from trying many different retail seasonings from the grocery store. There was one pinnacle day when I put my own rub together to make beer can chicken that my boys and I liked the best of all that we had tried before. So, after a few minor
tweaks to the ingredient amounts that become my basic BBQ rub/seasoning. This also became my go to when I wanted to try experiment with flavors. I would start with the original rub/seasoning and add other ingredients to it to make different flavors. That technique was a great time saver for me and made it super easy to experiment with new flavors.
Wisconsin Creole Seasoning
As I was developing the creole seasoning, I found my favorite recipe which had the aroma of thyme and oregano. But despite the wonderful flavor, I was repeatedly told that selling a creole seasoning in Wisconsin would never work. So, to appeal to the Wisconsin consumer, I wanted to see if I could improve upon the recipe by adding a touch of Wisconsin – the taste of maple. Specifically, I added maple sugar to the recipe for a touch of sweet, malty notes and horseradish to share the spicy heat with the cayenne which is a staple creole ingredient. And as luck would have it, it turned out absolutely delicious.
Chipotle Seasoning
Chipotle seasoning originates from my youngest son Heath and me. We both love the chipotle flavor and had a favorite retail sauce that was our go to. My goal was to create a seasoning with the same chipotle aroma and flavor in a seasoning blend rather than a sauce.
Ancho Chili with Lime Rub/Seasoning
Ancho Chili with lime rub/seasoning is inspired by the introduction to ancho chilis from a friend and subsequent recipes that I found using them. This rub/seasoning is a great combination of chilis like what you might find in mole (a traditional sauce used in Mexican cuisine). A combination of chilis, dark brown sugar which keeps the spicy heat at bay, and lime flavor to
complement the chili blend.
Caribbean Dessert Seasoning
As a kid I grew up eating sugar/cinnamon on toast – it was a staple in our house. As I learned more about grilling and the idea that sweets foods, like fruit could also be grilled, I wanted to make a seasoning that would be both versatile and easier to use for that toast in the morning or grilled pineapple as an evening dessert. My Caribbean dessert seasoning is a combination of
cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves (which are Caribbean flavors).
Maple Nut Dessert Seasoning
As I was experimenting with maple sugar for the Wisconsin Creole seasoning, I could not get over how amazing that ingredient was. Immediately, I knew that I wanted my second dessert seasoning to have that flavor. One morning having a cinnamon roll with orange icing on it, I found the ingredients for the maple nut seasoning, another great dessert seasoning for toast, fruit, or coffee.