About Charles Street Flavors.

I grew up in a small town in central Wisconsin called Edgar. In 1985, we embarked on raising ginseng by renting land on a nearby dairy farm west of Edgar. Five years later, my parents bought that 80-acre dairy farm. This afforded us the opportunity to continue and expand our ginseng operation and let other interests come to light. Work on the farm was an extended family affair with my parents, siblings and nieces and nephews all involved.

In 1994, I moved to the farm living in the old farmhouse and started my family. As a father of three boys, cooking became a natural pastime. Grilling started as common sense, not to heat up the house when it was hot outside; but it quickly became my passion. (My boys and I preferred to be outside anyway) With the shop being heated with many sliding doors, I could grill in almost any weather conditions – and I did! Although, I have to admit that a -20-degree day with a 25 mph NW wind made it tough.

As a ginseng farmer I would keep a journal of activities and a record of the operation. I continued that habit of recording my activities as I was learning how to grill and cook. Keeping track of what worked out and what did not help me move forward with both different cooking techniques and flavors.

I recall watching the “Frugal Gourmet” with my Father as a kid and as I began to grill and cook I watched American Test Kitchen. Fabulous cooks like Rick Bayless and Aaron Franklin were my inspiration to experiment on the grill and in the kitchen. The most influential show to me was Steven Reichlin’s "Barbeque University".  Learning how to be comfortable and confident around a grill came from his mantra that "grilling should be fun!"

The absolute best tool for any cook/chef is a great audience who are excited to try new flavors and food. My boys and I loved; and continue to love, the adventure of food. Our routine was that I would prepare something, we all tried it, and then would decide if we would prepare it again or if it needed some change. My boys made it easy for me to continue exploring the adventure of food. Both of my parents were great cooks. They always made sure that their kids ate well and had the opportunity to try a lot of different foods and flavors. Many turned into favorites, but like anything, there were also a few that were harder to swallow, like stugenina (polish jellied pigs feet).

I absolutely loved it when my boys would request particular dishes or meals, for example “can we have ribs on Saturday” or “did you make BBQ sauce yet.” There is no better trophy than when you feed your kids and they not only love your cooking, but they also love sharing a meal with you.

Charles Street Flavors came from a combination of my parents cooking, my love for food, many farming experiences, and becoming a cook/grill-master for my boys.
As I started to build up recipes and saw that sharing them with others brought me both pride and joy, the idea of starting a business was born. That idea became real with the support of my family. They are the reason Charles Street Flavors exists; a family bond of loving flavorful food.