Everyone has a favorite spice in their kitchen. Whether you’re a professional chef, your family’s cook, king of the grill, or just a Friday evening kitchen dabbler, you’ve got your go-to spices and sauces. Maybe hot and spicy is your thing or you like things extra salty with strong pepper flavors. Perhaps garlic lights up your palate or, maybe the subtly aromatic flavors of herbs de Provence is your happy place. The spirit of culinary adventure – along with the love of cooking – is the inspiration behind these two Houston-based spice and sauce businesses. Both are led by a trained chef – one trained by the military and the other trained by family and the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). Everyone has a favorite spice in their kitchen. Whether you’re a professional chef, your family’s cook, king of the grill, or just a Friday evening kitchen dabbler, you’ve got your go-to spices and sauces. Maybe hot and spicy is your thing or you like things extra salty with strong pepper flavors. Perhaps garlic lights up your palate or, maybe the subtly aromatic flavors of herbs de Provence is your happy place.
Spices, and our preferences for them, are often strongly based on our family’s traditions, where we’re from, where we live, and where we’ve been. It’s easy to get into a flavor profile and rarely venture out of it. Did you ever wonder if you’re missing out on other amazing flavors? What if you used a different spice on that same chicken dish you make almost weekly? What if you grabbed a different armful of spices and sauces next time you prepare your steak and shrimp for the grill?
That spirit of culinary adventure – along with the love of cooking – is the inspiration behind these two Houston-based spice and sauce businesses. Both are led by a trained chef – one trained by the military and the other trained by family and the CIA (Culinary Institute of America).
Chef Frehde’e Gatewood (aka “Chef Krueger”, which is a hint at Frehde’e’s playful nature) started cooking in middle school and kept cooking through high school. She won a scholarship to the Culinary Institue of America where she honed her intuitive talents and developed her technical skills. After managing a restaurant kitchen and mentoring young chefs through a program for the NAACP, she began Strange Fruits Catering and offers personal chef services, meal preparation, and truly custom catering for events from weddings to corporate gatherings. Fredhe’e developed her sauces and seasoning while developing flavors for her personal chef and catering clients. She was challenged to provide truly unique flavors that are all-natural, organic, and healthy. Her sauce flavors include Sun Gawd, Krueger’s Original Hot, Southern Bell, and Blu Exorcist. Her Krueger’s Original Everything Seasoning is a wonderfully balanced all-seasoning that also works great as a dry rub. Follow her on Instagram (@strange_fruitsllc) where she actively shares new culinary creations as well as her unique and fun personality.
Unc B’s Seasonings was created by Bryanal Davis, a veteran of both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force (he served 6 years in each). He attended culinary school in the Air Force, including 2 years in the culinary master program. Bryanal’s seasonings are flavorful and balanced – delivering robustness without overwhelming your palate with any single flavor. His General Purpose Seasoning is primarily garlic-based without leaving a lingering garlic taste in your mouth. His popular Spicy Heat seasoning is hot, but more flavorful than hot – a heat you can truly taste and enjoy. A surprisingly popular item is Unc B’s On-The-Go Packs, which are single-serving packets of Unc B’s seasonings so you can enjoy your favorite flavor wherever you go. Unc B’s seasonings are available at various stores around Houston, several farmer’s markets, and on the Unc B’s website.
Cooking and grilling can be an adventure and spices and sauces are important elements of the culinary playground. A little of this instead of the usual that can totally change the experience and add to the fun. You may be surprised at what you find. Consider trying these two Houston area spice businesses for your cooking and grilling this weekend.
A Bite of HOPE is a Houston-based non-profit created to improve the future of communities that struggle with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease in Houston. By demonstrating the power that food has over health and by teaching communities how to make simple, cost-effective, and tasty meals, people can manage disease or conditions and will live healthier and happier lives.
Discover more about A Bite of Hope and their programs at https://ABiteofHope.org.
Media Contact
Company Name: A Bite of HOPE
Contact Person: Joseph Brozovich
Email: Send Email
Phone: 806830268
Address:7001 Corporate Dr. Suite #120
City: Houston
State: TX
Country: United States
Website: https://abiteofhope.org
