Jennifer's Sauce Goddess Dream

The Sauce Goddess Story - Jennifer’s long road so far

What’s in a Name?
A lot of people ask me where I got the name Sauce Goddess. Well, it actually is kind of a joke (a nickname they used) among some of my friends in the printing industry. They used to call me Litho Goddess because it seemed I was the only woman in the business. When I started the sauce company, it seemed to fit. I love being a goddess of anything.

The Early Road…
I have been cooking for many years, since I was kid. I remember trying to cook all kinds of things throughout high school and college. I really got much better at it as a young adult as I started experimenting with different flavors in the kitchen. Some experiments were good and I developed them even more, and some, well, they just ended up in the trash. I developed a love of having gourmet dinner parties for my friends. They loved it too. My friends loved the treat of having someone cook great food for them (I’m no slouch after all) and I loved having people around to share my passion with.

A Dream is Born
Around 1990 or so, I finally got my Dad to let me write down his terrific recipe for his sweet BBQ sauce. He has been making it ever since I can remember and it’s the best. He never uses measuring cups, so it was a real stretch for him to measure while I was writing it all down. With the recipe for my dad’s special sauce I had loved so much growing up, I began making ribs for my friends and they all just started raving about the sauce. They commented about how great it was and suggested that I start a company to be able to share my sauce with others. So, one day we’re sitting at the beach - Barb, Krumbien, Dawn, and I don’t recall who else - and they started really getting after me about not taking the chance. The comment that sticks with me to this day was, “Don’t waste it, Jen. You don’t want to look back later one day and wonder what if I had ever done something with that sauce recipe.” So the challenge was born. I began hunting websites and promptly found one that had the headline, SO YOU WANT TO START YOUR OWN SAUCE COMPANY DO YOU? I couldn’t believe it. It was like a sign from the universe urging me to go ahead with my dream. I found a co-packer in Ventura and we met many times at a roadside diner in Long Beach to make inventory transfers, he in his unmarked van and me in my little sedan. I’m sure it looked funny. I’d drive back to San Diego with my little car so loaded down, it’s a wonder I didn’t get stopped at all.

With a Little Help From My Friends…
My friends helped me taste test, tweak, proofread labels and signs, pack and ship, promote (Jolinda, Carolyn, Mario and Karin-even in 105 degree heat of 2006 Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival), cook... the list goes on. I originally started with two Grill Glaze sauces: Sweet Grill Glaze (which is a take off “girl glaze” - thank you, Drew) and Spicy Grill Glaze. The Sweet one was basically my dad’s recipe with a bit more garlic (‘cuz I love garlic). The Spicy one was not as sweet, yet I added a really fun kick of heat (this one stands out as my personal original sauce since I like sweet and heat together).

Getting Off The Ground – Running!
Oddly, the sales road was easy at first. A few weeks before Christmas in 2001, I called the owner of Great News! Cookware and Cooking School (knew him because a foodie friend of mine and former roommate, Bob, had been his store manager). He called me back telling me that he never does this in December because it’s the holiday shopping season, but he loved my sauce and wanted to feature it in a class in January, and asked me how much product could I get him by then. This was the connection I needed to get me started and I was hooked! Then, a friend told me to call Jeff at Iowa Meat Farms because he loves local products. He told me to bring in some jars to sell, and then one of his butchers, Dick told me to call Lisa at Harvest Ranch Market in Encinitas because she would like it too. I had hit on this wonderfully tight group of quality people who love to see a local company grow and loved the product to boot.

Growing My Product Line
In 2004, after about a year of fiddling with different ideas, I finally introduced my Steak Sauce and transformed my two existing glazes into vegan products by eliminating the Worcestershire sauce. The Big Tangy Steak Sauce is a totally different flavor and usage than my glazes. It works well to use this one as a marinade, but it’s just as great on wings or pork, if you like that Carolina vinegar-style BBQ sauce.

The Spice Of Life!
Since 2000 or so I have been making gifts of spice mixes for friends as Christmas presents. I’d put them in small jars with cork tops. The combination of spices produced really great flavors: Moroccan Twist is one of those rubs. My friend Wendy used to do this dance and sing a silly jingle while hanging out watching me cook with it for dinners – so I dubbed the rub, Moroccan Twist. I created the BBQ Sweet Heat in response to heat-heads who think my Sweet & Spicy Grill Glaze is not hot enough. It has the same dry ingredients as the sauce. So, feel free to rub it on, crust it up, sauce it up, and sweat. It’s a really great rub solo, but a little does go a long way.

Awards and Acknowledgements
Along the way I’ve won a few awards with the Sweet & Spicy Grill Glaze: winning 3rd place at the 2004 Fiery Food Challenge and 2nd place in the 2005 Scovie Competition.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who truly made a difference in my life, inspired me to do what many may think is crazy because I want to be able to look back and I say I did it. I went for my dream. So Linnae, Barb, Patti, Val, Amber, Dillon, Park, and especially my Mom and Dad (you awesome chef, you) I thank you for all your support and encouragement.

Thank you for helping me change the way people think about cooking. Make it fun and easy, make it with good ingredients, and make it obscenely delicious!