The Making of a Seasoning
A long, dreary winter + an author between books + a family-favorite seasoning mix + 6 hours on Google
That’s the formula that brought Fat Pants to life.
It was a low-Vitamin-D, gray-sky morning in the middle of February. Fridays are my day off, and I typically spend them outside – but not this week. This Friday was miserably cold. There was nothing to do – hunting season was closed, the lakes were frozen, and the wood had all been chopped and stacked. I don’t handle inactivity well, so as I sipped my first cup of coffee, I started thinking about what I could prepare for dinner that night. I’m a foodie. I cook every night and it’s never drudgery. It’s my chance to create new dishes and bring a little flavor to our home each day. As I imagined various dinner-ideas, my mind started down a different path. Here’s my progression of thought:
I’ve got it! I’ll make sweet potato fries and ribs tonight. That’ll give me a chance to use my favorite seasoning mix.
…
Man, I love that seasoning mix… it’s seriously awesome stuff. More people need to try it. I should buy spices in bulk, make a big batch, and give some away.
…
In fact, I should look into selling it. I wonder how all that works… how much it costs… what are the steps…
…
Google. Google. Google.
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HOT POT OF COFFEE! …I can do this! I need a label.
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Google. Google. Photoshop.
By noon, I had a name for the seasoning mix I had been making for the past five years. By about 4:00, I had a rough draft of a label. Four days later, I had a contract with a fantastic, family-owned spice company in Texas (Zach’s Spice) that specializes in Texas BBQ and dry rubs. Three weeks later – after developing several variations, holding taste-tests, eating an un-recommendable amount of ribs, burgers, and fries – I had the exact formula for Fat Pants (down to the 1/100 of a gram of each natural ingredient).
That’s it. That’s the story of Fat Pants. The rest is history… delicious, finger-licking history!
