Brooke Sehenuk always had a passion for food and years ago, began making mustard and giving it to family and friends as Christmas gifts. Little did she know, her passion for food eventually would lead to a successful business with her husband, Matt, and a high honor at the Napa Valley Mustard Festival.

When Sehenuk decided to pursue her passion for food and open her own business, the only thing she knew is whatever food she made, she wanted it to be something that could be packaged.

That is when her husband recommended mustard. She had been making it for years and by then, people were requesting it, according to Sehenuk.

They began the business making sweet and spicy mustard, hot wing sauce and barbecue sauce.

Over time, Sehenuk added eight more mustards – beer and garlic, which is made with Yuengling Beer; dill and garlic; blueberry, which is the third highest seller; strawberry; mango habanero; keylime and pineapple; apple and pumpkin; and cranberry and honey, according to Sehenuk.

The products also are all natural and have no preservatives in them, according to Sehenuk.

Not before long, the demand grew so rapidly that Sehenuk needed to resign from her corporate job and focus 100 percent of her time on the new business, Wild Mountain Gourmet.

“The day I decided to resign was a huge step. I think that making that decision and deciding to do this, I knew that I was going to make it work,” Sehenuk said.

The business became official last January. However, the product was not ready for sale until April, by the time the jar labels could be ready, according to Sehenuk.

Because of the cost associated with advertising, Sehenuk chose to forego advertising.

“Before running the business, I worked in the corporate world and understood sales and marketing,” Sehenuk said.

According to Sehenuk, she would take her products to farm shows and festivals.

“We did a farm show in June in Harrisburg. More than 100,000 people came through there. These types of events have really helped us in getting our name out there,” Sehenuk said.

The biggest accomplishment so far has been Sehenuk’s success at this year’s Napa Valley Mustard Festival.

Of the 19 categories in the festival, there were about 360 entries. The business won gold in the sweet and hot category for its sweet and spicy mustard, won bronze for its key lime and pineapple mustard and won the grand championship of the entire festival, according to Sehenuk.

“Of the 19 gold medals, they picked one grand champion and we were chosen. At the time, we were in business just a little over a year,” Sehenuk said. “One of my greatest moments so far was when they called and told me I was the grand champion. To be awarded this after only one year in the business was amazing.”

Today, Sehenuk deals with 30 different wholesalers in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida and Virginia that sell her products.

“Winning that award has brought us business. It brought us four new wholesalers,” Sehenuk said. “There is a mustard museum in Wisconsin and they order a lot of mustard from us,” Sehenuk said.

Other local places that sell the mustard are Wegman’s, Weis, Tony’s Deli, Eagle Rock Winery and in the Williamsport Growers Market, according to Sehenuk.

The company’s long term goal is to be 100 percent wholesale, according to Sehenuk.

Aside from local farm shows and businesses, Sehenuk’s products may also be found online at www.wildmountaingourmet.com.

This a wonderful party appetizer. It is always a big hit and a lot of fun. This will be sure to wow your friends and family.

• 12 Large Raw Shrimp Cleaned
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 cup(s) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 5 1/2 ounce(s) of Good White Tequila
• 4 tsp. of Kosher Salt
• 4 tsp. of Fresh Black Pepper
• 3 Limes
• 1 Fresh Mango Chopped
• 1 cup(s) of Fresh Sliced Peaches Chopped
• 1/2 Large Red Onion Chopped
• 2 tbsp. of Fresh Cilantro Chopped
• 1 tsp. of Fresh Cilantro Finely Chopped
• 12 ounce(s) of Whipped Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 2 Green Onions Chopped
• 1/2 English Cucumber Chopped

1. Mango Peach Salsa: Chopped Mango, Peaches, English Cucumber, Red Onion, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper and the juice of one lime. Toss together.




2. Shrimp Marinade: extra virgin olive oil, 4 oz Tequila, juice of one lime and rind of lime, 2 fresh chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Place in large zip lock bag and place the raw shrimp in bag. Marinade for 15-20 minutes.




3. Cream Mixture: Combine in a large bowl Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 1 chopped garlic clove, teaspoon of Cilantro, 1.5 oz Tequila, green onions, juice of 1/2 lime,1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Mix well. Then place the mixture in a large zip lock bag and snip off a corner of bag.




4. Cooking the Shrimp: Cook the shrimp on a grill either charcoal or gas. You should cook on each side for about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.




5. Assemble: Using a slice of lime rub the rime of the square shot glass or your glass of choice then dip in a plate of 2 teaspoons each of the kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, continue until all 12 glasses are complete. Next you will place some of the salsa in the bottom of glass, then layer cream cheese mixture then small amount of salsa, next place a shrimp on rim. Repeat until all 12 are complete.

Enjoy!!

• 1 Lemon Flavored Cake Mix
• 2 3.4 oz Size Boxes of Jell-O Brand Instant Lemon Pudding
• 1 Envelope of Dream Whip
• 1 cup(s) of Water
• 2/3 cup(s) of Canola or Vegetable Oil
• 5 Large Eggs
• 16 ounce(s) of Original Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)
• 1/2 cup(s) of Butter
• 7 1/2 cup(s) of Confectioners 10-X Powdered Sugar
• 2 tsp. of Real Vanilla Extract
• 3 tbsp. of Heavy Cream
• 3 Lemons
• 24 Paper Cupcake Liners

1. CUPCAKES : Preheat oven to 350°.In a large mixing bowl combine the lemon cake mix, envelope of Dream Whip, 2 packages of Lemon Flavored Jell-O instant pudding, water, oil, 4 eggs and the zest of 1 lemon. Mix until just combined and then mix on medium high for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
2. Prepare filling mix: In a medium size bowl combine; 8 oz package of original Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 1 egg slightly beaten, 1/2 cup of sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest ( about half of a lemon). Mix until combined and mixture is creamy.
3. Place 24 liners into cupcake pans. Place one tablespoon or one small scoop of cake mix in each liner. Then place a teaspoon or small scoop of filling in each liner and follow with cake mix on top until all 24 are complete. Place in the preheated oven and set timer for 20 minutes.
4. FROSTING : While the cupcakes are baking you will want to prepare your frosting. In a large mixing bowl combine; 8 oz package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, butter. Cream mixture until fluffy. Add in 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract, 4 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice and half of the 7 cups of powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined add in other half of powdered sugar mix on low until combined. Add in 3 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix on low until combined. Once combined you will need to mix on high speed to get a creamy spreading consistency. If the frosting is to thick you can add the other tablespoon of heavy cream to mixture. Add the zest of 1 lemon to the frosting. Cover and put aside
5. Check the cupcakes to see if they are done by seeing if the spring back when touched in the middle. Remove cupcakes from the oven. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack. Cool for about 20 minutes before frosting. Frost your cupcakes and top with fresh lemon zest. You are ready for a taste enjoy!

Apicius, De Re Culinaria

Believed to be the oldest cookbook in the Western world, it is supposed to have originated in the 3rd century and written by one Caelius. Apicius’ work is of great interest for its insights into the daily life of the Romans and to students of diet and health. There were three Roman gastronome named Apicius but the book was composed by none of them but by a later writer, one Coelius or Caelius, who linked his own name with that of Apicius in order to promote his work. The first edition appeared sometime between 1483 and 1486.

More information about this can be found at the K-State Libraries online here

1930 Michael Cullen opens America’s first supermarket in Queens, NY and names it King Kullen. Source: Supermarket Business, November 1995 (50th Anniversary Issue).

1962 Giant Food, Landover, MD, introduces the first in-store pharmacy. Source: Supermarket News, July 22, 2002.

We’ll be leaving Thursday to head to Napa Valley to accept our awards. So excited our mustards have been given the highest accolades!! Stay tuned for updates and pics of the trip!

Chalk one up for the little guys!!

It’s official now, Wild Mountain Gourmet has been chosen as the GRAND CHAMPION of the 2010 Napa Valley Mustard Competition, as well as taking two other awards.  Here’s the official website… Napa Valley Mustard Competition

Ok, need some input here. Going to start a list of all the crazy/funny/strange sayings that I’m known to come up with. Just need help coming up with a name for this column. So far I have:

Saucy Sayings by Sehenuk

Send me your ideas!! Here’s a few to get it started…

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Never take Life Seriously, Nobody gets out alive anyway.

If it weren’t for Thomas Edison, we’d all would be watchin tv in the dark!!

Always forgive your enemies, it annoys them

What if the hokey pokey Is what it’s all about?

I’m not smiling at you. I’m just trying not to laugh

If you jogged backwards … would you gain weight?

And yes, I have plenty more wittiness in me!! Is that even a word??

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montoursville’s own Wild Mountain Gourmet wins GOLD at
World-Wide Mustard Competition in Napa Valley

Wild Mountain Gourmet Sweet & Spicy Mustard has won a gold medal in the Sweet – Hot category at the 2010 Napa Valley World-Wide Mustard Competition. Their Key Lime & Pineapple Mustard also picked up a victory capturing the Bronze in the fruit category.

Established to promote the California wine country as a destination during the winter months, the Napa Valley Mustard Festival’s World-Wide Mustard Competition pits the tastiest condiments in the world against one another to decipher the best. Chefs and food journalists judged over 300 entrees in 18 categories in the 17th annual event.

Brooke and Matt Sehenuk of Montoursville, owners of Wild Mountain Gourmet, plan to accept the highly sought after gold and bronze metals during the award ceremony held at the Black Stallion Winery in Napa. The secret to Wild Mountain Gourmet’s mustards and sauces is simple. It begins with high quality, all natural ingredients, carefully crafted recipes, and owners’ pride. We’re pleased to earn this industry recognition of our personal commitment to finding the perfect combination of flavors in our mustards.

Wild Mountain Gourmet, Inc. has been family owned and operated for less than a year. The company makes a variety of products including a barbecue sauce, hot wing sauce, and several varieties of gourmet mustards. Wild Mountain Gourmet Inc products are sold to grocery and fine food retailers, and can also be found at many food shows and events in the Mid Atlantic region. A full lineup of products are also available online at http://www.wildmountaingourmet.com

Contact:

Brooke Sehenuk
Brooke@wildmountaingourmet.com
Wild Mountain Gourmet
1165 Mountain Rd
Montoursville Pa 17754
888-435-5605
http://www.wildmountaingourmet.com