Mixin' It Up
Turner employee and wife enjoy success with quick Cajun recipe

David Denicola, a Turner Industries zone planner at Marathon Oil, and his wife, Kim, grew up in southern Louisiana, where Cajun food rules the dinner table. Louisiana classics such as dirty rice, jambalaya and gumbo highlight a cuisine of simple and fresh ingredients. As the Denicolas recognized the lengthy preparation times of each dish, they began testing dry mixes that could produce the same classic dishes in under 25 minutes. "I wanted to find a way to get the same flavor my grandmother did without the hassle," says Kim. In the process, the Denicolas may have found a recipe better than grandma's.

Their ideas culminated in 2009. "I'd make notes about what was wrong, adjust the dry seasonings, make notes, and do it all over again," Kim said, referring to her numerous dirty rice recipes. “The kids were so tired of dirty rice.”

When the Denicolas finally formulated the perfect mix, they had instant success shelving the products at local grocery stores. To date, 18 stores in Southern Louisiana sell Denicola's Foods products