Chris' Kitchen Has Arrived in East Haven

A new line of artisanal products has emerged in East Haven.

And, with summer grilling on the horizon, the blends of dry spices known as Chris' Kitchen have arrived at an especially propitious time. 

"We do like the 'dry,'" said Carol Kowalczik, manager of business development, entering the fray on whether seasoning for foods should be "wet" or "dry."  Kowalczik said that the dry spices the company offers give a person more control. 

"A 'wet' rub can overcome the item that you're actually going to eat," she said.

The culinary expert behind the product line is Carol's husband Chris, who trained in the culinary arts at Platt Technical High School in Milford. Both Connecticut natives, the two lived briefly in Florida before returning to what Kowalczik termed their Connecticut roots. 

The couple, who have two children, have lived in East Haven for 11 years. Roughly two years ago, they began creating and perfecting different sorts of blends. 

"Chris was drawn to creating new flavors," said Kowalczik. "We went more toward the spices. We are working on sauces as well."  

She noted that one impetus for the business was the health-consciousness that now looms large in many persons' lives. She said the family has a close friend who developed health problems. He has avowed that, without Chris' spices, he would not survive his bland diet.  

She also noted her husband's passion for fresh ingredients in the foods he prepares and his love for cooking in general. 

"Love people.  Cook tasty food"  reads a sticker on the couple's refrigerator, she said. 

According to Kowalczik, test-marketing the blends became a neighborhood affair.   She said that, after testing a blend themselves, the couple would knock on a neighbor's door with either a blend or a leftover from a meal prepared with it.    

"It is important to get feedback," she said. "We don't mass-produce the blends.  We produce on a small scale," she said, observing that most spice blends found in the supermarket have sat in warehouses for months. 

"You're getting something that's fresh."  

The recipes her husband finalizes for their products go to Edgewater, FL.  There, according to Kowalczik, many of the spices they use in their products are grown.  Each order is then prepared individually before it comes back to East Haven. 

"We want to be hands-on," Kowalczik said. 

Earlier this year, Chris' Kitchen began offering its first product — this, Chris' Kitchen Original Grill Seasoning — with three other products expected to join the product line by Memorial Day.   

In addition to the spice blends' availability online at chefchrisk.com, Kowalczik has begun approaching stores and restaurants.  In East Haven, the Corner Stop deli has agreed to sell their blends. The Original Grill Seasoning is  already available at Shaolin Kempo Academy on Frontage Road.   

On May 19, Chris' Kitchen will become the featured local shop for two weeks at the East Haven Stop & Shop, Kowalczik said. The couple also plans to make good use of the summer festivals along the shoreline and elsewhere to introduce customers to their product. 

Yet, Chris' Kitchen, whose products have what Kowalczik termed an element of but not overpowering heat, may soon find shelf space in any number of places.  

"The sky's the limit," Kowalczik said of the line's distribution. "We're trying to think outside-the-box." 

In addition to its website, Chris' Kitchen has a Facebook page.