By Katelyn Smith
Photos by Kathleen Ivy
Fall is a time for fellowship. Friends come over to watch football in the living room, treats are handed out on Halloween and families gather around the table to reflect on what they are grateful for over the past year.
Fellowship and food can go hand in hand, from tailgating snacks to Halloween desserts and Thanksgiving dinner. However, what if the food could be healthier yet still delicious and packed with flavor?
Trussville Natives Drew and Karen Clark are the proud founders of DAK’s Spices, a line of salt-free seasonings they created for anyone and everyone. By perfecting their 21 special spice blends, they have set out on a journey to prove that healthy cooking can be just as flavorful.
Before they met, Karen began blending spices when she was in high school. Both of her parents struggled with heart problems, especially her father, and a heavy salt intake could be detrimental to their health.
“We always struggled to find low-salt or no-salt options,” Karen said. “The options out there are not the greatest, and so that kind of served as my inspiration for making my own seasonings and spices that could help him (her dad) have some flavorful food.”
She and Drew eventually met on the dating website Match while she was in Tuscaloosa, and he was in Birmingham. They began dating, and Karen noticed that his diet was unhealthy, leading her to start cooking healthy meals for him with spices she had blended herself.
Shocked at how amazing her food tasted, Drew could not believe that it was made with little to no salt. When he saw the bottles of spices she had mixed scattered around the kitchen, he was suddenly struck with an idea.
“He was like, ‘You know what? You should sell this,’” Karen recalled. “And me being the non-entrepreneur, I was like ‘No way, no one would buy this or want this at all,’ and he was like, ‘No, let’s try it.’”
Even though they were prepared to fail, they decided to try it out by making some spice bottles and giving them out to friends and family. Based on their positive reactions, Drew and Karen then began selling them at The Market at Pepper Place in Birmingham.
Following their success, they officially launched their business in 2010, dedicating most of their time and resources to it, despite having other jobs. While Drew is a real estate appraiser, broker and realtor, and Karen is a clinical psychologist, they joke that they are part-time “flavor-ologists.”
The company name, DAK’s, stands for Drew and Karen, which their friends referred to them as while they were dating, since they were inseparable from the day they met.
“Karen cooked for everyone because she loves to cook, and she’s a chef at heart,” Drew said about his wife when they started dating. “So, we would have dinner parties, and people would say, ‘Where are y’all going?’ ‘We’re going to DAK’s.’”
The name stuck and worked perfectly for their business. The four-letter word is still stamped on the front of every colorful, illustrated spice bottle.
Each of their seasonings features a specialty blend of high-quality spices with no MSG or added salt.
Several dieticians at Grandview Medical Center and UAB hospitals have even started recommending DAK’s to their patients who struggle with cardiac problems, among other conditions, where too much salt can be extremely harmful.
“When we initially went in, we were like, ‘Well, we’re going to cater to the health-conscious people,’ but it turned out to be not the case and that we really cater to anybody,” Drew said.
Despite many consumers being hesitant to try their products due to being partial to salt, Drew and Karen eventually saw a change in their behavior when they tried it. They showered them with compliments, stating that they could not believe there was no salt in the spices, and they kept coming back for more.
With their bold and flavorful spices, DAK’s has helped people move away from salt for the better. Even their daughter has joined in on the fun of spice making, as have her cousins, making DAK’s into a family business that Drew and Karen hope will become a generational endeavor.
Although they originally started selling their spices in person at the farmers market, they have now shifted to selling them online through their website, where they also share many recipes featuring their spices. With the fall season in full swing, Drew and Karen have plenty of recipes that are perfect for the slight chill in the air or when a game is on television.
One of their favorite spices to use during this season is their Butt Kickin’ Buffalo seasoning.
“Here comes football, and buffalo comes out,” Karen joked. “You can obviously make buffalo wings; you can put the seasoning in buffalo hot sauce, and then everyone loves that buffalo chicken dip.”
Fall is also a great season to break out the grill to make steaks and hamburgers or to smoke pork and ribs. That makes it a perfect time to try out the Steakhouse blend, filled with fresh-cracked peppercorns, mustard seeds, onion and garlic herbs for a smoky flavor.
Another excellent seasoning for any type of meat is the Red Mountain Rub, which is partly inspired by Red Mountain in Birmingham. It features onion, paprika, garlic, peppers and granulated molasses, which gives the meat a nice, sweet glaze.
In addition to football, it would not be fall without pumpkin spice, and DAK’s has its very own blend. Filled with cinnamon, honey and a mix of spices, the pumpkin spice can be used in many fall desserts, such as a classic pumpkin pie, or pumpkin waffles and pumpkin banana muffins, two recipes found on their website. The spice is also a great accent to use sprinkled on top of lattes, ice cream and oatmeal.
Karen also recommends their Nothin’ But Ranch seasoning for a fall, slow-cooker meal, such as buffalo ranch chicken dip or buffalo chicken pasta, another recipe on their website.
DAK’s fun and creative names are another way they stand out among other spice brands.
“We tried to be kinda cute, like you know, Taco Knight is taco and knight, like a knight in shining armor,” Karen said with a laugh.
Both Drew and Karen have been incredibly grateful for their brand’s success and for the city of Trussvill’’s support. Recently, Henrietta’s Deli has begun to sell some of DAK’s Spices in its store. Even their daughter’s teachers have become fans of the local spices.
“We love our fans, and we love new fans,” Drew said. “We love turning people into fans. Seriously, once people try our product, they really stay hooked.”
Drew and Karen hope to continue showing people there is more spice to life than salt.
Find DAK’s recipes and purchase their spices online at daksspices.com or on Amazon. To keep up with news and ideas, find them on Facebook (Dak’s spices) and Instagram (@daksspices).
DAK’s Picks
Drew’s Favorites
Steakhouse
– used on steak, burgers and bacon
Kaboom
– used on everything
Karen’s Favorites
Super Greek
– used on chicken, salad, eggs and vegetables
Taco Knight and Street Taco
used on taco meat
DAK’s Butt Kickin’ Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive or canola oil
- 4 Tablespoons DAK’s BUTT KICKIN’ BUFFALO (adjust to taste for more or less heat)
- 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup Franks Hot Sauce or Frank’s Buffalo Sauce
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- ½ cup blue cheese (optional)
Directions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Stir in 2 Tablespoons BUTT KICKIN’ BUFFALO and all the apple cider vinegar. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add hot sauce and cream cheese. Reduce heat to low, and stir until cream cheese melts.
- Stir in blue cheese (if using).
- When cheeses are nearly melted, add celery and remaining 2 Tablespoons of BUTT KICKIN’ BUFFALO. Stir until well blended.
To Serve
- Cold:Serve with chips, over lettuce or spinach, or in a tortilla wrap.
- Hot:Pour into greased baking dish, top with cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of BUTT KICKIN’ BUFFALO. Bake at 375°F for 10–15 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve with chips.
Note: Adjust the amount of BUTT KICKIN’ BUFFALO seasoning to control the heat level.
