Two Cookin' Sisters Specialty Food Company and Shop

Sometimes the detours in my life are much more interesting than my planned path. Several weeks ago on my way back from visiting with Harvey Gutwein at Gutwein's Popcorn I just happened to notice the cutest little shop with a huge "Made in Indiana" sign hanging over it. A quick turn to the left and I was in the parking lot of Two Cookin' Sisters Specialty Food Company and Shop. Once inside I was dazzled with the kitschy decor and overflowing shelves of Indiana made foods and gifts. Co-owner Kim Robinson greeted me and we became fast, chatty friends. As I browsed the nearly endless line-up of Indiana goodies, she shared the story of the company with me. Kim and her sister, Kristi Robinson Resberger, both Purdue grads and longtime 4-H members, began making Big Sister Salsa in 2001 and launched the product at the Apple-Popcorn Festival in Brookston, Indiana. The rest, as they say, is culinary history. The now famous, pepper-based salsa is selling like mad in several Indiana retail outlets.

With the help of their mother, Carolyn Robinson (also a Purdue grad and 4-H leader), the two sisters began to expand their product line to include pickles, jams, jellies, relishes, granola, and salad dressings-- many made with Indiana locally grown ingredients. In 2005, they moved the business from their home to the building they now occupy where they carry their full line of products along with art, gift items, and other specialty foods including honey, cheeses, pickles, and popcorn--all made in Indiana.

The enthusiastic Kim and Kristi always are on the look out for new product ideas and inspiration sometimes comes from the oddest sources. This past summer, a friend of theirs was overwhelmed with too many zucchini in her garden and was more than willing to give them away to the sisters. Soon the ladies were whipping up batches of Sweet Zucchini Relish which they later found out made a sensational tartar sauce for the walleye pike that their parents brought home after a summer fishing trip.

If you can't get to Brookston to visit their store, you can visit their site and order on-line. They'll ship nationwide. Two Cookin' Sisters' standard and customized gift baskets make great birthday, corporate, and holiday gifts. But why wait until the holidays or a special event to enjoy their creations? I think the fall mornings just beg for a breakfast of warm biscuits or English muffins slathered with Grannie's Garden Pumpkin-Pecan Butter or Grannie's Garden Spiced Peach Jam. And whose heart wouldn't melt at the sight of a jar of Grannie's Garden I Love You Jam next to a pile of buttered toast on a breakfast in bed tray?

Kristi and Kim are great examples of what hard work, creativity, and never ending enthusiasm can achieve and are more than willing to share the secrets to their success with others. If you have dreams of starting your own food company, you'd be well advised to read their book " How We Started Our Specialty Food Business" which is available on their site. 

Two Cookin’ Sisters Specialty Food Company & Shop
210 South Prairie Street
Brookston, Indiana
765-563-7377
www.bigsistersalsa.com