Want to know more about the Mosley's? Read the following is an article written 1-19-11.
What started out as an interview with Patty Mosley about her and her husband Kenny's amazing Memphis Sauce, turned into an amazing story filled with romance, historical recipes, and the hope of one day sharing their tasty passion with the world. It didn't take this not so seasoned reporter much time to figure out that the story told in Patty's own words was much better than I could have created. What follows is the true story of the beginnings of Mosley's Memphis Sauce.
Kenny and Patty Mosley
'The Wonders Of'
In a dream I felt I would meet the love of my life by applying for work at the Lake Alpine Lodge on Hwy 4. We met each other while employed there in the summer of 2003. Kenny was a chef after having been a chef of 7 years for his mother’s hotel in Groveland. I was working the store and cabins, taking a sabbatical from a home healthcare job I had been doing for 5 years. I had been on a cruise in the Caribbean, searching the world over for my true love. I returned empty handed with my hair up in corn rows, wearing a flowered summer dress when first our eyes met. We were introduced in the walk in refrigerator which would later be the site of some really warm kisses.
Our first date was at Woods Creek Café for breakfast, a Terminator 3 matinee, and a junk yard parts run. Our first kiss was in the parking lot at Woods Creek on July 25th. Kenny wanted to get married right away. I made him wait for two years to the day. We married on the anniversary of our first kiss; which happened to be a Monday (not the best day for a wedding) but, it was what I promised. We got married by the lake side on July 25, 2005. The pictures are just spectacular!
We went to Memphis where my 4 children had been born to “wrap up some loose ends” from a previous marriage. While there I said, “There is a world famous rib joint I want you to check out.” So down the back alley and into a basement we went where Rendezvous Ribs had been in business since the mid 1950s. There were class pictures including Elvis Presley. Kenny studied them closely to see if his mother’s picture was there as she had attended his same high school. That was when I found out that Kenny had roots in the Mid South too. His dad is from Columbia, Tennessee and his mom is from Memphis where I had spent 10 formative years of my own bearing children. Coincidences seem to thread through my memwars.
We were served plates full of long bone ribs, by servers who were having “way too much” fun. Kenny thoughtfully gnawed on the thready bones then exclaimed, “These ribs are junk!” I said, “How can you say that? They are world famous and have been doing this for five decades!” “Call me an ‘uppity chef’ if you will,” he replied, “but, when we get home I will fix you some of MY ribs!”
When I tasted HIS world class recipe, I said, “If they can make a living selling those ribs, you can make a killing!” I started having dreams of opening a restaurant or somehow putting Kenny’s magic to work. But, restaurants being what they are, we wound up going to work as a mechanic and nursing assistant. In the mean time, we perfected the rib rub and rib glaze and an old family recipe we call Memphis Sauce.
Kenny’s great Aunt Dora Simmons who lived in Memphis during the 1930s wrote the awesome pulled pork recipe which the family cherishes to this day. We found a co-packer, approved a prototype, and designed a label with Aunt Dora’s picture on it. Our first release will be Mosley’s Memphis Sauce which is a hot and slightly sweet sauce that will rival ketchup! It is an oniony sauce with enough chili and pepper flakes to light up your mouth. It was originally written as a pulled pork recipe. But, it is good when used for dipping, spreading, as a bloody marry mix, a marinade, for basting, for pizza sauce, for sloppy joes or whatever you want to add some serious flavor to.
The Memphis Sauce is our first release and the Rib Glaze and Rib Rub are our own copyrights for future production. Mosley Foods is off and running!
Photo of Aunt Dora Simmons
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