32 March 28 • 2019
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any people find joy tinker-
ing in the kitchen, using 
flavors and textures to 
express themselves and sharing with 
those close to them. Avid home chefs 
often hear their friends and family 
suggest they turn pro — sell their cre-
ations in a store or open a restaurant. 
That is usually where the scheming 
ends.
Not so for Mindy Ruben. The West 
Bloomfield resident took her cre-
ations from the kitchen to 
grocery store shelves around 
Metro Detroit. Ruben 
launched Mindy’
s Yummy 
Sauces in late 2018 with 
the cooking sauce “Sesame, 
Sesame.”
“It’
s got a little bit of 
sweetness, a little bit of 
tang,” says Ruben, a mem-
ber of Congregation B’
nai 
Moshe in West Bloomfield. 
“It has a complex flavor with 
many layers to it.”
Ruben began making 
sauces at home 12 years ago 
after being dissatisfied with 
store-bought dressings and 
marinades. Everything tast-
ed too salty or garlicky. She 
wanted to see if she could do 
any better and began com-
bining ingredients.
“I would stand between my pantry 
and my refrigerator and I would close 
my eyes. I would imagine ingredients 
coming together in a bowl. My family 
would always say, ‘
Mom, remember 
how you made this because I want 
this again.’
 Of course, I never wrote 
anything down. This went on for 
years,” Ruben says.
Years later, her youngest and 
soon-to-be college-bound daughter 
encouraged Ruben to take her sauces 
on the road. The new venture allowed 
her to combine her two passions — 
cooking and marketing.
Ruben has been in marketing and 

advertising for more than 30 years 
and has run her own company out of 
her home, all while being a stay-at-
home mom.
The trick was to make the leap 
from the stovetop to the market shelf. 
Ruben decided to focus on the sesa-
me sauce, all while keeping the recipe 
gluten-free and vegan. The idea was 
to make a sauce that everyone could 
eat, regardless of dietary restrictions 
or allergies. She began working in an 
industrial kitchen and even-
tually found a co-packer to 
help with production.
“I want to be the brains 
behind this whole company 
and the progenitor of the 
recipes, and do the market-
ing, branding and selling. I 
really didn’
t want to be mix-
ing this up three days a week 
in an industrial kitchen,” 
Ruben says.
After some cold-calling 
and pavement-pounding, 
Mindy’
s Yummy Sauces are 
in nine stores in the area, as 
well as on Amazon.
Danielle Sprecher has 
known Ruben for 35 years 
and is now a loyal customer.
“I use it primarily on 
salmon and grilled vege-
tables,” Sprecher says. “My 
husband and daughter love when I 
cook with [it].”
Ruben says she could have slipped 
into the leisurely life of an empty 
nester. But she is not ready to kick 
her feet up just yet.
“I’
ll be 53 this month and I feel 
younger than I did when I was 23,” 
Ruben says. “If I’
m going to do this, 
I better do this now because I don’
t 
know what I’
m going to feel like in 
10 years. Right now I feel great. I feel 
energized, vibrant and excited.” ■

Visit mindysyummysauces.com for more info 

or look for it on Facebook.

Sesame, Sesame, the 

first Yummy Sauce 

brought to market

Saucy!

Mindy Ruben took
her own blend from
the stovetop to
market shelves.

ROB STREIT SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Mindy Ruben with her marketing display

business

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Entrees

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Side Dishes

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8.99 
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Matzo Ball 
1.25 
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Potato Anna 
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lb.

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½ doz.

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pt.

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Potato Kugal 
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Matzo Kugal 
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Potato Kugal — 1/2 pan 
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Matzo Kugal — 1/2 pan 
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Bagels 
 1.25 
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Cabbage Salad 
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lb.

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