Not Without Salt

Seattle, Washington

Q: What do you get when you take an aspiring pastry chef, add a few kids, and set them in one of the most vibrant food regions in the country?

A: Really, really good cookies.

Ashley Rodriguez was plating desserts at Spago in Los Angeles and planning on becoming a pastry chef when she found out she was expecting her first child. Her and her husband returned to Seattle and Ashley started cooking at home. In 2006, Not Without Salt was born.

Not Without Salt, was one of Saveur’s Best Food Blogs in 2013. It revolves around healthy handmade foods to feed a family, with it’s fair share of sweets thrown in. One of her recipes, the Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie, was such a fan favorite that she decided to start selling it as a mix. That product soon grew to a whole line, including holiday cookies.