Sizzle & Swing TM   is a privately owned producer of gourmet seasonings designed to assist the home cook in preparing delicious cuisine easily, no matter the level of expertise. Our simple herb and citrus based seasonings make gourmet cooking accessible.

 

Sizzle & Swing TM is the brain-child of jazz vocalist and Manhattan Transfer co-founder, Erin Dickins. New York bred, Dickins is no newcomer to the food business. She studied at the New York Restaurant School and and self taught herself  Escoffier’s methodology. She was an active member of Les Amis du Vin in New York City, and in 1978, opened a Manhattan eatery called “Possible 20” with a consortium comprised of 20 world-class New York City recording musicians. You can read more about Erin Dickins here: www.ErinDickins.com

 

In summer of 2014, Sizzle and Swing TM launched a line of  Herbal Seasonings in four flavor combinations. We plan to offer cooking tips and recipes for use of the products on line, and to roll-out additional gourmet items over time.

 

We at Sizzle & Swing TM are sensitive to the plight of many needy Americans, and our founder, Erin Dickins, combines her passions for food and music by offering cooking classes, demonstrations, concerts and benefits to raise awareness about hunger in America. She works with and benefits local charities - engaging communities to address hunger on a local level.

 

While Sizzle & Swing TM products are designed to meet the standards of the upscale sophisticated foodie, it’s target market is middle class Americans who have tasted delicious food,  and desire the same fine cuisine at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I grew up in a home where food was front and center. My mother was the ultimate foodie before we even knew what that was.  She could whip up paella, a masterful curry or the most delicate poached sea bass in her sleep. Holidays were an extravaganza of irresistible delicacies. Mom regularly treated us to international foods and exposed me to a great variety of flavors, textures and preparations. Every single meal was fresh, well prepared and celebrated. We ate all our meals in the dining room at a beautifully appointed table. She carefully chose simple but perfectly paired wines for dinner.

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Not that she was stuffy; rather, this was what juiced her and it was clearly an expression of her love – a gift she gave to my father and me every day.
 

So naturally, I began to share her passion about food and wine and found myself carrying on her traditions, cooking elaborate meals for friends and family, exploring exotic cuisines and even studying for a while. I owned two restaurants in New York City and cooked regularly there for a year, learned charcuterie at the New York Restaurant School, and attended regular meetings of Les Amis du Vin.  I felt like a Julia Child wanna-be, spending days and days on a multi course meal – starting with Escoffier's basics - stocks and demi-glazes - fretting over the tiniest detail and nuance, and enjoying the hell out of every minute. Food preparation is beautiful to me and I like to create little still-life paintings with my ingredients and tools. Somehow it makes everything taste even better!



​Eventually my music career got in the way of all this good fun, and I had to find ways to condense my food-as-art approach to fit my busy schedule. I was away from home a good deal, and so my goal was to have delicious and healthy food at the ready whenever possible. While I still enjoy undertaking a full-on food production from time

to time, my standard fare now is simple, fresh and put together in minutes.  It was this philosophy that led to the creation of  "Sizzle & Swing."


I try to spend one day a week preparing several meals, and extras to store. Soups, curries, lasagnas and grilled foods are nutritious and freeze well, so these are my go-to foods. I also keep on hand several varieties of frozen fruits and veggies from Trader Joes – they are delicious and enable me to whip-up something healthy in a pinch. It is great when I come home exhausted to find something homemade all ready to go. And my "Sizzle & Swing" line of seasoning salts are just the ticket to easy, delicious food preparation.

 

I plan to start slowly - developing and releasing our products in stages. Our first offering is the line of  seasoning salts designed to simplify preparation and enable a home cook to have a bigger variety of seasonings on hand - carefully combined for versatility.
 

I am a Gemini, and on any given day of the week you can find me doing yoga, drinking herbal tea and eating tofu, while the next day I’ll be into the mojitos, grilling shrimp tacos and dancing to a Bono concert on Palladium. And after a gig–well, I’ll have fries with that!  What's your favorite? Can we help you make it easier? Our goal is to make good food easy and accessible to everyone!

 

I hope you will explore our products and recipes and please email us if you have questions or comments, or just to say, "Hi!"

A Word From Erin....

Erin Dickins