Lori Sandoval, Founder & CEO
Born and raised in Southern California, Lori studied Art History at the University of California, Los Angeles. A lover of art, travel, and culinary experiences, Lori became interested in exploring the way in which history influences cuisine, and how that history creates a variety of cuisines across regions, especially in Mexico. After completing her Bachelor’s Degree, Lori decided to delve deeper into her interest in and examination of Mexico’s cuisine by attending culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles.
After completing culinary school, Lori spent a decade cooking in notable kitchens in Los Angeles under chefs including Wolfgang Puck, John Sedlar at Rivera, and Corina Weible at Canelé, a local treasure in her neighborhood of At water Village in Los Angeles. Lori has also cooked for Los Angeles pop-up restaurants, including her own Alma de Tierra in 2014, which allowed her to create and experiment more freely with Mexican ingredients and flavors. Outside of restaurants, Lori has put her creativity to work on recipe development for food brands such as Hunt’s, Kikkoman, Swanson, Del Real Foods, and Cacique.
Utilizing her culinary experience and expertise, Lori set out to create a line of cooking sauces of her own. Lori launched SALSAOLOGY in 2015 with two cooking sauces, carefully curating ingredients that reflect the culinary experience of Mexico’s Jalisco and Zacatecas regions, in honor of her mother and father’s hometowns. Since then, she’s introduced additional sauces that celebrate the diversity of regional Mexican flavors, putting complex, artfully -imagined sauces in the hands of modern cooks with sophisticated palettes.
10 Things About Founder Lori
What is your favorite food?Tacos and Sushi - and handrolls because they’re kinda of like having both at once!
What did you want to be when you were a kid? President of the United States of America.
What has been your best vacation? My best food-cation thus far has been Japan. But Peru was all around awesome. Not only is Peruvian food spectacular, but I got to visit incredible ancient sites and faced my fear of heights when I climbed to the top of Machu Picchu’s highest mountain (over 8,000 ft. above sea level).
What place is next on the bucket list? Denmark or Patagonia
Cats or Dogs? Both! I love all animals. But I do have a reputation for being the crazy dog lady. Growing up I would bring home strays or nurse injured animals including turtles and birds. Today, I still collect loose dogs in the neighborhood and find their owners, but I secretly wish they would stay with me. Currently, I have three pups.
Favorite Music? This is tough because I love all music. Anything from classical to folk and rap or funky soul to salsa and cumbias. I have a very eclectic iTunes.
Favorite Movie? “Midnight in Paris”
Now, what’s your real favorite movie; the one you don’t tell people about? “Bring It On”
Fun Fact? I LOVE Cereal. I can live off it, I’m sure I did in college.Guilty Pleasure? Murder mystery television shows.