Lili Courtney is a culinary artist, a self-taught cook, and an energetic and enthusiastic teacher, but her favorite title of all is “Queen of Condiments.” After years of dazzling the eyes and delighting the palates of families and friends, in 2013 Courtney entered the LSU AgCenter’s Food Incubator to bottle her creativity, giving birth to a small food business with a trio of gluten-free vinaigrettes that can be used as dressings, drizzles, or marinades. “Delightful was a favorite adjective of my father’s,” the Alexandria native says of the name.

Today, Courtney’s products are carried in stores throughout South Louisiana and in several chains in Texas. We caught up with the tireless entrepreneur, who is often found dishing with customers in stores or doing in-home demos or party classes, to glean fun get-to-know-you nuggets.

• Year business started:  2013
• Miles product travels to our store: A couple
• First food dish you ever made: Strawberry shortcakes
• Favorite food: rice and gravy
• Favorite kitchen tool: garlic press
• Favorite chef/food mentor: Julia Child
• Favorite day of the week: Sunday
• Favorite form of social media: Facebook
• Favorite Louisiana dish: fried oysters
• Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving
• Favorite season: Fall
• Favorite seasoning: salt
• Biggest obstacle to starting a small business: capital
• Biggest surprise about sustaining a small business: how much time it takes
• Best part of the job: I like being in a different place every day
• Toughest part of the job: Learning the different facets of running a business
• Long-term career goals: To incorporate my cooking classes with my product line
• Words to live by: “Success consists of going from failure to failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill
• Why local is better: It’s better for everyone’s bottom line. When we shop for local foods, we get the satisfaction of knowing that we are contributing to our local communities and economies.