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Wordworking was engaged by A La Carte Specialty Foods in Westwego, Louisiana, to create an umbrella name for a new freezer-to-stovetop "meal solutions" brand. The recipes combine Louisiana Gulf shrimp with "classic, world-inspired sauce flavors" created by Chef Paul Prudhomme. The project came with several branding challenges. Unlike most frozen meals sold in supermarkets, A La Carte's new product is not microwaveable but is cooked on a stovetop. The name needed to be an umbrella brand that would cover several flavors; although all of the initial recipes would include shrimp, at some point the company might introduce chicken recipes—so the brand name couldn't refer to any specific ingredient. Chef Paul's participation was important—but was it important enough to be highlighted in the brand name, or could it be handled as a graphic element?

No single word could satisfy all of the naming objectives, so part of my assignment was to pinpoint those that were most important. Sauté Your Way matches closely with three objectives. It clearly communicates the cooking method—a key differentiator for this product. The French-but-familiar "sauté" echoes the French-but-familiar name of the parent company, A La Carte, and suggests a global, cosmopolitan perspective. "Your Way" tells the customer that the meals can be "personalized," as the web copy puts it: add rice, pasta, or vegetables as you like. Finally, "Sauté" and "Your Way" have matching meter and rhyme, which enhances memorability. Nice bonus: SauteYourWay.com was available as a web domain.