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ORAL HISTORY
Amelis Paz-Kerlin
Kerlaches
Raised in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Amelis Paz-Kerlin grew up cooking traditional specialties like arepas with her Grandmother, who impressed upon her the importance of never wasting anything. Decades later, she would find herself putting these principles to work after she and her husband Bill Kerlin opened the Austin-based food trailer Kerlin BBQ. Armed with an abundance of leftovers, she began experimenting at home by turning brisket into empanadas and even lasagna before discovering meat-filled “kolaches” at a Texas donut shop. Recognizing their potential, she developed a recipe and began selling them as specials that consistently sold out. Having received praise from numerous publications, their popularity grew so strong they began calling them “Kerlaches,” eventually opened two dedicated food trucks, and have since closed the BBQ trailer to focus exclusively on kolaches, wholesale and catering.
