APPLE JAM

Fall in New England can be a magical time!

And while many enjoy, cruising through the White and Green Mountains looking for a leaves in every other color or spending an afternoon family and friends, there is an alternative that may be a little bit more exciting.

On September 21st from 2-8 PM, our friends at Stowe Cider will host their fifth Jam for the Land Event, which has been rebranded as Jam for The Parks because it will help celebrate and support the centennial of Vermont State Parks! In addition to donating all ticket proceeds, Stowe Cider is also giving part of their cider sales proceeds to preserve the 55 state parks throughout the 18th state.

From members of The Rock & Roll Playhouse to a Dylan & The Dead set featuring members of moe. to a collection of other VT all-stars that is set to include Nick Cassarino from Nth Power, Rob Compa from Dopapod, Pappy from Cabinet, as well as Hayley Jane and Josh Dobbs, the Jam will keep Stowe Cider’s famed Shakedown Street rockin’.

As if that were not reason enough to check out apple-spiced party, the Jam will also feature local vendors, family-friendly activities (and beverages, including their Fresh Press sparkling cider), and their famous BBQ. Stowe has also released a limited-edition cider throughout Vermont during September that will also benefit the parks system too!

Speaking of September ciders, be on the lookout for Stowe’s cider donut and gingerbread varieties and keep an eye out for whatever they come up with next!

…WHEN THEY’RE 64?

Before I had the privilege of working with Jordan Rich, I was an intern at the legendary WBCN in Boston it was there that I got to meet another broadcasting legend – Cha-Chi Loprete.

As Cha-Chi was the man who got me access to interview Tony Bennett. I am eternally grateful, and so I wanted to make sure to take this opportunity to help him do more with his musical idols.

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Beatles playing at Boston Garden, Cha-Chi will be hosting a special edition of his popular “Come Together” series at City Winery in Boston on Sunday, September 8th at noon.

Together with award-winning magician and speaker John Duke Logan, Cha-Chi will present a special afternoon of music and nostalgia that will feature multimedia presentations, trivia contests, and a special musical guest appearance by Boston Rock God Sal Baglio of The Stompers. The event will also feature presentations by several Beatlemaniacs who were in the Garden back in 1964, including three locals who talked their way into a media-only press conference with the band on the day of the show!

While you reminisce and rock out, be sure to try the Winery’s home- and hand-made wines (including the locally-sourced Frotenac and Bourbon barrel Malbec) along with such succulent staples as their CW wedge salad, raspberry chipotle wings, chicken Corsica, duck tacos, risotto balls, and hot honey pizza.

To get tickets to this or any of the other great gigs at City Winery, go to citywinery.com/boston, and to learn more about Cha-Chi’s magical mystery show, go to cometogetherproductions.com.

L’CHAIM

While it may not be popular to discuss, the Jewish faith has given the world a lot of great things that are worth celebrating. From monotheism to carbon capture and Alphabet to Waze, the people of the book continue to enhance and improve life over and over again.

It makes you wonder what life would be like if anyone actually did boycott all the things the ancient Israelites and their descendants have spawned.

Fortunately, there is even an amazing drink to raise when showing gratitude for all of these gifts.

Created by Chabbad Rabbi Chaim Litvin, Bourbon Rabbi (Yes- you heard that right!) makes award-winning Bourbon that stands up to any in Kentucky.

As Litvin is an actual rabbi, he welcomes aged barrels but avoids dirty trucks that might be tainted with unkosher freight or unkosher business dealings. The result is a growing set of clean and satisfying sippers that are as delicious with caviar as they are with cholent. 

Among the newest additions to the line are a sweet and spicy bourbon that is painstakingly but lovingly finished with honey and cinnamon and a rich and indulgent double-oaked set that has been aged for six years and bottled at cask strength for true connoisseur’s (like us!).

As a rabbi, Litvin is also happy to educate guests about his beloved Bourbon and why it is so important to celebrate every gift G-D has given us.

L’chaim!

BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME

Though I grew up in the Merrimack Valley, my writing career first took root when I lived in Marblehead.

And when you consider that my family shopped at Shubie’s all the time, it may be no surprise that I now write about great independent food makers.

As they have been around for over 75 years, it is a safe bet that I am not the first person to fall in love with the wonderful wares of independent makers with help from the Shube family. 

From freshly-prepared foods, handcrafted salads and sandwiches, and customized cakes at their recently-renovated Foodbar to candies and treats from other local legends like Harbor Sweets and a wide selection of gifts that includes great books to wine and spirits from around the corner and around the world, Shubie’s has everything you need to feed your family, sparkle a party host, and find a new favorite every time you visit! 

If you need help finding new favorites, be sure to take suggestions from third-generation Shubie, Dougy. 

If you need help finding great food for more than just yourself, Shubie’s also carters and consults on menus that are perfect for any occasion. And while a visit to the store is always fun, Shubie’s also offers online consultation and ordering and can deliver even to far-flung festivities beyond the beaches and beauty of the North Shore so you can keep enjoying even if you do not live nearby anymore (though I hope to go back soon!).

A SHELL OF ITS FORMER HEALTH

As is true of so many of our fans, I love chocolate and do what I can to get varieties that are not only delicious but nutritious enough that it justifies the copious amounts I ingest.

While my friend Alan Frost does his best to keep the delicious flavor and nutritious flavonoids high in his FlavaNaturals bars and drink powder, many other bars do not deliver as effectively. Even if they claim a high percentage of chocolate, that number actually represents the percentage of cocoa and cocoa butter and may not deliver the nutrition that so many chocoholics tout.

What may be worse is that, in the process of making most chocolate, the healthiest parts are often thrown out!

While our friends at Blue Stripes Cacao save and even sell the entire cacao fruit, the squishy pulp is not to everyone’s liking.

Fortunately, I have found a tea that is made with the husks of cacao beans that allows me to enjoy the nutrition and flavor of chocolate with maximal benefit and without arousing suspicion that I am bingeing on bars.

MiCacao uses ethically-grown organic cacao from sustainable (and well-sustained) farmers to make a tea that is free of caffeine and full of cacao flavor and all of the health benefits that so many other cacao crafters claim.

With 40 times the antioxidant load of blueberries and far less risk of staining teeth and clothing), MiCacao tea is a great way to promote health and mood and even lose weight. Yes- I said LOSE weight from enjoying chocolate!

So when you want to wash down a FlavaNaturals bar or chase a Blue Stripes cacao fruit, MiCacao is the perfect cacao complement!

GREEK REVIVAL

As it was once called the Athens of America, it makes sense that Boston is at the forefront of the Greek revival that appears to be running through the restaurant space like an Olympic (or Boston) marathoner.

And while many popular places have followed, the Farm Grille & Rotisserie in Newton and its sister store, Greek International Market in West Roxbury, have been leading the pack for over 25 years.

Whenever I want to get my Greek on in a fresh and friendly flash, a visit to the Grille always fits the bill(e). But when I want to get the authentic ingredients that make this family-run restaurant and caterer so great or to explore the larger realm of Hellenistic hunger helpers, the Market has all I need….and MORE!

In addition to freshly-imported Greek spices and wines (including Retsina) to imported meats and other prepared foods (including their famed octopus salad!), as well as hand-crafted cheeses and Greek yogurt, an olive bar and enough olive oils and Greek pastries for the Spartan army, the Market offers honey-based health and beauty aids, toys and gifts, and customized gift baskets that are perfect for any occasion. 

Speaking of occasions, the Market has an Aegean Sea-full of fish and a farm-full of plant-based options that are perfect for Lent or just for eating healthy! And Proprietor Katerina Iliades recently debuted a line of children’s clothing for communions and baptisms that will be on display at a VIP fashion show on March 23 at the Maliotis Center in Brookline!

Everyone seems set on catching the healthy and delicious Mediterranean diet train. As is true of so many other things, we in Boston are ahead of the curve, thanks in great part to the Iliades family and their great pair of places to eat.    

STEEPER STEEPED


While I have sung the praises of many delicious and beneficial coffee brands, including explosively good Atomic, brain-builders like IQBAR and Kickstarter, and our Veteran friends at Fire Dept. and Military Java Group, I am still a fan of Steeped Coffee as their pre-measured, fully-compostable, teabag-inspired packets of craft-roasted, ethically-sourced, nitro-sealed coffee allow me to have fresh-brewed coffee flavor with just water and no mess.

And while I have often enjoyed waking up with Sunrise Blend or downing some Odyssey before an excursion, I am extra excited about the new partnerships that Steeped Coffee has entered with other industry-leading coffee makers!

Steeped Coffee recently brought its satisfying single-serve technology to the community-minded minority owners of BLK & BOLD and the oak wood-roasted Italian team at Mr. Espresso. So even if you do not know how great Steeped Coffee’s own coffee blends taste, you can be introduced by way of brands that are already established favorites and award winners.

The BLK & BOLD hearty medium roast introduces flavors of toffee to your morning coffee and Mr. Espresso’s famed Seven Bridges variety can help get you over any daytime challenge with a caress of caramel and a waft of smoke.

If you are still reticent, use code COFFEE15 for 15% off your first order! Once you are ready to go, their Barista Bundle gives you all you will need for great coffee any time of day or night.

Though the delivery system is new to many and admittedly unorthodox, it has never been a steep climb to come to love Steeped Coffee and, as they grow their menu of flavors and partners, it will be even easier to enjoy the easiest-to-make coffee around.

OUT OF SEASON? NOT IN PIGEON COVE!

I have been talking a good deal about fermented foods of late and how good they are for you. Unfortunately, many people have been led to understand that fermented foods taste bad or that they fizz and tingle on your tongue in an unpleasant way.

Apparently, these people are not fortunate enough to have Gloucester’s Pigeon Cove Ferments nearby!

I mentioned Pigeon Cove before – introducing their amazing krauts and kimchis (all of which also act as great inroads to the fermented field). But as winter sets in and fresh fruit is harder to get, I wanted to focus on their kombuchas, which offer amazingly authentic fresh fruit taste even when the source ingredients may not be in season.

As kombucha involves fermenting which involves aging, the fresh ingredients that come in summer are ready to be enjoyed in their new fermented forms right about this time of year. This is apparently why Pigeon Cove’s recently-released batches of spiced pear and orange cranberry Hibiscus are so darn refreshing and can not only make your tummy feel better but help overcome seasonal doldrums with a tasty reminder of brighter days ahead (or at least behind).

Another great way Pigeon Cove can brighten your day is with their lion’s mane coffee kombucha, which adds brain-boosting nootropics to delicious coffee flavor. I have a few a week and love the tasty tingle!

Fermented foods are good for you, but that does not mean they have to taste bad. You just need to know where to look. I suggest Gloucester!

PUT SOME “PEP” IN YOUR STEP

When I first saw a product called “Pep” that claimed to offer clean energy and helpful probiotics, it seemed like something out of a movie that did not want to use a brand name.

However, after I interviewed health expert Dr. Shawn Talbott from Pep’s producer, Amare Global, I was convinced to give the vegan, dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free beverage a try.

I must say that my body, my brain, and my bowels felt pretty peppy indeed!

In addition to offering its titular burst of energy (thanks to organic green coffee), Pep also supports alertness and concentration through a proprietary ingredient called Suntheanine® AND supports a healthy gut microbiome which ALSO helps your brain and body function better! According to Dr. Talbott, it can even help with digestion issues thanks to its combination of pro- and prebiotics, organic live kombucha, and another proprietary ingredient called Sunfiber®.

Unlike most other so-called “energy drinks,” the special blend in Pep delivers its natural energy in a way that strikes an attractive and sustaining balance between energy and relaxation, allowing you to be alert without feeling wired so you can continue to do what you need and want to do efficiently for a long period of time.

Now you may be thinking- “Can a drink that does all this taste good?”
And I am here to answer- YES!


Despite having no sugar, Pep is as sweet and refreshing as strawberry soda and offers a bubbly burst that tickles your tongue and keeps the party going all the way through your gut.  

Go to Amare.com/g10/442395 or amare.com and use promo code 442395 for $10 off your first purchase!

BULDLING UP THE CORPS

We all know how hard our soldiers and first responders work and how much support they deserve.

That is one of the many reasons I have long been a fan of Fire Dept. Coffee – a Veteran-run business that offers some of the best-tasting coffees around and delivers them in ways that are convenient and that also support their fellow Veterans and life-savers.

To add to their already impressive menu of alcohol-infused coffees, ready-to-drink cans, and even donut shop-worthy flavors that will give you other things to run on, Fire Dept. recently released some additional options that combine things that most of us need and want to help us all make it through a challenging day.

Their new instant coffee protein powder contains 225 mg of natural caffeine per cup along with 20 grams of eco-friendly upcycled protein that is naturally vegan and soy free and derived from plants. Sustainable and sustaining, the coffee is easy to make and can be enjoyed hot or cold, before or after a workout, a meeting, or anytime you have a “fire” that needs putting out.

Another brave combo is Fire Dept.’s Camo Blend coffee, which combines the rich and smooth flavors of their most popular light and dark roasts, offering a delicious combination that stands out in the jungle of coffee options.

Whether you are a first responder or a weekend warrior, caffeine and protein are vital to get you going and keep you moving. If buying them can help support those who support us all- all the better!