Story

I like the process of making things and then sharing them.

Whether it be music, food or a good story.

 I’m lucky to have a career as a bass player and musician. I’ve have been traveling and playing for 45 years now.

 

While I did have a taste for spicy food in my teens growing up in San Jose CA,  it was traveling the world where I had the fortune to try foods of many cultures. most of them all have their unique versions of spicy condiments.

 

Chili peppers fascinate me with all their different flavors and spice levels as do diaspora of musical traditions.

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In 2017 I started makin sauce from my backyard veggies in New York.  I’d make a couple dozen bottles as gifts.  This happened over a few years, not really knowing anything about food safety and acidified foods….luckily no one got sick!!

 

It was also during this period that I took an interest to hone my gardening skills and started takin sustainable ag courses at the community college.  After a few years, I had the idea of pitching an idea to the mayor of our town to build a giving garden to grow food for the needy families in the surrounding areas. We are in our 9th season at the Bronxville Giving Garden which also serves as an education hub for youngsters.

 

THEN……….. in 2020 when the pandemic hit, I quickly moved to LA where my wife was working at the time.  And since there was little music work I researched the urban agriculture movement there to see what volunteer opportunities were available.

 

I was soon driving (in no traffic) all over LA helping with projects from enlarging tree rings to planting garlic and making new friends.

 

About 6 months later my buddy Andrew and his family moved from NY to LA.  Shortly thereafter the 2 of us were smoking his family out of their house with our first test batches!!!!

 

What followed kept us busy for the next 6-9 months.  Taking a Cannery Course and Food Managers certificate class.  Starting a kickstarter campaign.  Partnering with a local farmer and securing a commercial kitchen!

 

When my job on Broadway (The Book of Mormon) reopened in 2021, I returned to NY.  Over the next 18 months Andrew also got a new job and I was going coast to coast quite frequently to cook batches.  With the majority of our customers in NY it meant shipping inventory constantly which at the end of 2023 made no more sense.  After reorganizing, I’m starting fresh in NY!! This does mean jumping through all the NY State regulations but so far its going smoothly.  Relaunch September 2024!!