Growing season is upon us spook out your garden this summer with the Ghost by adding some spice to your veggies guaranteed to keep those garden pests away.

[Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper Seeds]

Popcorn. We’ve known about it since 3600 BCE. Now we know how to make it better.

A popcorn kernel has a hard, impervious shell, with starches, proteins, oils, and water packed tightly inside. Heat the kernel to 180 degrees Centigrade; the starches gelatinize, the water turns to steam, and the internal pressure breaks the shell. The gelatinized starches expand instantly into a foam, and almost immediately solidify into what we know as popcorn.

Some clever people in the Pacific Northwest have discovered that, if you pop the corn only halfway… it tastes really, really good. That’s what Halfpops is: half-popped popcorn.

Halfpops are crunchy, gluten-free, nut-free, have no transfats, no corn syrup, no artificial flavors, no hydrogenated oils, no preservatives. They contain only corn, canola oil, butter, and sea salt. And all the flavor that was packed inside that kernel, you get packed into a smaller bite, not lost in fluff.

Halfpops are available in Natural Butter and Pure Ocean Salt flavor, and Natural Aged White Cheddar. The Halfpops folks in Seattle invite you to vote on the next flavors (kettle corn, chipotle lime, or jalapeno cheddar).

[Halfpops]

Gingerbread men are a delicious holiday cookie, but the ones we make have a twist. This cookie cutter cuts a wee little man shape out of your rolled gingerbread dough, while the other side presses a cutesy little skeleton into the surface. The finished cookie looks like a Gingerbread x-ray.

[Gingerdead Men Cookie Cutter]

[Fermented Black Garlic]

The S’More To Love S’More maker offers you a fast, easy way to make that delicious marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker treat right in your oven, toaster oven or on your grill. No more dirty campfires and burnt marshmallows – this innovative treat-maker allows you to make 6 tasty S’mores in just minutes. Sweet creamy marshmallow, crunchy toasted Graham Crackers and soft melted chocolate. Mmmm! Simply stack, lock and place on your grill or in your oven and be the hit of any barbecue, picnic or party. Includes Marshmallow Blaster for extra fun and yummy creations.

[S'More To Love STL-600 S'More Maker]

To “be tanka” means to live your best life, in harmony with your spirit and the earth, in the language of the Oglala Lakotas who own and run Native American Natural Foods. Based in South Dakota, they produce minimally-processed and sustainably grown food products.

The main ingredients of a Tanka Bar? Bison meat and cranberries cured with sugar. Some salt. Garlic, red pepper. No nitrates, no nitrites, no MSG, no hydrogenated oils, no gluten, no hormones, no trans fats. It’s just good food that’s easy to take along in your pocket.

The recipe for the jerky-like Tanka Bar is based on wasna, a centuries-old mainstay food of the Lakota culture. Loosely translated, the word means “all mixed up.” Like pemmican, wasna is a mixture of buffalo meat, berries, and spices, and travels well. Unlike the modern commercial “pemmican” you buy in convenience stores, Tanka Bars are actually good for you. Warriors and hunters would pack wasna inside a buffalo horn to take with them and sustain them on their treks. Thankfully, you can purchase Tanka Bars in pocketable plastic wrappers.

Native American Natural Foods applies their ethic of sustainability and nutrition to packaged hot dogs, sausages, and convenience foods.

How hot is a chili pepper?

The answer is, admittedly, subjective… and it depends on the pepper. Determined by the Scoville scale, the title of World’s Hottest Chili Pepper is a heated topic, so to speak. But a perennial contender for the title is the Bhut Jolokia, AKA Ghost Pepper.

Hying from northeastern India and Bangladesh, the Ghost Pepper packs a peck of smoky, smokin’ flavor, and is available commercially in several different ways. (There’s even a Ghost Pepper & Watermelon hard candy.) But the best way to experience the spirit of the Ghost is The Ghost Trio kit.

The Trio lets you enjoy Ghost Pepper goodness three different ways: 1. Ghost Packets are ideal for getting to know the pepper. Each packet includes a dried pepper and three recipe/fact cards. 2. Finely ground Ghost Powder comes in a ready form for adding to sauces, rubs, curries and marinades. A one ounce bottle comes with a recipe/fact card (there’s a recipe for ghost burgers catered specifically for the powder) and will last you quite a while (remember, when dealing with Ghost Pepper, less is more). 3. For a pinch that packs a punch, carry a tin of “Bumps” with you while dining out. This travel tin of pepper flakes is a must for any spice lover. Sprinkle on a flake or a few to spice up meals and snacks anyplace, anytime.

the hotter melon candy

That’s the Ghost Trio (not to be confused with the Ghostly Trio), but we’d be remiss if we failed to mention the Spicy Sour Watermelon Candy. It might sound odd to Western palates, but the sweet, sour, and spicy elements in this handmade hard candy complement each other surprisingly well, for a sweet tooth snack that leaves a tingle on your tongue.

The bottom line is: while peppers are hot (and some more than others), it’s really about the flavor. Ghost Pepper has a distinct, smoky flavor that adds a new dimension to any food you favor with it.

[Bhut Ghost Trio]

“Talk low, talk slow and don’t say too much.” – John Wayne.

Organic beef jerky from the John Wayne Stock and Supply Company takes this philosophy to heart. Simple is better. Starting with USDA certified organic beef raised without additional hormones or antibiotics and keeping final product free from complexities like artificial ingredients and preservatives produces a gluten free, fat free snack that would make the Duke proud. Tender and savory – available in four flavors: original, teriyaki, bar-b-que and black pepper – each of them equally delicious. Order from the website and a portion of the proceeds go to the John Wayne Cancer Foundation.

[John Wayne Stock and Supply Organic Beef Jerky]

[Stay Puft Caffeinated Gourmet Marshmallows]

Beer drinkers of America, prepare your beer hats. Scotland’s three-year-old BrewDog microbrewery has unleashed Tactical Nuclear Penguin on the US. As I type, cases of this 36% alcohol are making their way to our coasts. That isn’t a typo. Three. Six. Decimal here. Percent. From the label: “This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. It is exactly the same manner you would enjoy a fine whiskey, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost.” There. You’ve been politely instructed. How does it taste? We’ll tell you later.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog on Vimeo.
[Via]
[Tactical Nuclear Penguin by BrewDog Beer]