Walkabout for great new finds

                            My sister was on a whirlwind visit from Alabama and requested barbecue. We wanted flavor , not work, so I grabbed packaged pulled pork calling for your own sauce. Bam, a delivery of Hickey Bottom Barbecue Company products arrived on cue. Get it? Cue. So I texted her a photo of three bottles. She chose (wisely) the hot over honey and sweet. It was authentic and the kind of like around here in Southeast Texas. Awesome, as it is inspired by Pennsylvania ways. We’ll for sure get to those other bottles.

            On cue again, enter the Walking BBQ Lady. Not literally. Her story: “Rebecca McCrea, owner and founder of Hickey Bottom Barbecue Company, is currently walking a whopping 2,473 miles from Pennsylvania to Best Friends Animal Society’s Lifesaving Center in Los Angeles with her faithful, furry companion Arnie.  Why you may ask? Rebecca’s long, cross country journey is devoted to helping furry friends in need and raising money for the Ellen DeGeneres supported charity Best Friends Animal Society, a national, non-profit animal welfare organization…” McCrea  just had knee surgery and began walking in May. She named Hickey Bottom Barbecue Company after a quiet country road in western Pennsylvania, where she says hard-working folks do their best for their families and neighbors. That philosophy, and the great flavor this will add to your meats, is a winning goal  worth “walking” toward. For recipes  - there’s grillin’ rub and hot sauce, too - visit www.hickeybottombbq.com You can follow the walkin’ journey on Facebook.

            Happy Day for keto fans. First of all, I just love that it’s called Happy Day Brands. I con’t even consider myself a good pancake maker and this low-carb, grain-free and dairy free pancake mix produced a beautiful and delicious presentation. These people are  crafting all natural, Non-GMO and organic products that Americans are craving. They’re about responsible sourcing and inspiration and you ought to just smell the fair trade/organic coffee through the bag.  

            Every Happy Day product sold provides meals to those in need through their “Buy One. Give One” campaign in partnership with local food banks, and job training for women in transition. 

            The Keto pancake and waffle mix is the tops with, get this, almond, coconut and cassava flours, with a hint of natural sweetness from Monk Fruit, allows you to choose waffles, pancakes or crepes, sweet or savory. Superfood Oatmeal? They’ve got that. When you were a kid subject to commercials for sugary cereal, you wouldn’t have thought quinoa flakes, chia, golden flax, hemp and amaranth would get mixed into your breakfast. I feel better. That’s why this company’s motto is: EAT HEALTHY. LIVE HAPPY. DO GOOD™

            Koobah time – I can’t stop opening the Koobah jar to inhale its aroma. But it’s time to rub it into some meats and serve it with pita and Greek yogurt. The passed the “sprinkle-on-eggs” test and is ready for its intended purpose. Pereg Natural Foods (www.pereg-gourmet.com) suggests a Moroccan lamb grill.

            This New Jersey company says Baharat is simply the Arabic word for “spice,” but cooks in every Middle Eastern household know it as a basic seasoning blend. Their earthy Koobah variation starts with baharat and adds warm layers of cinnamon, allspice, rose, nutmeg, and coriander ideal for dry rubs on grilled chicken as well. The fragrance is like an adventure. The company’s garam masala goes Indian for curries, paneers, and tikka masala. It’s a now-through-fall blend of cardamom, cloves, cumin, fenugreek, coriander and brown sugar. Consider it health food to flavor legumes and vegetables. Or, as makers suggest, elevate your hamburger, ribs and steak. Pereg has been at it since 1906 in Clifton, N.J. www.pereg-gourmet.com.

                             Tea Time: Just because everyone at the table is obsessed with the boxes – how curtains or pajama pants or a desk set would look so exotic and like the owner was well traveled – doesn’t mean their focus should not be on the actual tea. The people at Wissotzky’s are focused on their flavorful teas with those something extras right down to the gauzy bags themselves. So who are these people?

                                  Wissotzky Tea is an international, family-owned tea company based in Israel with offices in London and the United States. It is the leading tea distributor in Israel. Founded in 1849 in Moscow, Russia, it became the largest tea firm in the Russian Empire. That came from the press release, and since I’ve never had tea in Isreal, I believe it. International foods are a bit hit and they think Americans are ready for these new flavors:                  

                   Salted Caramel Chai: a sweet and savory beverage redolent of warm cinnamon, ginger root, cloves, sea salt, and cardamom.

                  Ginger and Turmeric: the earthy flavor of turmeric (known for its health benefits) blended with ginger root, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

                  Spiced Nana Mint: robust, flat-leaf Mediterranean mint complemented by cinnamon, ginger root, cloves, cardamom, and pepper.

                  Pumpkin Spiced Chai: a toasty balance of cinnamon and ginger with pumpkin pieces, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, and chili.

            My guest was a man who induges in tea daily and he couldn’t wait to get into these samplings. Merchants describe their chia  as “a blend of aromatic herbs, spices and black tea that can be enjoyed, as Indian custom dictates, sweetened with milk or iced for a uniquely refreshing experience.”

            I go for straight up without milk to enjoy a treat without those added calories. I’m doing iced in the summer but that pumpkin may be saved for the occasional Texas cool front. Come on and up that tea game. Here’s how Wissotzky Tea says to do it.

            Like all Wissotzky products, the Artisan Spiced Tea collection is kosher and non-GMO. It is available in packs of 6 per case (MSRP $4.99 per 16-serving box).

                             Lavish Leathers – It’s just because, you’ve got to look good shopping for, assembling and serving all these goodies, that Lavish Leathers designs quality and stylish baubles. They’re tagline is “Uniquely Beautiful, Uniquely You, Uniquely Lavish. The company found me when they were promoting little strips and shapes of leather incorporated into earrings and necklaces as stocking stuffers. Half a year later, I telling you I’m telling you my royal blue leather tassel necklace is getting noticed. This leather is lavish in look and feel and even fragrance. It’s rich. There’s a squared off purplish prism attached that I can’t help peeking through to see multiple everything in a bug-eyed way. That’s all natural charm for the lavish life.

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who would love to hear from readers at darraghcastillo@icloud.com