Prometheus Springs Natural Beverage: Spicy Seasonal Drinks with a Health Kick

Inside every chili pepper is a colorless, odorless extract called capsaicin.

But don’t let its incognito nature fool you; this powerhouse spice is but a nutritional wonder in disguise.

Inspired by the fiery Greek Titan Prometheus, entrepreneur Rahul Panchal is taking refreshment to new heights with capsaicin at his side; finding new home in a cocktail culture while filling a void in the energy drink biz.

“The cool thing about this herb is that it keeps you energized,” says Panchal, wellness maven and founder of the capsaicin-laced natural beverage line Prometheus Springs (featured in the recipes below!)

Among its healing properties, capsaicin has been found to trigger metabolism, level body temperature and drive immunity – warding free radicals with a sturdy shield of Vitamins A and C.

Panchal recommends Prometheus Springs for anything from trimming pounds to enlivening the mind, saying the drink can both kick up your digestive health and keep you more alert when that afternoon slump sneaks by.

Though Panchal’s products are most noted for packing a vitamin shield into flavors like Lychee Wasabi and Pomegranate Black Pepper - the beverage has gained recent momentum with mixology experts, who praise the unexpected quirk and spicy nature of the experiment that is Prometheus Springs.

Not unsurprising feedback for a company whose mantra reads: "We are weird, and we like it."

During these chilly months, you may feel your New Year’s Resolutions start to slide no thanks to alcohol and feelings of cold-weather hibernation. Fret not, you too can find your inner weird-o.

If the winter blues have left you feeling sluggish, the “vibrant, spicy freshness” of capsaicin may be just the boost you (and your cocktail) need, says Panchal, who began his company on the principles of Ayurveda almost ten years back (in a college dorm room nonetheless. Click here for his quirky story.)

For your newfound verve, try any of Prometheus Springs' 6 flavors as is or slightly warmed, recommends Panchal.

And, if you must toast, toast wisely: These piquant holiday swill are sure to keep your spirits very merry in good health – even after Groundhog Day. Cheers!

Note: For a nonalcoholic take, sub mulled cider for bourbon in the Winter Warmer, or seltzer for gin in the Cucumber Crisp.

“Even if you’re not drinking alcohol, there are still good vibes to be had,” says Panchal, who assures the elixirs still pack “a little runner’s high” unspiked.

click for:
Pomegranate Black Pepper Mojito

Winter Warmer a.k.a. Promethean Toddy
Cucumber Crisp

Lychee Wasabi Sangria

top photo via: http://www.prometheussprings.com/health

Not for the Meek, New Zealand's 22nd Annual Wildfoods Festival

Event Date: 10 March 2012

Tickets: Adult $36, Child $5

Around this time last year a troupe of costume-clad international students and I traveled eight hours across New Zealand's South Island to a small town in the country's Western Coast. Namely, Hokitika.

With a population of just over 3,000 people, Hokitika sits relatively under the radar and is "famed" for solely three things: Greenstone carvings, black sand beaches and its annual Wild Foods Festival.

Fortunately, the infamous Wild Foods is held beachside just minutes from the town's best and brightest greenstone workshops. Perfect for seashell collecting and scoping handcrafted pounamu jewelry in-between meals.

Trust a veteran, you might need an escape from all the strange things you'll be eating.

Attracting more visitors than the town's own population, thousands flock to Wild Foods each year for a taste of the festival's creepy, quirky, crawly, and sometimes slimy menu offerings.

This outdoor adventure doubles as a costume contest and features vendors from around the world selling anything from soy-ginger crickets to worm sushi to raw scorpion and sheep testicles.

Last year's most-talked-about included 2 oz. shots of flavored horse semen and Hoki Hocki huhu grubs - said to taste faintly of peanut butter.

This year, kiosks such as Lions Offal Den and Westcargo will offer foods that seem to sound more like an excerpt from Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes than a bite to eat - note: The Den's eyeball eggnog, jellied brain and vile vertebra, and gelatin-covered snails by Westcargo.

But fret not my non-brave (or should I say non-crazy?) eaters. Even Lions Offal Den will offer "normal" options like coffee and tea.

Better yet, stop by the Black Forest Waffle Hut, Papa Cols 'Backed' Potatoes, or Kiwi Churros for a totally tastebuds neutral bite.

As for wine and spirits, Tohu Vinyards of Marlborough will partner as the festival's official wineholder while Jed's Moonshine, Prenzel, Virgin Gold Honey Mead, Fiji Stalls and Flower Power will provide libations vis-à-vis the modern cocktail, hops + barley and the ancient nectar honeymead.

Other star swills include Fijian kava - a ground root drink with tingly, mellowing effects; as well as homemade rhubarb and elderflower champagne.

Below you'll find some photos from one very wild trip that I can't wait to do again. For a full list of stallholders, be sure to browse the 2012 lineup here and the Wildfoods site for additional info.



new friends plus me, where's Waldo?



raw scorpion



 

black sand, a product of the very geothermal Aotearoa



beech and local flora honeycomb

horse unmentionables



sipping honeymead



Fijian kava booth



4 Local Eats from Boston’s Back Bay (and beyond!)

Food inspirations from a long weekend in The Olde Towne.

A Saturday stroll through the Back Bay brought smiling memories new and old as I recalled a summer spent interning in the North End.

Geographically speaking, these neighborhoods are a bit of a hike from one another with varied claims to fame (the Back Bay is situated a stone’s throw from Northeastern,

while the North End is most notably a business district and Italian hub.)

Even so, the two mesh happily through culinary expertise.

First stop, Newbury Street: a popular commercial destination lined with galleries and boutique hits hosting anything from Delacroix to skater shoes.

The street is famed for its 19^th century brownstone buildings but has found new home with hungry passerby, who can grab a local bite at almost every bend– like the tres eclectic Sonsie, or the back-to-basics Boston Olive Oil Company.

While Sonsie serves up intrigues like wood-fired pizza, warm herbed flatbreads and steamed mussels; The Boston Olive Oil Company brings grassroots to new levels – pressing the consumer toward one of the kitchen’s most fundamental ingredients: a many-sided omega-3 that dances like fine wine from fruity and floral to light-bodied and robust.

Boston Olive Oil Company

Newbury Street, Back Bay

- Specialty extra virgin olive oils (locally pressed, globally inspired) like Persian lime-infused and Early Harvest Arbequina. Unfamiliar? If you’re looking for a test run, pop by their tasting bar or browse their selections here.

Sonsie Restaurant

Newbury Street, Back Bay

- Casual by day, chic by night this French-American restaurant celebrates its 18^th anniversaire of “fresh and brilliant food combinations” (sonsieboston.com.) With its catchphrase “Love. Luck. Life,” the Sonsie signature has a bit of a wink to it, and an even bigger wine list.

Up next is the nearby Boylston Street, which hosts a cozy nook known as The Pour House.

Humbly priced and heartily portioned from morning meals to dinner and drinks; this Back Bay classic takes the place as both a go-to bar and breakfast joint for neighboring Northeasterners and grown-ups alike.

The Pour House

Boylston Street, Back Bay

- With pen etchings from visitors strewn across its walls and a dimmed, cabin-in-the-woods sort of feel, The Pour House sits slightly like a camp lodge, but with stylish drinks. And better pancakes. (Need a pick-me-up? Give one of their colossal Bloody Mary’s a spin. Or perhaps, the pumpkin pie pancakes.)

Alas! With much exploring left to do, I bid you happy trails with a concluding shout out to an all-time “best.”

Many restaurants have yet to match my love for Volle Nolle, a crafty little sandwich shop in the North End that set the tone for the businesses reviewed today.

Its atmosphere has a tiny, tucked away feel; with a whimsical chalkboard menu and an aura slightly bewitching. Its carte du jour is filled with crisp, smart ingredients that give the lunchtime standard a fresh zing.

Volle Nolle

Hanover Street, Fleet/Tileston, North End

- Smoked Salmon panini with lemon caper mayonnaise. Chocolate chip cookies with rock salt on top. Cartoon peanuts drawn on napkins for nut allergen-friendly orders, and best of all - the owner; a self-proclaimed Alice in Wonderland enthusiast.

top image via: www.lavieboston.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/newbury-street-boutique-boston.jpg above: img s.foursquare.com/derived_pix/XOQMFZG0SJ0H212NCS1DIH5KB5LKLPD3XCYDSCADE3BCPFCA_300x300.jpg

A 'Kami' Retreat With Tea and the Trees

Tea ritual in Japan dates just after the Nara period, a time in which kami - among the country's earliest concepts of spirituality, was said to have dwelled in trees and forces of nature.

Set inside the forest of Japan's Kansai Region, this peaceful Nara Park Tearoom (below) truly encapsulates the essence of kami as a predecessor to Japanese tea culture...and that mellow, earthy feeling of a warm mug in hand.

Nara Park has been called one of our world's "Places of Scenic Beauty" by MEXT: the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Ultimate comfort food.

Nothing like a hearty, antioxidant-packed red sauce to beat the winter blues. One of my most favorite aromas is the scent of warming olive oil and garlic at the beginning stages of spaghetti - something about this plate just makes me feel at ease. Many Italians even believe this lycopene-rich dish fuels blood health. As for the carbs, they walk those off!

My grandmother, who hails from Southern Italy, is one of the wisest cooks I know with a sharp memory for recipes and a nonchalance and nimble knack for whipping up a beautiful dish in next to no time.

You can too. (Even in a dorm room!)

For a quick marinara fix, slowly heat a generous tbsp good quality olive oil with 2 fork-mashed garlic cloves and a sliver of onion until softened but not browned. Add one large cup overripe Roma tomatoes or one can (unchopped) plum tomatoes, mashing (yes, I said it, with a potato masher) until reaching a pureed, slightly thickened consistency.

Season to taste with salt and pepper throughout. Remove from heat, stir in salt-boiled pasta, and always serve al dente with a bright bit of basil on top. :)

!!!

Sushi Sunday at Ko Ma Qi is a day of the week most dear to my heart. My sisters and I wouldn't dare miss it, unless of course, we've whipped out the bamboo mats and decided to make sushi at home.

Either chance when Sunday comes, some things are more clear: Always, please, with extra ginger. :)

And others, more tacking: Red bean or green tea mochi?

Vietri Sul Mare, Italy

This Amalfi Coast comune is bordered by my grandfather's home town - Cava de Tirreni, and a renowned historic region for handmade pottery. Today, its streets are sprinkled with vendors selling anything from vases to jewelry to dishwear and decorative magnets, all painted a mano by local artisans.

Images from an old family trip to Vietri below.

 Above, a blank canvas and an artist's inspiration tucked away in a local shop.

Kerala, India

"Spices are indeed the soul of food." - A.G. Mathew & Salim Pushpanath, Indian Spices.

Nice to meet you. :)

A wise girl named Alice once found you can learn a lot of things from the flowers. I believe this is true of many other things in nature, too. Like fresh garden veggies. And fruit. And herbs. And especially, tea!

Here I'll post recipes and thoughts on great food and drink that follow these musings around the globe.

I hope you'll find them just as inspiring as I do. After all, the fundamentals of good health begin with what you put into your body. Why not make that an adventure?

So, off we go. The world is our kitchen.

Warm wishes,
Jacquelina