Let's Get Baked with Jamie Evans The Herb Somm

Embark on a flavourful journey through the world of culinary cannabis with me, Marge, as I sit down with Jamie Evans, The Herb Somm. Discover the intriguing path Jamie took from the wine industry to becoming a cannabis connoisseur. She shares her expert insights on pairing wine with cannabis. 

Learn how to skillfully merge alcohol and cannabis, craft your own cannabis beverages at home, experience the sophisticated art of pairing wine and cannabis in a way that mirrors a sommelier’s approach. Jamie and I explore the critical role of terroir in both wine and cannabis, bringing you to vivid places like Anderson Valley where regional expressions come to life. Enhance your understanding of terpenes with techniques such as using dry flower vaporizers and tasting terpenes through a dry pull from unlit joints. We also delve into practical tips for building a cannabis pantry with homemade infusions and emphasize the importance of labeling your cannabis-infused creations, especially if you have children at home.

Join us as we uncover the powerful connections that culinary cannabis can foster within communities. Jamie shares how cannabis-infused dinners can transform strangers into friends and help dismantle the stigma surrounding cannabis through education and open dialogue. We discuss the essentials of responsible consumption, including precise dosing and creating an inviting atmosphere for both newbies and seasoned users alike.  Tune in for an enriching conversation that promises to broaden your culinary and cannabis horizons.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Hello friends, whether it's sunny where you are or not, your day is about to get brighter. As I welcome Jamie Evans, the herb psalm to Bite Me. Welcome to Bite Me, the show about edibles where I help you take control of your high life. I'm your host and certified Gange Marge, and I love helping cooks make safe and effective edibles at home. I'm so glad you're here and thank you for joining me today. And greetings, friends.

Speaker 1: 0:31

Welcome back to another fantastic episode of Bite Me. If you're just tuning in for the first time, you're in for a real treat. I have Jamie Evans with us today and if you've been listening for a while, I hope you learned something new from this episode. Jamie is a wealth of knowledge. We touch on so many different subjects in this particular episode, including Jamie's current favorite wine and cultivar pairings, books that she's written, some tips and tricks to combining alcohol and cannabis, advice for making your drinks at home, and a whole lot more.

Speaker 1: 1:17

Now, before we get into today's episode, I just want to read out a couple of fan mails that I got last week, a couple from Rochester, new York, the first one being you're the best, and I never tire of getting messages like that, so feel free to send any time the spirit moves you. And time for chocolate cake. It's the breakfast of champions, also from Rochester, new York I think I know who those are from. Always appreciate your messages and if you feel like you would like to send a message, just find the send a fan mail tab in the podcasting platform that you're using. You'll see it right at the top before the show notes and you can just tap on that. It'll open up your text messages so that you can send me a message. And, of course, be sure to leave in the do not remove message, because that tells my podcast host which podcast to send that message to.

Speaker 1: 2:09

Now the question of the week what did you learn from this episode with Jamie? I would love to hear what your favorite takeaways were. And now, without further ado, please enjoy this fun conversation with Jamie Evans. All right, and here we are. I am very excited to be joined today by Jamie Evans and we're going to get into a whole lot more about what you do and your role in the cannabis industry. But to get started, could you take a minute and give the listeners of Bite Me a personal introduction, and maybe also start with your favorite wine and cannabis cultivar?

Speaker 2: 2:48

Yeah, absolutely Well, hello everyone. My name is Jamie Evans. I'm also known as the Herb Psalm, so if you haven't heard of what I do, I have a cannabis blog that's focused on the culinary side to cannabis, and then I also do wine and weed experiences out here in California and my new specialty is cannabis drinks. So I've been really focused on everything from edibles to drinkables and really diving into how to cook with cannabis and use it as an ingredient. Well, my favorite cannabis and wine pairing probably at the moment.

Speaker 2: 3:23

I was thinking about this question when you asked this, Marge, and I. Actually it was a wonderful pairing. I was actually in Anderson Valley up in Mendocino County. This was a few months ago and I had done this amazing pairing with Bohemian Chemist. So they are a grower up in Mendocino and a Longmeadow Ranch, and so one of the pairings that we had done, we did the Longmeadow Ranch rosé and then paired that with Bohemian Chemist strawberry milkshake. It was the strain that had these like beautiful strawberry notes but almost this like creamy, this creamy side of the strain which tasted so great with rosé. So I would say I'm kind of thinking about spring right now. It's still kind of winter here in California. But yeah, I'm trying to get my pal into the spring mode. So that's what I would say.

Speaker 1: 4:10

That's totally understandable. I know it's not always a fair question either, because people will ask me a favorite of something and it really depends on my mood and where I am in life at that point in time.

Speaker 2: 4:21

Absolutely yes, and last week it was so rainy and cold and this week there's just been sunshine and flowers blooming.

Speaker 1: 4:32

So I'm definitely thinking about those rosé and strawberry milkshake Right Now. I am too. That sounds lovely, but now you started out in the wine industry and you've made yourself a name for yourself as a sommelier and, considering your success, there were people surprised when you made the switch into culinary cannabis.

Speaker 2: 4:46

Yes, so this was back in 2017 when I decided to launch my blog and I had spent over a decade working in the wine industry, and so when I crossed over to cannabis, I was very kind of nervous about what my wine colleagues would think or what they would say, and it was actually when I crossed over. People thought it was so interesting. And this was kind of the time here in California, there was like the Wine and Weed Symposium that had just started, I think in 2018, which was shortly after that I launched my blog and I think there was this growing curiosity just in general, especially where I live. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so we're very close to the Emerald Triangle, we're close to Napa, so I think, and Sonoma, of course. So all of these things are intersecting anyways, but I was nervous at first, but I was just very surprised at the encouragement and the support that I actually got. And now, with cannabis beverages that are really becoming mainstream we're seeing a lot of crossover from the beverage industry folks coming into cannabis now.

Speaker 1: 5:46

So it's been that makes a lot of sense. Like you said, you're in the vicinity of so many beautiful wine countries and weed countries. I mean that totally makes sense. It's nice to hear that people were encouraging of that, and what drew you to cannabis, and culinary cannabis specifically?

Speaker 2: 6:02

Yeah, so living here in the San Francisco Bay Area, of course, like we have culinary everything it's always been everything that we do here in the Bay Area is very farm to table, and so in 2017, I was actually following the cannabis industry for a while, but I just noticed there was this kind of growing group of cannabis chefs that were in San Francisco and I just thought it was so fascinating, and so I started going to different networking events different like underground dinners that were going on and I just really fell in love with the culinary side and thinking about cannabis as an ingredient and how we can use it to really enhance a meal.

Speaker 2: 6:39

So, starting in 2018, I started hosting my own events called Thursday Infused. I partnered with all the cannabis chefs that I was meeting during that time and then we were doing these coursed menus that were infused and then, coming from the wine industry, I'd pair wines with the meals as well. So it was like this very elevated cannabis experience, but kind of like bringing back like my wine knowledge and tying that within cannabis, but really teaching people how to approach infused food safely and responsibly in this very elevated way. So I did those events all the way up till COVID, and so it was such a great experience and, yeah, I've just worked as a lot of cool cannabis chefs, so I feel like they've taught me a lot about working with cannabis in the kitchen and it's yeah, it's definitely kind of led me to where I am today.

Speaker 1: 7:30

That's lovely, and it must be so nice to be in a place where there are so many cannabis chefs that can be sort of out there, like even in Canada. I find that a lot of those infused dinners are still sort of happening underground because they're kind of in this legal gray area. Diffused dinners are still sort of happening underground because they're kind of in this legal gray area.

Speaker 2: 7:46

Oh yeah, they're still in the gray area here, but I definitely think once cannabis went recreationally legal, I feel like the cannabis chef did come out to be more prominent. Yeah, and especially like in Los Angeles and San Francisco. There's just a lot of things that are going on.

Speaker 1: 8:03

Lots of opportunities. Yeah so you just came out with a book not that long ago that you co-authored with Heijin Chun and you wrote, but you also wrote the Ultimate Guide to CBD and Camus Drinks, secrets to Crafting CBD and THC Beverages at Home, both of which I own, both of which are fantastic books, and this suggests that you're eager to support the home cook experimenting at home. What do you find unique about CBD in particular, and beverages for the home chef?

Speaker 2: 8:33

Yeah, so I think with CBD, it's just such a great place to start. If you're a beginner and I think, like, as you're starting to cook, there's a lot more room. You have to experiment with just CBD, because, of course, with THC, you have to experiment with just CBD because, of course, with THC, you have the risk of getting a little too high. So I think CBD was a really great place to start. And, yeah, so that was my first book and the ultimate guide to CBD was really a lifestyle book. So not only did it have like a cooking chapter, but it had a self-care chapter where you learn how to make your own facial lotions and hand creams and so on. But also there was a pet treat, like a pet chapter where you could learn how to make CBD pet treats. So this is always like I think, like out of all my books like if you're brand new to cannabis and you're curious about it, the Ultimate Guide to CBD is a perfect option for you to read.

Speaker 2: 9:26

And then my second book Cannabis Drinks Secrets to Crafting CBD and THC Beverages at Home it's always a mouthful to say so. That came out shortly afterwards and this was a book that I pitched to my publisher because I feel like cannabis drinks were really becoming a focus and I think the way we can use cannabis to really enhance mixology is super interesting. And after writing that book I just really wanted to like dive deep into cannabis beverages. So that kind of like ignited my passion and my creativity in that space. But that book really teaches you how to make all different types of beverages, so smoothies, cocktails, mocktails, juices, you name it. And whether you want to use CBD or THC, there's different approaches on how you could work with both.

Speaker 1: 10:17

So, yes, I love that and I do think I've made plenty of drinks from that book as well and I've made a lot of the like home, diy, like body care products, because I've been doing that for a long time and I love the ones that you have in your book. So I highly recommend them. But beverages are also so interesting because I feel like people are talking about them a lot and I don't know if they're still like a big. They have a big market share yet in dispensaries. But I think that's, I think that's changing.

Speaker 2: 10:45

It's changing slowly, it's it's still a pretty small category, but I mean, after like even starting my blog since 2017, there's been so many new beverages that have come out Cannabis infused wine products, cannabis infused seltzers and these are all commercially made products that you can find a delivery service or your local dispensary. But I think the beauty in creating your own beverages and doing your own infusion so making an infused simple syrup, infused bitters there's a lot of creative ways that you can enhance your own beverages and many people don't think about that right away. So once they learn how to create these pantry items, you can really infuse any beverage.

Speaker 1: 11:28

Yes, I love that because I'm a big fan of the DIY and having a little control over what you're consuming as well, because that is a big factor.

Speaker 2: 11:36

Oh, absolutely yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:37

Yeah, so you're someone who loves wine and you love cannabis, and I've spoken to a lot of chefs who would normally not recommend combining the two, but of course a lot of us still do it anyway, myself included. What advice would you give to someone who wants to combine their cannabis and their alcohol?

Speaker 2: 11:56

Yeah. So number one, it's all about moderation. So start low, go slow, like we say in the cannabis space anyhow. But I would say if you're thinking about pairing the two, definitely do so in moderation. But also, I love to think about if you're pairing the two together.

Speaker 2: 12:13

I love to compare or contrast, like those wine and cannabis flavors, to find the perfect matches. So really think about the wine and cannabis, like a sommelier would think about pairing wine with the food and like find those similarities and those common nuances to pair together. And there is so many great ways to do this. Like I mentioned earlier in the podcast, I was up in Anderson Valley and had led people through this experience and a lot of people had never paired wine and cannabis before and it was so cool because we actually had wine sourced from Anderson Valley, cannabis sourced from Anderson Valley and the farms were about a mile apart from each other. So there's actually these very cool regional expressions that you could find in both the wine and cannabis and then, as you're pairing the two together, you could actually pick out kind of those similarities, which was it was a really cool thing to do, especially with people who had never been to Anderson Valley or who had never actually paired wine and cannabis together.

Speaker 1: 13:12

So you're really sort of focusing on the terroir of both cannabis and the wine, which is really cool. I love that, cause I know there's a big movement I don't know if it's big, but a movement in California to sort of recognize the terroir for a lot of the cannabis farms that are out there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think that's super interesting because it makes sense to me that where it's grown is going to dictate how it expresses itself. Now, when you're doing these experiences, do they? Are people like vaporizing the cannabis, are they? How are they consuming the cannabis with the wine?

Speaker 2: 13:44

So my favorite way is definitely doing a dry flower vaporizer, because you're really tasting those terpenes and then pairing that to the wine, Because I think anytime you're combusting or lighting something you're getting that kind of smoke taint on your palate. So it's a little hard to distinguish the pairing. But yeah, a dry flower vaporizer does an incredible job. And then, yeah, I've done it with like vapes, but I have done it with just like a pipe and flower too. So it really depends on the experience, but I think the best kind of flavor really comes from that dry flower vaporizer.

Speaker 1: 14:17

Right, and I personally love a dry flower vaporizer as well.

Speaker 2: 14:22

I love the terpenes.

Speaker 1: 14:23

Yeah, I know, the first time I tried a dry herb vape, it was mind-blowing because I was like this is what people are talking about, because I'd heard so many people say, oh, it tastes like marshmallows or strawberries or whatever the case was, and I never could really pick that out until I tried a dry herb vape and then that was sort of a game changer for me.

Speaker 2: 14:42

So yeah, if you want to experience the turps. Oh, yeah, for sure. And even if you're doing this experience at home and if you just have a joint, like before you actually light it up, there's something called the dry pole. You actually put the joint in your mouth and you just kind of without lighting it, you just suck in and you can taste the terpenes before you actually light the pre-roll. So there's different ways that you can do it, but yeah, I think it's all about experience those aromas and flavors of both the wine and cannabis together.

Speaker 1: 15:10

Yes, and the dry pull is a very good piece of advice because a lot of people probably don't know that you can do that, but it's remarkable how much the flavor comes through, even on an unlit joint. So for sure, try it out. You might be surprised, but you're also obviously you're an expert in mixology. Are there any important considerations for people who are wanting to make infused drinks at home, whether they're alcoholic or not?

Speaker 2: 15:36

Of course. So I always say to use terpene inspired ingredients in your drinks and to not mask the flavor of cannabis but complement it. So in all of my recipe books I always use terpene-rich ingredients, whether it's like lavender, mint, citrus and all of these things that really complement those cannabis notes and kind of play up all of those nuances that are together. And I also love using like fresh squeezed juices over concentrates and then muddled berries, like any type of fresh ingredient that you can incorporate into your drink. It's going to taste so darn good.

Speaker 2: 16:13

And then making your own pantry items that are infused with cannabis we talked about this earlier but making your own cannabis-infused simple syrups, your own cannabis-infused simple syrups, your own cannabis-infused bitters and the best thing is, in all my books I actually recommend using cannabis flower. You could also use concentrates to make some of these infusions, but I love making your own pantry item because you can actually pick your favorite cannabis strain to work with and then incorporate that into your recipe and, depending on what you're creating, you can also pick like a cannabis strain If you want, like strawberry or citrus or like those limonene notes. You can pick a strain that really matches the recipes that you're making. So it gives you the power to really customize what you're creating.

Speaker 1: 16:55

Yes, and I'm a big fan of building your cannabis pantry, as you mentioned, because I think once you have some of those ingredients, then you want to make a drink. They're there ready for you, or?

Speaker 2: 17:09

whatever it is that we're trying to infuse or bake or cook, absolutely yeah. So that includes, like, cannabis, infused butter, olive oil, coconut oil. If you look in my refrigerator, I have so many different types of infusions, and so it's really fun to have that, though, because then you can pretty much infuse anything you want at any time. But, yeah, if you're doing that and you're leaving it in your main refrigerator, always be sure to label everything, and if you have children, make sure to put that far, far away where they can reach in a safe space.

Speaker 1: 17:39

Yes, and I'm glad you mentioned that. I always remind people to label things because I've heard stories of people who have inadvertently eaten something they didn't realize was infused. It hasn't happened in my house but not on my watch anyway, but I have heard that happening to people. But I also like that you touched on complementing the flavor of the cannabis instead of masking it, Because I think traditionally a lot of people are like oh, I need to mask the taste and complementing it is such a fresh way of looking at it, I think, and sort of gives you a little more wiggle room with what you're going to be ending up with.

Speaker 2: 18:14

I think the end product definitely turns out better and if you're using those ingredients, that kind of complement, all of those terpene flavors, it just works out incredibly well.

Speaker 1: 18:24

Now. Are there any necessary tools that the home mixologist might benefit from having?

Speaker 2: 18:31

Definitely a shaker tin. I use that all the time and when you're using a shaker tin, like if you're using like citrus drinks, it like really wakens up the citrus. So I use the shaker tin all the time and it's also a great way to kind of integrate, um, your cannabinoids into your drinks. You're really emulsifying it very, very well, so you're not separating anything apart. Um, a muddler is something that I use very often. So if you're doing like an infused mojito, um, or anything where you're muddling berries, uh, that's something that you should have on hand A fine mush strainer, a Hawthorne strainer, so you're straining out the solids from your liquids. And then I would say, when you're doing infusions, I always have, like cheesecloth on hand, a candy thermometer to really keep an eye on temperatures. Because anytime you're cooking with cannabis, you want to be sure that you're, you know, cooking as low heat as possible so you can really preserve those cannabinoids and terpenes. Yeah, keep it, keeping keeping an eye on temperatures incredibly important.

Speaker 1: 19:34

Yeah, I just picked up a shaker tin recently. Actually, it's about time. I think that'll change the game a little bit too. So yeah, now you're high times, let's get, let's get baked explores, non-traditional edibles. There it is. I have my coffee right here as well. I asked for it for Christmas and I asked so it's a beautiful book, I think.

Speaker 2: 20:01

Yeah, we worked with Ava Kalenko, who is the photographer, and she just really brought our recipes for brownies or cookies, but it was a focus on sophisticated sweets, savory options and Asian inspired cannabis cooking.

Speaker 1: 20:28

So what focus? What drove you to focus on these specific themes in the book instead of the more traditional stuff that we're more accustomed to?

Speaker 2: 20:35

Yeah. So I think when we were thinking about like the theme for the book, we really wanted to do something different and out of the box. And my co-author, chef Haijin Chun she is absolutely amazing. She actually does a lot of Korean fusion food, so we really wanted to lean in into her specialty and so a lot of our recipes in the book they do play off, like the Asian Korean cuisine flavors and even in some of my recipes for the drinks I made a kimchi Bloody Mary, which is probably one of my favorite Bloody Marys I've ever made, but also like a shiso mojito and really using these ingredients to do something different and I think, like as we're becoming in this modern world of cooking, you know, I think we love using different types of ingredients rather than just your typical brownie. So we really wanted to do something out of the box. So I hope people are enjoying what we've created.

Speaker 1: 21:30

I don't see how they can't, and the one that I have my particular eye on I've already infused the tequila is the Serrano pineapple margarita, so I'm super excited.

Speaker 2: 21:38

That was also my other favorite?

Speaker 1: 21:40

Yeah, the only thing I haven't managed to get yet and I just haven't looked for it really hard is the chili lime salt. So as soon as I have that, I will be crafting it. So I'm looking forward to that. But your collaboration with Hyejin Chun is really intriguing. Can you talk about the partnership and how it influenced the content?

Speaker 2: 21:57

Absolutely so. When I was doing my Thursday-infused events, we had partnered on an event I think this was back in 2018. So we were always very big fans of each other's work and it was almost full circle that we'd be able to work on this book together. So when High Times reached out, it was the perfect opportunity for us to collaborate but also work with High Times, which is one of the most influential cannabis publications in the world, to really create something that's different and so colorful and flavorful. So I think, like throughout this process, we've become I mean, we've been good friends before this, but now we're like just like soul sisters, and this has been such a cool project. We're so proud of our book baby.

Speaker 1: 22:42

So yeah, no, I appreciate that and I love hearing that your soul sisters and you made a real connection crew working on this book, because I've heard from numerous authors of all kinds that writing a book it's super challenging. There's a lot of challenges involved with getting a book out to publish, so congratulations.

Speaker 2: 23:01

Yeah, and this day and age of publishing publishers want your book very, very quickly, so we had to work very efficiently and, yeah, I mean we met all the deadlines and were able to get it done. But, yeah, we worked incredibly well together. And then also, I mentioned Ava and her photography team. It was really a dream working with them and seeing them in action during the photo shoot, and we had a food stylist there as well, so it was so cool to see just how these recipes came to life from the book are worth it alone because they are beautiful.

Speaker 1: 23:36

It's like a coffee table book.

Speaker 2: 23:38

It is. Yeah, it's stunning and very eye-catching, I think, the cover. If it's on a bookshelf, you're going to be drawn to it right away and to get this shot alone, this took multiple takes, but yeah, this is my co-author's hand, but it turned out so well, that's lovely, yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:01

Now, clearly, cannabis-infused edibles have come a long way in terms of flavor and sophistication, as you can see from your book, and I think that a lot of people, if they've been doing edibles for a while, are looking for something besides the traditional brownie and cookie. Not that they don't have their place, but have you observed any exciting trends in the edibles world recently?

Speaker 2: 24:17

I have. I think we're really moving towards like there's so many sweet edibles out there and that's kind of where the edible space started. But I get really excited when we're going to like the savory world. I personally love savory things very much, so when I see like a cannabis infused sriracha or cannabis infused like rosemary crackers, like I just think that's so cool and we're starting to see a lot more savory products come out. And then in our cookbook alone, too, we wanted to have a savory chapter and really focus on things that aren't necessarily your candies or your like your brownies and cookies and such. So, yeah, I think the savory category is something to keep an eye on.

Speaker 1: 24:58

And I think that that also suggests that the home cook or the consumer is starting to get a little more sophisticated as well, because also health conscious, because a lot of people don't necessarily want to ingest their cannabis through a sugar laden cookie, as much as I have a sweet tooth and enjoy them. That's one of the reasons I infuse my baked goods is so I don't eat too many. I mean, a lot of the times you want to branch out beyond that and I think people are looking for that, so I think you're onto something with that. Now for me, 2024, I've declared for myself the year of community and that's influenced by many things, but one of those big influences is cannabis, and can you talk about how you personally find or foster community through cannabis?

Speaker 2: 25:43

Yeah, absolutely so. When I started my blog and just focusing on culinary cannabis in general, I think cannabis brings people together and then when you have these dinner experiences, you're actually breaking bread with people, you're enjoying cannabis together and building that community, and it's been so fun to see how people you know they come as strangers to these events but they walk away as best friends.

Speaker 2: 26:07

So, to like witness this firsthand is so magical, and I think this is what really has drawn me into culinary cannabis and providing, you know, those dinners or bringing people together with infused drinks and having, like culinary cannabis really be the epicenter of that.

Speaker 1: 26:27

Yeah, that's beautiful because you are facilitating these connections when you host these types of events, and it's really beautiful to see that and it absolutely warm and fuzzy feelings. Yeah for sure. Yeah, now there's still a lot of stigma around cannabis, though I don't know if you feel it as much in California as you might as I might in Canada. Although it is legal here, there's still lots of stigma around it. It is gradually changing, but it still exists. How do you navigate the challenges of destigmatization of cannabis in your work?

Speaker 2: 26:58

I think the number one thing is education. So, no matter if I'm at an event or speaking engagement or a podcast, it's all about educating people about cannabis and really breaking those stigmas. And so with our cookbook, we try to put as much information in there as possible and make it very approachable for beginners and experts alike. But I think it all comes down to education and, you know, answering questions, providing facts and helping people kind of guide them through the cannabis world, because it can be very intimidating, especially if you're new to cannabis. I mean, there's so many different types of products, there's so many different types of applications, and so sometimes it's really hard to even know where to start. But yeah, I think education is the number one thing to really help people change their mind.

Speaker 1: 27:49

Yes, I totally agree because you are right. It is very intimidating. I don't know how some people even step into a dispensary, make decisions when they've never used cannabis before. But people do and thankfully there's lots of great bud tenders out there that will help them. But it is. It's overwhelming when you know. Back in the day it was like you bought a bag of weed from some guy or girl and you just smoked what you got and that was about it for options. But thankfully things have changed in that regard too.

Speaker 2: 28:17

Oh, yes, yes.

Speaker 1: 28:19

Now, your books and your expertise emphasize the importance of responsible cannabis consumption. What are some of the key messages that you hope that the readers will take away from your books and from your high times? Let's Get Baked.

Speaker 2: 28:31

Oh yeah. So I think key messages is we want to make this very approachable. We want people to cook with cannabis and so we tried to make it, like I said earlier, very approachable for beginners. So there's everything from how to decarboxylate cannabis, how to make your infusions, and literally providing step-by-step instructions to make it very easy and also just give general knowledge about how to dose your edibles, how to approach edibles safely and responsibly and you know how to have this wonderful experience when you're cooking with cannabis. Because I think, well, for the most part, some people have had this mystery brownie experience and they're very scared to dive back into the edible scene. So as much education as we can provide to give them that wonderful edible experience, that's what we were hoping to accomplish.

Speaker 1: 29:24

Yes, and I think you do that very well, and because I have a lot of people sometimes when they start out thinking about edibles and they are really intimidated by that. They're like the D-carb, what's that? And I have to infuse it and do all these things, and I've had the mystery brownie experience myself. And I have to infuse it and do all these things, and I've had the mystery brownie experience myself Me too, and I think most people who've been involved in edible cannabis at any point have. But it's a healthy fear, it is.

Speaker 2: 29:48

That's not funny, and even when I was hosting my Thursday Infuse events, I would have people come and they're like, oh my gosh, I'm so scared to have infused cuisine. I had this terrible experience and it was so great working with the cannabis chefs at these events, because they could precisely dose the meal at whatever dosage the person was comfortable with. So whether they wanted 2.5 milligrams throughout the entire meal or five milligrams, the chefs could actually really be precise and give them that comfortable experience. Which I think is so key when you're working with edibles is to have as close of an estimate as possible so you're not getting over-served or you're not feeling uncomfortable as you're eating.

Speaker 1: 30:28

Yeah, because that's the last thing you want when people are at a social occasion too to be like they've over-consumed, right exactly.

Speaker 2: 30:38

So I think providing that that comfortable space is important.

Speaker 1: 30:41

Yes, and I found to now that I've talked to quite a few people about edibles through this show and just outside of. Of Bite Me is that far more people, I think we're starting to realize now that far more people have a lower tolerance than we probably imagined before, now that we have way more precise ways of figuring out tolerance and testing and all that kind of thing. I hear it over and over and over again. It's like, yeah, my tolerance is like five milligrams or 10 milligrams, and you know it used to be. I know people with huge tolerances, but I think far more people have smaller tolerances.

Speaker 2: 31:12

So it's yeah, and I think like the best way to learn your tolerance too is, of course, to experiment. And I think like the best way to learn your tolerance too is, of course, to experiment. But now there's a lot of incredible products that have different ratios that you can try out and kind of gauge, like your level CBD, you want, level THC, and kind of find your perfect ratio. So we're very lucky in this modern day and age of cannabis where we can actually experiment and find that perfect level Right, which all the products that we have access to nowadays will help you do that.

Speaker 1: 31:43

Yes, and it's really nice too in a lot of respects if you're in a place where cannabis is legal because you can go to a dispensary and if you've never done edibles before, you can go buy a one milligram edible and try that out and start from there. And sometimes people are like, oh, that seems so low. But I've met people where one milligram is like their sweet spot. So if you gave them a five milligram edible they would be having a bad time, and I don't want to be responsible for anybody having that bad time. So because I love edibles and I think I know it's not for everybody.

Speaker 2: 32:13

but yeah, if you have like a five milligram edible, especially if it's a chocolate and you're kind of new to the experience, you could actually cut. Like if you try to cut it into quarters and start there and kind of work your way up, that's a great way to do it. Gummies are a little bit more tricky, depending on what the gummy is like yeah, but yeah, I always like, we always say start low, go slow until you find your specific level.

Speaker 1: 32:38

That's the adage, and if people follow that, they're usually okay, so yeah, yeah, exactly now.

Speaker 2: 32:45

That's the other key thing.

Speaker 1: 32:46

Yeah, yes and that's why those memes are out there, when all those memes you see are like, oh, these edibles ain't shit, and the next thing you know someone's taking another one. And then they're like I've made a horrible mistake. I mean, we've seen all those memes and they're there. They circulate because people have done that. So, yes, if you've eaten one and you don't feel anything, maybe wait a long while. Now, if you had to choose a favorite recipe from the book, which one would it be, and why would you choose that particular one?

Speaker 2: 33:20

one would it be, and why would you choose that particular one? I would say, I mean, I think this bloody mary recipe is out of this world's crazy if we called it the dankest over-the-top kimchi, bloody mary and, as you can see, the garnishes yeah, that's incredible over the top there's a mini cheeseburger that we included.

Speaker 2: 33:37

That really is like a full meal, but I personally I love Bloody Mary's um. I love spicy cocktails, savory cocktails, um, but to use like kimchi as the base, I thought was really fun. And um, yeah, I think it's absolutely delicious. And then also um for food, one of Hajin's um, one of my favorite Hajin recipes, oh yeah, and I also love the pineapple margarita, as you mentioned.

Speaker 1: 34:02

Yes, I know I'm so excited to try that one.

Speaker 2: 34:04

That one was delicious. So one of my favorite of Haygen's I'm trying to find the page she made this gochujang crab pot pie. It is absolutely delicious. Oh, here it is. Here's a picture of it. So this pot pie, wow, if you like gochujang and you like pet pies, this is absolutely scrumptious. It's a little bit more challenging to make, but highly recommend. The first time I tried it it was just out of this world delicious. And then also the kimchi. The cheese dip is really good too.

Speaker 1: 34:39

Yeah, those both sound really good and I just the kimchi, the cheese dip is really good too. Yeah, those both sound really good and I just happened to pick up some goju jang, like a couple weeks ago, so I have a good supply. So when I have a little more time because I'm sure making a pie a crab pie, like you said is a little more time consuming, but sometimes it's nice to do a project when you have a little extra time in the kitchen- it's incredibly decadent as well, yeah.

Speaker 1: 34:58

I love that. Okay, that's next on the list. Then Now, what would surprise people about you, jamie?

Speaker 2: 35:05

What would surprise people about me. So most people don't know that I'm an avid skier. I actually grew up in Lake Tahoe area in the mountains and I've been skiing since I was two years old, so I love being out in the mountain. It's probably my favorite sport is skiing, so that's probably where you'll find me most in the wintertime. Okay, this winter it's a little abnormal. We're going to Colombia actually starting tomorrow. Oh wow, it took a large chunk of our wintertime, but usually I'm on the mountain.

Speaker 1: 35:38

Right, that's beautiful. As a Canadian, I don't ski. So now, can you give me any kind of sneak peeks into any upcoming projects that you have?

Speaker 2: 35:51

Oh, yes, I have a very exciting project coming up, so in July I actually have another book coming out. Okay, it'll be my fourth book. It is focused all on drinks again, and so I should be doing my book cover reveal in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned. So this will be coming out in July 2024.

Speaker 1: 36:12

Well, that's super exciting. I will definitely keep my eye open for that. And where can people find out or see this book reveal or cover reveal and that kind of thing? Where can people find you?

Speaker 2: 36:23

Absolutely so. If you're on Instagram, you can find me at the Herb Psalm. My website is theherbsaumcom, so pretty much anywhere is the Herb Psalm. You can find more information about me and then all of my books. You can find more information on my website, but they're also available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble. Hopefully your favorite bookstore carries them too. And yeah, I hope everyone enjoys my books and learning more about culinary cannabis.

Speaker 1: 36:51

Now, and are you still running your wine and weed experiences as well?

Speaker 2: 36:56

Yeah, so the last one I had done was in November, and so I will be partnering again with a wonderful travel company called Canescape on 420 weekend. So we're going to be doing a really cool experience up in Mendocino, and yeah, so usually during these experiences I'll do the wine and weed pairing, educate guests on how to do this, and then I think with that experience it'll be an overnight camp out and then we'll have dinner as well. So it should be a lovely weekend.

Speaker 1: 37:27

And I'm assuming you would share all this stuff on your social media and on your website. Oh, yeah, yes.

Speaker 2: 37:31

You'll definitely find when we start posting about it. You'll definitely find more information.

Speaker 1: 37:36

Yeah, beautiful. Well, I just want to say thank you so much for spending some time with me today, jamie. I really appreciate it. I'll be watching for your books your new book and everything else that you're up to, because you really are contributing some beautiful stuff into the cannabis space and the wine space as well.

Speaker 2: 37:51

Wonderful. It was such an honor to be on your show and I hope your listeners enjoyed our chat and I look forward to staying in touch and chatting more about culinary cannabis and cannabis drinks and all the fun things.

Speaker 1: 38:04

Perfect. I'm looking forward to it. That episode has been a long time coming and I can't remember when I first bought one of Jamie's books. I have all of them now and I will definitely be picking up her new book that's coming out later this year but I really was drawn to the work that she was doing and straddling the two wine and cannabis worlds. She was one of those guests that I really wanted to have on my show, so this has been a really special episode for me and I was not disappointed. Jamie is bright and fun and so knowledgeable about both wine and cannabis, and I highly recommend that you check out her website, find her books, pick them up, do some experimentation. You won't be disappointed.

Speaker 1: 38:55

Of course, if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with somebody else that you think might learn something from it. If you want to support the show, please head over to the March Recommends page. If you're looking for any products or services to help elevate your edibles game, those allow me to earn a small commission and no extra charge to you and consider joining the Bite Me Cannabis Club. It is free to join right now, but I will be closing off that free membership very soon. That's it for this week. My friends, I'm your host, marge. Stay high.