An Interview with Jeff and Jen Martin of Pipsnacks

What lead you into the artisanal food business?

Jeff: Jen discovered the special variety of corn that we pop a few years ago while she was living in Chicago. The first time we made it together I said, “We should sell this!” We were both doing other things and the timing was just not right. After a few years of flirting with the idea, we decided to go for it 100%. We were on a road trip together from LA to New Jersey when we started to develop the idea and brand that became Pipcorn! So that’s pretty much the story, some special popcorn kernels, a few years and a road trip. That is our randomly awesome recipe!

What makes your product unique?

Jen: Pipcorn is a mini, hulless, non-gmo popcorn. We hand pop it in small batches using extra virgin olive oil. It is just Jeff and I doing everything, expect for the days we are really busy and our mom comes! I think the fact that it is us popping it on a stove gives a level of quality control and care that is unique in the terms of snack foods. We love what we do and I think that goes into the product!

What is one of the best uses of your product in a recipe?
Jen: If the recipe is for a good date night, I would say some pipcorn and a movie is all you need! Maybe some hot coco to seal the deal.

Jeff: Inappropriate, Jen.

I’ve never used Pipcorn in a recipe, but I think it’s a great idea. I’ll play with some things and get back to you on this one!

Do you have any guilty food pleasures/weird snack concoctions of your own?
Jen: Hmmm I used to really like toast with butter dipped in applesauce: / … I didn’t think it was weird until my brothers teased me about it. Now I just really like green smoothies that don’t actually taste good.

Jeff: Jen’s is weird, right? I would say it’s more of an obsession than a guilty pleasure, but I eat Chipotle more times per week than I’m overly proud of. Other than that, I would probably say soda. Jen has been trying to get me to stop drinking soda for a while, but now that she’s living in New York, she’s really been on my case to stop. It’s all a good thing because I really shouldn’t be drinking the stuff, but occasionally I’ll find myself sneaking a Diet Coke or two.

So I guess that’s an example of something that was a pleasure becoming a guilty pleasure because your little sister is bullying you into stopping.

Where do you draw your inspiration?

Jen: We draw inspiration from our family, our most popular flavors are flavors we grew up eating. I think also just playing around, taking suggestions and not being scared of coming up with something that is so, so bad. Because at the end of the day, we always tweak it until we get something up to Pipcorn’s standards! Like Jeff for instance created a flavor in the beginning that was quite a doosey, we thought it worked at first but then at a party neither of us wanted to eat it, that is when we realized it might need to go.

What are your geographics and demographics?

Jeff: We currently sell in New York, Connecticut and Philadelphia. We’d love to be easily accessible for everyone sooner than later and are working hard to make that a reality! As far as demographics, I think we are very fortunate to be able to market to a huge number of people. One beautiful think about Pipcorn is that we’ve been able to create something brand new and exciting that people have been eating their whole lives.

What’s great about where you live, besides you of course?

Jen: I would say Smorgasburg and Hot Bread Kitchen; the most inspiring people, doing great things, surround me. Even beyond their greatness, I think the best part is simply that, people are doing things they like to do. There is this hustle and happiness that everyone has that is so enchanting, it is such a community, and I am so grateful to be a part of it!!

Jeff: What Jen said

What is the best part of your job?
Jen: The best part of the job is definitely working with my brother. We are best friends and think everything is funny! We are so incredibly busy and always running around and the more tired we get, the funnier things become. Also the more tired I get, the more likely I am to have a melt down and Jeff is who I would normally call, but now he is right there so its super convenient!

Jeff: I agree wholeheartedly. The last few months of my life have been the absolute best for many reasons, but most of all because I’ve gotten to work with Jennifer. We have such a great time and laugh literally all day long but we also get a huge amount of work done and we can be insanely creative together. There is absolutely nothing I’d rather be doing right now than what I do day-to-day. It’s crazy at times and we sleep very little, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Not a thing.

 

In Pursuit of Tea

(Sebastian Beckwith, photo by: Kristin Oliver)

 

Meeting with our producers is becoming ever more enjoyable. Who else does business over a sampling of the best pantry items, sweets, and beverages?

 

A recent visit, led us to the east village where we met with Sebastian Beckwith, owner of In Pursuit of Tea. His hospitality was remarkable. As he sat us in small wooden chairs around an even smaller table, currently serving as his tea station, we sensed we were in for a treat. Little did we know we would leave with a wealth of knowledge on the origin of tea leaves, the process by which they were dried and stored, and the various countries and customs that influence the many offerings of this well-loved beverage. Leaving, we thought more about tea than we ever had before.

 

One of the great discoveries of the day was pu’reh tea, a tea we had no prior knowledge of yet one that quickly mesmerized us with its utter uniqueness. Pu’reh tea is post-fermented tea that is produced in areas of the Yunnan province in China. Tea produced this way can be aged for years and much like a fine wine, there are pu’reh teas dating back through time stored in bamboo or dried rectangular/round cakes worth quite a penny to the connoisseur.

 

The tea we sampled came in a dried mass. Not dried individual leaves as you see in most tea, but dried rather as a cake that is later broken apart. It had a musky, almost smoky aroma, and was very earthy. And the taste was- well I couldn’t quite figure out what it reminded me of. It was utterly addictive. As I sipped and sipped to try to pinpoint the flavor it reminded me slightly of wood, but in a good way. Like the one time I tried Sri Lankan tea bark ice cream. It was different. Its slight smokiness kept reminding me of scotch. In my head the phrase “well this is the scotch of teas” kept running round and round. As if I was some marketing guru trying to label its campaign slogan. I knew a true expert would have a more apt description but like I said—the scotch of teas was stuck in my head.

 

And Pu’reh was just one of the many teas that Sebastian thoughtfully served us. The ritual of how each tea was prepared was extraordinary. As Sebastian poured, he was swift yet meticulous in his movements. He brewed in a kyusu teapot for Japanese green tea and a Gawain for the many Chinese teas we sampled. With each tasting, he warmed our glasses before pouring so that each sip was optimal temperature. I began to feel like a tea ingrate. There I was, brewing large pots of tea in my coffee pot, sacrilegious!

 

However, never fear, this was not a lesson in tea etiquette. It was a beautiful example of the pure joy of tea and Sebastian even graced us with a suggestion for those lacking all patience such as myself. Cold infused tea. For ice tea, why do we heat up in a large vessel only to cool it down again? Yes it infuses quicker, but then you have to re-ice it. Sebastian prefers a cold steep. Next time you make ice tea, just leave the tea leaves/bags in a container of water in the refrigerator. Over time it will infuse brilliantly and you will never have to tinker with the strength as you would a tea you heat only to ice again.

 

Immediately upon returning home I tried this method. Within two minutes, I had a cup of slightly infused iced herbal tea. Steeping longer and it would have been a stronger flavor- but the lightness of the tea was actually quite lovely.

 

Though I may never pour into a sake sized glass and warm each individual cup before tea is poured, I can appreciate the process. Which is a far cry from where I was before and certainly now I know how to brew a fine cup of tea. So were I to be tested, I feel confident I could pass inspection.

 

For those of you not close enough to check Sebastian’s tea studio, a quick look at his YouTube video can give you an intimate glimpse at the process of creating the teas you so love.

 

Check here fore the link: http://youtu.be/ZnbEyDa-jgU

 

I had always dreamt of opening a small food shop in the West Village where I live, but realized that New Yorkers already had access to amazing foods everywhere from Union Square market to Smorgasburg to name just two. What about the rest of America? How could friends on the West Coast get access to all the amazing foods being produced in New York and vice versa? Hey presto, the idea for Many Kitchens was born – an online marketplace would solve this very problem. My two great passions in life are books and food. So, on May 4th 2012, after 15 years in publishing, I bid farewell to my wonderful colleagues at Penguin and decided to start a new life promoting and selling artisanal foods from around the country and eventually the globe. It was a huge leap of faith and I’m loving every minute of it.

 

If I could pick one word to describe the essence of what I want Many Kitchens to be, it would be ‘generous’. I have been overwhelmed by the generosity I have received in setting Many Kitchens up; not just from friends (you know who you are!) but friends of friends – basically total strangers giving me their valuable time, incredible knowledge and much needed advice. I would like to pay that generosity forward. Be Generous to our customers, generous to our food producers, generous to our colleagues, our employees and the food community in any way we can. I have always been impressed by my great friend Ben Pentreath, who has set up a very successful architecture and design firm and who epitomizes the word ‘generous’. I have never read an interview with him in which he hasn’t promoted another business. Learning from him and others who I admire, I want to always promote foods that we find and love whether we are fortunate enough to be selling them on Many Kitchens or not.

 

So who are we and what can we do for you? The amazingly creative Truax and Co., who designed the site, came up with the name ‘Many Kitchens’ which I love because it doesn’t limit us to just food. We want to source everything from the best pies to the perfect colander. Everything will be tasted and tested by us and while taste is of course subjective, we hope that you will begin to trust us and our choices. The weekly blog will include features with recipes from me and the Amazing Aurora Satler who I’m so grateful has come on board.

 

So join us on this mission to share the best artisanal food from around the country. If you haven’t already, please sign up (top right) – we want to hear from you and learn about your discoveries at local farmers markets. Let’s be generous and help these producers grow rather than keeping the secret to ourselves! We’ll be launching our e-commerce site later this fall but wanted to give you a sneak peek of some of the food we’re selling. Doesn’t everything look delicious?!