Let’s Get Baked with Jamie Evans The Herb Somm

Marge (00:00:05) - 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 Sam 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 Ganjier 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. 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.

Marge (00:01:09) - 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 anytime 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 and 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. 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.

Marge (00:02:16) - 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 invite me a personal introduction and maybe also start with your favorite wine and cannabis cultivar?

Jamie (00:02:48) - Yeah, absolutely. Well hello everyone. My name is Jamie Evans. I'm also known as the Herb Somm, 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 drinking bowls and really diving into how to cook with cannabis and use it as an ingredient. And so I would say my favorite, well, my favorite cannabis and wine pairing probably at the moment.

Jamie (00:03:23) - I was thinking about this question when you ask this card and I actually, it was a wonderful pairing. I was actually in, Anderson Valley up in Mendocino County. This is a few months ago, and I had done this amazing pairing with Bohemian Chemist. So they they are a grower up in Mendocino and a Longmeadow ranch. And so one of the pairings that we had done, we did the Long Meadow 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 to the strain which tasted so great with rosé. so I would say, I'm kind of thinking about spring right now. It's it's still kind of winter here in California, but, yeah, I'm trying to get my palate into the spring mode. So that's what I would say.

Marge (00:04:10) - Yes, that's totally understandable. I know it's not always a fair question either, because people ask me a favorite of something, and it really depends on my mood and and where I am in life at that point in time.

Jamie (00:04:21) - So absolutely. Yes. And last week it was so rainy and cold, and this week there's just been sunshine and flowers blooming. So I'm definitely, yeah, thinking about those, rosé and strawberry milkshake.

Marge (00:04:32) - Right now I am too. It 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.

Jamie (00:04:46) - 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.

Jamie (00:05:19) - 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 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. So it's been that makes.

Marge (00:05:47) - A lot of sense. Like you said, you're in the vicinity of so many beautiful wine countries. That and weed countries. I mean, that totally makes no sense. It's nice to hear that people were encouraging of that. And what drew you to cannabis in culinary cannabis specifically? Yeah.

Jamie (00:06:02) - 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.

Jamie (00:06:22) - 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. so starting in 2018, I started hosting my own events, called Thursday and Fuse and I partnered with all the cannabis chefs that I was meeting during that time. And then we were doing these course 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 and this very elevated way. So I did those events all the way up until Covid. And so, it was such a great experience. And yeah, I've just worked with a lot of cool cannabis chefs, so I feel like they've taught me a lot about working with.

Jamie (00:07:24) - Cannabis in the kitchen. And it's yeah, it's definitely kind of led me to where I am today.

Marge (00:07:30) - 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. Yeah, because 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 grey area of things, and they're very much.

Jamie (00:07:46) - They're still in the grey area here. But I definitely think once cannabis went recreationally legal, I feel like the cannabis chef did come out to be more prominent. Right?

Jamie (00:07:56) - Yeah. And especially like.

Jamie (00:07:58) - in Los Angeles and San Francisco, there's just a lot of things that are going on.

Jamie (00:08:02) - lots of opportunities. Yeah.

Marge (00:08:04) - So you just came out with a book not that long ago that you co-authored with Hagan Chun, and you wrote, but you also wrote The Ultimate Guide to CBD and Cannabis Drinks, Secrets to crafting CBD and THC beverages at home, both of which I own, both of which are fantastic books.

Marge (00:08:21) - 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?

Jamie (00:08:32) - 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 the risk of getting a little too high if you put higher.

Jamie (00:08:50) - Yes. so I think.

Jamie (00:08:53) - 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 like, curious about it, the ultimate guide to CBD is, yeah, a perfect option for you to read.

Jamie (00:09:25) - and then my second book, Cannabis Drink Secrets to Crafting CBD and THC Beverages at Home. That's always a mouthful to say.

Jamie (00:09:33) - so.

Jamie (00:09:34) - That, 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, 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 there's different approaches on how you can work with both.

Marge (00:10:16) - 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, I love the ones that you have in your book, so I highly recommend them.

Marge (00:10:32) - But beverages are also so interesting because I feel like people are talking about them a lot. Yeah, and I don't know if there's still like a big they have a big market share yet in dispensaries. But I think that's I think that's changing because.

Jamie (00:10:45) - It's changing.

Jamie (00:10:46) - 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, like, dispensary. but I think the beauty in creating your own beverages and doing your own infusion. So making, like, 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 like pantry items, you can really infuse any beverage.

Jamie (00:11:27) - Yes, I.

Marge (00:11:28) - 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's is a big factor.

Jamie (00:11:35) - Oh, absolutely.

Marge (00:11:37) - 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?

Jamie (00:11:56) - Yeah, so number one, it's all about moderation. So start low, go slow like we say in the cannabis cannabis space. Anyhow, but I would say if you're thinking about pairing, the two definitely do do so in moderation. But also I love to think about, if you're pairing the two together, I love to compare and 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.

Jamie (00:12:42) - And it was so cool because we actually had wine sourced from Anderson Valley, cannabis sourced from Anderson Valley in 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.

Marge (00:13:11) - So so you're really sort of focusing on the terroir of both the cannabis and the wine, which is really cool. I love that because 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.

Jamie (00:13:25) - Yeah, yeah.

Marge (00:13:26) - 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.

Jamie (00:13:43) - So my favorite way is definitely doing like a dry like a dry flower vaporizer because you're really tasting those terpenes. And then comparing that to the wine, because I think anytime you're like combusting or lighting something, you're getting that like kind of smoke taint on your palate. So it's a little hard to distinguish the pairing. But yeah, 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.

Marge (00:14:17) - Right. And I personally love a dry flower vaporizer as well.

Jamie (00:14:21) - So I love the terpenes.

Marge (00:14:23) - Yes, I know the first time I try to dry her vape I was just like it was like 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 try to dry her vape.

Marge (00:14:39) - And then that was sort of a game changer for me.

Jamie (00:14:42) - So, yeah, if you want to experience the herbs. Oh yeah, for sure.

Jamie (00:14:46) - 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 pull. 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-rolls. So there's different ways that you can do it. But yeah, I think it's all experience, those aromas and flavors of both the wine and cannabis together.

Marge (00:15:10) - Yes. And the dry poll 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.

Jamie (00:15:19) - So yeah, for sure.

Marge (00:15:20) - Try it out. You might be surprised, but, you're also obviously your 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?

Jamie (00:15:36) - Of course.

Jamie (00:15:36) - 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 chirping rich ingredients, whether it's like lavender, mint, citrus, on 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. And then making your 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 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.

Jamie (00:16:39) - 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 lemony 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.

Marge (00:16:55) - Yes. And I'm a big fan of building your cannabis pantry as. Yeah, as you mentioned, because I think once you have some of those ingredients, then you want to make a drink. They're they're ready for you or whatever it is that you're trying to infuse or bake or cook.

Jamie (00:17:09) - Absolutely. Yeah. So that includes like cannabis infused butter, olive oil, coconut oil. If you look in my refrigerator.

Jamie (00:17:16) - We I have so many different.

Jamie (00:17:18) - Types of infusions. And so it's it's really fun to have that though, because then you can. Pretty much infuse anything you want. yeah, 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.

Jamie (00:17:33) - And if you have children, make sure to put that far, far away where they can reach in a safe space.

Jamie (00:17:38) - So yes.

Marge (00:17:39) - 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 complimenting 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 complimenting 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 as the end product.

Jamie (00:18:13) - I think the end product definitely turns out better, and if you're using those ingredients that kind of complement all of those, like terpene flavors, it just works out incredibly well.

Marge (00:18:23) - Now, are there any necessary tools that the home mixologist might benefit from having?

Jamie (00:18:30) - So

Jamie (00:18:31) - Definitely a shaker tin.

Jamie (00:18:33) - 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, your cannabinoids into your drinks. You're really emulsifying it very, very well. So you're not separating anything apart. a muddler is something that I use very often. So if you're doing like an infused mojito, or anything where you're muddling berries, that's something that you should have on hand. I find my strainer, a Hawthorne strainer.

Jamie (00:19:06) - So you're.

Jamie (00:19:06) - You're straightening 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. Yes. Yeah. Keep it keeping.

Jamie (00:19:31) - Keeping an eye on temperature is incredibly important.

Marge (00:19:34) - Yeah. I just picked up a shaker tin recently, actually. It's about time I got one, but 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 nontraditional edibles. There it is.

Jamie (00:19:48) - I have my coffee.

Marge (00:19:50) - Right here.

Jamie (00:19:50) - As well. There it is.

Marge (00:19:53) - I asked for it for Christmas and I asked. And so.

Jamie (00:19:57) - It's a beautiful book.

Jamie (00:19:59) - I.

Jamie (00:19:59) - Think. yeah.

Jamie (00:20:01) - We worked with Ava Colenso, who was the photographer, and she just really brought our recipes to life in such a colorful way. So yeah, very proud.

Jamie (00:20:09) - It's a.

Marge (00:20:09) - Beautiful book. And but you explore non-traditional edibles in that book and there's no I don't I looked through it before this interview to to double check, but I didn't see any recipes for brownies or cookies. But it was a focus on sophisticated sweets, savory options, and Asian inspired cannabis cooking. Yeah. 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?

Jamie (00:20:35) - Yeah.

Jamie (00:20:35) - So I think when we.

Jamie (00:20:36) - Were thinking about, like the theme for the book, we really wanted to do something different and out of the box. And my, my co-author, Chef Higginson, 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 Atchison, Wichita. And really using these, 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, 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.

Marge (00:21:30) - I don't see how they can't.

Marge (00:21:31) - And the one that I have my particular eye on, I've already infused the tequila is the Serrano pineapple.

Jamie (00:21:36) - Margarita, so I'm super excited. It was also my my other favorite.

Marge (00:21:40) - 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 Agent Chen is really intriguing. Can you talk about the partnership and how it influenced the content?

Jamie (00:21:57) - Absolutely. So when I was.

Jamie (00:21:58) - 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 in 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.

Jamie (00:22:29) - 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 is really been such a cool project.

Jamie (00:22:40) - Or we're so.

Jamie (00:22:41) - Proud of our book, baby.

Marge (00:22:42) - So yeah, no, I appreciate that. And I love hearing that your soul sisters and you made a real connection through working on this book, because I've heard from numerous authors of all kinds that writing a book is super challenging. There's a lot of challenges challenges involved with getting a book out to publish. So congratulations.

Jamie (00:23:01) - Yeah.

Jamie (00:23:01) - And this, this day and age of publishing, publishers want your book like, very, very quickly.

Jamie (00:23:07) - Right.

Jamie (00:23:08) - 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.

Jamie (00:23:26) - And we had a food stylist there as well. So it was so cool to see just how these recipes came to life. And, yeah.

Jamie (00:23:33) - It was. Yeah, the.

Marge (00:23:33) - Photographs in the book are worth it alone because there are beautiful. It's like a coffee table book.

Jamie (00:23:38) - It is. Yeah. It's stunning and very eye catching. I think the cover, if it's on a bookshelf, you're going to, like, be drawn to it right away. And to get this shot alone.

Jamie (00:23:48) - This, this multiple.

Jamie (00:23:50) - Takes. But, yeah, this is, my co-authors hand, but it turned out.

Jamie (00:23:53) - Oh, is it what's lovely.

Marge (00:23:56) - Yeah. 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 do you have you observed any exciting trends in the edibles world recently?

Jamie (00:24:17) - 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.

Jamie (00:24:24) - 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.

Marge (00:24:58) - 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.

Jamie (00:25:18) - But yeah.

Marge (00:25:20) - I mean, a lot of the times you want to branch out beyond that and I think people are looking for that.

Marge (00:25:24) - So I think, you're you're on to 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, is cannabis. And can you talk about how you personally find or foster community through cannabis?

Jamie (00:25:43) - 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. So to, like, witness this firsthand, is so magical. And I think, this 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? so, yeah.

Marge (00:26:27) - 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.

Jamie (00:26:34) - Absolutely.

Marge (00:26:35) - Warm and fuzzy feelings.

Jamie (00:26:37) - Yeah. For sure. Yeah.

Marge (00:26:39) - 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 destigmatizing the stigmatization of cannabis in your work?

Jamie (00:26:58) - 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.

Jamie (00:27:34) - I mean, there's so many different types of products, there's so many different types of applications.

Jamie (00:27:39) - And so sometimes.

Jamie (00:27:40) - 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.

Marge (00:27:48) - 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 bartenders out there that will help them.

Jamie (00:28:02) - But yeah, it is.

Marge (00:28:04) - 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.

Jamie (00:28:17) - So. Oh yes, yes, yes.

Marge (00:28:19) - 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.

Jamie (00:28:31) - Oh yeah. So I think, key messages is we want to make this very approachable. We want 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 de carboxylate 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, you know, 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 to give them that wonderful edible experience, that's what we were hoping to accomplish.

Jamie (00:29:23) - So yes.

Marge (00:29:24) - And I think you do that very well. And because I have a lot of people, sometimes when they they start out thinking about edibles and they are really intimidated by that.

Marge (00:29:32) - Look at the carb. What's that? 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 because it is.

Jamie (00:29:48) - It's not fun.

Jamie (00:29:49) - Even when I was hosting my my Thursday and Views 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 2.5mg throughout the entire meal or five milligrams, the chefs could actually really be precise and give them that comfortable experience, which I think is is so key when you're working with edibles. is to have, you know, as close of an estimate as possible. so you're not getting overserved or you're not feeling uncomfortable as you're eating.

Marge (00:30:28) - So, yeah.

Marge (00:30:29) - Because that's the last thing you want when people are at a social occasion to, to be.

Jamie (00:30:33) - Yeah.

Marge (00:30:33) - Like they've over consumed.

Jamie (00:30:35) - Right. Exactly. Yeah. So I think I providing.

Jamie (00:30:38) - That that comfortable space is important.

Marge (00:30:41) - Yes. And I found too, 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 5mg or 10mg. Yes. And, you know, it used to be I know people with huge tolerances, but I think far more people have smaller tolerances. So it's.

Jamie (00:31:13) - Yeah. Yeah.

Jamie (00:31:14) - And I think like the best way to learn your tolerance to 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 of CBD.

Jamie (00:31:27) - You want level of THC and kind of find your perfect ratio. so we're we're very lucky in, in this modern day and age of cannabis where we can actually experiment and find that perfect level.

Jamie (00:31:39) - Right.

Jamie (00:31:40) - Which all the products that we have access to nowadays will help you do that.

Jamie (00:31:43) - So yes.

Marge (00:31:43) - 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. Yeah. 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 milligrams 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.

Jamie (00:32:11) - I know it's not.

Marge (00:32:12) - For everybody.

Jamie (00:32:13) - But yeah, if you have like,

Jamie (00:32:16) - Like a five milligram edible, especially if it's a chocolate and you're kind of new to the experience, you could actually.

Jamie (00:32:21) - Cut.

Jamie (00:32:22) - Like if you try to. Run 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.

Jamie (00:32:29) - Tricky, depending what.

Jamie (00:32:30) - The gummy.

Jamie (00:32:31) - Is like. Yes. but yeah, I always, like always, we always.

Jamie (00:32:35) - Say start low, go slow until you find a.

Marge (00:32:37) - Level. That's the adage. And if people follow that, they're usually okay.

Jamie (00:32:41) - So yeah. Yeah.

Marge (00:32:43) - Exactly.

Jamie (00:32:43) - Now that's.

Jamie (00:32:45) - The other key thing.

Jamie (00:32:46) - About it. Yes. Yes.

Marge (00:32:48) - 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, they're, 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.

Jamie (00:33:08) - Yeah, exactly.

Marge (00:33:10) - 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?

Jamie (00:33:17) - I would.

Jamie (00:33:17) - Say.

Jamie (00:33:18) - I mean, I think this Bloody Mary recipe is out of this world crazy. And we called it the Dingus over the top, kimchi, Bloody Mary. And as you can see, the garnishes.

Jamie (00:33:29) - Yeah. That's incredible.

Jamie (00:33:30) - Or over the.

Jamie (00:33:31) - Top. there's even.

Jamie (00:33:33) - A mini cheeseburger that we included.

Jamie (00:33:37) - So it really is.

Jamie (00:33:38) - Like a full meal, but I personally, I love Bloody Marys. I love spicy cocktails. Savory cocktails. but to use like, kimchi as the base I thought was really fun. And, yeah, I think it's absolutely delicious. And then also, for food would have Hagan's, one of my favorite Hagan recipes. Oh, yeah. And I also love the pineapple margarita, as you mentioned.

Jamie (00:34:02) - Yes, I.

Marge (00:34:02) - Know, I'm so excited to try that one.

Jamie (00:34:04) - That one was.

Jamie (00:34:05) - Delicious. so one of my favorite of Hagan's.

Jamie (00:34:08) - I'm trying to find the page. She made this gochujang crab pot.

Jamie (00:34:14) - Pie and.

Jamie (00:34:16) - Absolutely delicious. Oh, here it is. Here's a picture of it. So this.

Jamie (00:34:21) - Popeye.

Jamie (00:34:21) - Wow. If you like gochujang and you like Pepe's, this is absolutely scrumptious. It's a little bit more challenging to make, but highly recommend. Like the first time I tried and it was just out of this world. Delicious. And then also the kimchi. The cheese dip is really good too.

Marge (00:34:39) - Yeah, those both sound really good. And I just happened to pick up some go to Jang like a couple of weeks ago. So I have a 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.

Jamie (00:34:55) - So it's.

Jamie (00:34:56) - Incredibly decadent as.

Jamie (00:34:57) - Well. So yeah, I love that.

Marge (00:34:59) - Okay, that's next on the list then.

Marge (00:35:02) - Now, what would surprise people about you, Jamie?

Jamie (00:35:06) - 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 what you'll find me most in the winter time.

Jamie (00:35:25) - Okay. This winter.

Jamie (00:35:27) - it's a little abnormal. We're, we're going to Columbia actually, starting tomorrow, so.

Jamie (00:35:32) - Oh, wow.

Jamie (00:35:33) - That took a large chunk of our winter time, but usually I'm on the mountain.

Marge (00:35:37) - Right? That's beautiful. As a Canadian, I don't ski, so.

Jamie (00:35:42) - There you go. You got me on that.

Marge (00:35:43) - But, yeah. Now, can you give me any kind of sneak peeks into any upcoming projects that you have?

Jamie (00:35:50) - Oh, yeah.

Jamie (00:35:50) - So I have a very exciting project coming up. So in July, I actually have another book coming out.

Jamie (00:35:57) - Okay. This will be.

Jamie (00:35:57) - 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.

Marge (00:36:11) - Oh, that's super exciting. I will definitely keep my eye open for that. And where could people find out or see this, book reveal or cover reveal and that kind of thing? Where can people find you?

Jamie (00:36:23) - Absolutely. So if you're on Instagram, you can find me at the Herb Som. My website is the herb som.com. So pretty much anywhere is the herb Som right?

Jamie (00:36:33) - You can find more information.

Jamie (00:36:35) - 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 now.

Marge (00:36:52) - And are you still running your wine and weed experiences as well?

Jamie (00:36:56) - Yeah.

Jamie (00:36:56) - So, the last one I had done was in November. And so I will be partnering again, with a wonderful travel company called Can Escape 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 campout and then we'll have dinner as well. So it.

Jamie (00:37:24) - Should be a.

Jamie (00:37:25) - Lovely weekend.

Marge (00:37:26) - And I'm assuming you would share all this stuff on your social media and on your.

Jamie (00:37:30) - Website if people. Oh yeah. Yes.

Jamie (00:37:32) - Definitely find when we start posting about it you'll definitely find more information.

Jamie (00:37:36) - Yeah. Beautiful.

Marge (00:37:37) - 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.

Jamie (00:37:51) - Wonderful. What? 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 all the fun things.

Marge (00:38:03) - 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, of course, if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with somebody else that you think might learn something from it.

Marge (00:39:00) - If you want to support the show, please head over to the Marj 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. March. Stay high.