Category: Q&A

In the kitchen with Matt Pierce

Matt Pierce of Salem is the owner and founder of Granite State Spice Blends (granitestatespiceblends.com, and on Facebook @granitestatespiceblends), a company offering small-batch herb and spice seasoning blends available in a variety of flavors. Pierce, who is also the executive chef for Fresh Picks Cafe, a division of Cafe Services, Inc., of Manchester, launched Granite State Spice Blends earlier this year as a side hustle. Each of his blends is individually toasted, muddled and ground before being packaged — his signature product is an all-purpose blend called the “SPOG” (it features salt, pepper, onion and garlic as its ingredients). But Pierce’s lineup of more than a dozen blends also includes a curry powder, a chili powder, an adobo seasoning, a Caribbean jerk seasoning and a few other unique offerings, from a “hot magic dust” blend with ground chile peppers to the “miso shroomy” blend with ground mushrooms and miso powder. Granite State Spice Blends will be a featured vendor at the Great New England Holiday Shopping Extravaganza on Friday, Dec. 10, and Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Hampshire Hills Athletic Club (50 Emerson Road, Milford). You can also order Pierce’s blends online in either two- or four-ounce bags.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

There are actually three things: my grinder, my Lodge cast iron, and my Big Green Egg kamado-style cooker.

What would you have for your last meal?

Definitely tacos al pastor.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

The Black Trumpet in Portsmouth. We’ll typically sit down and just order a whole bunch of dishes, to turn into a huge experience.

What is your personal favorite blend that you make?

My favorite is the SPOG, because that was the one that got it all started. Aside from that one, the adobo is definitely the fan favorite .

What celebrity would you like to see trying one of your blends?

Joe Rogan.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

Foraging for seaweed and taking advantage of what our oceans have to offer seems to be pretty popular right now. UNH has done classes on it and they’ve teamed up with chefs in the area.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

My go-to at home would probably be tacos, because it’s everybody’s favorite no matter what day of the week.

Adobo-roasted spatchcock chicken
From the kitchen of Matt Pierce of Granite State Spice Blends

1 whole broiler chicken (about 3 pounds average size)
1 ounce Granite State Spice Blends adobo seasoning
2 Tablespoons yellow mustard

Preheat the oven or grill to 350 degrees. Score both sides of the chicken’s backbone to create guidelines. Using poultry shears, cut out the backbone. Pat the cavity dry and score a line in the middle of the breastbone. Flip the chicken and press down so the breastbone splits and the chicken is now flat. Rub mustard on both sides to allow the adobo seasoning to stick to the bird. Sprinkle a generous amount of adobo seasoning all over the bird. Cook for an hour to an hour and a half. Turn the heat up to 400 degrees for the final 15 minutes. The thickest part of the breast should be at 165 degrees and the meat should be easily pulling from the bone. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. When done, do not discard the bones — add them to a pot of water with thyme, bay leaves, crushed red pepper flakes, carrots, celery and onion, and simmer for two hours to make a great bone broth.

Featured photo: Matt Pierce. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Katie Booker

Katie Booker

Vintage and handmade gift shop owner

Katie Booker is the owner of Little Vintage Venue in Suncook. The retail shop sells vintage, upcycled and locally handmade items.

Explain your job and what it entails.

My job includes finding local crafters and vendors to rent out space in the shop or having them attend one of my open houses. I love being on the hunt for unique antique or vintage items [and] items made locally or in the U.S. … I place [items] in the shop. Display is everything. If items aren’t selling, I … change the display, and that usually does the trick. I also take pictures for social media to share new items or items on sale. Sometimes I’ll have a live video with my daughter and show new items … or feature a local crafter to help their sales. I love interacting with my customers. … When they ask for special orders, or … something in particular they’re looking for, I enjoy finding that special piece. There are housekeeping items I have to handle, too cleaning the shop, paying my vendors and crafters, paying bills, posting on social media.

How long have you had this job?

Since August 2018.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I’ve always loved making craft items for my home or to give as gifts. In 2013 I started making and selling signs to friends and family. From there I started attending craft fairs, selling my work. When I saw places that opened up at the mall selling local crafters’ work, it made me think about having my own shop. There’s nothing better than stumbling along a cute town with some nice shops. A space was open right in the town I grew up in. Even better, it was only a four-minute walk from my house.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I’ve been self-training the point-of-sale system and taking photos of items that I’m selling.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Casual attire that includes my shop’s shirts.

How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?

I had to shut down March 2020 until June 2020. I was nervous how sales would do after reopening. It turned out to be great for my business. People who lived in town started walking by and would peek in the window. It made them want to come into the shop. My reopening attracted many because they were excited to see what I had. On the weekends people would go out for a Sunday drive and notice my flag outside and items on the sidewalk, then stop in. I feel that people felt safe coming into a small shop where it was less busy. For me, it brought in a lot of new customers that enjoy coming back.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

More about social media and building a platform for my business.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

I’ve started the business from scratch. There have been a lot of bumps along the way, but I try my best to smooth them out. When the shop is a mess, it’s only because it’s a lot of work to move items around. You have to keep it fresh by rearranging the shop and making your visions and ideas come to life.

What was the first job you ever had?

I was 14 years old and worked selling rubber stamps at craft fairs on the weekends for a small business called Stampers Delight. I would give demonstrations for making cards and crafts and how to use the different products, along with ringing up the customers.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Remember to take time for your family and yourself.

Five favorites

Favorite book: Craft magazines and The Mysterious Benedict Society
Favorite movie: Mary Poppins
Favorite music: Rob Thomas/Matchbox Twenty
Favorite food: My mom’s chocolate cream pie
Favorite thing about NH: Everything it has to offer. I love being an hour away from the mountains, beach, lakes and Boston.

Featured photo: Katie Booker. Courtesy photo.

What’s in store

Shop local this holiday season

Nancy Kyle, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Retail Association, talked about the current state of New Hampshire’s retail industry and how shopping locally benefits consumers, businesses and communities.

How are small businesses doing right now?

Retailers are actually doing fairly well. There’s been a real shift over the last five or 10 years to a trend of shopping locally … and people’s overall mindset of wanting to buy items that were grown or made in their own community. Interestingly enough, a lot of millennials actually prefer to shop in stores rather than online. … On Cyber Monday, which is supposed to be the biggest online shopping day of the year, the [sales] numbers this year were less than they were last year. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend had very good numbers of people out in the community and shopping.

Why do you think that is?

I think people just want to start going back out and shopping in stores. … Because of the times we’ve been in and the restrictions in place because of Covid, a lot of people haven’t been traveling as much; they haven’t been going to as many concerts; they haven’t been eating out as often; so they haven’t been spending as much money. I think there’s a pent-up demand, now, to go shopping, and to spend their money on the people in their lives who are important to them.

What changes and new business models born out of the pandemic are here to stay?

A big thing stores are doing now is having more outreach with their customers using Zoom. Local bookstores are a perfect example; they’re doing Zoom calls with authors who have new books coming out [as a way to] get people to come in [to the store] and buy the books. I know of some clothing stores that are having fashion shows on Zoom and social media to sell items. These are all new things; they weren’t happening before Covid. … Delivery, curbside pickup — all of that is here to stay, too. We’re all really busy, and it’s just really convenient when we can order something online and have it brought out to our car. That has only helped [local businesses’] cause and encouraged more people to want to shop local.

What are the perks of shopping locally for the consumer?

When you buy from a local business rather than ordering from [a seller] halfway across the country, you’re not going to have to deal with the shipping problems that a lot of us are seeing right now; you’ll get your things in a timely manner. … You’re getting very unique gifts that you probably wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else … and the quality of the goods is oftentimes better. … A lot of times you’re dealing directly with the owner of a store, so it’s a more personal experience. If you go into a store downtown looking for a specific item and they don’t have it, they’ll recommend somewhere else [locally] that you can get it.

How does shopping locally benefit the communities?

Because of our lack of a sales tax, retail is a cornerstone of the state’s economy and a really strong and vibrant part of our state. One out of every four people in the state is employed in some type of retail industry. … When you shop local, you’re putting your dollars into your community. You’re investing in people who are invested in your community. These small, local businesses are there for us — they’re the ones supporting your little league teams, supporting your kids in school when they’re selling candy bars — so it’s time for us to be there for them. … Last year was a challenging time for them, and with Covid numbers surging again, it will be challenging again … so let’s try to get out there and support them as much as we can.

How can consumers discover local businesses to support?

Look in your community. Search for [local businesses] on Facebook and social media. Walk around your downtown. A lot of towns also have special [event] weekends before Christmas with carolers and activities for kids and things to bring people downtown. Those community events are a great opportunity for people to walk in the doors of local businesses and support them.

Featured photo: Nancy Kyle. Courtesy photo.

In the kitchen with Gabe DiSaverio

Gabe DiSaverio combined his two greatest passions — spicy food and sharks — with the launch of The Spicy Shark (570-2604, thespicyshark.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @thespicyshark), a line of products that includes craft hot sauces, wing sauce, Sriracha, hot honey and hot syrups using all natural ingredients. Since the first bottle of hot sauce was sold in February 2019, the Portsmouth-based company has gone on to win multiple national awards, and DiSaverio and his team have participated in various festivals and shows all over the country. Born in Manhattan and raised in northern New Jersey, DiSaverio attributes his love of spicy food to his family’s introducing him to a variety of ethnic cuisines from a young age. His love of sharks, meanwhile, stems from being a lifelong fanatic of the film Jaws — today The Spicy Shark works with and donates to Save the Sharks and several other nonprofits that focus on shark conservation and education. The Spicy Shark will be a featured vendor at both the Made in New England Expo on Saturday, Dec. 4, and Sunday, Dec. 5, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St.) and the Great New England Holiday Shopping Extravaganza on Friday, Dec. 10, and Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Hampshire Hills Athletic Club (50 Emerson Road, Milford). DiSaverio is also organizing a new event, the first annual New England Hot Sauce Fest, to be held at Smuttynose Brewing Co. in Hampton in July 2022. Proceeds from that festival will benefit the Blue Ocean Society and the Seacoast Science Center. Visit newenglandhotsaucefest.com.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A Vitamix blender. One thing that’s really key to our sauces is the texture. We [blend] every single one of our sauces to get that consistency that they have come to be known for.

What would you have for your last meal?

My wife’s Thanksgiving pizza. We take a Portland Pie Co. pizza dough and essentially throw all of our Thanksgiving leftovers on it.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

That’s an easy one. That would be Petey’s [Summertime Seafood & Bar] in Rye.

What celebrity would you like to see trying one of your sauces?

Richard Dreyfuss. … Out of the original trio in Jaws, he’s the only one of the three who is still alive. He played Matt Hooper, the marine biologist. I actually got to meet him at SharkCon in Tampa earlier this year.

What is your personal favorite sauce that you make?

Each one is so near and dear to me, but if I had to say just one it would be the Hammah Gatah. I love blazing hot heat, and this sauce is my hottest. I put it on everything.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

Eating local and knowing where your food is coming from. … This is something that’s been going on for a long time but still continues to pick up more and more speed. I see a lot more people being part of CSAs now, my family included.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

This changes all the time, but I would say right now we’ve been perfecting vegan lasagna. We make our own cashew cream and our own homemade marinara sauce.

Hot honey lemon chicken
From the kitchen of Gabe DiSaverio of The Spicy Shark

⅓ cup The Spicy Shark hot honey
¼ cup lemon juice
5 to 7 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary)
1½ pounds chicken breast tenderloins
½ Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or nonstick cooking spray)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat or spray tenderloins with the olive oil or cooking spray and place in an 11×7-inch baking dish. Combine hot honey, lemon juice and rosemary into a small bowl and mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated (if using fresh rosemary, do not put in bowl; add to baking dish in between tenderloins). Pour the sauce over the tenderloins and make sure it gets underneath. Place the baking dish in the oven uncovered and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Flip the tenderloins halfway through cooking (optional: brown both sides in a hot pan on the stove if desired).

Featured photo: Gabe DiSaverio. Courtesy photo.

On The Job – Justin Tanner

Justin Tanner

Engraver

Justin Tanner is the owner of Rustic Cabin Designs, a laser engraving business that does custom engraving on wood and sells engraved wooden signs at the Kearsarge Business Center in Warner.

Explain your job and what it entails.

We’re a graphics design shop that does custom graphics and logos with a laser engraver. Basically, on an average day, I’m taking people’s orders, doing the programming for the machines, doing the design work, working hands-on with the materials, cutting and sanding the wood, doing the actual laser engraving and then whatever sanding or staining is involved in the finishing process.

How long have you had this job?

We are only four months old; we just started in July.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I had gotten laid off from my previous job … as a machinist. I was tired of the shop life, anyway. I was tired of punching a clock every day, working for someone else. I started looking for something different that I could do. I already had the skills, and I had just bought my own machine, so I figured, why not work for myself? I decided to take a leap and start my own business.

What kind of education or training did you need?

Formally, my education is only through high school, but I learned a lot of skills through on-the-job training. I have 20 years of experience working in a shop as a CNC machinist.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Just jeans or a pair of shorts, and a T-shirt.

What was it like starting this business during the pandemic?

We definitely ran into some issues. The biggest one has been getting the supply. We ordered a lot of lumber online, and the delivery times are just so unpredictable right now, and that’s if [the lumber] is even available at all. It’s been taking two or three times longer than it should to get here.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

Try to learn as much as you can, and take any advancement opportunities that present themselves.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

I wish people realized the amount of time and work it takes. There’s the logistics of getting the materials; doing the programming and design work; the fixturing and workholding to actually get [the wood] into the [engraving] machine; the tooling for the machines, and the finishing process, so there’s a lot that goes into making a final product from scratch.

What was the first job you ever had?

I was a dishwasher at Colby-Sawyer College.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Never give up.

Five favorites

Favorite book: The Dark Tower by Stephen King
Favorite movie: Happy Gilmore
Favorite music: hard rock
Favorite food: pizza
Favorite thing about NH: the history

Featured photo: Justin Tanner. Courtesy photo.

Acting skills

Theater company teaches kids healthy social behaviors

After a year of virtual programming, Plymouth State University’s TIGER (Theatre Integrating Guidance, Education and Responsibility) theater company is back on the road, bringing its social-emotional educational performances to K-through-8 schools across the state. The group, which consists of graduate students and professional actors, is led by artistic director Trish Lindberg. Lindberg talked about the program and how it addresses the challenges kids are facing today.

What is TIGER?

It’s a program that deals with social-emotional learning and helping kids process difficult traumatic events that happen to them using theater, music and dance. … I started it 17 years ago with colleagues at Plymouth State. … It started as a program that dealt exclusively with bullying. There was a lot of trauma around bullying happening in schools, and there still is today. I thought, I’m not a psychiatrist or psychologist or a school counselor, but why don’t I use my talents [in the performing arts] to partner with people [who are] to help kids who are being bullied.

What kinds of issues does TIGER address?

We try to stay very current and in the heartbeat of what kids are feeling now. … We send out writing prompts to get writings from kids to inform the piece … with actual stories about things that kids have gone through. … Kids are dealing with so many things right now that we really wish they didn’t have to [deal with]. … One of the biggest things is, with people being so frustrated with the pandemic … people are choosing not to be kind. That’s why we thought it was really important to do a show about kindness … and the importance of kindness in our lives. … We’re all in this pandemic together. We all have difficult things going on and things that we’d like to do but can’t do. But we can still be kind. That’s something that we want to help kids understand — that even in this crazy world, where there are a lot of things they don’t have control over, they can always control how they act, and even if [a situation] is really hard, they can still choose kindness.

What does a performance look like?

Each show teaches five concepts … represented by each letter [in ‘TIGER’]. … For example, [when teaching about] how important it is for kids to take care of themselves, ‘T’ stands for ‘Take care of you;’ ‘I’ stands for ‘Imagine;’ ‘G’ stands for ‘Grow your confidence;’ ‘E’ stands for ‘Empathy;’ and ‘R’ stands for ‘Respect yourself and others.’ … Then, we have songs and skits around those concepts. … It’s really cool, because at the end, when we ask the kids what each letter stands for, they always remember … because they’ve had it taught to them in multiple ways.

How is performance art an effective way to communicate with kids about difficult subjects?

Theater, music and dance helps kids to see themselves in scenarios that they’ve experienced themselves while being able to take a step back and watch it happen to someone else. … They’re safe; it’s not actually happening to them, but they can see the scenario played out. … It helps them understand what they’re going through from another perspective … and in a deeper way, and that can be a real catharsis for them. … I think one of the most powerful things about the arts is that it has the ability to touch hearts and minds and really resonate with people on a very deep, emotional level.

How do you keep yourselves and the kids safe while visiting schools?

Some districts have mandates where they’re not having any assembly programs of any kind, but many districts have been willing to have us. … Schools have chosen to do different [safety precautions]; some are comfortable having us do a regular performance in the gym. Others have us perform for a smaller audience or live-broadcast into the classrooms. … We’re willing to follow whatever protocols the schools have, in addition to [the safety precautions] we’re already doing ourselves. … All of our actors are fully vaccinated and tested every week … and we wear these wonderful face masks … that are made for performers. They’re full-face masks, and they’re clear so the kids can see our expressions and energy.

What impact has TIGER had on kids’ lives?

We had [a mother] call us … and tell us that her son came home from school [after a TIGER program] and burst into tears; he had been bullied for three months at school and had never told anyone. He said that TIGER taught him that he needed to tell an adult, so he told his mom, and the mom went to the school, and they were able to get help. … That’s what we’re all about — making a difference in kids’ lives, even if we’re performing for a school with 500 kids and we’re able to help just one kid.

Learn more about TIGER and how to bring them to your local school at campus.plymouth.edu/tiger.

Featured photo: Trish Lindberg. Courtesy photo.

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