We here at Passable do a lot more than just talk about food. When we have time, we like to cook/bake/preserve/prepare it as well. That means having well stocked kitchens, pantries and refrigerators. From Mackerel to Maldon salt to our moms, we wanted to share with you some of our favorite things, places and people.
A good story can warm the soul, and a good meal can warm the belly. Luckily for us, Costas Halavrezos knows how to dish out both.
A longtime CBC producer, journalist and former host of Maritime Noon, Costas could be found in countless homes across the maritime provinces, every weekday at noon. But now that he has retired, he has found a different way into our lives: our spice cabinets.
Halavrezos has teamed up with Montreal-based spice vendors Épices de Cru and is now selling their products at the Historic Halifax Farmer’s Market in the old Keith’s Brewery. He plans on being there for the next two saturdays – December 11th and 18th – selling everything from spice blends to gift boxes. Passable sat down with him to talk about his new venture.
So how does a former radio host go from doling out stories to spices?
My parents ran a restaurant with a counter and 14 stools and a dinner special every day. They also had a candy counter, and magazine, newspaper & comics racks. So I grew up selling things to people of all ages and backgrounds – whoever came through the door. It was a wonderful preparation for public broadcasting, but also a good grounding in direct sales and marketing – not to mention dealing with people, cash, bank deposits, receipts and the whole rich tapestry of the hospitality industry.
But from the broadcasting side, as a journalist, I’ve also spent more than thirty years being an entrepreneur – pitching story ideas and selling them to critical producers and colleagues every day. So I’m totally comfortable with personally standing behind and selling things I belive in – whether they’re stories or top quality spices. My father cooked a delicious dinner special every day. In 40 years, he never spent a cent on advertising. His trade depended entirely on satisfying customers – enery time, every day. And that was a powerful, clear lesson to me – whether you’re talking about hosting a radio show or selling spices.
I just got back from Toronto where there are lots of places to buy wonderful spices and spice blends and I admit, I was jealous. Now I don’t have to be. Can’t wait until Saturday to visit at the market.
Yesterday, we posted the first part of our interview with food blogger/photographer extraordinaire, Matt Armendariz. Today, Matt talks about cooking with Martha Stewart, photography, and his recent venture with Spice Islands.
All images by Matt Armendariz
How did you get involved with Martha Stewart?
Her editors were reading my blog and when they formed Martha’s Circle, an ad network of various lifestyle, crafting and food blogs, I was one of the first they called. I was immediately flattered to be affiliated with such an excellent brand like MSLO but I certainly didn’t expect it would develop into what it did. I was asked to tape a segment with Martha on her show and ever since I’ve been back to tapings of the program, become friends with various editors and even headed to NYC for a big blogging party Martha had this past summer. She’s such an inspiration, plus she’s always very nice to me.
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Matt, you hit the nail right on the head when talking about working with brands. You have to be passionate about the product and the people at the company to be able to talk about their product with confidence. Your blog and your story are an inspiration and, for the record, everything looks edible!
Dara
Passable 
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