How about chipotle chili popcorn or coconut curry popcorn? These and other imaginative and exotic flavors are the brainchild of world traveler Jeff Phillips, who has created a business doing what he loves – making people happy eating Comet Corn.
Jeff didn’t grow up in a traveling family. “My dad was a county supervisor in Orange County, and my mom came from an English family, not known for their culinary expansiveness. But my mom encouraged us to cook. I was making crepes by the time I was six. “
When Jeff got to college he realized that the only way to eat well on his budget was to make good food himself. He experimented with seasonings to jazz up the foods he could afford to buy.
Jeff became a carpenter after college, but injuries and his mother’s illness changed his direction. He decided to travel for a while but soon realized that “I was going to have to get a job or make a job. What did I want to do? I like people and I like food.” During his travels in Europe, he had tasted crepes from a cart in France. “They add a little brandy, roll ‘em up – a fabulous snack,” Jeff reminisces. Friends cautioned that brandy-laced crepes might not work here, so Jeff thought, “What else do I like? Popcorn. It doesn’t need refrigeration, I like it and I feel comfortable promoting it. It’s healthy. Perfect.”
Folks who go to farmers markets or music festivals are familiar with Comet Corn and Jeff’s self-contained, portable, low-energy-use popper that runs on propane and solar power. He buys from small suppliers and uses organic ingredients whenever possible. Small batches of the premium corn are cooked up fresh in pure rice bran oil, without artificial flavors or colors.
Recently Jeff has added a unique, healthy snack from South America to his repertoire: Peruvian toasting corn, which pops up similar to corn nuts.
A people person with a love for tasty food and exotic climes, Jeff’s personality is definitely one of the spices he offers to go with his popcorn. “Too often food is just a staple, rather than a sensual experience. I want to surprise people’s taste buds, wake them up!”
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