Author: Matt Robinson

OUT OF SEASON? NOT IN PIGEON COVE!

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I have been talking a good deal about fermented foods of late and how good they are for you. Unfortunately, many people have been led to understand that fermented foods taste bad or that they fizz and tingle on your tongue in an unpleasant way.

Apparently, these people are not fortunate enough to have Gloucester’s Pigeon Cove Ferments nearby!

I mentioned Pigeon Cove before – introducing their amazing krauts and kimchis (all of which also act as great inroads to the fermented field). But as winter sets in and fresh fruit is harder to get, I wanted to focus on their kombuchas, which offer amazingly authentic fresh fruit taste even when the source ingredients may not be in season.

As kombucha involves fermenting which involves aging, the fresh ingredients that come in summer are ready to be enjoyed in their new fermented forms right about this time of year. This is apparently why Pigeon Cove’s recently-released batches of spiced pear and orange cranberry Hibiscus are so darn refreshing and can not only make your tummy feel better but help overcome seasonal doldrums with a tasty reminder of brighter days ahead (or at least behind).

Another great way Pigeon Cove can brighten your day is with their lion’s mane coffee kombucha, which adds brain-boosting nootropics to delicious coffee flavor. I have a few a week and love the tasty tingle!

Fermented foods are good for you, but that does not mean they have to taste bad. You just need to know where to look. I suggest Gloucester!

PUT SOME “PEP” IN YOUR STEP

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When I first saw a product called “Pep” that claimed to offer clean energy and helpful probiotics, it seemed like something out of a movie that did not want to use a brand name.

However, after I interviewed health expert Dr. Shawn Talbott from Pep’s producer, Amare Global, I was convinced to give the vegan, dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free beverage a try.

I must say that my body, my brain, and my bowels felt pretty peppy indeed!

In addition to offering its titular burst of energy (thanks to organic green coffee), Pep also supports alertness and concentration through a proprietary ingredient called Suntheanine® AND supports a healthy gut microbiome which ALSO helps your brain and body function better! According to Dr. Talbott, it can even help with digestion issues thanks to its combination of pro- and prebiotics, organic live kombucha, and another proprietary ingredient called Sunfiber®.

Unlike most other so-called “energy drinks,” the special blend in Pep delivers its natural energy in a way that strikes an attractive and sustaining balance between energy and relaxation, allowing you to be alert without feeling wired so you can continue to do what you need and want to do efficiently for a long period of time.

Now you may be thinking- “Can a drink that does all this taste good?”
And I am here to answer- YES!


Despite having no sugar, Pep is as sweet and refreshing as strawberry soda and offers a bubbly burst that tickles your tongue and keeps the party going all the way through your gut.  

Go to Amare.com/g10/442395 or amare.com and use promo code 442395 for $10 off your first purchase!

LET US EAT CAKE

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In the process of supporting Project Insulin in their efforts to develop a generic version of the life-saving medicine, I have had the privilege of meeting many other wonderful and community-minded people. Among these is Patrice Jean-Philippe, who also supports the health and well-being of her RI neighbors.

When not serving her community as an administrator, Jean-Philippe is serving cakes that she custom makes for clients and organizations as the head of P. Bon Bakery, a company that she operates with the help of her children, the eldest of whom is studying culinary arts.

Inspired (as so many of us were) by watching baking shows during the pandemic, Jean-Philippe quickly discovered that she had more than just a home-baker’s knack for crafting creative cakes that looked amazing and tasted even better. Since then, she has spent every moment she is not helping her family and her neighbors in the kitchen to make them happy in other ways.

Calling on her Haitian heritage, Jean-Philippe uses authentic island vanilla in a recipe that was handed down from her mother. She is also well known for her chocolate and carrot cakes. Each cake is made to order using her special buttercream recipe that gives each cake a unique flavor and texture and that will surely make any event or occasion at which they are served special as well!

As part of her effort to support others, Jean-Philippe recently launched Sweet Talkers, a program for young children with speech delays that encourages them to find their voice through baking. 

As with so many Matt’s Meals friends, Jean-Philippe is a dedicated foodmaker and family supporter who deserves our support as well!

THE GREATEST BREW ON EARTH

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I was recently privileged enough to spend some time in the beautiful environs of Utah. While the skiing was good (at least compared to out east) and the new flag inspiring, one of my favorite finds came as I was headed back to the airport to come home.

Just off the highway between Park City and Salt Lake City is Park City Brewing, a comfortable place to eat, drink, and recuperate from a hard day on the slopes or at the office.

With mylar igloos out front to facilitate dining al fresco even in a champagne blizzard and a small but complete brewing set in the back to facilitate the venue’s delicious malt-based creations, Park City Brewing offers locally-inspired and made beers, hard seltzers and other refreshing treats along with great comfort food. From malty and slightly sweet beer-infused pretzel mounds to Silvercreek bratwurst and chicken sandos that fill your mouth with flavor and just call out for a frosty following of one of the venue’s well-crafted brews to hand-crafted caramel corn with nuts, Park City Brew has far more than beer but the beers are worth the trip on their own! The Mexican lager is muy auténtico and their famed Powder Buoy pilsner pays tribute to the local weather patterns that have made the area so famous among skiers. They also offer their own root beer and a rotating raft of seasonal and experimental flavors- many of which get demanded again and again by regulars and visitors alike. 

Utah may claim the greatest snow on earth, but the beer is not so bad either, especially at Park City Brewing.     

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LIKE A BOSS

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As I have been talking about food so long, I am comfortable saying again that, especially at this time of year, I often find myself drinking the amazing Maple products from Cochrane’s and UnTapped straight from the bottle, but I recently found another direct-to-mouth product of which I cannot get enough that I wanted to share with everyone!

In addition to being a maple maven, I am also a granola gourmand and I’ve talked a lot about favorites like Forij and Golden Girl and Humble Bones– all of which are great straight from the container yet some of which are not always easy to just scoop and savor.

Fortunately, I recently found a long line of delicious nut-free butters that work everywhere my beloved PB does but takes the taste even further!

Oat Boss butters were made for a little girl with nut allergies but are sure to drive any food fan nuts (in a GOOD way)!

Though they all start with wholesome oats, coconut oil, and honey, Oat Boss butters add such impressively authentic natural flavors as blueberry muffin, shortbread, chocolate chip cookie, chocolate fudge, and even a granola butter donut that deserves a call from Kane’s Donuts!

As the butters are packed with protein and fiber and still only free of nuts, gluten, and soy, they can serve not only as a sandwich starter but also – as I said – as a spoon-fed snack for anyone!

And as they come from a family-run business, I want to get behind them with as many spoonsful as I can…and you will too!

READY FOR ANYTHING (and I mean “ANYTHING”!)

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As the world continues to spiral into disarray, more people are abandoning the status quo and finding ways to survive out of the office and off the grid.

One of the best of these is Eric Christianson, a former Army Ranger who left the rat race of New York for the natural wonder of the American wilderness where he founded and runs Nutrient Survival.
Though many of their products offer nutrition that has served Special Operations soldiers and other well-prepped people, Nutrient Survival can also help everyday people prepare for every day. 

From ready-to-eat meals like oatmeal, egg scrambles, and even lasagna to powdered veggies that include all the taste and nutrition of the real thing (if not more!), to coffee and immune-boosting tea, Nutrient Survival has everything you need to survive in the canyons of the Sierras or the canyons of steel. They even offer a brain care line with a patented power pack of over 40 essential nutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, and other mental-stabilizing stuff that can keep you on your game and maybe get you off our meds and that can surely keep your mind as sharp and tuned as your body.

If all of this sounds a bit much, Nutrient Survival has a wide range of sampler sets that can help you prepare to be prepared at your own pace. Once you taste their delicious foods, however, you will surely be set to hunker in the bunker or just prep for your next boardroom battle.

As Matt’s Meals fans know, I LOVE to support Veteran-run businesses, but when the food is a great as this and as good for you, it is easy to enlist anyone to join me! 

NOT QUITE MONTREAL, BUT STILL GREAT!

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I recently raved about the cleverly-distributed smoked salmon and other seafood delights from Twin Light Smokehouse and Cape Ann Fresh Catch. But what good is great smoked salmon without something to shmear it on?

While I was recently privileged to enjoy fresh-baked bagels from Montreal, I have found a place that is much closer that makes bagels that are equally profound.

Inspired by the legendary St. Viateur bagelry in Montreal, Myer’s Wood Fired Bagels produces hand-rolled masterpieces that are boiled in honey and that combine the best of Canada, New York, and Vermont for an international sensation that can be shipped nationwide but that are also worth the trip, especially if you are in the area for skiing, leaf-peeping, or to enjoy some of the Green Mountain State’s many other food faves, such as Cabot and Jasper Hill Farm cheeses, Champlain Orchards ciders and Lake Champlain chocolates, or Yolo snacks.

If you visit the plant, you can also enjoy a bagel-based sandwich and other locally-made treats like 14th Star, Switchback, Von Trapp, and Zero Gravity beer, as well as Sugar Bob’s syrups, and Myer’s own Montreal spice.

No matter where you try them, however, you are sure to come back for more of Myer’s ever-expanding menu of flavors, which includes such stand-outs as sesame sunflower, whole wheat, cinnamon raisin, and kitchen sink.

Especially as I have family in Montreal, St. Viateur bagels will always hold a special place in my heart and my pantry. When I want a great bagel without customs, however, I now souviens to reach for Myer’s.

SWEETENING LIFE ALL DOWN THE CHAIN

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As Matt’s Meals fans know, I am a chocolate fan and have had the pleasure of enjoying bars from around the world.

One of my foreign favorites is Tony’s Chocolonely from Amsterdam. In addition to offering a wide range of unique and customizable flavors, Tony also stays away from the slavery and child labor practices that plague so much of the industry and pays nearly twice as much as other companies in order to ensure that “fair trade” is not just a slogan.

Along those lines comes an African maker named Luji’s Chocolate who is also combining amazing unique flavor combinations with admirable practices and philosophies.

Based in West Africa, Luji’s not only sources their chocolate through a personal partnership with farmers from Nigeria but many of the other ingredients as well, including fresh ginger, plantains, and the chili and other spices that make authentic African Suya such an international taste sensation and that surely makes their chocolate stand out as well. 

In addition to allowing anyone from anywhere to experience these exciting flavors, buying Luji’s bars also supports the farmers who help craft them by paying for cocoa tree seedlings to replenish and expand their supplies and help the local economy and world environment, all while bringing more of the legendary flavors and of Africa to the rest of the world.

Each Luji’s sampler set includes one milk, one 70% dark, one ginger plantain, and one Suya bar, along with a tasting guide that can help make the delicious transition to authentic African chocolate even more enjoyable.

Africa was long known as the “dark” continent. Who knew they were talking about chocolate! 

EXPANDING THE LAKE

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As Matt’s Meals fans know, I Lovermont and especially love the food friends I have made there. As you also know, I m a big chocolate fan. It is no surprise, then, that one of my favorite chocolate spots in Lake Champlain Chocolates in Burlington.

No matter where else in the Green Mountain State I am traveling, I always make an effort to stop by their store to taste their latest mouth-watering wares.

And now they are rewarding my efforts and making it slightly easier to reach their store by expanding it!

LCC’s flagship store on Pine Street in Burlington recently added about 50% more space and have also expanded their menu of olfactory offerings with the addition a cocoa bar and a bakery that serves freshly made croissants, muffins, cookies, brownies, locally-sourced apple cider donuts, and their legendary Burlington Blackout Cake. Visitors can even look into their Innovation Kitchen to get an early glimpse of what is sure to be their next sweet favorite.

With so many chocolatey choices, the build-your-own-box station is a great place to start, as it allows and encourages guests to mix and match from among Lake Champlain’s amazing assortment of handmade truffles, caramels, and even their Five-Star bars and 40th anniversary cocktail confection collection. If you need a more curated gift, special orders can also be placed right in the store!

As they are all handmade, mistakes are occasionally made, but buying the so-called “seconds” at the expanded store only means you are saving money on something you were going to eat before getting back in the car anyway!

So whether or not your travel plans call for Vermont, be sure to at least check out www.lakechamplainchocolates.com anytime you want to make your day and those of others a bit sweeter.

INSTANT KARMA

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Despite the fact that she has been told repeatedly by many friends about the ease of use and health benefits of an instant pot and despite the many delicious and healthy meals said friends have prepared for us using theirs, my dear wife seems to have a fear of using it for our family.

Fortunately, I recently came upon a new book by Instant Pot pro and Pressure Luck Cooking creator Jeffrey Eisner that has helped to take the anxiety out of cooking under pressure. And what makes it even better is that most of the recipes are not only healthy and delicious but low in calories. In fact, the book is called The Lighter Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook!

As Eisner used these recipes to lose 100 pounds himself, the proof is in the pudding (or is that the lemon curd on page 258?). And no matter whether you like soups or stews, pastas or poultry, meats or meatless meals, applesauce or oatmeal, Cuban Chili, Greek Farro, or Sephardic Tagine-style meals, this book has all you need to embrace the instant while improving your health.

Starting with a table of contents that details which recipes are free of gluten and dairy and which are paleo- or keto-friendly, the book offers a wide range of recipes, each of which has images of nearly every step so even the most pot-averse cook can feel confident. It also has handy tips for substitutions that can lower the calorie count and improve the nutritional profile of many recipes even further.

Whether you want to lose weight or gain confidence in the kitchen, this is a no-pressure way to learn how to use pressure to make great food that is great for you.     

http://readvoracious.com