Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73 and look for my latest food-related writing in Food & Beverage Magazine.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Bon appétit!

Steeped Coffee is an amazing and amazingly charitable company that is always looking for new ways to give people pep and support. Their “You Give We Give” program had them matching gift box purchases with donations for front-line workers and providing free deliveries to hospitals, fire and police stations, and clinics. When Covid hit the US in March, Steeped also launched the “Stay Home, Stay Steeped” campaign that provided free home delivery on all coffee, cups, kettles, and gear. 

After giving away over 70,000 packs, this certified B corporation that has been giving back since it was founded has taken their giving to the next level with their new “Packs for Good” program. In this program, Steeped donates 20% of all sales to Feeding America and other organizations that fight hunger across the country. As I met my wife at the Greater Boston Food Bank and as I have worked for years with Rescuing Leftover Cuisine and other food-preserving organizations, I am a big fan of this cause and enjoying Steeped coffee may be one of the easiest and most delicious ways to support it!

Steeped comes in single-serve packs of ethically-sourced, sustainably-packaged, hand-roasted coffee that deliver all the flavor of your favorite coffee shop without the machines and mess. Their light and fresh Sunrise Blend is a great day starter and the extra dark Driftwood Blend keeps you going strong until it is time to unwind with their Eventide Decaf.

To find out more and to order your own coffees that can literally go anywhere you do, go to steepedcoffee.com/packsforgood

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73 and look for my latest food-related writing in Food & Beverage Magazine.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Bon appétit!

I have often raved about Galit’s Treats in Newton Centre for its authentic Israeli food and amazing challah and pastry (not to mention Galit’s generous support of front-lone workers and other neighbors in need). Now, Galit is offering dinner options too!

Among the rotation of family-sized weekday meals are homemade couscous and vegetable soup with an optional (but recommended) side of Jerusalem bagels, flourless spinach and cheese quiche with lentil soup, and grilled salmon and veggies with the possibility of Galit’s famed chocolate babka.

Though all of these options require advanced ordering, they are all sure to be worth the wait. So email bestchallah@gmail.com and get ready to enjoy!

If you simply can’t wait, Galit always has her amazing salads, quiches, muffins, and challah ready, so be sure to drop by and say “Shalom!”

www.GalitsTreats.com

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73 and look for my latest food-related writing in Food & Beverage Magazine.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Bon appétit!

If you are in love, Valentine’s Day can be a wonderful celebration that is filled with sweetness and fun.

If you are not, it can be a real drag filled with bitterness and depression.

Fortunately, there is a sweet treat that can make Valentine’s Day (or almost any day) more enjoyable.

The woman-owned and family-operated Texas distillery, winery, and brewery known as BuzzBalls (which is best known for its ready-to-drink, ball-shaped adult beverages) has combined forces with Drunken Cake Pops to produce a new set of drink-inspired foods that make sneaking a nip easier and more fun!

Drunken Cake Pops is another woman-owned business that puts some of our favorite adult beverages on a stick! Among their popular Speakeasy flavors are the southern gentleman (chocolate cake with butterscotch whiskey, brandy, and Southern Comfort), Midori cake (it is what it says it is), drunken monkey (banana walnut cake with brandy), and a vodka-infused Birthday Cake shot that can make another day of potential mixed emotiions better as well!

The collaboration has resulted in a six-pack that includes two Buzzin’ Piña Colada, a pair of Tequila ‘Ritas, and duet of Dirty Horchata.

You might say that this is a match made in booze-loving female entreeprenur heaven and it is surely one that will spice up (or is that “spike up”) any night you choose to pop one in your mouth.

www.drunkencakepops.com

www.buzzballz.com

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73 and look for my latest food-related writing in Food & Beverage Magazine.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Bon appétit!

Even if you can’t go out for a romantic Valentine’s dinner this year, you will still want to impress your Valentine with the right wine.

Especially with all the amazing independent vintners that have been featured on Matt’s Meals, however, it can be difficult to choose!

Fortunately, a pair of wine-minded childhood friends-turned-entrepreneurs from Cleveland have made it a bit easier.

Graham and Fisk are the first U.S. wine producers to make ONLY canned wines. And while many are still decrying the death of the cork and the onset of the twist-top, aluminum has been shown to preserve flavor and to be much more durable, portable, and recyclable than glass or even boxes.

Their red, white, rosé with bubbles and white with bubbles have all won awards from Wine Enthusiast and can be purchased in nearly any combination. At this time of year, men and women might be most interested in their Valentine’s Day eight-pack, which combines their rosé with bubbles and red wine cans, guaranteeing that, even if you are from Mars and your Valentine is from Venus, you will both LOVE what you are drinking.

grahamandfisk.com

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73 and look for my latest food-related writing in Food & Beverage Magazine.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Bon appétit!

While it may not be possible to actually visit many of them, the Boston Public Library’s Norman B. Leventhal Map Center has prepared a virtual tour of many of the Boston area’s historic candy makers and the history of candy itself!

Those who have had the sweet treat of an Old Town Trolley Company Chocolate Tour may think they know the skinny on what has made so many Bostonians pleasantly plump, but the Library tour has surprises at every click!

For example, you may know (and love) Captain Jackson’s Historic Chocolate near the Old North Church, but did you know that candy was once made in Paul Revere’s house or that nearby Cambridge had an entire district known as Confectioner’s Row? While you may know how candy production was related to the slave trade (which is certainly an un-sweet part of the story), have you ever heard of the poisoned candy scare that took place in the 1870s? 

In sweeter days, Boston was the creamy center of the candy world, with such pioneers as Baker’s Chocolate, Cox Confectionary, NECCO, Squirrel Brand, and Tootsie Roll Industries. While many of these manufacturers may be memories today, you can relive the glory days of Boston’s gooey past with help from the BPL.

Sweet!

www.leventhalmap.org/articles/candy-tour/

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73 and look for my latest food-related writing in Food & Beverage Magazine.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Bon appétit!

As I have family from Canada and travel there often (when such things are allowed), I am a big fan of their super-nice products. I recently raved about Snow Hill Farm wines and have spoken often about ice wine, the ice hotel, and other cool Candaian creations.

I am also a big fan of the 18^thstate and sing the praises of Vermont’s maple products, ciders, and more.

One thing that brings both sides of the border together is Lake Champlain and its eponymous chocolate company. Though many cannot get to Vermont right now, LCC is offering virtual tastings and gift cards and have a slew of options for Valentine’s Day and every day!`

Just in time for V-Day, Lake Champlain Chocolates has come up with a delicious set of vegan truffles made with plant-based coconut milk. These latest Lake legends join their already popular peanut butter snack bites, dark chocolate almond bark, golden spice bars, and other vegan treats, encouraging even those with special diets to enjoy and indulge.

For those who want to especially indulge their lady friends, LCC also has a Valentine’s Day box that is filled with truffles, caramels, and other yummy items that will show your love and appreciation in a tasteful and tasty way. There is also a cutely-contained Hearts Aflutter box of organic chocolate hearts that is perfect for children!

Now more than ever, people need sweetness and love. Leave it to Lake Champlain to provide!

www.lakechamplainchocolates.com

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73 and look for my latest food-related writing in Food & Beverage Magazine.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Bon appétit!

Valentine’s Day is coming up and that puts many people in the mood for chocolate (as if most of us needed any prompting to get into the mood!).

One person for whom February 14 is EXTRA special is Alan Frost, creator of Flava Naturals, which is the delicious chocolate with the ridiculous amounts of health-supporting flavanols and other healthy ingredients like blueberries, green tea, almonds, ginger and Saigon cinnamon,

As it is also a cold time of year, many people are also turning to hot cocoa to warm them up during shoveling, sledding or socially-distanced socializing.

That is why right now would be a particularly good time to try Flava Naturals’ amazing bars and powder, all of which are made with premium cocoa beans and unique processing systems that release up to nine times the cocoa flavanols of other chocolates.

A recent study in England showed how hot chocolate can help with mental acuity, but the chocolate used had 600 mg of flavanols, which is admittedly more than most sort-bought brands but far less than Flava Naturals’ 900 mg!

Flava Naturals not only supports your heart and brain, it also supports resolutions with its own 10-day protocol to improve your health and get your year off to a sweet start.

So whether you want to be romantic or just smarter, try some Flava Naturals. It may be the most delicious heart and brain food you ever try!

www.flavanaturals.com

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73 and look for my latest food-related writing in Food & Beverage Magazine.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Bon appétit!

With Valentine’s Day coming, many would-be romantics are looking for ways to make the day special even with a dearth of options.

While many may fall back on the big box of chocolate, when it comes to love, many maintain that quality means more then quantity.

That is why chocolates from Flair Chocolatier may help set you and your loved ones apart.

Flair was created in 2018 by Michelin-rated chef Genie Kwon, who has helmed award-winning restaurants around the world. 

Instead of offering your typical brown and white varieties, Flair uses the rare ruby cacao plant for chocolate that is naturally pink- the color of romance. They then add to this a set of geographically-inspired ingredients that range from New York apples to Parisian pralines and Tokyo’s genmai rice, each of which will surely transport your Valentine, even if they can’t leave the house.

So if you want to make this Valentine’s day (or any day) extra special, step out of your comfort zone and give your chocolate some Flair.

AND if you order via Grapevine Shops, 10% of the proceeds goes to Family Reach, which supports families dealing with cancer.

Talk about doing your heart (and some else’s) some good!

https://flairchocolatier.com

www.grapevineshops.com

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73 and look for my latest food-related writing in Food & Beverage Magazine.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Bon appétit!

Valentine’s Day is coming, but as we have not had as much opportunity to get outside and burn off those holiday calories this year, many may be reticent to go big on the chocolates.

Fortunately, there is a set of small but mighty chocolates from Delysia Chocolatier that can fit the bill without refitting the pants!

Delysia Chocolatier’s Sensual Ruby Chocolate Truffle Collection comes with a trio of tantalizing truffles that are a treat on Valentine’s Day (or ANY day) and that are made with their signature naturally pink premium chocolate and ingredients that have been claimed to have romantic powers over both men and women. From the smoky and sweet fruity flair of orange chocolate to the sweet and tangy honey ginger and the smooth and seductive Merlot cherries & cream, the Delysia box will have you and your Valentine all set to burn off calories in another way.

And if you need to cover up afterwards, Delysia also offers simply stated shirts that proclaim whether you (or your Valentine) are a chocolate connoisseur, chocoholic, or admitted addict.

So if you need a punch of passion this Valentine’s Day or just a way to treat yourself during these trying and largely unromantic times, check out what is new at Delysia Chocolatier and see what sweet spots you can hit.

www.delysia.com

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73 and look for my latest food-related writing in Food & Beverage Magazine.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Bon appétit!

With all the challenges going on in the world today, romance can be rare and romantics (like me) are an endangered species. 

Fortunately, my friends at Endangered Species Chocolate are helping to save the romantics from extinction with their latest offering- a special Valentine’s day gift pack that will not only help your love survive but will also help other endangered species survive as well.

The Endangered Species Trio includes one bar that features domestically-grown raspberries, one with local cherries, and one with dark chocolate and oat milk (which represents the first plant-based chocolate bar in captivity). In addition to offering diverse but uniformly-delicious flavors, Endangered Species also donates 10% of its annual net profits to wildlife conservation. So far, they’ve donated $2.6 million to conservation efforts around the world, so why not join in the fight to save the animals we love while getting sweet surprises for those you love (including yourself!)?

If chocolates made with berries and oat milk are not your favorites (at least not yet), Endangered Species has a menagerie of melt-in-your-mouth materials to choose from, including crisped rice, hazelnut toffee, and many more.

As far as ordering, their website is www.chocolatebar.com, so what could be easier?

www.chocolatebar.com