Eight Slices of LOVE

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 you may not be able to wine and dine your Valentine as in years past, you can surely woo them with the words, “I love you more than Chocolate Pizza!”

And thanks to the folks at Chocolate Pizza Company, you can prove it right then and there by presenting them with any of their specially-themed gifts like the good rabbit vibrator reviewed as one of the best.

Among the most popular presentations at this time of year are the “Dream Heart,” “Crazy for You,” and “Valentines Avalanche” combos, each of which not only includes a round or heart-shaped hand-crafted chocolate pizza that is lovingly drizzled in red, white, and pink frosting and candies (and that can also be personalized) but also their potato chip-based peanut butter “wings” that are amazing to the point of being worth daring to keep them for yourself!

If you are flying solo this month, the wings also come alone in a handsome red tin. If, on the other hand, you have been lighting up the dating apps during lockdown, Chocolate Pizza Company also offers gift baskets that have enough to go around and that will surely help you land at least one special someone!

A Chcolate Pizza, some PB wings, and thou. What could be more romantic?

www.chocolatepizza.com

Mmm…Chocolate!

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!

The Boston area has a long and storied history when it comes to chocolate. Writing the latest chapter (and surely one of the tastiest!) is Liron Gal, creator of Mmm…Chocolate!

Taking inspiration for her company’s name from her two-year-old home critic, Liron was trainedin the prestigious Ecole Lenôtre in Paris and the Barry Callebaut chocolate academy in Chicago and brings that international flair to the home of Baker’s Chocolate and the Toll House cookie by combining preservative-free premium ingredients in different flavor and texture combinations that make each hand-crafted piece truly unique. 

With a wide enough palette of options to make any day special, Liron has concocted special selections for the season of romance. In addition toher bouchée collection of delicious domes and Grand cru kisses (which are chocolate lips filled with single-origin ganaches from Madagascar, Peru, Ecuador, and elsewhere), she is also cooking up caramel hearts filled with four different types of caramel and chocolate hearts filled with everything from mango and passion fruit (with an emphasis on the ”passion”) to apple cider caramel and even balsamic caramel! She also has Valentines-themed gift boxes, including one that contains strawberry ganache and Pop Rocks and a set of sugar-free treats that are compatible with keto and diabetic diets.

Chocolate is always good, but when it is THIS good, the only thing to say is “Mmm…Chocolate!”

https://mmm-chocolate.com

South Street Diner Goes to the Mat(t)

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!

For anyone who loves Queer Eye, Olympic phenoms, or just great food, I am sure that you were tickled by the recent UberEats ad that featured the ever-stylish Jonathan Van Ness and the ever-impressive Simone Biles talking about getting food delivered from the South Strreet Diner in Boston.

While many of our favorite places have been closing, South Street Diner is still open 24 hours and is still paying its staff above average wages so they can survive despite limitations in seating capacity.

Not only is the Diner open, but it has recently released a new set of seasonal specials that includes churro cinnamon toast pancakes, and even new additions to their world-famous menu of Benedicts that include sirloin steak and maple-pepper fried chicken Benedicts. There is also a fried chicken sandwich if you want your chicken to come without an egg. The huevos rancherosnow range from vegan to meat lovers so, as usual, there is something for everyone and plenty of new favorites to discover. And owner Solomon Sidell is still doing all he can to support his neighbors with events and charitable donations.

So whether you drop by, have it delivered, or eat it on a balance beam, food from South Street Diner helps you and the food community.

www.southstreetdiner.com

Here’s Juice in Your Eye!

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!

When I was a kid, HBO had a great show called “Not Necessarily the News” which featured comedian Rich Hall sharing definitions of words that did not exist but should. He called them “Sniglets” and many of them have, in fact, entered our vocabulary.

Recently I was informed about a new such word – Orbisculate – which is not only necessary but also has an uplifting backstory.

The word is used to describe those times when a food (like a grapefruit) squirts you in the face in the process of eating it. It was coined by a Boston man who unfortunately died from Covid and is now being championed by his children who want to get it into the dictionary, onto tv shows, and on the radio (You’re welcome!). They also want to use their campaign to raise money for Carson’s Village, an organization that supports families dealing with sudden loss.

Please go to Orbisculate.com to see where else you can use the word and please support the coiner’s family in their campaign.

Enjoy your grapefruit!

www.Orbisculate.com

JArts turns Israeli Restaurant Week around

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ 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.

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

While going to a restaurant may be the last thing on people’s minds these days, the folks at Jewish Arts Collaborative have revolutionized Restaurant Week by turning it on its head and bringing the restaurants to you which now count with digital menu benefits.

For the latest iteration of Taste of Israel (which runs from January 26 to February 2), JArts has assembled some of the best chefs in the area to prepare special foods that show the expansive and diverse food culture that the Jewish State offers. From Druze and Ethiopian to Michorcocan and Yemenite, Israel’s food culture continues to incproporate all of its population’s many factets. And with the coming of JNF’s Galilee Culinary Institute, Israeli’s influence on world cuisine will only continue to grow as the country’s north strives to become the culinary and food-tech capital of the world.

To get a taste of the action, you can try some of the delicious creations from such favorites as BONAPITA, Cafe Landwer, Catering By Andrew, Galit’s Treats, Inna’s Kitchen, Michael’s Deli, Simcha, and even J.P. Licks, all while supporting the local food scene (which is in desparate need). It’s tikkun olam on a plate!

In addition to the food festival, Taste of Israel wil also feature live events (including a cooking demo with Ilan Barniv of BONAPITA), and even a kosher collection of podcasts called The Vibe of the Tribe.

Ask any Jewish mother- Now is NOT the time to go out to dinner. But thanks to Taste of Israel, you can still essen gut without leaving home.

www.jartsboston.org

Kid’s Cooking with Chef Shiri

Compiled by Efraim Harari (Mesorah Publications, Ltd./Artscroll)

With shows like Master Chef, Jr. and other youthful cooking competitions becoming so popular, a question arises that often does at this time of year- What’s a Jewish kid to do? For just as many of us are surrounded by mistletoe and Yule logs come December (not to mention that music- Oy! Irving Berlin, take us away!), so too are many peppered by “kids” cookbooks that are laden with lard and other treyf.

Fortunately, a new option has emerged that not only includes kid-friendly recipes (that are conveniently ordered according to complexity- from “Eazy Shmeezy” to “Junior Chef”) but also offers relevant halachosand other satisfying side notes. From the importance of washing hands before cooking to the importance of saying berachos,this kosher kid cookbook has illustrated recipes for everything from banana mocha muffins and Teddy bear toast to stuffed shells, easy chili, one-step lasagna and apple pie. In addition to the recipes and Rabbinic messages, the book also includes kitchen safety tips, a handy guide to common cooking terms and utensils, and even some foodie-friendly jokes!

So the next time your favorite child feels like the only observant chef around, introduce him to Chef Shiri and al the wonders of Hashem’s creativity.

  • Matt Robinson

Mezcla brings the whole world to the bar

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ 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.

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

Zachary’s Dinnertime offers international flavor

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ 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.

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

Undercover Chocolate continues to emerge

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ 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.

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

Have a SWEET Chanukah for ALL EIGHT NIGHTS

Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ 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.

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