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.

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

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

My family and I recently ran away to the Berkshires where I found a treasure trove of great food and drink. Among the most potable (and portable) favorites is Nine Pin Cider from New York State. 

The drinks come in slim cans and sharable bottles and are made from the freshest local apples and other fruits. In addition to such crisp, complex, and amazing flavors as ginger and blueberry, Nine Pin also offers a set of lo-cal ciders from local farms that come in New York apple, lavender lemon and cranberry orange and make a bit of imbibed indulgence easier to take. 

In addition to such specialty ciders as blueberry peach cobbler and the famed Cider Monster, Nine Pin has also produced such seasonal flavors as a proper Earl Grey, a floral rosé and a hunny pear that Winnie the Pooh would love if he were old enough to drink. Their creative cider masters are always looking for new ways to share their Empire of flavor, so be sure to keep an eye on www.ninepincider.com.

For the devoted fan, membership in the CiderMakers Cellar offers special shipments of reserved ciders and special online access. It (and any Ninepin products) makes a great gift- even for yourself!

www.ninepincider.com

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.

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

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

As is true of so many of us, my family and I have been baking a good deal. As such, we are becoming much more aware of the many kinds of flour that are available. Among our faves are locally-sourced King Arthur and the flavor and nutrition-enhancing flours from Pereg (especially the almond, banana, and buckwheat varieties). As is also true of many, I am now more aware of the presence of GMOs and other unnecessary additives and do all I can to avoid them. That is why I am so excited about Flourish Flour!

Made right here in Boston with help from local family farmers, Flourish Flour represents the first all-purpose flour with all sorts of health benefits. Despite having fewer carbs and five times the usual amount of digestion- and immunity supporting prebiotic fiber, Flourish is non-GMO and can be used in any recipe that any other flour fits in just the same proportions (with maybe just a bit more water, which is also good for you!). So you can make your favorite sourdough or family recipe cupcakes and feel even better knowing that you are doing more good for your body than the butter or frosting on top may reveal.

It’s a flavorful, fiber-full revolution in baking that comes from the family business around the corner!

www.flourish-flour.com

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.

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

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

As a kid who grew up ion the Sunday morning shmear, facing the facts about carbs has been a difficult part of growing older.

Fortunately, I recently found a bagel that is (as the name implies) better when it comes to staying healthy while enjoying everything  bagel can be.

The Better Bagel is an all natural, gluten- and dairy-free bagel that comes in sesame and everything. Each bagel has 8 grams of protein, 120 calories, and the same carbohydrate content as two grapes. 

Created by students form Wharton (who I hope have checked out www.lionstigersbulldogs.com), the bagels are challenging the status quo of nutrition while making breakfast a thing again for many potential abstainers. To make the partakers feel even better, the bagels come packaged in a shiny happy gold box that includes even more information about the nutrition that comes packed in each tasty bagel!

Shmearers of the world unite- Your better bagel has arrived!

www.betterbagel.co/

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.

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

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

With the release of Designer Protein’s new quinoa-packed protein bars, I am reminded of my first love in the quinoa-cacao space- Undercover Chocolate.

And while others play catch up, this clever company keeps adding to the menu to keep a step ahead in the healthy sweet treat race.

The latest set of offerings are apparently inspired by the Holiday season but will surely become year-round favorites in short order! Among them are dark chocolate with pumpkin spice, and both dark and milk chocolate with peppermint. Apparently aware of the potential for cravings for their new creations and for their inherent giftability, the folks at Undercover have also released new shiny tubs of treats that com with holiday-themed stickers, making them a great thing to bring to or at least drop off at the front door of your favorite would-be holiday hosts (or to just have around the house for whenever you want something delicious that is also nutritious).

Leave it to graduates of Penn to come up with such a great gift for the holidays. Speaking of which, I recommend combining their treats with copies of my book, which can be found at www.lionstigersbulldogs.com. No matter where your friends and family went to school, these holiday gifts cannot be beat!

www.undercoverchocolate.com

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.

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

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

As Matt’s Meals and Connoisseurs Corner fans know, I love chocolate and am always looking for varieties that offer new flavors and/or new health benefits. I have recently sang the praises of the dairy-free delight known as Schmilk Chocolate, the secret superfood snack known as Undercover Chocolate, the body-boosting benefits of Flava Naturals, and the brightly-wrapped bon bons from the Happy Chocolatier, but I have also come upon a pair of new sweet treats that bring new benefits to the table (at least until I eat them, that is!).

Though it is made by the same master European craftspeople that create many of our favorite chocolates, Red Chocolate has half the calories of most, making a Holiday (or ANY day) indulgence easier to bear. In fact, one piece of their all-natural and deliciously decadent-tasting dark chocolate has the same calorie count as a slice of apple. It has almost more patents than calories and comes in such tempting varieties as extra dark, dark with orange and almond, and milk with hazelnut and macadamia, so there is something for almost everyone and less for everyone too!

Another recent rave is for my old friends at Designer Protein, who have recently released bars that have only 7 grams of sugar, but also 10 grams of whey protein and 85 percent natural dark cacao! I have used DP products for eons but these bars raise the bar big time! One even has quinoa, making it much like my long-time fave Undercover (who are actually releasing new flavors for the holidays, so be sure to check them out!).

With all the chocolate choices, it can be hard to choose just one. Fortunately, as so many offer so many benefits, indulging has never been so good!

www.designerprotein.com

www.flavanaturals.com

www.red-chocolate.com

www.schmilkchcolate.com

www.undercoverchocolate.com

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.

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

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

On the heels of opening their amazing new show on women in the fashion industry, the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, is also working to support another oft-neglected community- the hungry.

Feeding Community is a joint initiative with the Salem Pantry that is designed to raise awareness of food insecurity, secure funding, and recruit volunteers to support the Pantry’s life-saving operations. In addition to collecting donations at the door, the Museum is also enrolling volunteer and helping to distribute food to the community. Through December, contributions made to the Museum’s Annual Fund and The Pantry will help unlock a challenge pledge of $20,000, which will be distributed once each organization receives 200 donations.

Since the pandemic struck, The Pantry has been serving six times more people than normal and anticipates distributing nearly 1 million pounds of food this year. The Museum has also been hurt by Covid and, after being closed for five months, has only recently reopened with limited admissions. Both organizations need our help so they can continue to sustain and enrich their community and many others through art and food.

Please go to the Museum or at least visit www.pem.org/feedingcommunity and do what you can.

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.

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

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

I love all of the products I talk about, but it is so encouraging to hear that I am not alone! Even when others write talk about the same people and places I have promoted weeks or months later, I feel good knowing that my food friends are being supported!

That is why I am thrilled to mention that Golden Girl Granola recently won the silver medal in the 2020 International Flava Awards for their amazing Forest Maple granola. It is a great way to start the day or keep the naturally sweet energy going by topping yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit, or even ice cream. No wonder, then, that it has won a top Flava award for three years in a row!

While the folks at Golden Girl could bask in their triumph, they are also doing more for others by absorbing shipping costs for orders that contain at least shippable case of their delicious products (including their mouth-melting honey bars!) and have been donating cases to the Shirley Friendship Fund to help people in need enjoy a little sweetness during this tough time.

Not only is Golden Girl Granola good and good for you but the folks who make it also do good for the community whenever they can. They truly deserve every award and order they can get!

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.

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

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

Though she started in the CBD world, recent restrictions have promoted Angela Hofmann at Nüssli 118 to pivot. However, as Hofmann comes from a background that includes architecture and yoga, she is still keen to help build healthy bodies. That is why some of the new Nüssli offerings include literally everything from soup to nuts and all made with real and often raw ingredients that will keep you healthy and strong even while others may be suffering.

In addition to her hand-crafted drinkable superfood blends, this minority-owned entrepreneur is offering sweet and savory snacks that include sprouted nut granolas and crispy crackers, vegan tarts, overnight oat kits, desserts that are free of gluten and refined sugars, and enough hearty and satisfying plant-based foods to set a holiday table or just a Tuesday night table!

So while a bit of THC may seem like TLC these days, Nüssli has shown that good nutrition can be restorative too and has plenty of delicious ways to get some for yourself or anyone else you want to stay healthy and enjoy the good things in life.

https://nussli118.com/

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.

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

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

 As befits a proper southern gentleman, Macon, GA’s Brian Poe has been putting the hospitality in the hospitality scene for decades as a chef and entrepreneur.  Rising up from the Rattlensnake on Boylston Street, Poe has enjoyed success at the Tip Tap Room, Parish Café, Bukowski’s, and other area eateries and has always done all he could to give to the community at least as much as it has given him.

Even when most of his city venues are closed, Poe has continued to search for ways to keep his suppliers in business and to keep the spirits of his friends and neighbors up while we all wait for other numbers to go down.

Poe’s latest venture is the Crane River Cheese Club, a grocery delivery service that features expertly curated meats, seafood, farm fresh produce, and, as the name suggests, cheese.  Among the early fan favorites are the Cheese Club Kit, which features a pairable array of delights from area dairies, and the farmer market box, which brings the salad bar to you! Meal kits are also available if you cannot live by locally-sourced greens alone.

While Poe and his dog Salty have been delivering personally-curated collections of his favorite North Shore neighbors all over the region, new residents at Lynn’s latest luxury address – Caldwell – are greeted with a special basket that Chef Poe brings by together just for them! Talk about a welcome wagon!

Many people have been salivating while they wait or Chef Poe’s restaurants to open again. In the meantime, please check out the Cheese Club and find some new local favorites.

 www.cranerivercheeseclub.com 

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.

The following is a “script” for one of Matt’s segments:

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

Though the west coast wines are hip, I have sung the praises of our local vineyards and wineries for years. And especially now as Napa recovers from the fires and our neighbors need the support, it is a great time to focus on our own backyards.

One of my favorites is also one of the most historic, for though Snow Farm Vineyards is only about 25 years old, it is the oldest vineyard and grape winery in Vermont and puts out some of the best and most creative beverages around.

Located on an island in the middle of Lake Champlain tin the town of South Hero, Snow Farm’s family-run vineyard and tasting room offers live music in season, art shows and other fun events whenever possible, and amazing wines all year. In addition to Pinot Noir and Riesling varietals that rival those made in France, the complementary micro-climate and hardy terroir also yield Vidal Blanc and Baco Noir and so delicious and ever-more-rare ice wines. At the same time, the family that owns the land has been able to keep it out of the hands of developers so they can put more delicious drinks in the hands of their customers, all of whom are welcome to join their wine club and get the latest news and flavors.

Among my Snow Farm faves are their Fox Hill Maple wine and their naturally-sparkling Snow Trip, which is a great accompaniment for hearty winter meals and we have the great company of the portable heater from the great Alpha heater reviews. I also love to give bottles of their Naked Mermaid blend because the name alone gets people talking and smiling!

Cold weather may be coming, but especially for the oenophiles out there, that can be a very good thing, especially if the results are wines like those from Snow Farm! 

www.snowfarm.com