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 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.

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

Matt’s Meals has often noted how Galit Grutman of Galit’s Treats in Newton Center has repeatedly sacrificed her own bottom line to support her friends and neighbors. Whether it is giving away challah to enlisting a team of fans to deliver food to people in need, Galit is always ready to lend a hand!

In recent weeks, Galit has found a way for her many regular guests to give back while also getting something in return!

In exchange for their willingness to place a promotional sign in their yard that touts such favorites as Galit’s great coffee, unique Sabich sandwiches, and worth-the-trip rugelach, she has been giving them some of that coffee for free! After a few weeks, the signs are returned, more free coffee is given, and a new yard gets to be graced with them.

While many people decry the overwhlming amount of lawn signs that have popped up like weeds on many lawns, these signs not only help a local business but direct passers-by to one of the best places around to eat, drink, and relax!

Especially as so many of our local faves have gone away or are still at risk, it’s a great time to offer extra support. And if we can get free coffee, all the better!

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 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.

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

June is Dairy Alternative Month. Apparently, about one in six Americans now face this irritable issue and many want innovative ways to help themselves enjoy the taste of their old cow-made fave without bugging Bessie.

Especially in these days of home chefs and do-it-yourselfers (especially those who want to know what is going into their recipes), I have found a new small appliance (get appliances from Orca Appliance Services )that takes those proclivities into the non-dairy dairy world.

The ChefWave MilkMade (that’s “M-A-D-E”) allows those who need to or those who simply want to control the ingredients in their dairy-free recipes to do just that by adding their own almonds, cashews, etc., flavoring them as they wish and then, with a bit of water and a few minutes of low-prep magic, come out with delicious, wholesome, non-dairy milk products that can be enjoyed alone, in coffee, or in any recipe that usually takes milk. And when you are done making the milk, the MilkMade cleans up after itself!

So whether you still fear running to the market or just want to have something to do while still at home, the MilkMade can take the yoke off your back.

www.mychefwave.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 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.

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

As CBD, nootropics, and other brain-helping ingredients continue to infiltrate and revolutionize the food and drink market, it can be difficult to choose which to try. You may even feel a bit intimidated.

Fortunately, there is a new product that is sure to make you more confident in your food choices and in general!

Confidence is an organic, all-natural, sugar-free, zero-calorie beverage that includes such supportive ingredients as Ginseng, 5-HTP, Rhodiola, GABA and B vitamins and that has been shown (I think) to boost people’s moods and feelings of harmony while downplaying doubt.

Especially as people return to in-person school, pants-not-optional offices, and other elements of so-called “real life,” the ability to overcome anxiety and believe in yourself and your abilities may be more important than ever! Also, as so many people are out of practice with presenting themselves and may have been knocked down medically, economically, and emotionally during the pandemic, there may also not be a better time for such a product to arrive!

There are many choices to help you deal with all sorts of issues today, but few are as safe, effective, and easy to get down as Confidence. So try it, won’t you? 

www.confidencedrink.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 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.

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

Though many people went cooking crazy duing COVID, some are finding themselves with more ingredients than they thought they would have left. And while there are many organizations that help bring unused food to those in need (as I recently reported at www.Matts-Meals.com), food storage might be the next big investment of the COVID era.

Another issue that has arisen during the pandemic has been unemployment.

These are two of the reasons why I am so excited about B-organic!

Created by Cathy DiPilato of Worcester, MA, when she lost her job, B-Organic was an invention that (like so many others) came from necessity when this housemother for international students was finding herself with more food than her guests could eat. In order to save food for later and so save money (which was becoming tight as it has for many others), DiPilato used organic materials (including old food that was turned into natural inks she uses to decorate her creations) to make a set of effective and reusable food-preservation materials that includes bags (many of which offer proper pronunciation of various veggies and fruits), aprons, and even soaps that are made from fruits that might otherwise be wasted.

If you are not sure just how long to keep items in her bags, DiPilato even has a chart of freshness on her website (https://b-organicma.com) to guide you! No matter what you have to save, however, DiPilato has a beautifully (and sustainably) decorated tool for you that will help you ave the environment and your food with organic style!

https://b-organicma.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 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.

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

While my Needham neighbors and I are privileged to have so many great eateries around (including Hearth, Latina, Spiga, Pressed, Walnut Grille, Farm Grill, The Farmhouse, and, of course, Abbott’s Frozen Custard), there are still nights when even the most food-loving among us (and among all food fans) wants to eat at home.

Fortunately, Needham has that covered too, thanks to Forklift Provisions!

While food delivery systems have exploded in recent months (much to the detriment of the restaurant industry), Forklift sets itself apart by being a local company that focuses on delivering fresh food to its neighbors. As Executive Chef Liz Garvey has a background in art as well as culinary expertrise, each offering is a tempting to the eye as it is to the palate!

With a new menu weekly and plenty of gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, and nut-free options, there is sure to be something fresh and delicious that everyone in your home enjoys on a regular basis and each item is made with as many locally-sourced ingredient, as little sodium, sugar, and other unwanted ingredients, and as much home-cooked love as possible.

Though many of us have become at least better chefs during the pandemic, Forklift has years of award-winning catering experience and so can provide meals that, if not better than yours, are at least easier to put together and clean up after. And as each week’s meals are all delivered or picked up at once, there is also no waiting for individual deliveries and no concerns of botched orders or too much packaging to deal with when the meal is done.

So the next time you want to lift a fork without lifting so many fingers, call on Forklift.

www.forkliftprovisions.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 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.

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

Among my favorite people are musical legends Bill and Bo Winiker (http://www.winikermusic.com). Especially as they played there for so long, one of my favorite resrtaurants was Brothers in Brookline.

While the Winikers continue to bring musical joy to fans far and wide, Brothers has sadly suffered the fate of so many fine establishments during the COVID era.

Fortunately, Chef Simon Restrepo (who first came to Boston from Columbia at the age of 16 and has been climbing to the top of the local food scene pretty much ever since!) has revived the venue and brought back the Winikers for their popular Sunday night showcase and singalong!

Though he has worked with such other area stars as Lydia Shire (she of BIBA, Scampo, etc.) and the Kinkead Brothers (they of Sibling Rivalry fame), Chef Restrepo has entered the former Brother’s space alone and, renaming it as Vello (which is apparently a nickname friends use for him), is ready to offer his own take on local and international favorites (with a special focus on the Mediterranean and his native Colombia).

Among Chef Restrepo’s new offerings are his already popular one-minute steak with soft grits and braised short ribs with beet vinaigrette and potato gnocchi. Other early faves are his mushroom arancini, lamb meatball shakshuka, Miso clam chowder, swordfish rollatini, and his amazing homemade Ricotta donuts.

In addition to the great food, Vello also offers an extensive drink list and, come Sunday night, the best music in town! Be sure to check it out and thell them Matt’s Meals sent you!

www.vellorestaurantandbar.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 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.

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

As Matt’s Meals fans know, I am a BIG fan of granola and munch on and speak about it often. In fact, I probably had some in my mouth when I was typing the script for this spot!

And while I still have big love for crunchy faves like Golden Girl, Humble Bones, Nussli 118, and GrainFreeNola, there is a new kid on the block who has taken the granola game to a whole new level.

Forij (that’s F-O-R-I-J) was created by a young serial entrepreneur named Parker Olsen from Newton, MA. Though he had created many successful products before, Parker was so dedicated to this nutritious innovation that he literally tried different diets for 18 months and lived in a tent for an entire year to research and save money for it! The result is a granola that not only offers amazing taste but also packs in all sorts of superfoods and even brain-building nootropic nutrients. 

Among the wholesome whole food ingredients in his gluten- and GMO-free, keto-friendly, and vegan granolas are chia and pepita seeds, coconut, maple syrup, cinnamon, and “functional” mushrooms like Reishi, Chaga, Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps, all of which have been shown to promote energy balance, immunity, memory, focus, strength, and endurance. 

Speaking of endurance, Forij’s main mix now is called Energize and it has everything you need to get your day going with powerful nutrition and to help maintain the key balances your body needs in a way that is more than palatable but downright delicious!

Granola is a great anytime snack and now it can help make you better anytime of day!

www.forij.co/

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 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.

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

While COVID was painful for so many, others were able to use the time and to focus on their health and to learn ways to be better to themselves so they can be better prepared for future medical issues. One of the most productive ways that people found to be healthier was through cooking and even growing their own foods!

My friend Michelina DiSibio has been an expert in this field (no pun intended!) for many years and currently offers not only great advice about better ways to use food to improve health but also an amazing system for growing food indoors.

Inspired by NASA, the Tower Garden is a vertical aeroponic system that uses oxygen in the air to grow all sorts of greens and herbs that can help you join the farm-to-table movement in a healthy and delicious way! 

As each unit uses no dirt and takes up less than three feet of space, Tower Garden is great for smaller spaces like apartments but yield as much as many outdoor gardens! They are also a great tool for teachers who want to offer something new to their recently-returned students that will help them flourish and grow mentally and physically. In fact, Lettuce be the Good recently brought some units to area rehabilitation centers and convalescent home to help the residents and staff support themselves and each other with easy-to-make healthy food!

So even if you do not have much time, space, or gardening know-how, Tower Garden and Michelina’s supportive seminars can help you use food as a friend and support your family and friends as well.

www.lettucebethegood.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 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.

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

As Matt’s Meals fans know, I LOVE condiments. Anything that I can use food to deliver is a good thing!

As I have been getting more into cooking lately (as so many of us have), I have also been trying to use condiments to help expand my international repertoire. That is why I am soloving oo’mämē Chile Crisps. 

Having started with a traditional Chinese chile crisp, the beguiling brand has expanded to a quartet of spicy sauces that celebrate the aromas and tastes of China, India, Mexico, and Morocco. Each is built upon a foundation of savory umami, the ”fifth taste” that inspires the product’s name (and also many chefs), and brings its own unique blend of spices, including Szechuan peppercorns, chipotle pepper, a fresh Masala mix, and Berber spice.

Created as a labor of love by international food fan Mark Engel (who apparently had beef, chicken, pork, fish and vegetable as his first Chinese words!), each variety of oo’mämē is made in small batches, creating a condiment that delivers that home-cooked feeling and a big bold taste.

In addition to adding fantastic flavor to everything from burgers to yogurt, the spoonable sauces can easily replace and deliciously improve such condiment standards as ketchup, mayo, etc. The website (www.oomame.net) has tons of recipes, but the sauces also make for fun (and yummy) experimentation!

As he has already won the Scovie award for hot sauces in his first year of production, it is clear that Engel is on to something. So take another Matt’s Meals scoop and start scooping your own oo’mämē on everything you can!

www.oomame.net

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 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.

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

I have long been a fan of the enormous and consistently healthy and delicious menu at Pressed Café and, living in Needham, have had the privilege of being near its Newton location.

That is why I was so tickled to find another Pressed when I finally ventured into Boston a few weeks ago. Tucked in the ground floor of the Prudential Center right along Huntington Avenue, the new Pressed combines their impressive range of bowls, all-day breakfast faves, sandwiches, smoothies, soups, toasts that go FAR beyond avocados, and health-supporting treats with a beautiful upscale bar (with its own additional menu!) and cozy nooks in which to work and catch up with friends once you got your shots. There is also an entire vegan menu so that everyone can enjoy!

And while I rave about Boston, I am also happy to report that Pressed has also recently opened in Salem, NH!

So whether you are downtown, in the suburbs or north of the Bay State border, you can now live free and eat well pretty much anywhere!

www.pressedcafe.com