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.

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

Bon appétit!

As listeners and readers know, I am a big fan of Vermont! Where else can you find such an independent spirit (not to mention a VERY independent Senator) surrounded by such beauty?

While the scenery and vibe are great, many of the great food and drinks that come from the Green Mountain State make things even better no matter where you are! And while I have raved about Republic of Vermont honey, Good Mix and Yolo snacks, True North granola, Boves sauces and Benito’s and Greene’s Gourmet hot sauces, Schmilk Chocolate and Lake Champlain Chocolates, Vermont Amber organic toffee and Fat Toad Farm caramel, Ackermann and Runamok syrups and Sugar Bob’s Smoked Maple Products, Side Hill Farm preserves, Cabot and Jasper Hill Farm cheese and the famed Vermont cheese tours, as well as Sap and Tretap maple drinks, Töst, Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea, Vermont Switchel, 14th Star and Halyard Brewing, and Snow Farm Wine, as I am such a cider fan, I cannot mention Vermont without honoring the great family farmers who produce Champlain Orchards ciders.

While many other makers have one or two cider fan favorites, Champlain not only has a tree-full of award winners but are coming up with new varieties nearly every season! From the cleverly-named “core” set that includes their bestselling Kingston Dry, their smooth and gentle Foxboro Rose, and their Vermont-loyal Mac and Maple to winter’s ice cider and spring’s Honeycrisp and Estate series stunners like the Redfield Dry and the Crimson Topaz (which is as beautiful and sparkling as it sounds!), Champlain truly has a cider to please every taste and to complement every other favorite food, whether it comes from Vermont or not. It is no wonder that they are part of the Lake Champlain Tasting Trail and a favorite stop along that historic route.

So no matter which food you choose from the 14^th state or any other, be sure to wash it down with some of Vermont’s finest, among which is surely Champlain Orchards ciders.

By the way, they also have some of the best apple cider donuts around.

http://www.champlainorchardscidery.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.

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

Bon appétit!

As a boxing coach and father (not in that order!), I am always looking for new ways to help my health and that of those I love. Among the most popular I have seen in the food and drink space has been the kombucha craze.

Many swear that kombucha and other fermented foods can help with all sorts of ailments by adding beneficial bacteria and enzymes that improve your gut biome and aid your digestive and immune systems.

While many of these foods come with a biome-busting bite that many find unpalatable, there are new developments in the kombucha corner that are changing that trend.

One of the most delicious and satisfying that I have found is Koe (rhymes with “know”) Kombucha. 

In addition to having billions of system-supporting probiotics, only 35 calories, and no artificial sweeteners, Koe is organic and, most of all, delicious, with black tea-based flavors that are more fruity than femented.

Speaking of flavors, Koe currently comes in a variety that would make Carmen Miranda jealous, including luscious watermelon, a truly tropical type that combines orange, pineapple and papaya, a daring combination of raspberry and dragonfruit, the superfood-packed blueberry ginger (which is one of MY favorites!), a tangy lemon-lime, and a strawberry lemonade that is (to borrow a slogan) not too tart, not too sweet. No matter which you choose, you are sure to be refreshed and rejuvenated and if that measn your gut is happier, so be it!

www.drinkkoe.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.

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

Bon appétit!

While I wait for them to bring their beer-backed bars back, the folks at ReGrained have entered another food field and are ready to take it by storm! In fact, their latest triumph has already been selling out over and over.

And no wonder!

Their new upcycled Strozzapreti pasta is produced in collaboration with the folks at Semolina Artisanal Pasta and is as authentic and delicious as any pasta you might have ever enjoyed (if not moreso!). 

Not only is the ReGrained Supergrain+®-infused pasta delicious and satisfying (despite having very low fat), but it is also organic and has more protein and fiber than most pastas. In addition, each box recovers more than a pound of what would otherwise be wasted food and saves 80 gallons of water in the process of being less processed. And, as ReGrained is a certified B corp, sales also support environmental causes.

While all this may be very impressive (and indeed it is!), what may make the story most startling is that the entire partnership and product development was handled via zoom during the pandemic! 

Who says working from home is less productive?

I guess NOTHING can keep a good food idea down, eh?

www.regrained.com/products/strozzapreti-pasta

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.

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

Bon appétit!

I remember the good old days when, if I wanted the taste of banana in my cereal or in a milk shake, I had to peel a banana, compost the peel, cut the banana, and then put it in the milk. I also remember when, if I wanted just milk, I had to cajole a cow.

Not anymore!

While you may be familiar with almond, coconut, and even hemp-based milk “alternatives,” now there are some new ones that add real flavor to the milky mix.

Banana Wave is an honest-to-goodness banana-based milk product! In addition to the nutritional values (including potassium, fiber, and protein) of what has been called “the world’s most perfect food,” Banana Wave also incudes nutritious oats and other fruits and comes in such amazing varieties as original (which it certainly is!), chocolate, and strawberry, each of which is like a shake on its own but can also be used to shake up cereal, coffee, or anything that needs some non-dairy deliciousness. Banana Wave is great for morning meals, kid’s lunches, pre- and post-workouts, and any time you want a sweet and satisfying snack that packs a lot of nutrition into a yellow shelf-stable box.

Another amazing alternative is Three Trees organic oat and seed milk, which combines flax, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds into a nutritious and (more importantly) delicious milk alternative. As the mom-trepreneur-made milk alternative is is organic and has no artificial stabilizers, it does take a little work before you enjoy, but after a few shakes, you will be on your way to a great shake, bowl of cereal, cup of coffee, or glass of milk without the allergens and without having to bug a cow (or bother any other animals for that matter).

So if you want the latest (and among the greatest) in the alternative milk revolution, slip into Banana Wave or climb to Three Trees. Either way, the cows and those with whom you share these drinks will thank you!

http://bananawave.love / www.threetrees.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.

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

Bon appétit!

I recently raved about the Toaster Oven Perfectioncookbook from America’s Test Kitchen that promoted the hitherto underappreciated toaster to the front of your countertop.

As much as I loved that book (which is saying a lot!), I have since found another ATK collection that I am enjoying even more!

Just asToaster Oven Perfectionmade its intentions clear from the front cover and was deliciously consistent throughout, Five Ingredient Dinnersoffers over 250 pages of amazing easy recipes, all of which consist of only five ingredients. As the recipes are so compact and convenient, most do not necessitate much time to prepare or additional trips to the farmer’s market (though that is alwaysa good idea) and also make for great family activities that cannot get too out of hand or too messy.

Organized according to base ingredient (among which are poultry, fish, noodles, and both meat and meatless offerings, as well as grill-friendly items), Five Ingredient Dinnersalso has a bonus section that features easy side dishes to round out each meal with added nutrition and flavor. Speaking of nutrition, the book also features a comprehensive listing of such aspects as calories, fat, fiber, and protein for each recipe, so you can also decide which to make according to your dietary needs and proclivities.

From chicken soup to caulifower pasta with hazelnuts and farro salad with roasted eggplant to salmon with spicy green beans, the book ranges widely with the common thread being ease and deliciousness. In fact, when I started to mark the pages of the recipes I wanted to try, I soon found that the book was difficult to close as I had so many bookmarks. I think it is safe to say that you will face the same dilemma so Test it out for yourself!

https://shop.americastestkitchen.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.

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

Bon appétit!

As a boxing coach and fitness trainer, I am always on the lookout for the latest research, tips, and tricks.

Recently, I have read a lot about how whey protein can be the most efficient form for most people. And while I love a good protein shake, I am not such a fan of the mess it can make or the bloating it can sometimes lead to. And as for protein bars, some of them frankly taste like the chalk I use to hold my barbells.

Fortunately, I recently found an amazing protein delivery system that is delicious enough to eat even on my cheat days!

Whey Better cookies were created by fellow fitness fans as a way (whey?) to have protein on the go without the mess or aftertaste. In fact, the only aftertaste you will experience with these amazing cookies is the desire to have taste after taste after taste.

While they have more protein, Whey Better items also have less sugar than other cookies or protein bars as they are sweetened with vanilla-flavored whey, which also helps make them so satisfying that you will not snack as much (as if you could do better with another snack!) and so lose weight while you add muscle.

From oatmeal raisin classic chocolate chip to more daring double chip and even double chip with peanut butter to an outrageous offering that is appropriately called s’mores overload, these deliciously dense 6 oz. cookies are great as you head out the door, before or after a workout, or even (as my twins will attest) as dessert! What is better (at least for myself and my girls) is the fact that Whey Better also makes peanut butter cups!

Was I talking about fitness? Oh yes- these cookies and cups are so good, I almost forgot their original purpose (and so will YOU!).

www.wheybettercookieco.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.

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

Bon appétit!

It has been some time since I heard from my friends at Goodnow Farms. Apparently, COVID and supply chain issues have taken their toll.

Fortunately, the Goodnow Farm family has been able to reconnect with other food friends from near and far and are emerging with a set of sweet treats that may be more creative and better than ever (which is surely saying something)!

Among the extra-high points of the cacao-based collection that has received over 100 international awards are Goodnow’s oat milk chocolate bars (which feature oat milk from Joi foods) and even more chocolates that are made with only freshly-pressed cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, and single-origin cacao beans sourced from Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and other Latin neighbors. 

While Goodnow may be best known for their edible chocolates, they also offer drinkable editions, incuding a Pimiento Gorda cocoa that includes spices from Burlap and Barrel and a cacao tea that is made with freshly-roasted Esmeraldas cacao nibs from Ecuador.

Though many of their products are delicious on their own, in an effort to support others who are trying to survive and again thrive after a very tough year, the folks at Goodnow are suggesting pairing their chocolates with cheeses and other items from such other entrepreneurs as Rubiner’s in Great Barrington and The Grey Barn and Farm on Martha’s Vineyard. Their website also tells the story of chocolate in a way that makes for a good read (perhaps while curled up with a cup of cocoa).

If you thought Goodnow was good before, wait until you see what they have now!

GoodnowFarms.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.

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

Bon appétit!

Long a favorite pre- and post-event venue for Celtics, Bruins, and concert fans and also for the lucky ones who discovered its home base (A&B Burgers in Beverly), A&B Kitchen & Bar is expanding its offerings in order to make sure they got game even on nights when there is no game. 

Founded by 35-year restraurant veteran Thomas Holland (the former Sonsie GM and Michael Schlow supporter who named A&B for his sons, Alex and Ben), A&B has been redefining the definition of casual restaurant for nearly 10 years.

In addition to the award-winning Niman Ranch beef burgers that made their Beverly base so popular, A&B Kitchen & Bar will offer seasonal menus featuring ingredients that will spotlight and support local producersm such as famed breadmaker A&J King in Salem and Rocky Neck Seafood from Ipswich. Among the fan faves at A&B have been the in-house slow-cooked BBQ ribs and BBQ pork nachos cooked using an additional pig cooker, a healthy and hearty tuna Nicoise bowl, an authentic N’awlins shrimp po’ boy, and fish & chips made with local beers. In addition to 12 such beers on tap and a wide and creative wine list, A&B also offers such worth-the-trip tipples as a caramel cinnamon apple pie milkshake made with Fireball whiskey, cinnamon applesauce, vanilla ice cream, caramel, and cinnamon cereal!

With great views of the Leoanard Zakim Bridge and Lovejoy Wharf (and also the Gah-den), A&B is a great place to visit whenever you want great food in a great atmosphere, regardless of how great (or not) our local teams are doing.

https://anbkitchen.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.

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

Bon appétit!

From wine to water, carton packaging has become the preferred way over bottles because it is easier to store, carry, and recycle and so has less negative impact on the environment.

And while the boxed water movement has many benefits, few boxed water companies offer as much as Everybody Water.

Though it sources its water from MI (where the quality of the water has been questionable of late), Everybody Water offers more than just convenience. Unlike other waters (whether bottled or boxed), Boston-based Everybody Water not only offers liquid sustenance to those who enjoy it, but also supports people for whom fresh water is far more of a luxury than most people in this and other more fortunate nations.

Proceeds from every recyclable sugar cane-based, CO2-absorbing TetraPak® carton (all of which come from responsibly-managed forests) help the women entrepreneurs behind Everybody Water and their partners at Water1st International support clean water infrastructure projects around the world. In addition to bringing clean water to the half of the world that has gone without for many years, their efforts also allow young women to go to school, get jobs, and pursue other goals instead of spending their days carrying water for miles from the nearest well.

Unflavored yet delicious, Everybody Water does more than satisfy your thirst. It also satisfies your desire to help others while helping yourself. And while we have all gone through trials this year, we still have much to be thankful for and (especially at this time of year) can perhaps now turn outward to help others feel the same way. With Everybody Water, that outward turning is as easy as turning on the tap.

www.everybodywater.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.

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

Bon appétit!

While Kwanzaa has seven days, Chanukah eight nights, and Christmas 12 days, Greek Orthodox Christmas lasts 14 days, giving us all more time to celebrate. And with food from Greek International Market in West Roxbury, there is a lot to celebrate at this season or any time!

From in-store prepared foods that are inspired (indded!) by the Farm Grill in Newton (another favorite of mine!) and amazing sandwiches to authentic Greek imports that range from chocolate and a raft of olive oils to their famous tzatziki yogurt sauce (which goes great on pretty much anything!) and a wide range of Greek wines, Greek International Market has been supplying many during the pandemic and is sure to put together the perfect gift or catering menu for your holidays, no matter what you celebrate or for how long.

If you are new to Greek food or just can’t decide which items to try next, the talented team at the Market (headed by the savvy and personable Katerina Iliades) can assemble one of their famed “Taste of Greece” baskets. No matter what size or price point you pick, these bountiful baskets are sure to please any friend, colleague, or family member. They also make great “thank you” gifts for your favorite colleagues and service workers. 

Whether or not you are Greek Orthodox or even if you do not celebrate anything this time of year (other than perhaps Festivus), this season is a great excuse (as if you needed one) to treat your friends and family and yourself to some of the best international food around at Greek International Market.

 www.greekintlmarket.com