Desserts

BABKA BLUE-Y!

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Though I still miss Galit’s Treats in Newton Centre, the growing family of Bakey bakeries has helped ease the pain with their delicious menu of babkas and other bodacious baked goods.

I really can’t get enough of this place and have made their locations in Boston, Brookline, and Newton regular hosts for business meetings and social gatherings. I have also brought their colossal creations to many friends and colleagues and they are always a hit!

While many line up at Bakey for their freshly-made chocolate babka, I recently found an alternative that rivals this fan favorite.
Made with locally-sourced fresh fruit and evident love, Bakey’s blueberry babka is a sweet treat that is good from mouth to bloodstream. I often pick one up to nibble on (Who am I kidding? It is gone in a flash!) for dessert after enjoying one of Bakey’s great bowls and salads (like the scrumptiously healthy lentil and beet or chicken spinach) or when I am picking up treats for family and friends and have been known to buy more than one so I can enjoy one when I reach my destination.

While I heard that an apple babka is also in the works, you really can’t go wrong no matter what you choose!

If this latest addition to a line of glutened greatness that also includes Bakey’s famed broissants (babka-based croissants) and their nutrition-packed Muesli roll inspires you, perhaps you might want to try your own hand under the tutelage of Bakey’s master bakers at an upcoming class. On September 24 and November 6, challah will be the theme and December 4 will be the next babka workshop. All classes take place from 6:30-8:30 PM and tickets and information are available at www.bakeybabka.com.

FRITTER-ING AWAY ANOTHER SEASON

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Whether or not the Red Sox did enough at the trade deadline to make a real run this year. Fenway Park is always a great place to go and now the food selections are even better!

At the bottom of Lansdowne Street just alongside Loretta’s Last Call is a sweet speakeasy known as Back Door Donuts.

Based in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, Back Door started as a donuts-on-demand establishment that has enjoyed lines around the island for years. Now, Back Door has an entry point on one of the busiest streets in Boston (and will hopefully have more on the mainland soon!).

Whether or not you have tickets to the game, this heavenly hideaway is worth a visit – but only after 7, as that is when the magic begins and the Back Door officially opens!

From the legendary (and LARGE!) apple fritter and inspired locally-inspired Boston Cream to the ridiculously creamy buttermilk glazed and super-creative party donut (which can help after a party as well!), Back Door has a menu that is constantly being enhanced with new creations, all of which are baked fresh using the best (and most sweetly sinful) ingredients.

While the donuts may be more a draw than the game (When I last went, the Rangers walked two Red Sox players home and still almost won!), even fans of the other teams can enjoy, as Back Door also ships! So home or away, you can now enjoy the taste that used to be reserved for the privileged but that will surely be a home run for your favorite donut nut (Ahem!).

EXPANDING THE COMMUNITY

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I recently raved about the arrival of my new favorite Jewish bakery – Bakey – coming to Newton Centre (where it has taken the physical space – but not the place – of Galit’s Treats).

Now I get to share news of an amazing eatery that started in Newton that is expanding to Boston’s South End.

Cacao Chocolate Bar & Cafe is bringing both a store and café to 570 Columbus Avenue in Boston.

Co-owner Perla Rosario grew up on a cacao farm in the Dominican Republic and is a graduate of the Hurley Elementary school, the new location will represent a bit of a homecoming for her homemade treats and chocolatier heritage. As Perla’s business and life partner Leo Baez grew up around cashew farms in the Republic, it also makes sense that the cacao-coated nuts are among the store’s best-sellers. However, there are plenty more treats to try either in the cozy, cocoa-colored café or at the convenient pickup window.

From bean-to-bar chocolate from all over Latin and South America to hand-crafted caramels, vibrant marzipan, brimming barks, chai cups, a growing selection of fresh pastries, that features croissants from Hyannis’ Pain D’Avignon, coffee drinks, teas and tonics, and an entire menu of what has been called the best hot chocolate in the area that includes the famed frozen hot chocolate that once brought throngs to the also dearly departed Serendipity 3, Cacao will also bring the sense of community that has made it such a. favorite regular stop for so many in the Newton area and that will surely make it a star in the South End.

Sweet!

PASSING THE TASTY TORCH

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While I continue to mourn the fact that my beloved Galit’s Treats is no longer in Newton Centre, I am heartened by the news that Galit is still pouring her heart and soul into making some of the best challah around and also continuing to serve the community in true tikkun olam fashion.

I am also happy to see that her former spot was taken up by award-winning Danish-Israeli chef Uri Scheft, who is another strong candidate for best baker around.

With other locations in Boston and Brookline (and maybe one near me in Needham soon…please!), Scheft’s Bakey is expanding its edible empire based on the back of a bevy of babka that would make George Costanza cry. If the chocolate is too delicious for you (which it very well might be!), I recommend easing up to it via the amazing almond and conical cinnamon styles. 

If you are in the mood for savory (at least at first), Babka has you well covered there too with their flaky burekas and croissants, and cheese sticks that pizza places can only dream of. One of my latest faves is the muesli roll, which combines hearty bread base with nuts and dried fruits in a power- and flavor-packed package you can eat on the go.

Can’t decide? Pick up a pre-packed sweet or savory box or compose your own with help from Bakey’s expert team of tasty tastemakers. Or go to www.bakeybabka.com and use their searchable menu to find their latest gluten-free and vegan treats.

If you want more reason to hang around to see what comes out of the oven next, Bakey offers occasional cooking classes that allow you to fantasize about making things this good at home.No matter where you enjoy it, it will surely taste like home and make you feel just as comfortable.                    www.bakeybabka.com

STILL BAKING

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Every two minutes, someone is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. Last year alone, an estimated 297,790 women (and 2,800 men) were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

Though breast cancer remains one of the largest health challenges for women, it has also spawned some of the most creative (and delicious!) means of supporting people in need.

While Susan Komen may be among the best-known breast cancer organizations nationally, MA has its own champion in Carol Sneider, creator of the Bakes for Breast Cancer project which this year is celebrating a quarter-century of support with a sweet series of events that will be hosted in Boston, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.

Sneider launched her nonprofit organization in 1999 in memory of her mother who lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of 43. As her mother had raised her on a steady diet of wonderful baked goods, Sneider decided to use her family recipes and maternal inspiration as the means through which to raise money for research and keep this condition in the public eye (and mouth).

By partnering with an ever-expanding team of bakers and eateries, Sneider has raised over $2 million for breast cancer research while encouraging fellow food-lovers to support their communities in a deliciously different way.

From May through July, the 25th anniversary celebration will waft through New England, the Mid-Atlantic region, and even the Cape and the islands, bringing Sneider’s roster of pastry-producing partners to over 5,000!

To find out which venues in your area will be participating and how to encourage more to do so, visit www.bakesforbreastcancer.org.  

MY FAVORITE SCOOP!

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This is a scoop I have been longing to get my hands on for some time!

Van Leeuwen ice cream is coming to MA and you heard it here FIRST!

Having started as a single ice cream truck that featured “French style” ice cream that is still made with more than double the amount of egg yolks as almost everywhere else, Van Leeuwen now has 30 scoop shops in New York and over 40 more from California to Connecticut and DC to Philly.

Not one to take things easy (or to take the easy way to make ice cream, such as by using pre-mixed bases or fillers and ingredients you can’t pronounce and may not be able to digest), Van Leeuwen’s is climbing to Chestnut Hill (where we recently lost Odd Fellows), spending Summer in the Seaport, and hitting Harvard in time for Head of the Charles.

No matter which shop you visit, however, you will be amazed by the freshness of the ice cream and the fresh ideas of the flavors, including their legendary vegan ice creams (including my personal fave – Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb) and their mashups with the likes of Hidden Valley Ranch, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and BIGFACE Coffee. Ice cream purists can be confident ordering what The New York Times says is the best vanilla ice cream, but when you also know that the pistachios come all the way from Mt Etna in Sicily and the marionberries from Stahlbush Island in Oregon, their other flavors are surely worth a try!

If you just can’t wait, Van Leeuwen’s also ships nationwide and is probably somewhere you will be visiting soon. As for me, I plan to camp out on The Street in Chestnut Hill so I can be the first to enjoy my favorite ice cream a bit closer to home.    

GREEK REVIVAL

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As it was once called the Athens of America, it makes sense that Boston is at the forefront of the Greek revival that appears to be running through the restaurant space like an Olympic (or Boston) marathoner.

And while many popular places have followed, the Farm Grille & Rotisserie in Newton and its sister store, Greek International Market in West Roxbury, have been leading the pack for over 25 years.

Whenever I want to get my Greek on in a fresh and friendly flash, a visit to the Grille always fits the bill(e). But when I want to get the authentic ingredients that make this family-run restaurant and caterer so great or to explore the larger realm of Hellenistic hunger helpers, the Market has all I need….and MORE!

In addition to freshly-imported Greek spices and wines (including Retsina) to imported meats and other prepared foods (including their famed octopus salad!), as well as hand-crafted cheeses and Greek yogurt, an olive bar and enough olive oils and Greek pastries for the Spartan army, the Market offers honey-based health and beauty aids, toys and gifts, and customized gift baskets that are perfect for any occasion. 

Speaking of occasions, the Market has an Aegean Sea-full of fish and a farm-full of plant-based options that are perfect for Lent or just for eating healthy! And Proprietor Katerina Iliades recently debuted a line of children’s clothing for communions and baptisms that will be on display at a VIP fashion show on March 23 at the Maliotis Center in Brookline!

Everyone seems set on catching the healthy and delicious Mediterranean diet train. As is true of so many other things, we in Boston are ahead of the curve, thanks in great part to the Iliades family and their great pair of places to eat.    

EFFIE-N GOOD!

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As I have been bringing my book on the Ivy League and my live author interview series to more venues (such as the Needham Library, where I will be interviewing everyone’s favorite radio host, Jordan Rich, on April 30), I have had to find more snacks to bring for my guests to enjoy as they linger to buy books and talk with the authors.

That is why I always have boxes of Effie’s Homemade on hand!

Based on the traditional Nova Scotian oatcake, these family recipe-based, hand-crafted cookies and crackers (ahem- “biscuits”) are made in Dorchester, MA and available all over (including at my book events!).

From their original Halifax-helped oatcake and European-inspired rye biscuits to their hearty and historically-accurate corn cakes and stone-ground wheat pecan biscuits, Effie’s are perfect for wine and cheese parties, mini PB&Js or just straight out of the box. There are also recipes at https://effieshomemade.com to inspire your next sensational snack!

For those with a taste for sophisticated sweetness, Effie’s also offers aromatic almond biscuits, bold and snappy ginger biscuits, brain-boosting walnut biscuits, and decadent cocoa biscuits.

No matter which you pick, all of their biscuits come in giftable boxes and samplers and many are also available in individually-wrapped two-biscuit servings that are just right for a satisfying snack or something special to share

While becoming a loyal customer is not hard, Effie’s even offers a reward program for those of us who enjoy their wonderful wares on a regular basis!

Come be a guest at my author events and you too will have that opportunity!

In the meantime, use MattsMeals20 to get 20% off at https://effieshomemade.com/

FA-SHIZZLE MY TWIZZLE

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During a recent trip to Scandinavia, I enjoyed visiting Hamlet’s castle and shopping at IKEA, but the best part was surely having my fill of authentic Scandinavian licorice.

I have been a fan of the sweet and chewy stuff for as long as I can remember and I always love trying new varieties and flavors. That is why I am such a fan of America’s own Wiley Wallaby!

Wiley Wallaby’s family-formed licorices are among my favorites. And as they have so many flavors – including classic red and black, as well as blueberry, pomegranate, huckleberry (whatever that is!), and their latest- lemonade – Wiley has a taste for every taste and even offer pre-mixed combo packs so you can get more fruit and fun in every fistful!

If you want big flavor in small packages, Wiley makes candy-coated licorice “drops” with sweet or super sour fruit-flavored shells. For those of you who prefer organic versions that may be closer to the flowering Fabaceae from which licorice comes, they have classic black, strawberry, mixed berry, and tropical flavors that are all made with organic cane sugar and real fruit juice and without artificial colors and flavors. And if sugar is the issue, they also offer treats with only one gram per serving! 

No matter which flavors you pick, Wiley Wallaby licorices are all filled with vegan flavor and easy on the teeth (especially as they have no high-fructose corn syrup). 

As they say in Sandanavia- Skål!

LET US EAT CAKE

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In the process of supporting Project Insulin in their efforts to develop a generic version of the life-saving medicine, I have had the privilege of meeting many other wonderful and community-minded people. Among these is Patrice Jean-Philippe, who also supports the health and well-being of her RI neighbors.

When not serving her community as an administrator, Jean-Philippe is serving cakes that she custom makes for clients and organizations as the head of P. Bon Bakery, a company that she operates with the help of her children, the eldest of whom is studying culinary arts.

Inspired (as so many of us were) by watching baking shows during the pandemic, Jean-Philippe quickly discovered that she had more than just a home-baker’s knack for crafting creative cakes that looked amazing and tasted even better. Since then, she has spent every moment she is not helping her family and her neighbors in the kitchen to make them happy in other ways.

Calling on her Haitian heritage, Jean-Philippe uses authentic island vanilla in a recipe that was handed down from her mother. She is also well known for her chocolate and carrot cakes. Each cake is made to order using her special buttercream recipe that gives each cake a unique flavor and texture and that will surely make any event or occasion at which they are served special as well!

As part of her effort to support others, Jean-Philippe recently launched Sweet Talkers, a program for young children with speech delays that encourages them to find their voice through baking. 

As with so many Matt’s Meals friends, Jean-Philippe is a dedicated foodmaker and family supporter who deserves our support as well!