Food

This section includes pieces related to food products

Burning with a Desire to Help

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With the Greater Boston Food Bank bringing their Fresh Fest back, I thought it a good time to talk about other food-related organizations that are doing what they can to help eaters in need.

The appropriately-named Good Charcoal Company partners with local communities nationwide to sponsor free weekly BBQs for those experiencing food insecurity. To date, they have provided over 32,500 meals for free across the country and have a goal of 100,000 by the end of this summer!

To help them reach that goal, all you need to do is buy their coal.

Fortunately, not only is the Good Charcoal Company’s charcoal good, it is also good for the world in other ways- for while it helps feed happy families and hungry neighbors in the United States, it also unites and supports the farmers in Africa who provide the wood and improves the lives of that region’s regal cheetahs by clearing grassland overgrowth that prevents their food from flourishing. In fact, Good Charcoal is the first and only charcoal sold in the U.S. that is certified by the Forest Stewardship council!
As it is 100% free of harmful chemicals and made from sustainably-harvested acacia (which is denser than even oak and hickory!), it burns hotter, longer, and cleaner, allowing you to use less and keep your air and your food cleaner and healthier and your time over the grill shorter, so you can enjoy more of your time with family and friends while knowing that other families (both human and feline) are also benefitting from your pit mastery.

While we all enjoy our summer celebrations and time outdoors with people we may not have seen in months (if not longer), it is important to remember those who do not have such privileges and do what we can to help them enjoy more as we enjoy all that we have. 

If a charcoal can remind us, that’s pretty good indeed!

thegoodcharcoal.com

MAKING DISHES THAT FULFILL WISHES

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Many moons ago, we touted the wonderful work of a woman who has become one of my dearest friends in the food industry- Jeanie Gruber. 

At that time, the experienced therapist and caterer was sustaining and supporting her clients’ and friends’ minds, bodies, and souls by making amazing homemade foods in her shop in Newton in between visits to her second hometown of New Orleans.

When COVID shut that down, Jeanie quickly devised a new plan that allows her to keep cooking and sharing but for a very different community.

WISHDISH is an organization that serves the homeless. But instead of just doling out food at a soup kitchen or making dishes with whatever the food pantry has available, WISHDISH engages and serves individuals in the community directly. After partnering with area shelters, Mis Jeanie visits the residents, asking each of them about the dishes they most remember. Once she has been offered each of international recipes (which range from curries gumbo to plov and porridge to eggplant parm and frybread to Mulligan stew and Shepherds pie, and even to a take on her own famous matzo ball soup), and Jeanie crafts enough of an authentic edition of each request to serve the entire community! In this way, Jeanie and her WISHDISH team not only feed the body but satisfy the soul by showing care and respect for people who many others simply pass by without even a look or smile.

Having established the program in Boston and New Orleans, Jeanie is looking for other communities to support and is also planning a series of city-specific cookbooks that will also share the stories of those who shared their favorite recipes so she can continue to show love through food while supporting those most in need.

As I have touted many times before, there are many organizations that support people in need. And while many of them make a truly vital difference, as is the case with so much of what she has done, nobody does it like Miss Jeanie does!

For more information and to offer support, please go to www.thewishdishproject.org

75 Years of Growth

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Regardless of your politics, it is pretty undeniable that the State of Israel has been an exemplar in scientific discovery and ingenuity and that, especially as a nation that was born of the desert and still has little water to begin with, is an inspiration for other nations that need to be more aware of and careful with their most precious natural resources (which pretty much includes everyone!).

That is why everyone can learn and benefit from a visit to Foodscape, a new, non-political, nationally-touring immersive art and culinary experience that will be stopping by the Rose Kennedy Greenway on May 28 from noon to 4 PM before wandering to New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington, DC.

Curated by the Jewish Arts Collaborative (JArts) and Israel’s own BAMAH arts, Foodscape offers a multi-sensory journey that strives to define the flavor of Israel and interpret it for international audiences by inviting people from all cultures and backgrounds to engage the 75-year-old nation’s unique and pioneering ecosystem without ever boarding an El Al plane (or even leaving their neighborhood)!

In less than 3,000 feet, people will be able to see, smell, touch, and even taste the pluralistic plantings and Technion-tested tactics that have helped make Israel a leader in environmental preservation and culinary creativity as they join Israeli artists in interacting with the ingredients necessary to make the popular Middle Eastern soda known as gazoz. While traveling through Foodscape, people will also encounter live performance pieces and other sweet, salty, and savory surprises from the food-focused folks at Studio Mela.

For some, Israel is far away geographically or even politically. For others, it may be a distant vision of the soul. Thanks to Foodscape, the nation and its notions can both be made more real and digestible right here in your own backyard.

Learn more by visiting www.jartsboston.org

Make More for Maine

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While I often discuss the restaurants that have been doing their best to survive and (hopefully) once again thrive, the fact that many restaurants went away and that many people are still reticent to come back to them has caused issues for another set of food friends- Namely, the farmers who produce the products that most restaurants (and home chefs) use to craft their creative creations.

Fortunately, some pioneering places are coming up with fruitful ways to support their fruit and vegetable suppliers.

The Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (which can be found at mainefarmersmarkets.org) recently rolled out a new program called Bumper Crop that sells product vouchers that are valid at over 50 of Maine’s most meaningful markets. From Augusta and Bangor to Kittery and Portland to Wells and York, these handy harvest helpers allow users to go to any of the participating markets and pick up whatever healthy foods and other goods suit their fancies, including Maine’s legendary blueberry and maple products, as well as fresh cheeses, spices and sauces, coffees and teas, and even edible flowers!
In addition to purchasing Bumper Crop vouchers for yourself or other people you hope to keep healthy and happy, the Federation has also been offering the vouchers to employers as an employee wellness benefit (for which they only pay for the amounts that their employees actually use!). So far, over $100,000 worth of the vouchers have been distributed by area employers, benefitting both their employees and their farming friends and neighbors as well! 

Speaking of benefits, the program has already added about $25 to each produce purchase and encouraged over 60% of users to visit more markets and to eat more healthy and organic goods- so the benefits go far beyond the financial!

Let’s hope that other areas remember the Maine Federation so their family farms can bump up their businesses and better support other communities as well.

mainefarmersmarkets.org

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The Brothers are BACK ;)

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Many years ago, I sang the praises of a great restaurant just outside of Boston called Brothers. It not only offered great food made by – you guessed it – a set of brothers, but it also featured amazing music by two of the most talented brothers in the area – Bill and Bo Winiker. 

When COVID shut the restaurant down, I was worried that the music would be over too. Fortunately, not only have the restaurant and the band returned, but they are now even closer to where I live!

The talented team behind Brothers recently took over Cook in Needham center. While I had not been there basically since Covid started, my return to the restaurant was well worth the wait! 

Not only does the simple but ample menu feature such tempting treats as charred broccoli with chimichurri sauce, a pita and dip set with creamy whipped feta cheese and zingy za’atar sauce, and an intricately-flavored sesame, mandarin salad that can be topped with falafel, chicken, shrimp, or salmon, as well as great burgers, pizzas and specials, but also great drinks, like the tequila and Mezcal-based Cactus Cooler, a spicy pineapple Margarita, and the wicked fresh Cranberry Bog.

Though the kids menu is less ample than that meant for older eaters, all the options are spot on and well-made. Our girls loved the chicken fingers and pasta, but suggested that they may get burgers or mac and cheese next time.

And then, of course, there is the music! Not only have Bill and Bo played at the White House, the closing of the old Boston Garden, and the opening of the new one, and at Symphony Hall, they also played my wedding and are booked for a number of future family celebrations. They are, to put it mildly, the best of the best! So to be able to hear their music while enjoying delicious quality food in a comfortable neighborhood place (that just happens to be in my neighborhood) made for a great way to spend an evening and I look forward to doing it again soon and often.

www.cookneedham.com / http://www.winikermusic.com

Expanding the Villa

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I know that I have said it before, but I LOVE Donut Villa.

And though the name may not do justice to the amazing and amazingly varied menu (all of which is, as I said, amazing!), the fact that the name has stuck for over 50 years and what started as one donut-forward store in Malden has since expanded to Cambridge, Newton, and now Arlington (what, no Needham?!) is reason enough to offer this amazing (did I say that?) place more press.

Though the sign may now say “Brunch Club and Bar,” this additional explanation still does not do the Villa justice. After all, what donut shop or brunch place has a full bar featuring local favorites and flavors from further afield and enough lunch and dinner items to come back multiple times a day? 

While the “donut” part of the name is dead-on, as they have some of the most amazing (sorry!) and creative flavors around and while they make some of the most creative and delicious meals out of them, including donut-based sandwiches, pizzas, and a maple donut bread pudding that is worth a trip on its own, the Brunch Club has plenty of bagels, Benedicts, and Boston cream pancakes, but also offers the VIlla chili bowl, chicken parmesan, steak tips, salads, subs, and a tuna sandwich that is also worth its own trip (especially when paired with their amazing pickle fries!). There is also a wide range of vegetarian and vegan options as well (including a vegan BLT, vegan grilled cheese, and a faux but fabulous chicken and waffles) so everyone can come again and again and perhaps even find themselves full before they pick up some donuts for the road (as if they will ever make it home!).

A well-known writer *(whose own name I cannot recall right now, but I surely Will soon) once asked “What’s in a name?” When it comes to Donut Villa Brunch Club and Bar, there is certainly a whole lot more!

www.DonutVila.com

Follow the Trail to New City love

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Many moons ago, I sang the praises of a restaurant and ice cream shop in Hudson, MA, that offered everything from amazing pizzas to an authentic speakeasy (complete with a secret password!) to incredible ice cream…and MORE! 

Since last we lauded, a lot has been happening, so I wanted to catch you all up and tempt you all over again.

Rail Trail Flatbread is still a favorite destination that is always coming up with great new tastes and treats and that has devised some extra-special offerings for Valentine’s Day. The main room will offer a set of heart-shaped flatbreads that will feature poems by second graders at the nearby Farley School while the swanky Greater Than Less Than will host aromantic four-course meal featuring their craft kitchen and creative cocktails. And even if you have no interest in the so-called “big game,” a made-from-scratch party platter from Rail Trail can make any given Sunday better!

New City Creamery uses fresh local ingredients (including milk from Mapleline Farm in Hadley, MA) and liquid nitrogen to create a creamy ice cream that even hours of hand churning cannot replicate and tops it with such funky “funk” faves as repurposed waffle cone and chocolate chip cookie crumbs, shredded coconut toasted with cocoa powder, and even butter-baked Trix cereal coated in white chocolate!  As we wait for a new Rail Trail in Milford, New City has also expanded into Sudbury and is also being sold at Whole Foods and even in many All Town Fresh gas stations! In the meantime, their Central Square location continues to go toe-to-toe with local legend Toscanini’s…and often wins. Even better, they may be selling my book on the Ivy League soon to their many Harvard-affiliated fans!

So that’s the latest in what is clearly an ever-developing story. Rest assured, Matt’s Meals will keep you posted, but for now, I am off to Hudson and soon to Cambridge for a book event and some of the best ice cream around.

I hope to see you there!

https://railtrailflatbread.com / https://newcitymicrocreamery.com

Caring Carbs

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I love bread in all of its many forms- from challah to sticks to toast. 

Among one of my partners in this passion has been our old fried Chris Wysong at Bucket of Bread.

In addition to being a brave Veteran, Wysong is also a value-based entrepreneur who has created a company that offers pre-measured kitchen kits that currently come in white, hearty wheat, and seven grain varieties, all of which contain no fats, oils, dairy, egg, or even added sugars and all of which make delicious healthy bread with less work and more reward!

And while I have loved every loaf, Wysong recently suggested in his newsletter that I put a new twist on his buckets by expanding my home-baked repertoire into cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, Naan, and other international favorites. The recipe book at bucketofbread.com offers many other ideas and handy tips as well, including creations that are perfect for various holidays.

Speaking of holidays, Bucket of Bread is a great base with which to create bread items for those you love. As everything the bucket bears is so delicious, you do not even need a heart-shaped baking dish (though those can add an even more personalized touch)!

No matter what you use the bucket for, you are sure to find it fresher, more delicious, and more rewarding than any store- or restaurant-bought version for, not only are you making it yourself (and so controlling what goes into it and what you get out of it), but you are also supporting someone who risked all for others and also the hunger-fighting organizations to which Wysong contributes proceeds as well. All the goodness in each bucket makes you feel as warm and toasty as Wysong’s bread!

Though sourdough’s days may be dwindling, the tradition of baking and eating at home still lives on, so you might as well enjoy the process and the results and start a new chain of success and happiness yourself.

www.bucketofbread.com

Boston Gets Spice-ier All the Time

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In addition to being a huge fan of condiments, I am also a devoted spice lover. One of my oldest friends in the spice space is Boston Spice.

Born out of Steven Bortnick’s basement in South Easton (where he still hand-mixes and packs his spice selections), Boston Spice’s ever-expanding menu of offerings runs from the historically-accurate to the forward-thinking, all with a taste of Boston firmly in mind.

Whether you were making meals with meat, fish, or vegetables, and regardless of whether your palette prefers low or no salt or sugar, Boston Spice has plenty of freshly-pressed packets that can help you start a Revolution in your mouth. They even have varieties that work for baking and beverages as well!

Though they currently offer over 100 varieties, among some Boston Spice favorites are their Battle Road rub, lemon peppah (that’s with an “-ah,” of course!) seasoning, their Asian-inspired Chinatown blend, the spicier Ole’ Boston and Boston Bueno southwest sets, a just-in-time-for-St.-Patrick’s-Day Southie corned beef pickling spice, and a Back Bay seasoning salt that tastes as fresh as if it were just dredged this morning.

As so many of their rich recipes are taken from Boston’s equally rich history, it is no surprise that Boston Spice products can be found at the Old North Church and the Boston Tea Party Shop and Museum (where their Boston Wine Party mulling spice is celebrating the dumping’s 250th anniversary). Just as their menu expands so too does there a list of retail outlets, which now includes the Kitchen Sink Candle Company in Groton and Bolton and Lilac Hedge Farms in Rutland, which has been bundling Bortnick’s blends with their own meats. And while Steve is happy to reach out to whomever has interest in his spicy sellables, Boston Spice products are also available online through Walmart.com (and, of course, BostonSpice.com).

Huzzah! Another local company makes good (or, as is so often true of our favorite food friends- makes GREAT!).

https://bostonspice.com

Redder and Bedder than Edder

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By now, I have gone on and on about Valentine’s Day and chocolate and realize that it may be getting a little fattening even to listen to.

Still, there is one of our favorite makers that deserves yet another mention- RED Chocolate.

As the first (or at least best) no-sugar-added, palm oil-free, non-GMO chocolate, RED is already one of the best options for fans who want to enjoy their favorite sweet treat while staying healthy(-er). But Red has been doing even more of late!

Not only have they been donating chocolates to our friends at Project Insulin so that their blood sugar-sensitive friends can also enjoy, RED has recently released versions of their amazing offerings that are kosher, keto- and Weight Watchers-friendly, and…wait for it…100% vegan!!

Using healthy oats instead of dairy, the master chocolatiers at RED have figured out a way to take out even more of the stuff that can bother people while keeping all the great flavor and satisfaction in (and then some!).

As if that were not enough, the new vegan variety uses their signature orange and almond recipe. So not only are you not getting gluten, GMO, or palm oil, you are getting heart-healthy oats, immunity-supporting citrus, and even protein-packed nuts all in one sweet (and, some might say, sexy) package!

Speaking of packages, RED now comes in their standard-sized bars that have an average of 30% fewer calories than other brands and also in new grab-n-go bars that have only 80-100 calories each, so not only can you get more out of each bar, you can also get less- when you want it.

And let us not forget RED’s famous pralines with their combination of creamy milk chocolate and crunchy, satisfying, and, of course, nutritious hazelnut and macadamia-packed centers.

Chocolate may be for Valentine’s Day, but RED chocolate is for EVERY day!

https://red-chocolate.com