Menu Makers

Menu Makers© are the people who make the products that restaurants and others use to make their presentations the best that they can be!

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.    

GATHER-ING SUPPORT

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Our food community is made up of not only some of the most talented chefs and restaurateurs but also some of the most giving!

From Steve Peljovich at Michael’s Deli to Karen Masterson at Johnny’s Luncheonette to Jeanie Gruber at Wish Dish, the list of food makers and food sellers who often give away more than they make to support their community is inspiring!

Apparently, this noble tradition of giving goes back quite some time – all the way back to 1816, in fact!

It was then, in Portsmouth, NH, that a group of charitable women who wanted to support the families of local fishermen started a social services organization named Gather, which was one of the first such groups in the country.

Since then, Gather has continued to grow, gathering more support and also gathering more people it supports with its pantry and food delivery programs.

As evidence of its continued development, Gather opened the Gather Cafe at Great Bay Community College just last year as a means of combatting food insecurity among college students. The Cafe charges the general public reasonable prices for freshly-made food and catering services so it can subsidize the food purchases of area students, allowing them to fuel their bodies so they can fuel their minds and fuel the future for all. Though this may be an underexposed issue (especially considering that nearly 40% of all students go hungry from time to time), it is one that is unfortunately very real and that other schools and organizations would be wise to get involved with as well.

Another way to get involved is through the Seacoast Half Marathon on October 29. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit Gather! 

With food and tuition prices rising and campus gun violence more prevalent than ever, students have a lot to worry about when they go to school. Eating should not be one of them.

Please go to www.gathernh.org and help gather support for this historic helping hand.

Barking up the Right Tree

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Though Earth Day has come and gone again, as there are (fortunately) more of us who want to bring a bit of its special and survivalist spirit into our everyday lives, I am always on the hunt for more products that will help us all help ourselves while helping our planet.

Following the lead of my panda-loving daughter, I have begun to investigate the bamboo forests of China and have found a new benefit to its less insidious harvesting.

Bamboozle is an award-winningly sustainable and renewable set of serving pieces that are made with simple and sturdy bamboo (and other plant-based polymers) yet come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and eye-catching colors.

From their original composters and cooking bowls to serving sets and spoons to a bowl-plate combo they spork-ily call a “blate,” Bamboozle products can take your food from field to plate and back to field again with style and substance. And if you want to get younger ones in a renewable mood, there are even fun and functional dining sets that literally bounce back and resist food stains, making them perfect for your little environmentalist foodies!

Durable and dishwasher safe, biodegradable Bamboozle bundles can be confidently used again and again and go from micro to meal with ease! Though their matte and minimalistic designs are timeless, if you ever tire of them (which would be odd but is still theoretically possible), they can also be recycled and reused to bring more eco-friendly food to others and to help others make ‘Gram-able food photos at home!

As ancient cultures know, the earth is far wiser and bolder than we who visit it for such brief periods. That is why embracing ancient wisdom and ancient ingredients may be the best ways to insure there are future generations who can learn from us. 

Bamboozle is a great way to enjoy well-made products while preserving servings for those who may follow us to the table- and they’re cute, too!

BamboozleHome.com

WORK WITH WATCHA’ GOT

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Though many of us may not be cooking at home as much as we had before the masks (thankfully!) started to come off, when we do have the urge, it can be frustrating to be foiled by a lack of foil (or other pantry staples).

Fortunately, our friends at America’s Test Kitchen have come up with another great guide that will help get even reticent or retired rotisseurs revived and ready to go!

The Complete Modern Pantry offers nearly a year’s worth of ideas for ways to make what you want with what you have.

Realizing that everyone sees different items as “must-haves” in their kitchens, The Complete Modern Pantry puts common items in categories (e.g., bulk and base items, frozen foods, baking-based bites, creamy and crumbly foods, and textured toppings) each of which is elaborated upon so that you can choose your favorites and be sure to have at least them on hand so you can make food you like and will actually eat (which is the point, no?!). The book also suggests substitutions and multiple uses for various items and offers alternative and even improvised edits so that almost any chef can comply with the books’ guidelines and reap the rewards from their own refrigerators. It also offers encouraging advice so readers can feel more comfortable and confident moving about the kitchen even if they feel it may be understocked (at least in terms of certain foods or food categories) and so they can take their available foods and this great guide and make unique recipes that are truly efficient and their own!

From breads and baked goods to drinks and desserts to sweet and savory snacks and soups and stews to a Little Italy’s worth of dishes based on one-pot pastas to other internationally-inspired dishes and spice blends that bring you the world without going to the international market, this book has what it takes even for those who may not.

Forget the shopping list at home? Head back there, grab this book, and make a great meal anyway!

www.AmericasTestKitchen.com

Menu Makers© – Michael Foley

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Michael F. Foley 

The Foley Fish Co.

https://shop.foleyfish.com

Michael Foley (right) with four generations of the Foley Fish family

As the grandson and son of fishmongers, Michael F. Foley has seafood in his blood. As the former head of the Foley Fish Company, Foley used his familiarity with the New England tides to help his customers keep their blood and bodies healthy. The company’s latest achievement in this realm is the new Protein Pack program (https://shop.foleyfish.com/products/foley-protein-pack-variety), which packages the freshest seafood available in heart-health portions that can be shipped near and far.

A former Naval officer and Harvard graduate, Foley is also the author of Swimming Upstream: Four generations of fishmongering.Foley’s dedication to keeping the family tradition alive by providing quality fish and never compromising has recently been extended further with the addition of his daughter Laura Foley Ramsden as the new owner. Together, they are well prepared to take the historic family business into the uncharted waters of COVID-era business and beyond.

Matt’s Meals: What makes your product different and what do you hope to bring to market?

Foley Fish is 100% all natural with no chemicals or preservatives, which is very, very rare in the unregulated seafood industry. Further, our fish is only 24-48 hours out of the water, so it is differentiable in its freshness. We are now bringing our all-natural seafood directly to consumers through our Foley Protein Pack program. Customers can order 100% natural Foley fish that has been deep frozen at the peak of freshness. www.Foleyfish.com/seafood is the link. 

Matt’s Meals: When did you start working on your first product and what had you been doing previously?

Our company was founded in 1906. That was when we first started selling fish in Boston. We now ship across the country. After graduating Harvard and getting a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago, I served as the Vice President at Continental Bank in Chicago.

Matt’s Meals: To whom did you look for business advice?

My father was my mentor.  

Matt’s Meals: What have been the biggest challenges you have faced and how have you dealt with them?

We have faced supply challenges owing to fishery management measures that protected the biomass but made it harder to source fish. We worked very hard to develop multiple buying relationships in each of the New England ports so we wouldn’t have to be hostage to what was (or wasn’t) landed in each port each day. We wanted to make sure we didn’t have to compromise our standards because our customers rely on us for consistency.

Matt’s Meals: What do you most look forward to in the coming year in terms of your business?

The end of COVID and the lifting of dining out restrictions.