Saturday, November 29, 2008
Product Review: Swedish Designs Cookware Racks
Storing pots and pans can be a pain. We put a large metal rack into our kitchen and use hooks to hang them from the sides, with a few large pots on top, but that isn't the most visually elegant solution. If you want a bit more well-constructed style, look at the racks from Swedish Designs. We got a vertical maple skillet rack as a test unit. The pale wood is well screwed together with a smooth and attractive finish. They claim that you can fit a pan upwards of 13-inches in, and I'd have to agree because I tried our largest.
A strip of wood at the bottom is at a slight incline, presumably to encourage you to stack from small to large. I think it would have been great to have an option that would hold multiple of the largest pans, in case someone is so equipped. There are also racks for vertical stacking, pot racks, and racks that combine some pots and a couple of pans. All are available in either maple or beech. Prices run from $62 for a skillet rack to $108 for the combination racks. Not everyone will find this method of storage to be ideal, but if you have a more limited number of pots and pans (or a smaller collection that is attractive and that you'd like to display), this would be worth considering.
A strip of wood at the bottom is at a slight incline, presumably to encourage you to stack from small to large. I think it would have been great to have an option that would hold multiple of the largest pans, in case someone is so equipped. There are also racks for vertical stacking, pot racks, and racks that combine some pots and a couple of pans. All are available in either maple or beech. Prices run from $62 for a skillet rack to $108 for the combination racks. Not everyone will find this method of storage to be ideal, but if you have a more limited number of pots and pans (or a smaller collection that is attractive and that you'd like to display), this would be worth considering.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Product Review: Zyliss Paring Knife
A Zyliss paring knife came in for testing just before Thanksgiving and it proved itself a pleasure in the kitchen. The hollow-ground stainless steel blade (the marketing copy says that the steel is from Japan, but I'm not convinced that matters) has perhaps the sharpest edge I've seen shipped. The packaging keeps it (and fingers) safe during shipping. The blade has a longer handle than I'm used to seeing on a paring knife, which I found a delightful match for my large hands. My wife, with considerable smaller hands, also liked the feel because it helps add control. A slide-on cover uses a friction fit to stay snug for safe transport and storage in a drawer. The thin blade is also good for peeling and making fine slices. Even at the list price of $7.99, it's inexpensive for a quality tool. There is a serrated version, but not having tried it, I can't speak for its utility.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Product Review: Electrolux Rapido
My wife is the real expert in vacuums (though I've been known to do my time behind one). Her view is that the Electrolux Rapido handheld is not just a very good machine, but a superior one. Getting that kind of rave from her is rare, but understandable in this case. Her guess is that the suction is probably a good third stronger than with the Black & Decker model we have. The vacuum stores easily on a base that will also mount on a well. Two attachments, an extension crevice tool and a brush, store within the base, so everything is out of the way. Two little wheels at the vacuum's opening allow it to glide over a surface without scraping. The 2.4 lb. vacuum body opens and closes easily. Plus, the design is attractive looking. List price is about $60 -- a good choice when you want to be able to scoop up dirt without having to pull out a full-sized vacuum.
Product Review: Redi-Measure Light Brown Sugar
Sometimes what is new in food is not the product but packaging. In this case, Imperial Sugar has come out with Redi-Measure Light Brown Sugar. It's light brown sugar, but packaged in quarter-cup packets. There are 12 packets to a box, or three pounds in total, running in the $2.19 to $2.49 per box price, depending on where you buy it.
My wife, a busy baker, and I talked it over and came to some conclusions. If you bake often, then this probably doesn't make sense. Although brown sugar can stiffen, there are little disks you can add to your container that will absorb the moisture and leave the sugar loose. (If you're feeling particularly cheap, a piece of dry toast will do the same.)
However, if you don't do a lot of baking, or perhaps have limited room for canisters, this could be just the trick. It is a bit pricey because of all the extra packaging, but not horrendously so. And if you are going camping or otherwise having to cook during a vacation, bringing a few packets could be a smart way to minimize the potential mess.
My wife, a busy baker, and I talked it over and came to some conclusions. If you bake often, then this probably doesn't make sense. Although brown sugar can stiffen, there are little disks you can add to your container that will absorb the moisture and leave the sugar loose. (If you're feeling particularly cheap, a piece of dry toast will do the same.)
However, if you don't do a lot of baking, or perhaps have limited room for canisters, this could be just the trick. It is a bit pricey because of all the extra packaging, but not horrendously so. And if you are going camping or otherwise having to cook during a vacation, bringing a few packets could be a smart way to minimize the potential mess.
Labels: ingredients, product, reviews
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Product Review: Grandma's Chicken Soup
No, I haven't snuck into your bubbe's kitchen to pass culinary judgment. Grandma's Chicken Soup.com, as you might imagine, sells chicken soup. And it's really good chicken soup -- not just my opinion, but that of my wife, who makes great chicken soup herself. The broth has a strong chicken flavor without a fatty mouth feel or the usual over dependence on salt of most commercial versions. There are large pieces of carrot and the noodles are good.
Not all is perfect. While we liked the texture of the matzo balls, they are very peppery. My wife didn't care for the burn, though I enjoyed them, so this will be a strict matter of personal taste. The soup comes frozen and you're supposed to use it within three days, but defrosting it is quite the undertaking. At first we left it in the fridge, then transferred it to a counter, and finally ended up chipping away at the ice remaining in the plastic jar so we could get all the contents into a pot to heat. It would be good to have this arrive in some sort of container that would allow you to easily move the contents to a pot so the stove top could move the melting along.
Last big problem is price. The basic order of soup without any of the "extras" (we got a mug of highly respectable small brownies with ours) is $29 for a half gallon, accurately claimed to be enough to feed four to six. That's without shipping, which can run anywhere from $12, for next day in New England, to $51 for next day west of the Mississippi. That is a shame, because it turns what might be welcomed as a regular indulgence to a periodic treat. Perhaps one day Grandma could find a store chain that could offer the product in volume and make it easier to get when a cold first hit and not, between shipping and defrosting, a day or two after it was over.
Not all is perfect. While we liked the texture of the matzo balls, they are very peppery. My wife didn't care for the burn, though I enjoyed them, so this will be a strict matter of personal taste. The soup comes frozen and you're supposed to use it within three days, but defrosting it is quite the undertaking. At first we left it in the fridge, then transferred it to a counter, and finally ended up chipping away at the ice remaining in the plastic jar so we could get all the contents into a pot to heat. It would be good to have this arrive in some sort of container that would allow you to easily move the contents to a pot so the stove top could move the melting along.
Last big problem is price. The basic order of soup without any of the "extras" (we got a mug of highly respectable small brownies with ours) is $29 for a half gallon, accurately claimed to be enough to feed four to six. That's without shipping, which can run anywhere from $12, for next day in New England, to $51 for next day west of the Mississippi. That is a shame, because it turns what might be welcomed as a regular indulgence to a periodic treat. Perhaps one day Grandma could find a store chain that could offer the product in volume and make it easier to get when a cold first hit and not, between shipping and defrosting, a day or two after it was over.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Product Review: American Masala Mortar & Pestle Set
In the latest incoming round of test products, inevitable kicking up around this time of the year, came a mortar & pestle from the American Masala collection from Suvir Saran, chef/owner of Indian restaurant Devi in Manhattan, and manufactured by Wade Ceramics in England. The name is an allusion to complex spice mixtures and is certainly another way of looking at this country's melting pot. The result is a marvelous hand tool, too often neglected in modern kitchens, that looks good and works better.
There's a pleasure in seeing spices come together with some texture and not turned into powder by an electric grinder. It's like the difference between pureeing food and using a food mill. Grinding becomes an easier task when the mortar is a broad bowl offering a wide expanse of rough ceramic area on which to grind. The pestle bottom is similarly broad, which made quick work of a combination of anise, cardamom, and cloves that then went into a pot of hot water on the wood stove. (Great way to add scent to the air.) I was sent the larger 5-cup version in a pale green named for cardamom. The pestle handle is wrapped in a decorative pattern. It has a great feel in the hands and works the spices quickly, all without any electrical power, making it green in a different sense, as well.
The surfaces washed up pretty easily, though, like any mortar and pestle, some of the spice smell will linger. But then, the same thing will happen in an electric grinder, which will be much harder to clean given the usually small grinding space.
At $50, this isn't a cheap tool, and for some reason both the 2-cup and 5-cup versions are the same prices, which seems strange to me. As it's only available at the J.K. Adams online store, there's no chance to find a better price online at the present time, and it does make it hard for me to suggest it without reservation. If budget is a problem and the physical look isn't so important, check the Internet, or an Asian food store, if there's one nearby. We've had our stone mortar and pestle for years, and for most people the larger capacity won't be necessary.
There's a pleasure in seeing spices come together with some texture and not turned into powder by an electric grinder. It's like the difference between pureeing food and using a food mill. Grinding becomes an easier task when the mortar is a broad bowl offering a wide expanse of rough ceramic area on which to grind. The pestle bottom is similarly broad, which made quick work of a combination of anise, cardamom, and cloves that then went into a pot of hot water on the wood stove. (Great way to add scent to the air.) I was sent the larger 5-cup version in a pale green named for cardamom. The pestle handle is wrapped in a decorative pattern. It has a great feel in the hands and works the spices quickly, all without any electrical power, making it green in a different sense, as well.
The surfaces washed up pretty easily, though, like any mortar and pestle, some of the spice smell will linger. But then, the same thing will happen in an electric grinder, which will be much harder to clean given the usually small grinding space.
At $50, this isn't a cheap tool, and for some reason both the 2-cup and 5-cup versions are the same prices, which seems strange to me. As it's only available at the J.K. Adams online store, there's no chance to find a better price online at the present time, and it does make it hard for me to suggest it without reservation. If budget is a problem and the physical look isn't so important, check the Internet, or an Asian food store, if there's one nearby. We've had our stone mortar and pestle for years, and for most people the larger capacity won't be necessary.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Product Review: Olive Smart Sack and Trader Joe's Insulated Tote
We've been developing the habit of bringing our own bags when out grocery shopping. So when the Olive Smart Sack came in for review a while back, we looked forward to trying it. Now, after extensive tests in the field, here are the results. The concept is having six nylon grocery bags in a stuff sack small enough to fit in a car's drink holder, reducing the amount of space in the vehicle devoted to set of bags. The bags do catch the eye, and many people in check-out lines have remarked on them. Handles are an extended part of the fabric, so you don't have to worry about a joint coming lose, rendering the bag useless. They are also light (though if bags are usually sitting in the car, that's not a big issue) and wash well. Also, you clearly don't have to limit yourself to grocery shopping.
There are a couple of drawbacks. One is minor: size. These sacks hold 20 pounds, which means they're not all that big. You probably get about the same capacity as two regularly-sized grocery bags. That's not such a problem as the price of $39. Add in shipping of $6, and you're up to $45, or $7.50 a bag, which is three to four times more than the grocery store prices I've seen for much larger (although not as compact) reusable bags. In fact, they may even be more expensive than the heavy insulated bags you can get to keep frozen and refrigerated foods cold on the trip home.
That brings us to Trader Joe's, which has its own insulated tote. Over time we've picked up a couple. Heavy and bulky, it will never tuck neatly into a small nook. However, they hold foods cold for extended periods and have a heavy zipper at the top instead of some finicky plastic snap-together gizmo. The straps are wide, making it relatively comfortable to carry and the cloth exterior adds a pleasant tactile dimension. I find that when we're shopping, I actually like to use this one. The price is on the order of $5 to $6.
There are a couple of drawbacks. One is minor: size. These sacks hold 20 pounds, which means they're not all that big. You probably get about the same capacity as two regularly-sized grocery bags. That's not such a problem as the price of $39. Add in shipping of $6, and you're up to $45, or $7.50 a bag, which is three to four times more than the grocery store prices I've seen for much larger (although not as compact) reusable bags. In fact, they may even be more expensive than the heavy insulated bags you can get to keep frozen and refrigerated foods cold on the trip home.
That brings us to Trader Joe's, which has its own insulated tote. Over time we've picked up a couple. Heavy and bulky, it will never tuck neatly into a small nook. However, they hold foods cold for extended periods and have a heavy zipper at the top instead of some finicky plastic snap-together gizmo. The straps are wide, making it relatively comfortable to carry and the cloth exterior adds a pleasant tactile dimension. I find that when we're shopping, I actually like to use this one. The price is on the order of $5 to $6.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Review: Cuisipro Measuring Spoons
We got a couple of sets of measuring spoons in from Cuisipro to test, and they've already supplanted others in our kitchen as the working favorites. That's for three reasons, listed in ascending order of importance:
- They look cool, with a modern design sensibility.
- They are made of heavy-gauge stainless and are sturdy.
- The shape is not only aesthetically pleasing, but a case of smart engineering. Curves taper down toward the bottom, which means that when you pack something in, the contents release easily.
My wife checked against other measuring spoons we have to see if the actual measurements were accurate, and they were. (That may seem silly, but I've heard of measuring sets named after at least one TV celebrity chef that were off.)
There are two sets. One is a traditional collection of fractional teaspoons, teaspoon, and tablespoon, and that's the one I reach for. The other includes 'pinch', 1/8 tsp, 2/3 tsp, 1 1/2 tsp, and 2 tsp. I yawned at the latter, but my wife explained that I am, indeed, a dope (we both knew this) and that she uses such odd sizes all the time. So listen to her and buy both sets. Now I'll have to pick up one of the nested sets of measuring cups.
Labels: gadget, measurements, product, reviews
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Review: Ghirardelli Gourmet Baking Chocolate Line
There was some excitement in our household when the samples of Ghirardelli's new baking chocolates arrived. Baking and chocolate: two of our favorite subjects. Unfortunately, the products themselves are never going to be top shelf in our pantry. Shipped in 10-ounce bags ($3.99 to $4.99), the chocolate came in the form of chips. Tasting the samples, because that's the real test, resulted in disappointment. The texture was waxy, and no surprise. The ingredient list included unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, milk fat and soy lecithin (though real vanilla where that flavoring was used, to their credit). Milk fat simply isn't an ingredient in dark chocolate.
At the high end of this line, the price is about $8 a pound at the suggested retail price. That seems far too low for top chocolate. If I were to pick up three kilos (6.6 pounds) of a good Valrhona couverature from Sparrow Enterprises, for example, I might be paying about $11.60, and Sparrow is one of the least expensive sources I know for good chocolate, as it's a wholesaler that will also ship to consumers. The tastes are also incomparable, probably because chocolate quality depends completely on the quality and the roasting of the beans. Having a chocolate announce 60 percent cocoa solids doesn't matter if it uses inferior beans.
If you're looking for really good chocolate for baking, go buy some Valrhona or Callebaut or El Rey. It's easy enough to break up and chop the chocolate with a kitchen knife if having small pieces for melting is important to you, and the results will be better.
At the high end of this line, the price is about $8 a pound at the suggested retail price. That seems far too low for top chocolate. If I were to pick up three kilos (6.6 pounds) of a good Valrhona couverature from Sparrow Enterprises, for example, I might be paying about $11.60, and Sparrow is one of the least expensive sources I know for good chocolate, as it's a wholesaler that will also ship to consumers. The tastes are also incomparable, probably because chocolate quality depends completely on the quality and the roasting of the beans. Having a chocolate announce 60 percent cocoa solids doesn't matter if it uses inferior beans.
If you're looking for really good chocolate for baking, go buy some Valrhona or Callebaut or El Rey. It's easy enough to break up and chop the chocolate with a kitchen knife if having small pieces for melting is important to you, and the results will be better.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Review: Beck's Oktoberfest Beer
I'm not sure that I've ever had Beck's Oktoberfest variety before, although I believe that it has come out every year at around this time to tie in to Germany's festival (and excuse for rampant beer-drinking) of the same name. No matter - it has a complex taste, a little bitter at the end but pleasingly so (even if you're not a big fan of hops), and a hint of caramel with good body. This is a dark beer that isn't overly heavy or aggressive, and worth picking up. I know for a fact that it goes well with meatloaf, and would probably find a good setting with heavy comfort food, the taste being strong enough to work its way through, but enough lightness in the execution to avoid being overbearing.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Review: Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale by Black Sheep Bottled Beers
I was a bit surprised and tickled when a family friend brought over a couple of bottles of Monty Python's Holy Grail ale. The g and r are crossed out on the label, so you have Holy Ail as a result. Apparently the beer "was commissioned to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Pythons." If you're a Wickan, you may not appreciate the "tempered over burning witches" line at the bottom. Actually, I wasn't too crazy about it, but did like the rest of the label. The brew is a bit on the bitter side, but well rounded and enjoyable. I hear it's good with spam, spam, spam, eggs, and spam.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Review: 2005 Vale do Bomfim Reserva Douro DOC by Dow
When a sample bottle of 2005 Vale do Bomfim Reserva Douro DOC, a Portuguese wine from Dow, came in, we decided to bring it along with us to some friends and test it there. Don't make the mistake we did of immediately pouring it into a glass and drinking, because the result was unpleasantly astringent. But given a few minutes to breathe, it's a dry, rich, pleasant red with lots of fruit (no more details there - I'm not an olafactory greengrocer). We had it with grilled food and the wine held up well. A bottle will run about $12.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Review: Barefoot Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
A brief review of great value wines: Barefoot Cellar's merlot and cabernet are worth getting. Don't let the oversized bottle and low price per volume ($13 in my area) fool you. These wines have great character and balance, and are pleasant even a few days after you opened one and popped the cork back in. I came across them by accident in a liquor store and, cheap person that I am, decided to give the merlot a shot. Because they are so drinkable, they become fabulous wines for cooking, as you get quality without feeling that you must carefully meter when you deglaze a pan or add some to a sauce. I haven't had any of their other wines (there's a good number), but given my experience so far, I'd try them with some degree of confidence.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Product Review: New Amsterdam Gin
A bottle of New Amsterdam gin arrived from the company's PR firm for testing, claiming that it had "a taste so smooth you can drink it straight." So I tried it that way ... and have to agree. This gin is perhaps the most gentle on the palate of any that I've tried. The taste is not so explosively floral as Bombay Sapphire, but it's agreeable and balanced and would lend itself well to mixed drinks. It's certainly proven its worth in gin and tonics, one of my occasional pleasures during the summer months. A fifth runs about $14, with various other sizes available, and although I would never recommend a beverage based on the bottle design — and consider the industry's stressing of container aesthetics to be bordering on silly — this one is attractive, if that matters to you.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Product Review: Arico Natural Foods Cassava Chips and Cookies
Arico Natural Foods sent an assortment of product for the crew (my wife, me, and whatever particular set of kids marching through the house at any give time) to test. The company apparently focuses on gluten- and casein-free snacks. They present the cassava chips as a lower-fat and higher-fiber alternative to potato chips. (Stressing gluten-free when potatoes don't have gluten doesn't get you far.) The chips, made out of the starchy roots of a South American plant, were pretty good. The taste was a bit different from potato chips in a way that I find difficult to describe - lighter, maybe - but was nevertheless pleasant. Everyone else seemed to like the chips as well.
On the cookie front, we were far more divided. The kids loved the chocolate chunk and triple berry, my wife liked them, and I found them on the dry and mealy side, though if you can't tolerate gluten, they are good to know about. However, they are far from cheap, at least if you are buying online. You buy by the case of six family packs, and each pack, in a reclosable pouch, weighs 4.8 ounces; the price is $29.94, and then you pay $5.95 on top of that for shipping. Even without the shipping, it's $16.63 per pound of cookie. Similarly, the chips are a case of one dozen 5 ounce bags for $41.88. Ouch. So I'd suggest holding off on trying the products unless you can find them in a store, and even then you might find them an over-priced novelty, unless you have to avoid casein and gluten, in which case you probably have limited choices.
On the cookie front, we were far more divided. The kids loved the chocolate chunk and triple berry, my wife liked them, and I found them on the dry and mealy side, though if you can't tolerate gluten, they are good to know about. However, they are far from cheap, at least if you are buying online. You buy by the case of six family packs, and each pack, in a reclosable pouch, weighs 4.8 ounces; the price is $29.94, and then you pay $5.95 on top of that for shipping. Even without the shipping, it's $16.63 per pound of cookie. Similarly, the chips are a case of one dozen 5 ounce bags for $41.88. Ouch. So I'd suggest holding off on trying the products unless you can find them in a store, and even then you might find them an over-priced novelty, unless you have to avoid casein and gluten, in which case you probably have limited choices.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Product Review: Honest Tea Jasmine Green Energy Tea and Citrus Green Energy Tea
Honest Tea's PR firm sent on some samples of their two latest flavors - which, given my reaction to the Honest Kids Drinks, took either a thick skin or an observation that at least some companies don't read what I write. But, hey, anyone can have an off day, and I have liked the Honest Tea bottled drinks for years, so it seemed wroth the shot. Reactions here were mixed. My wife drank some and pronounced them "good." (That's not an easy judgment to get from her, either.) I tried them and, while finding them just a little bit astringent for my taste, I still thought they were good overall, and wouldn't shy from them if I couldn't get my hands on, say, a Peach Oo-la-long. The kids, however, had a far different reaction best summed up by what my teenage daughter said after bringing some to school and letter her peers try them: "Smells like gingerbread, tastes like yuck." So, give one a taste, but you might find that this is the definition of the great generational divide. By the way, the "energy" part doesn't mean that they're packed with sugar and caffeine; it refers to a carbon-neutral approach to manufacturing - a topic that, in itself, causes me to gnash my teeth, because it's trying to appeal to ecological concerns by saying, "We made sure that other people weren't contributing to global climate change." Ah, well.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Product Review: DeLonghi EC155 Espresso/Cappuccino Maker
Here's another entry in my quest for the perfect - well, at least better - espresso experience. DeLonghi sent one of its EC155 espresso makers, with steam wand, for me to test. Overall, not bad - some inconveniences, but a pretty good option, at least for the beginner or person who doesn't want a lot of fuss. The machine is pump driven with 15 bar of pressure, which probably gets cut down to 9 bar when the water hits the grounds.
The one-liter water tank is not the largest I've seen, and the "easy to clean" claim only makes sense if you don't have large hands as I do, because the opening is wide but narrow. Thank heaven for cleaning brushes. But the tank does go on and off pretty easily. There is also storage next to the top of the tank for a portafilter coffee holder, which is important because the machine comes with two: one for two shots of espresso, and one for one. This way you can keep out one of the way when using the other.
The coffee holders seem to be of type that are intended to make crema - or the flavorful foam on top of the shots - more easily. Experts generally frown upon these, because they actually can damage the natural development and taste in the quest for something that looks good. I can attest that some fabulous beans that I picked up from Amherst Coffee - maybe the best espresso bar I've come across - just don't come out as well as I know is possible. However, comparing one of these lower-end machines to pro equipment is unfair. A complete espresso head may be disappointed, but if you don't find yourself fussy to a point that others consider a bit nutty, you should be fine.
The steam wand has one of those attachments that's supposed to make getting the right foam easy. I was actually surprised that it worked decently. The foam isn't as fine as I could get with a regular nozzle, but without a doubt it is decent, and if you haven't put in the practice time doing one batch of milk after another over weeks and months, you'll get acceptable results immediately. The one thing I didn't like about it is that the wand only swings from side to side and not up and down, which means you can run into difficulty trying to get the milk pitcher or a cup under the wand and even tougher getting it back again. At an online "street" price of about $100, you could do a whole lot worse while spending significantly more.
The one-liter water tank is not the largest I've seen, and the "easy to clean" claim only makes sense if you don't have large hands as I do, because the opening is wide but narrow. Thank heaven for cleaning brushes. But the tank does go on and off pretty easily. There is also storage next to the top of the tank for a portafilter coffee holder, which is important because the machine comes with two: one for two shots of espresso, and one for one. This way you can keep out one of the way when using the other.
The coffee holders seem to be of type that are intended to make crema - or the flavorful foam on top of the shots - more easily. Experts generally frown upon these, because they actually can damage the natural development and taste in the quest for something that looks good. I can attest that some fabulous beans that I picked up from Amherst Coffee - maybe the best espresso bar I've come across - just don't come out as well as I know is possible. However, comparing one of these lower-end machines to pro equipment is unfair. A complete espresso head may be disappointed, but if you don't find yourself fussy to a point that others consider a bit nutty, you should be fine.
The steam wand has one of those attachments that's supposed to make getting the right foam easy. I was actually surprised that it worked decently. The foam isn't as fine as I could get with a regular nozzle, but without a doubt it is decent, and if you haven't put in the practice time doing one batch of milk after another over weeks and months, you'll get acceptable results immediately. The one thing I didn't like about it is that the wand only swings from side to side and not up and down, which means you can run into difficulty trying to get the milk pitcher or a cup under the wand and even tougher getting it back again. At an online "street" price of about $100, you could do a whole lot worse while spending significantly more.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Product Review: Stonyfield Farm Organic Greek-Style Yogurt
Organic yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm has come up with a Greek-style that they've branded Oikos. This is probably in reaction to those great imported Greek yogurts you can now find in grocery stores that tend to be creamier than U.S. styles because they strain the liquid (whey) that results from the yogurt-making process of heating milk, adding starter bacteria, and letting things congeal. (The single servings, like those of Fage, tend to have little containers of honey attached - a great way to eat yogurt.) The Stonyfield entry is alright, but I found less tang and flavor depth than with the imported goods. The body also seemed looser and less creamy. That may be because the Stonyfield products have 0 percent fat. I looked at the appropriate Fage page and found that they have different versions: 0 percent, 2 percent, a 5 percent that has "half the fat" of the regular version, and, therefore, a 10 percent. Whoa! I'm not saying that the Oikos was bad - it wasn't at all, and if you want real organic dairy products, Stonyfield's is the only variant I know of. Otherwise, if you're going to look for a Greek yogurt, might as well have Greek yogurt.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Product Review: Old Engine Oil Black Ale
Yes, the alcohol has been flowing freely into the Pan this week, though Old Engine Oil from Harviestoun Brewery wasn't a submission by a PR firm. No, I obtained my sample the old fashioned way: I bought it as a pub while waiting for the kids to get out of dance class. And a choice decision it was, prompted by the bartender, who recommended it after picking up a couple of cases for his own upcoming wedding.
The Alva, Scotland brewery has a way with fermented drinks, if this one is an example. On the ale's label are the words viscous, chocolaty, and roasty. I'm not sure about viscous, as it didn't glop out of the bottle, but chocolaty and roasty are two perfectly good terms. You can add a finessed balance between barley and hops (whole flowers only and not concentrates), and the resulting sweetness and bitterness. The head is thin, which is fine because you're not drinking soda. If you're interested in some of the technical aspects of the ale's composition, check here. My suggestion is to forget the technicalities and get hold of a bottle. Harviestoun suggests this as an after-dinner ale, but I found it going down pleasantly with a grilled curried chicken sandwich.
The Alva, Scotland brewery has a way with fermented drinks, if this one is an example. On the ale's label are the words viscous, chocolaty, and roasty. I'm not sure about viscous, as it didn't glop out of the bottle, but chocolaty and roasty are two perfectly good terms. You can add a finessed balance between barley and hops (whole flowers only and not concentrates), and the resulting sweetness and bitterness. The head is thin, which is fine because you're not drinking soda. If you're interested in some of the technical aspects of the ale's composition, check here. My suggestion is to forget the technicalities and get hold of a bottle. Harviestoun suggests this as an after-dinner ale, but I found it going down pleasantly with a grilled curried chicken sandwich.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Product Review: Krups XP4030 Pump Manual Espresso Maker
I've recently been trying some new espresso equipment. One brewer has been the Krups XP4030 (street price about $150). It is a pump-driven semi-automatic system (as explained by CoffeeGeek.com) with a thermoblock to heat the water. This is definitely a low-end machine, and priced as such. No problem necessarily with that, as my favorite machine is the Starbucks barista (made for them by Estro). But there is a big drawback with thermoblock systems that experts note: difficulty in keeping a steady temperature level. Get the temperature wrong, and you get worse espresso.
The machine boasts 15 bar (otherwise known as 15 atmospheres) pressure, but most machines generally dissipate pressure until it is at 9 bar. Too much pressure and you could end up unable to let the water mingle with the grounds long enough to extract all the flavor. I found that espresso shots poured too fast for my taste, even as I tried more finely grinding the beans and tamping the grinds down more firmly. Plus, the espresso portafilters (the baskets that hold the grinds) have a single hole in the bottom, meant to "improve" the crema, I think, and tend to clog badly.
When it came to steaming milk, I found the machine completely unsatisfying. The attachment to make frothing "easier" was overly aggressive and wasn't capable of producing the fine foam that is a mark of properly steamed milk. I tried unscrewing the bottom part of the steam wand, but I couldn't do any steaming that way.
Overall, I'd say pass on this machine.
The machine boasts 15 bar (otherwise known as 15 atmospheres) pressure, but most machines generally dissipate pressure until it is at 9 bar. Too much pressure and you could end up unable to let the water mingle with the grounds long enough to extract all the flavor. I found that espresso shots poured too fast for my taste, even as I tried more finely grinding the beans and tamping the grinds down more firmly. Plus, the espresso portafilters (the baskets that hold the grinds) have a single hole in the bottom, meant to "improve" the crema, I think, and tend to clog badly.
When it came to steaming milk, I found the machine completely unsatisfying. The attachment to make frothing "easier" was overly aggressive and wasn't capable of producing the fine foam that is a mark of properly steamed milk. I tried unscrewing the bottom part of the steam wand, but I couldn't do any steaming that way.
Overall, I'd say pass on this machine.
Labels: appliance, coffee, espresso, opinion, product, review
Monday, May 26, 2008
Product Review: Blandy's Alvada Madeira
If you think of madeira as the cheap sweet wine you pour into the pan after searing some chicken for the eponymous Italian-American dish, think again. Madeira is a "cheap" wine the way that burgundy or chardonay is when you pick up a mass-market bottle. As I'm learning, there is a wide variety, and vintage versions to be had. (Check this Wikipedia entry for some interesting information on the production methods.) Blandy's sent me a bottle of five-year-old alvada madeira to test, and it was quite pleasant and a hit with both me and my wife. According to the site MadeiraWineGuide.com, reserve madeira starts at the five year mark, with the youngest wine being at least five years old. There are four varietals of madeira, and this one is a blend of two. The taste is complex, with an acetic sourness actually emphasizing the wine's sweetness and finishing with a slight bitterness that is not unpleasant, but makes you wonder what the hell just happened. If you want a different aperatif, or need something to serve with a dessert, consider giving a shot.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Product Review: Trader Joe's Organic Midnight Moo
I must confess to some frustration since my wife has started a one household campaign against high fructose corn syrup. She's read some pretty hard health criticism of the substance and so has decided to eliminate what she sees as one potential threat to our family members - and put that way, I can hardly disagree. However, it is amazing how many products have HFCS (the acronym she has started to use). As we started to scrub our incoming goods, I realized that Hershey's chocolate syrup was also now on the forbidden list. This was tough, because I use it both in making iced mochas as well as for egg creams. (Yes, I know about U-Bet, but this is generally easier to get.) And then she rescued my sweet tooth by finding Trader Joe's Organic Midnight Moo.
Not only does it lack HFCS, and not only does it have organic ingredients, but it has great taste. I'm finding that both mochas and egg creams are much better than with Hershey's, and, I'm starting to think, even better than with U-Bet. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but then, so is a liver transplant. I can happily recommend what I thought was going to substitute but instead supplanted my former choice.
Not only does it lack HFCS, and not only does it have organic ingredients, but it has great taste. I'm finding that both mochas and egg creams are much better than with Hershey's, and, I'm starting to think, even better than with U-Bet. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but then, so is a liver transplant. I can happily recommend what I thought was going to substitute but instead supplanted my former choice.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Product Review: D'Artagnan Hot Dogs
It seems almost unfair to call these products from D'Artagnan by the name "hot dogs." But, hey, that's the title they use, and who am I to disagree? Unlike the usual variety, meaning maybe all beef or some mix of beef and pork and the question of kosher or not, D'Artagnan has a number of uncured choices: beef, pork, buffalo, or duck. That's right, buffalo and duck.
I've never come across a selection broken out quite this way, but the results are good. The "franks" are uncured, so there are no nitrates or nitrites - and also no fillers, additives, hormones, or antibiotics. They taste far milder than kosher dogs, which have always been my gold standard, but don't let that deter you. Everyone liked them here and were happy that they weren't too spicy. (That might be a plus if you find yourself with a case of heartburn after a session at the outdoor grill.)
The hot dogs are a lot bigger than the usual variety - 3 ounces - and the retail price runs from about $6 to $7 a package, so you might want to keep them for the adults. Also consider how else you might use them; if they can move beyond the concept of a hot dog, you can move beyond the usual concept of serving. Just the other day we split a couple of the duck dogs down the center and heated them (they all come fully cooked) in a cast iron pan, serving them with scrambled eggs and crusty rolls as breakfast.
I've never come across a selection broken out quite this way, but the results are good. The "franks" are uncured, so there are no nitrates or nitrites - and also no fillers, additives, hormones, or antibiotics. They taste far milder than kosher dogs, which have always been my gold standard, but don't let that deter you. Everyone liked them here and were happy that they weren't too spicy. (That might be a plus if you find yourself with a case of heartburn after a session at the outdoor grill.)
The hot dogs are a lot bigger than the usual variety - 3 ounces - and the retail price runs from about $6 to $7 a package, so you might want to keep them for the adults. Also consider how else you might use them; if they can move beyond the concept of a hot dog, you can move beyond the usual concept of serving. Just the other day we split a couple of the duck dogs down the center and heated them (they all come fully cooked) in a cast iron pan, serving them with scrambled eggs and crusty rolls as breakfast.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Product Review: Kohinoor Foods
Some samples of Kohinoor Foods products came in for review. If, as many of us are, you find yourself temporarily reduced to prepared food, getting something off the beaten track is good. I'm personally fond of Indian food, and found my reaction mixed to the Kohinoor products. For example, the taste of the aloo palak - a sort of creamed spinach and potato combination - was decent. Unfortunately, the spinach texture was that of a puree. I've had this dish many times, and having some body to the spinach is important. The other dish - peshawari dal makhani - was a black lentil and red kidney bean mix which was pleasant.
The foods come in so-called shelf-stable packages, so no refrigeration. You can drop the foil packets into boiling water, or empty the contents into a dish and microwave them. Kohinoor products are widely available, at least here in the northeast, and while it wouldn't satisfy my craving for really good Indian food, they aren't bad to have on the shelf for an emergency, like when it's lunch time and one of the kids snarfed the left-over Chinese food from the previous night. And there are no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or MSG.
The foods come in so-called shelf-stable packages, so no refrigeration. You can drop the foil packets into boiling water, or empty the contents into a dish and microwave them. Kohinoor products are widely available, at least here in the northeast, and while it wouldn't satisfy my craving for really good Indian food, they aren't bad to have on the shelf for an emergency, like when it's lunch time and one of the kids snarfed the left-over Chinese food from the previous night. And there are no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or MSG.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Product Review: TeaSpot Steepware Cup and Earl Grey Tea
TeaSpot's Steepware cup is a nicely designed product, and if you have a taste for non-bagged tea, it's something you should consider. I tested the 8 ounce model ($15.95) in a flashy red. Without a handle, it looks like a perky oversized Japanese tea cup. But this ceramic vessel comes with an equally ceramic strainer insert and a top. Slide the strainer into the cup, drop in a teaspoon of loose tea, add the hot water, and put the top into place. A few minutes later, when the tea has brewed properly, you remove the lid, invert and set it onto a flat service, then pull out the insert and place it on the top. It looks good, works well, and is just plain smart. Personally, I prefer a handle (although warming - not burning - your hands on a day far crisper than should be allowed in spring is pleasant). There is a 16-ounce mug with handle ($20.95) if you prefer more volume and cooler way to hold it.
The company also sent a tin of Earl Grey - great balance, and I was surprised to see a thread or two of some blue bonotanical that I haven't seen before in this style looseleaf. Fragrant and very pleasant to sip, in case you need something with which to test your new cup.
The company also sent a tin of Earl Grey - great balance, and I was surprised to see a thread or two of some blue bonotanical that I haven't seen before in this style looseleaf. Fragrant and very pleasant to sip, in case you need something with which to test your new cup.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Product Review: Mom's Best Naturals Cereals
The PR people for Mom's Best Naturals cereals sent over a sampling of different products, including instant oatmeal and Cheerio-like Toasty O's. It's an easy review - everyone here likes the products a lot. Good flavor unassailed by artificial preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, hydrogenated oil, or high fructose corn syrup. (My wife is on a crusade against the latter, and I can't say as I blame her.) It's nice to see a "natural" product that appears to be what it claims without tasting like a righteous cardboard box.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Product Review: Grill Charms
Grill Charms are stainless steel markers that you can press into meat that's sitting on your grill. The idea is "to distinguish spices and flavors, steak temperature, or avoid health or allergy issues." You press one of the charms into a burger or piece of chicken and know that it's different - special. But there are a few problems. One is that if because you need to put both sides of the meat (or vegetable - let me not dismiss the greener fare) onto the grill, you really cannot put the charm into place until after you've cooked one side. However, I find that something cooked rare medium will flip sooner than a well-done item. So you have to remember to put the charms in on that first flip, so that the side that's already done will have the charm, which you want face up.
Next, there are different collections. Depending on the collection you get, you might find it harder or easier to use. For example, in the charmed life collection, the charms bore marks of a crown, martini glass, dollar sign, clover, sail boat, and a palm tree on the beach. Pray tell, how do you remember which you assign to a given meaning? Checking the web site, the spiciness was a little clearer, with an X over a pepper for mild, a single pepper for regular, and multiple peppers for spicy. Clearest of all are those in the steak collection: R (rare), MR (medium-rare), M (medium), and so on. But what happens if I have a small party at which three people like medium-rare, two like rare, and one holds out for well? I don't get multiple doneness charms, so do I have to buy multiple sets at $19.95 for six or $4 for a single one? That seems like a lot of money for such a small piece of stainless.
I suspect the best thing is to divide the grill surface into a few sections. Put all the rare in one, all the spicy in a second, the salt-free in a third, and invest the money into some good beer to tide you through the chef experience.
Next, there are different collections. Depending on the collection you get, you might find it harder or easier to use. For example, in the charmed life collection, the charms bore marks of a crown, martini glass, dollar sign, clover, sail boat, and a palm tree on the beach. Pray tell, how do you remember which you assign to a given meaning? Checking the web site, the spiciness was a little clearer, with an X over a pepper for mild, a single pepper for regular, and multiple peppers for spicy. Clearest of all are those in the steak collection: R (rare), MR (medium-rare), M (medium), and so on. But what happens if I have a small party at which three people like medium-rare, two like rare, and one holds out for well? I don't get multiple doneness charms, so do I have to buy multiple sets at $19.95 for six or $4 for a single one? That seems like a lot of money for such a small piece of stainless.
I suspect the best thing is to divide the grill surface into a few sections. Put all the rare in one, all the spicy in a second, the salt-free in a third, and invest the money into some good beer to tide you through the chef experience.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Product Review: Krups GVX1/GVX2 Burr Milling System
Calling the Krups GVX2 (the all-black model is the GVX1) a "burr milling system" seems pretentious, so let's use a more realistic name: burr coffee grinder. For the most part, it does what it is supposed to, which is definitely good, although there are a few quirks that I didn't completely care for.
What generally makes a burr grinder superior to a blade system, at least for coffee, is the ability to set the texture of the grind with an adjustment mechanism, and not by trying to guess what amount of whirring corresponds to what you need. And there was an adjustment knob on the side of the GVX2. However, I found that it didn't set finely enough for espresso; the coffee brewed a few seconds too quickly for my taste even when I had the grinder at the finest setting. I was also ambivalent about setting the number of coffee measures you want and then pressing a button, which is really setting a timer to get the "right" amount of coffee. That worked roughly the same as the old Capresso model I used that finally gave up the ghost after years of service. But if you found yourself a bit short, there was no obvious way of getting just a little bit more. (Actually, I found that pushing the start button a second time would turn off the grinder, which had the same end effect.)
The hopper didn't have room for a lot of beans at a time, though enough for a double espresso or a few cups of coffee. Given how much room the two measures of espresso took up in the receptacle (it did keep the grounds contained nicely), I wouldn't have tried for 12 measures all at once, as I would have been concerned about it backing up into the machine.
I also found that at times the coffee would stop moving through the grinder, which was still on, and I'd have to give it a shake to get things moving again. Overall, it's a fair grinder, though not a great one. However, the list price of $59.99 makes it a reasonable entry-level machine choice.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Review: Noble Juice
Noble Juice shipped a selection of their products for testing. It arrived the other day and already we've gone through all but one of the bottles. The juices were uniformly good, some advertised as "natural" (as opposed to unnatural juice?) and others as organic. I thought the tangerine guava mango combination was particularly good and interesting: sweet with a faint hint of contrasting bitterness that only heightened the taste. The blood orange was also a treat, again with that complexity of taste. But then, I liked the orange tangerine as well.
An added benefit is that the company is shifting to a biodegradable bottle made out of corn. The products are also available through a wide number of grocery chains, so finding it shouldn't be too hard. It only gets tough when the juice gets home and is suddenly unprotected from the familial hordes.
An added benefit is that the company is shifting to a biodegradable bottle made out of corn. The products are also available through a wide number of grocery chains, so finding it shouldn't be too hard. It only gets tough when the juice gets home and is suddenly unprotected from the familial hordes.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Review: DeLonghi DCG39 Blade Grinder
Although the DeLonghi DCG39 doesn't do well everything it seems to advertise, it has enough features and smart design to make it worth having if you need to grind things, like coffee beans or spices. The overall look is clean and visually appealing, with a great feature of an electrical cord that hand reels back into the body when you are done; the knob is hidden out of side underneath the unit.
You turn a knob on the front to set how much coffee you want and then hold down a button and watch LEDs light to tell you whether the coffee is coarse, medium, or fine. Because there is no hopper that feeds beans into the grinder, to be dispensed below, setting the volume is critical because it will affect for how long the grinding occurs. That makes operation a tad clumsy, but then, using older fashioned grinders, like my probably 20 year old Krups model, requires you to keep an eye on the results and to check from time to time to be sure the texture is right. So you have to do the same basic thing here.
The front knob lets you pick anywhere from 4 to 12 cups of coffee. That works well with my regular (not espresso) coffee maker, because it makes a minimum of four cups. But if you want to make a single or double cup, you really have to keep a close eye.
As far as the "fineness" lights that go on, it was a bit confusing at first. It turns out that you hold the button and wait for the lights to come on in succession. If you're looking for a medium grind (for drip coffee makers), you wait until that comes on, but the coarse (percolators or coffee presses) will also be lit. Although there is a fine grind for espresso, if you're serious about that drink, you simply don't have the control in adjustment to get a consistent pour, which you absolutely need. However, in an emergency it could do, and I suspect it would be fine if you wanted to experiment with Turkish style, in which you boil the grounds with water and some spices (cinnamon and cardamom, I believe).
The street price seems to be about $30, which seems fair for what you get. Overall, if you don't need to make espresso on a regular basis, this is a decent grinder choice.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Product Review: Arrogant Bastard Ale by The Stone Brewing Co.
Even if this brew didn't possess a complex flavor, with an aggressive helping of hops providing a nicely bitter after taste and an equally aggressive 7.2 percent of alcohol and brewed in the company's own facilities, and not jobbed out, Arrogant Bastard Ale would be worth buying for the attitude. On the front is the statement, "You're Not Worthy." On the back:
This is an aggressive beer. You probably won't like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory -- maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it's made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beer will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make a beer taste better. Perhaps you're mouthing your words as you read this.And it tastes great with a partly dried-out piece of chocolate cake obtained from the same food coop that had the ale.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Review: Bass Brolly
Oh, I hang my head in shame for I am not worthy. The black and tan is a marvelous drink but tricky to pour, as you making a layered drink, with a base of ale supporting a cap of stout (traditionally Bass and Guiness, respectively). People try doing this with a pint glass and a bar spoon, pouring the stout over the back of the spoon, but generally the result looks like a glass of caramel-colored liquid.
Bass came out with something they call a brolly - English slang for an umbrella - that supposedly helps make the drink. They sent one over, along with a glass and bottle of ale, but the devices are still available for free through the end of the month, unless you live in California, in which case you have to pay a buck. Don't ask me why; I can't figure out anything about that state.
First clue I should have had that something was going to go wrong was what appeared to be two conflicting sets of instructions. In one, you tip the pint glass (the three-cornered Bass one is nice) on a 45 degree angle and pour the ale down the side. In the other, you pour down the center of the glass, creating a good foam, whatever amount that indicates. The two different instructions agreed that you get the glass two-thirds full, and then set the brolly atop the glass and slowly pour the stout through it so the dark liquid floats atop the amber.
But I let down the English and Irish parts of my muddled ethnic background when I couldn't get the damned stout to float. (I suppose that the Scottish part of me sat back, amused.) So much for the device making this easy, though in the press release, the Bass Pale Ale brand manager said that the device makes the black and tan "less challenging." Oh, good. Otherwise, I might have ended up with a monochromatic glass of liquid even faster than I actually did. Ah, well. When at first you don't succeed, have the barkeep pour another. I'll clearly have to continue practicing.
Bass came out with something they call a brolly - English slang for an umbrella - that supposedly helps make the drink. They sent one over, along with a glass and bottle of ale, but the devices are still available for free through the end of the month, unless you live in California, in which case you have to pay a buck. Don't ask me why; I can't figure out anything about that state.
First clue I should have had that something was going to go wrong was what appeared to be two conflicting sets of instructions. In one, you tip the pint glass (the three-cornered Bass one is nice) on a 45 degree angle and pour the ale down the side. In the other, you pour down the center of the glass, creating a good foam, whatever amount that indicates. The two different instructions agreed that you get the glass two-thirds full, and then set the brolly atop the glass and slowly pour the stout through it so the dark liquid floats atop the amber.
But I let down the English and Irish parts of my muddled ethnic background when I couldn't get the damned stout to float. (I suppose that the Scottish part of me sat back, amused.) So much for the device making this easy, though in the press release, the Bass Pale Ale brand manager said that the device makes the black and tan "less challenging." Oh, good. Otherwise, I might have ended up with a monochromatic glass of liquid even faster than I actually did. Ah, well. When at first you don't succeed, have the barkeep pour another. I'll clearly have to continue practicing.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Product Review: Hershey's Bliss
Sometimes a name says nothing. In the case of Hershey's Bliss, I tried the dark, milk, and milk with "meltaway" center. Disclosure up front: milk chocolate is, in general, an abomination. Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the PR claim:
Hershey's Bliss Chocolate is specially crafted to ensure that every detail contributes to the overall chocolate experience. The slight domed shape of the individual square fits the mouth perfectly allowing the chocolate to melt evenly cascading rich, creamy chocolate notes across the tongue. The finish is satisfying and sophisticated, a lasting reward.For the effective translation, yes, they are small pieces and, yes, they are square with a rounded top. But the chocolate is pretty boring - not bad enough to deserve blistering, but falling far short of bliss. The dark didn't have the bite and depth you might expect for a fine chocolate, and even the milk was dull. Even though the company is "targeting female chocolate lovers," I doubt that a sudden gender change by human hand or divine intervention would change my impression. Although they're holding some promotion that involves a claimed 10,000 home chocolate parties the weekend of April 25, I'd suggest staying in your own home with a good bar of chocolate, instead. You could even cut it up into smaller pieces.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Product Review: Sargento Artisan Cheese Blends
Sargento - makers of packaged cheese products - have been selling a set of products they call Artisan Cheese Blends. What they claim is that they are selling cheese blends "with artisan cheese from selected artisan farms", including the following variations: Double Cheddar, Mozzarella & Provolone, Parmesan, Whole Milk Mozzarella, Parmesan & Romano, and Swiss.
Read a bit further in the web site and materials, and you notice the major point: "Artisan cheeses with our specialty shredded cheeses." That makes sense, because there is no way that artisan farms could possibly create enough cheese volume to satisfy the mass market needs of Sargento. I tried a number of varieties (actually, one of each) that the company's PR firm sent my way, and they're not bad on a relative scale. The blends tended to be a little sharper, with a touch more flavor, than typical bagged shredded cheese. If I was looking for a quick and convenient cheese hit, these products might be fine. However, if you want real artisan cheese flavor, go buy real artisan cheese and use it in enough volume to make a significant difference. And, at $1.99 to $4.99 for bags holding three, five, eight, or ten ounces of cheese - or per pound prices starting at $8 and hitting $10.61 - that chunk of artisan cheese stops seeming so incredibly expensive.
Read a bit further in the web site and materials, and you notice the major point: "Artisan cheeses with our specialty shredded cheeses." That makes sense, because there is no way that artisan farms could possibly create enough cheese volume to satisfy the mass market needs of Sargento. I tried a number of varieties (actually, one of each) that the company's PR firm sent my way, and they're not bad on a relative scale. The blends tended to be a little sharper, with a touch more flavor, than typical bagged shredded cheese. If I was looking for a quick and convenient cheese hit, these products might be fine. However, if you want real artisan cheese flavor, go buy real artisan cheese and use it in enough volume to make a significant difference. And, at $1.99 to $4.99 for bags holding three, five, eight, or ten ounces of cheese - or per pound prices starting at $8 and hitting $10.61 - that chunk of artisan cheese stops seeming so incredibly expensive.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Review: The Fillo Factory and Aunt Trudy's - Various Products
It took a while to work through the phyllo-based products of the Fillo Factor and Aunt Trudy's (both from the same company). You spell fillo, I spell phyllo, it doesn't matter when, for the most part, the products are great. The underlying product is the dough. Typically people buy phyllo frozen because, from what I understand, it's a bigger pain in the pantry to make from scratch than even strudel dough. In everything we tried, the phyllo was perfect - crisp, never overly greasy from the fat that gets spread between layers when you actually bake with it. In sheet form, there is the regular kind as well as organic. Some types listed on the site that I didn't have to test were organic whole wheat or organic spelt. You can also buy pre-made 1.5-inch diameter organic round shells for either savory or sweet treats. This is a great tool for your next entertainment extravaganza.
The pocket sandwiches - broccoli and cheese, cheese and tomato pizza, spinach and cheese, organic eggplant and roasted peppers, organic Asian vegetable - were great. The teens liked them as well. Microwave according to the directions, and they come out surprisingly crisp. Appetizers were, sadly, more hit and miss. Spinach and feta were good. The potato and roasted garlic would have been good just as that, but there was an overly aggressive rosemary presence, which no one here found pleasing. The roast vegetable one filling cubed a bit too fine for my taste. Now, I know these are small, and that you couldn't use larger cubes, but maybe more roughly chopped, or even mashed. I found the texture a bit off-putting - not bad, just strange. The spanakopita was fine.
On to dessert. My wife, who loves baklava, loved the walnut variety that we got. I tried it as well and agreed that it was fabulous.
So, all in all, if your taste is like mine and you stay away from the potato and roasted garlic appetizers, at worst you'll find something acceptable, and at best you'll be impressed. Later on I'll report on the various prepared chilis that came in the test package from the company.
The pocket sandwiches - broccoli and cheese, cheese and tomato pizza, spinach and cheese, organic eggplant and roasted peppers, organic Asian vegetable - were great. The teens liked them as well. Microwave according to the directions, and they come out surprisingly crisp. Appetizers were, sadly, more hit and miss. Spinach and feta were good. The potato and roasted garlic would have been good just as that, but there was an overly aggressive rosemary presence, which no one here found pleasing. The roast vegetable one filling cubed a bit too fine for my taste. Now, I know these are small, and that you couldn't use larger cubes, but maybe more roughly chopped, or even mashed. I found the texture a bit off-putting - not bad, just strange. The spanakopita was fine.
On to dessert. My wife, who loves baklava, loved the walnut variety that we got. I tried it as well and agreed that it was fabulous.
So, all in all, if your taste is like mine and you stay away from the potato and roasted garlic appetizers, at worst you'll find something acceptable, and at best you'll be impressed. Later on I'll report on the various prepared chilis that came in the test package from the company.
Labels: appetizers, meal, opinion, product, review, sandwich
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Review: Café Tequila BBQ Sauce
We had just run out of barbecue sauce and, desperately needing a fix, I searched the pantry shelves and found a bottle of Café Tequila BBQ Sauce. Frankly, I don't remember where or when we got it. This may have been one of those samples that came in from a PR firm, or we might have actually - gasp - paid money for it. Either way, it was there and I was game. Off, with some doing, came the wax seal on the long bottle neck and out, eventually, came the cork. Great flavor - some depth to keep your interest and yet delivering on the basic promise of a barbecue sauce.
So, it's worth getting, although there is one problem: the bottle. Yes, the wide bottom and tall, skinny neck are attractive and grab your attention. But that base takes up a bit too much shelf space in the refrigerator and the neck means you can't slip it onto just any of your shelves.
So, it's worth getting, although there is one problem: the bottle. Yes, the wide bottom and tall, skinny neck are attractive and grab your attention. But that base takes up a bit too much shelf space in the refrigerator and the neck means you can't slip it onto just any of your shelves.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Warning: Some Jenny Craig Products May Have Tainted Beef
Remember the story about beef from crippled cows being recalled? Apparently the list of institutions and companies that received the meat has recently been expanded and now includes weight loss firm Jenny Craig:
However, a legal PR person and activist that I know in California was interviewed - turns out she had recently bought some of the products - and the "effort" to inform people was to put a small sign on the counter in the Jenny Craig locations. This Feb. 27 post on the Jenny Craig site suggests that the company knew about this as of then. So why hasn't the company done anything other than post some small signs? "Every effort" would suggest a whole lot more ... effort.The state said Jenny Craig Salisbury steak and meatloaf meals were made with beef recalled from Westland/Hallmark. Lisa Talamini, a Jenny Craig program executive, said the company has taken swift action to notify its customers.
“We have asked our distribution centers and retail channels to locate and destroy all impacted products,” Talamini said in a statement. “As part of our commitment to quality and client service, we are making every effort to inform those clients who are in receipt of impacted product.”
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Review: V8 V-Fusion
I saw mention of the newest V8 V-Fusion flavor: açaí. For those unfamiliar with the products, they are blends of fruit and vegetable juices, meant to get people to ingest more vegetables by disguising the taste with something sweet. When the bottle came in, my kids started eyeing it, as I guess they are already fans, so if your intent is to improve the nutrition of a younger crowd, you've got that base covered. But what isn't clear, to my non-nutritional mind, at least, is just how much more of a balanced diet you can drink yourself into.
I know the mantra is to eat X many servings of fruits and vegetables every day, but when I looked at the bottle's label, darned if I could find a massive influx of vitamins or minerals. So while the advice is out there, I can't figure out exactly what it is trying to accomplish in results.
However, if there is a benefit from drinking some portion of your fruits and vegetables, and the V-Fusion fits the bill, the açaí version had a quite pleasant taste, and the bottle was gone a lot faster than would have been the case with a bottle of regular V8. (Though I like that as well.)
I know the mantra is to eat X many servings of fruits and vegetables every day, but when I looked at the bottle's label, darned if I could find a massive influx of vitamins or minerals. So while the advice is out there, I can't figure out exactly what it is trying to accomplish in results.
However, if there is a benefit from drinking some portion of your fruits and vegetables, and the V-Fusion fits the bill, the açaí version had a quite pleasant taste, and the bottle was gone a lot faster than would have been the case with a bottle of regular V8. (Though I like that as well.)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Product Review: Flavorbean Flavored Coffee
I should start by saying that I have an almost absolute dislike for flavored coffees. I generally hold that if I want an added taste, I can put in a shot of some more naturally-flavored syrup, go for something chicory-laced, or even add some ground cinnamon, cardamom, or other spice before brewing. But I have to admit that Flavorbean coffees are pretty good.
According to the PR materials, most flavored beans are made using chemical solvents to deposit the taste on the coffee. I don't know that independently, but, if true, that perhaps explains the overly aggressive and harshness I've found when I've tried such brews. But the french vanilla and hazelnut varieties I received from the company to test were really pleasant. They claim that the coffees are "naturally flavored," which can be a slippery label to understand. But if you like flavored coffee, I'd suggest giving these a try.
And if you want something really different, add a half teaspoon of good cinnamon to the grounds. It's a lovely way to start an early morning.
According to the PR materials, most flavored beans are made using chemical solvents to deposit the taste on the coffee. I don't know that independently, but, if true, that perhaps explains the overly aggressive and harshness I've found when I've tried such brews. But the french vanilla and hazelnut varieties I received from the company to test were really pleasant. They claim that the coffees are "naturally flavored," which can be a slippery label to understand. But if you like flavored coffee, I'd suggest giving these a try.
And if you want something really different, add a half teaspoon of good cinnamon to the grounds. It's a lovely way to start an early morning.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Review: FruitaBü Organic Smoooshed Fruit Twirls and Sploooshers
OK, so the name sounds like something Roald Dahl threw out when writing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But don't let the self-conscious cuteness of FruitaBü throw you. These organic fruit snacks have a strong and clean fruit flavor, though some tend a little to the sour. But they're aimed at kids, and those same kids often like incredibly sour candies that twist my lips into a knot when I even think of them. Also, all the sugars come from fruit, so there is no high fructose corn syrup that goes into these.
There are two versions. The fruit Twirls are like a ribbon of soft fruit leather spiralled up. The fruit Sploooshers are packets of some kind of gelatinous mass that I'm sure is a heretofore unknown physical state of matter. I found the texture mildly off-putting, as did my teenage daughter, though, as I did, she liked the Twirls. But, being the dutiful young woman she is, she brought samples with her to school to test on her friends. They pretty much said, "Bring more," and they preferred the Sploooshers.
So give them a shot. Chances are that you won't go wrong, and at least you're keeping the corn content out and available for ethanol for the car.
There are two versions. The fruit Twirls are like a ribbon of soft fruit leather spiralled up. The fruit Sploooshers are packets of some kind of gelatinous mass that I'm sure is a heretofore unknown physical state of matter. I found the texture mildly off-putting, as did my teenage daughter, though, as I did, she liked the Twirls. But, being the dutiful young woman she is, she brought samples with her to school to test on her friends. They pretty much said, "Bring more," and they preferred the Sploooshers.
So give them a shot. Chances are that you won't go wrong, and at least you're keeping the corn content out and available for ethanol for the car.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Hormel Discusses Sodium Content of Compleats
I recently reviewed Hormel Compleats - a line of one-dish meals that store on the shelf without refrigeration. The company's PR representatives just emailed in response to my comments on the sodium content:
Instead, let's consider this from the second chapter, Adequate Nutrients Within Calorie Needs, of the same USDA 2005 dietary guidelines. I'd argue that looking at nutritional needs would be closer to the concept of a recommended minimum amount, and that the 2,000 Kcal nutrition levels are near an adult average, given gender and activity levels, which can widely swing the recommendations. That 2,000 Kcal number is the general baseline used for nutritional comparisons on food levels. For that level of caloric intake, the recommended sodium number is 1,779 mg. And here’s an interesting paragraph from the same chapter the company quoted:
I did want to clarify your statement on sodium content. The USDA recommends that healthy Americans get 2,300 milligrams per day. (USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, Chapter 8 “Sodium and Potassium - http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter8.htm) At 600 milligrams or less, Hormel Compleats products provide roughly a quarter or less of the sodium recommendation per day. The sodium content in Hormel Compleats is equal to or less than other single serving shelf-stable offerings in the market today.I think the PR firm meant that it wanted to challenge my statement, as I don't see how it would be in the position to clarify what I had said. In any case, the product may hover around the same sodium content as other shelf-stable offerings, but the company's analysis is off and even misleading. First, the USDA reference cited does not recommend that people get 2,300 mg of sodium, but less than 2,300 mg of sodium, which is a significantly different statement. If you are middle-aged or older, black, or have hypertension, the top number is 1,500 mg. But that's not the USDA's only statement on sodium.
Instead, let's consider this from the second chapter, Adequate Nutrients Within Calorie Needs, of the same USDA 2005 dietary guidelines. I'd argue that looking at nutritional needs would be closer to the concept of a recommended minimum amount, and that the 2,000 Kcal nutrition levels are near an adult average, given gender and activity levels, which can widely swing the recommendations. That 2,000 Kcal number is the general baseline used for nutritional comparisons on food levels. For that level of caloric intake, the recommended sodium number is 1,779 mg. And here’s an interesting paragraph from the same chapter the company quoted:
Common sources of sodium found in the food supply are provided in figure 4. On average, the natural salt content of food accounts for only about 10 percent of total intake, while discretionary salt use (i.e., salt added at the table or while cooking) provides another 5 to 10 percent of total intake. Approximately 75 percent is derived from salt added by manufacturers.In other words, packaged foods - shelf-stable or not - put the largest amount of sodium per serving into our diets. On the whole, I think that my analysis is probably more realistic in terms of viewing a food as "healthy" or not, and certainly closer to what a health professional would likely say than taking the number Hormel does and trying to interpret it as a recommended amount that people should have, rather than a maximum, with the understanding that, for salt, less is certainly more.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Review: Nature's Path HempPlus Organic Hot Oatmeal and Flax Plus Red Berry Crunch
When the PR people sent samples of the tasty Weil by Nature’s Path Pure Fruit & Nut Bars, also in the box were two cereals: HempPlus Organic Hot Oatmeal and Flax Plus Red Berry Crunch. Let's take the former without any untoward jokes, out there, because hemp is not necessarily its more psychopharmacoligically active cousin banned on college campuses across this great nation. Instead, this is another source of dietary fiber that is supposed to provide health benefits. I gave it a shot. An instant cereal, you mix in boiling water, stir for a bit, and you get breakfast. I was surprised at the creamy nature of the cereal; usually that takes cooking in liquid, not merely adding something wet. The taste was passable, but I could pass on what turned out to be a nearly gelatinous texture. In fact, as I lifted a spoonful, I could see little trailing strands of goo stretching an inch or so back to the bowl. Hmm.
More textually pleasant was the Flax Plus Red Berry Crunch. It's a cold cereal, crunchy, with a fruity taste (freeze-dried raspberries and strawberries) and enough whatever in it that I found it didn't need sugar - just a dash of milk. Put me down for more of this one.
More textually pleasant was the Flax Plus Red Berry Crunch. It's a cold cereal, crunchy, with a fruity taste (freeze-dried raspberries and strawberries) and enough whatever in it that I found it didn't need sugar - just a dash of milk. Put me down for more of this one.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Review: Hormel Compleats
Hormel Compleats is a line of now one-dish meals in a form called shelf-stable, which means they can sit around on a shelf for extended periods of time, and marketed as meeting the USDA guidelines for a healthy lifestyle. But there are some problems, and I'd suggest passing on firsts, let alone seconds.
The most obvious issue is taste. Rather, the problem is lack of taste. I tried two varieties: beef steak & peppers, served over noodles, and Santa Fe style chicken with rice, black beans, and corn. Darned if I could detect much in the way of identifiable, or even existing, favor. Bite into a piece of chicken or beef, and you can tell there's a difference in texture, but not much else.
Now let's move to the "healthy lifestyles" claim. I looked at the USDA guidelines. There are many versions of caloric and nutritional suggestions for different genders, ages, and lifestyles. But look at Table 2, and you see that for 2,000 calories, total sodium should be roughly 1,800 mg and 65 g fat. Now, Hormel says that the dishes are all under 320 calories, with less than 10 grams fat and not more than 600 mg of sodium. Let's say there are 300 calories in the one you're eating. That's roughly 15 percent of the calories you're allowed, and the fat falls roughly in line with that. But 600 mg of sodium is a third of the daily allotment, so you're hitting double the average sodium you might want.
Clearly you can't expect everything to come out on the average, but this makes me want to re-evaluate the healthy lifestyle claim. You could say that you are meeting the requirements by eating a lot less, which doesn't mean that the food is "healthier." And why is there so much sodium as a percentage? Because there is little flavor, and many packaged foods know that the salt taste is a major taste trigger to people. Which brings us back to square one. Convenience may be ... convenient, but as with convenience store prices, which are generally higher than grocery stores, you end up paying for that ease one way or another.
The most obvious issue is taste. Rather, the problem is lack of taste. I tried two varieties: beef steak & peppers, served over noodles, and Santa Fe style chicken with rice, black beans, and corn. Darned if I could detect much in the way of identifiable, or even existing, favor. Bite into a piece of chicken or beef, and you can tell there's a difference in texture, but not much else.
Now let's move to the "healthy lifestyles" claim. I looked at the USDA guidelines. There are many versions of caloric and nutritional suggestions for different genders, ages, and lifestyles. But look at Table 2, and you see that for 2,000 calories, total sodium should be roughly 1,800 mg and 65 g fat. Now, Hormel says that the dishes are all under 320 calories, with less than 10 grams fat and not more than 600 mg of sodium. Let's say there are 300 calories in the one you're eating. That's roughly 15 percent of the calories you're allowed, and the fat falls roughly in line with that. But 600 mg of sodium is a third of the daily allotment, so you're hitting double the average sodium you might want.
Clearly you can't expect everything to come out on the average, but this makes me want to re-evaluate the healthy lifestyle claim. You could say that you are meeting the requirements by eating a lot less, which doesn't mean that the food is "healthier." And why is there so much sodium as a percentage? Because there is little flavor, and many packaged foods know that the salt taste is a major taste trigger to people. Which brings us back to square one. Convenience may be ... convenient, but as with convenience store prices, which are generally higher than grocery stores, you end up paying for that ease one way or another.
Update
I had an email from Hormel's PR firm about the review, challenging my remarks about the sodium content. Here's the entry with the exchange.Thursday, February 28, 2008
Review: Seneca Apple Chips
While driving back from eastern Massachusetts to the western part of the state, we pulled over at the Johnny Appleseed rest stop in Fitchburg, home of that famous gardener. Being filled with the fruit spirit, my wife and I bought a bag of Seneca Apple Chips. The taste was pretty good - not a complete substitute for a potato chip, if you have that specific craving, but slighly sweet without being cloying, and precious little sodium. I thought they might be dried, but according to the company's web site, it uses a "proprietary vacuum cooking process." We tried the original flavor (otherwise known as apple), but there are some others, including caramel and cinnamon, a tart Granny Smith, and sour apple. They're definitely worth trying.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Review: Honest Kids Drinks
Disappointing is the word that comes to mind as I write this review. I have greatly enjoyed Honest Tea bottled ice teas, so when I heard about Honest Kids fruit-based drinks that had only 40 calories and complete vitamin C requirements for a child, I looked forward to testing them on the family. In came the Goodness Grapeness, Berry Berry Good Lemonade, and Tropical Tango Punch flavors. In went the straws so we could try them. Down went our brows, as the products are anything but impressive. The ingredients are organic, and the first two are water and cane sugar. At 40 calories, you might think that the products had little sugar, and you'd be right. Unfortunately, they have even less fruit juice (10 percent, according to the package) and flavor brings up the rear after a long delay. These drinks taste watered. With a suggested price of between $3.99 and $5.99 for eight 6.75-ounce pouches, my suggestion would be to buy a bottle of good fruit juice and water it down yourself.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Review: Veroli Three Cheese and Meat Lasagna and Marinara Sauce
A sample of three Veroli Foods products - three-cheese lasagna, meat lasagna, and marinara sauce - came in a few weeks back from the company's PR firm. It's taken this long to finish trying them all, and I can happily report that all were worth eating. A constant among all is the bright and sweet tomato flavor. The company says that they are vine ripened - I wouldn't know, but the taste is elemental, with little in the way of spicing to muddy the results. A jar of sauce can run between $5.99 and $6.49, but they are good.
The lasagnas were surprisingly good - not just because of the tomatoes, but the pasta, which comes out al dente, something I've never seen in a frozen pasta-based dish before. We liked both the cheese and meat ones (between $8.99 and $9.99). One box could serve four people, but expect heating in a regular oven to take 90 minutes total. I misread the package of the meat lasagna, took off the covering film at one hour, and was surprised by how loose it was. My fault; the extra half hour is key.
Unfortunately, distribution right now is thin. You can get the products in Central Markets if you live in Texas, or Kings Supermarkets in New Jersey. They're supposed to launch in other markets "in the near future," which means I haven't a clue, so check with the company itself.
The lasagnas were surprisingly good - not just because of the tomatoes, but the pasta, which comes out al dente, something I've never seen in a frozen pasta-based dish before. We liked both the cheese and meat ones (between $8.99 and $9.99). One box could serve four people, but expect heating in a regular oven to take 90 minutes total. I misread the package of the meat lasagna, took off the covering film at one hour, and was surprised by how loose it was. My fault; the extra half hour is key.
Unfortunately, distribution right now is thin. You can get the products in Central Markets if you live in Texas, or Kings Supermarkets in New Jersey. They're supposed to launch in other markets "in the near future," which means I haven't a clue, so check with the company itself.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Review: VeeV
There's a lot about VeeV that would ordinarily make me wary, if it weren't for one massively redeeming factor. It's made of açaí berries, which various celebrities (and would-be celebrities trying to market themselves) describe as a "super food." Comments like that make me look for my culinary kryptonite, even if I can feel healthy while pickling my liver. Next, the company claims to be carbon neutral, which is a worthy goal, I reckon, but it bothers me when this all becomes marketing and you wonder how buying credits from someone else does any good when the same amount of carbon ends up generated. Third, they tout donating $1 per bottle to "green initiatives," which bugs me because if a company wants to donate money, great, but don't put it in the form of "You'd better buy if you want us to give," which is how such things hit me. And their PR people circulate a list of celebrities, some of whom I've never even heard of, that love love love VeeV. Frankly, I don't care who else likes it. Now for the redeeming factor: it's really good.
I didn't try any of the supplied drink recipes, because I think an ingredient must be able to stand on its own. And it did - neat, in a wine glass. The berry flavor has deep earthy depths, which they described it as "notes of chocolate," a description I didn't find completely accurate, but close enough, as I couldn't figure out how to describe it. It's an unusual taste, and a tad astringent on the finish, but quite pleasant. I can see how this would work in mixed drinks as well. It's certainly worth trying, even if you do run the risk of becoming an eco-centric celebrity follower.
I didn't try any of the supplied drink recipes, because I think an ingredient must be able to stand on its own. And it did - neat, in a wine glass. The berry flavor has deep earthy depths, which they described it as "notes of chocolate," a description I didn't find completely accurate, but close enough, as I couldn't figure out how to describe it. It's an unusual taste, and a tad astringent on the finish, but quite pleasant. I can see how this would work in mixed drinks as well. It's certainly worth trying, even if you do run the risk of becoming an eco-centric celebrity follower.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Review: Guiltless Gourmet Baked Tortilla Chips
The PR people for Guiltless Gourmet sent a sample of a new version of their apparently 20-year-old baked tortilla chips. There are a number of flavors, though the one that showed up here was chili and lime. I'm not typically someone that likes flavored chips, but the tartness and bite weren't bad, which leads me to think that if you do like flavored chips, this might be to your taste. The crunch in them was excellent, even after the bag had been opened and then folded over and clipped shut for about a week. The release for the reformulated chips mentioned "better" texture and aroma - you won't get an argument out of me, although I never tried the earlier versions, so couldn't give a good comparison. But these seem good for a snack. Now, if only we had made salsa the other day, my afternoon would have been complete.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Review: Ito En Teas' Tea
There are those who like their iced tea sweetened and flavored enough to mask the taste of the foundational ingredient. And then there are others who enjoy the tea itself. Finally, there are the fickle, like me, who sometimes want cold tea one way and sometimes another. This morning, after making the rounds for my daughter (busy social calendar) on her paper route, I wanted something more astringent and yet delicate. I found that with Teas' Tea from Ito En. My choice was a jasmine green tea, brewed, apparently, from loose tea leaves, jasmine flowers, water, and some vitamin C. The taste was pleasant, clean, and as close to real tea as I can imagine you can get in a bottle. The 16.9 ounce bottle I had was a bit under $2, a case of 24 bottles purchased online is $36 (not sure about shipping, as I didn't want to sign up for the site), and there's a retailer locater. There is also a range of flavors, mostly based on green, but with a golden oolong and a brown, not available at the local shop. Wish they were.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Review: Ghirardelli Filled Chocolate Bars
Ghirardelli has come out with a new line of "filled premium chocolate bars," so I asked them to send some samples to test. And as it's still Valentine's Day, I figured it was an appropriate time to mention them. Reactions here were mixed. My wife snarfed the solid dark chocolate and managed to finish it off while forgetting to give me a taste. Uh huh. But she thought it was good, some depth of flavor, and fruity. I trust her taste, even if I obviously can't trust her with chocolate.
I actually found that I liked the fillings more than the chocolate itself. The flavors inside over powered those of the coating. I particularly liked the raspberry and even the mint, which is unusual, as I'm generally not a big mint fan. (After a taste, I passed it on to my daughter, who snapped it up so fast that it was a good thing my hand was open. Do you detect a pattern in my family?) The caramel was also good.
Suggested retail price of the bars is $2.29, which isn't bad compared to the price of many higher end chocolate bars.
I actually found that I liked the fillings more than the chocolate itself. The flavors inside over powered those of the coating. I particularly liked the raspberry and even the mint, which is unusual, as I'm generally not a big mint fan. (After a taste, I passed it on to my daughter, who snapped it up so fast that it was a good thing my hand was open. Do you detect a pattern in my family?) The caramel was also good.
Suggested retail price of the bars is $2.29, which isn't bad compared to the price of many higher end chocolate bars.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Review: Weil by Nature’s Path Pure Fruit & Nut Bars
A load of these snacks that are vegan, wheat free, organic, and without genetically-modified materials came in from the PR people fro Nature's Path, which has a "collaboration" with Andrew Weil, M.D. I take that to actually mean licensing use of his persona, name, and image, but toss all that aside for a moment. These are genuinely good. It's solid fruit and nuts, and I'm glad I insisted that my family members leave at least a taste of each for me when they snarf the bars. For example, the Banana Manna (oh, please, spare me the name) has dates, dried banana, and almonds. The 1.6 ounce bar has 180 calories, with 50 calories from fat (nuts being the culprit), 4 grams of dietary fiber, some low level vitamins. But if you've got a craving for something sweet, skip the candy bar and tuck down one of these, or maybe a chia seed and raspberry, chocolate walnut, or one of the other flavors.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Review: Tribe Mediterranean Hummus Snackers
I generally eschew product announcements because I either want to know I'm suggesting something good, or I want the opportunity to mock someone unmercifully. However, my family has been eating Tribe hummus for years. It's very good, given that it's ready-to-eat, so this seemed a natural - consider it a review of a new packaging concept. The company is putting hummus into 2 ounce snack containers. You get a choice of roasted garlic, classic, 40 spices, and roasted red peppers.
The small containers come in two ways. One is a four-pack, whose suggested retail price is $2.99, "which is line priced with their most popular 8oz hummus product line." In other words, apparently they're not charging a premium for smaller packaging. Nice to see for a change. There is also a single 2-ounce snack pack that comes with a few crackers and runs ... $1.49 suggested retail, or roughly twice the unit price in the four-pack. Ah, well, so much for avoiding premium pricing.
The hummus does have to be refrigerated, so don't plan on keeping it in a hot lunch box all day.
The small containers come in two ways. One is a four-pack, whose suggested retail price is $2.99, "which is line priced with their most popular 8oz hummus product line." In other words, apparently they're not charging a premium for smaller packaging. Nice to see for a change. There is also a single 2-ounce snack pack that comes with a few crackers and runs ... $1.49 suggested retail, or roughly twice the unit price in the four-pack. Ah, well, so much for avoiding premium pricing.
The hummus does have to be refrigerated, so don't plan on keeping it in a hot lunch box all day.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Review: SunGold Foods SunButter
There are a lot of people who are alergic to peanuts, and when the persons in question are young, they must feel as though they are sticking out like sore thumbs. Parents have to check for the presence of the nobby legume everywhere, with some schools having gone peanut free to prevent cases of anaphylactic shock. There is also the feeling of deprivation, as everyone else gets to eat PB&J. Those with peanut alergies might want to check out SunButter from SunGold Foods. It's made of sunflower seeds - just as you could make a butter out of any nut, seed, or legume with enough oil content.
PR materials from the company say "Tastes Like Peanut Butter, But Is Peanut-Free." I'd disagree. The three varieties I tried - smooth, organic, and natural crunch - were perfectly fine if you like the taste of sunflower seeds. I don't mind them, but am not a huge fan, so this is not a product I'd regularly purchase. Also, no one in my family is allergic to peanuts. But if that is a problem, I could see how these products could be useful. They also have a pretty wide distribution, so finding them shouldn't be that difficult.
There is another use I can see, as well. If you use peanut butter in baking or cooking, this could let you experiment with an alternative taste.
PR materials from the company say "Tastes Like Peanut Butter, But Is Peanut-Free." I'd disagree. The three varieties I tried - smooth, organic, and natural crunch - were perfectly fine if you like the taste of sunflower seeds. I don't mind them, but am not a huge fan, so this is not a product I'd regularly purchase. Also, no one in my family is allergic to peanuts. But if that is a problem, I could see how these products could be useful. They also have a pretty wide distribution, so finding them shouldn't be that difficult.
There is another use I can see, as well. If you use peanut butter in baking or cooking, this could let you experiment with an alternative taste.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Review: Schwartz Appetizing
I just finished a draft of a story, for a publication on New York's Long Island, on smoked fish. As part, I was looking for good local purveyors and got pointed to Shwartz Appetizing. The company sent samples and I'm in complete heaven (and jockeying with my wife for portions). With a couple of stores in Brooklyn and one in Cedarhurst, I don't know exactly where the proprietors find their wares, but, good heavens, they are gastronomically trancendental.
Pickled herring in cream sauce and a Mediterranean style had subtlety and a continuing echo of flavors that makes any other brand I've had from a store taste like so much library paste. Like lox? Try the creamed pickled variety and realize that you only need to nibble on a piece - forget the bagel and absolutely avoid the cream cheese. The whitefish chubs were magnificent, and although my wife didn't care for the Matjes herring, it was the first time I've tried this style and found myself looking forward to a second bite. (Don't care for that dear? Don't toss the rest of that piece - here, let me take care of it for you.) Finally, smoked sable, when prepared this deftly, is something you should start with, because the delicate flavor is something you should savor and enjoy before more raucus tastes come into play.
If you live anywhere near Cedarhurst, Flatbush, or Boropark, drive over immediately. (Well, not during Shabbos starting Friday afternoon and lasting through Saturday.) If you don't, look up the number of one of the stores and call - if you're lucky, maybe they'll ship some to you. And if it's expensive, pay for it anyway, as this is an experience that you should have at least once in your life.
Pickled herring in cream sauce and a Mediterranean style had subtlety and a continuing echo of flavors that makes any other brand I've had from a store taste like so much library paste. Like lox? Try the creamed pickled variety and realize that you only need to nibble on a piece - forget the bagel and absolutely avoid the cream cheese. The whitefish chubs were magnificent, and although my wife didn't care for the Matjes herring, it was the first time I've tried this style and found myself looking forward to a second bite. (Don't care for that dear? Don't toss the rest of that piece - here, let me take care of it for you.) Finally, smoked sable, when prepared this deftly, is something you should start with, because the delicate flavor is something you should savor and enjoy before more raucus tastes come into play.
If you live anywhere near Cedarhurst, Flatbush, or Boropark, drive over immediately. (Well, not during Shabbos starting Friday afternoon and lasting through Saturday.) If you don't, look up the number of one of the stores and call - if you're lucky, maybe they'll ship some to you. And if it's expensive, pay for it anyway, as this is an experience that you should have at least once in your life.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Review: Saphara and Lipton "Pyramid" Bag Teas
It's a damp and chilly New England day - just the type to call for a good cup of tea. I've noticed that a growing number of tea manufacturers have jumped on the pyramid-shaped tea bag bandwagon. The rationale is that the shape of the bag allows manufacturers to include whole tea leaves, not just bits and powder, and that water can flow more easily around the ingredients, improving the flavor.
My testing and tasting suggest that a lot more is due to the quality of the tea first and the bag's shape second. For example, Saphara, which is a brand from Celestial Seasonings, was enjoyable. Of the two types that the PR representatives sent, I gravitated to the mango ginger decaf green, though I was a little less enthused over the tropical rooibos - a South African herbal tea with lemongrass, orange, and coconut. Nothing wrong with it; the mix just wasn't my - my apologies - cup of tea. Calling the tea "whole leaf" is a bit disingenuous, as when you read the box you see that it's "rough cut." I think that means that whole leaves don't hold up in bags, even if they are mesh pyramids. The bags, tags, and strings are biodegradable, which is responsible in my eyes. But the list price is $6.99 for a box of 15 bags, or about 47 cents a bag. Personally, I'd prefer to brew a pot with whole leaf tea, but as each bag comes in a separate plastic wrap, this is more convenient.
I received a greater array of flavors from Lipton, but found that the pyramid bags there seemed more of a gimmick. The PR write up says that the shape "allows for the long leaves and real fruits and caramel to fully infuse while steeping in a hot cup of water." Sorry, but I don't think you'll find a long leaf in one of them, as they are pretty much all broken up as well, though not as much as a country western song or the traditional flat bags. The teas are cheaper, at $3.49 for a 20-count box, or 17 cents a bag, and they taste it. Of the six flavors the PR people sent for me to sample, the Bavarian wild berry was reasonably pleasant. Others seemed weaker in flavor, even steeping for upwards of five minutes.
I'd skip the Lipton, pick up some Saphara - or, better yet, Revolution Tea - for convenience use, and then get a decent tea pot and a good batch of loose tea. You'll pay less and enjoy it more.
My testing and tasting suggest that a lot more is due to the quality of the tea first and the bag's shape second. For example, Saphara, which is a brand from Celestial Seasonings, was enjoyable. Of the two types that the PR representatives sent, I gravitated to the mango ginger decaf green, though I was a little less enthused over the tropical rooibos - a South African herbal tea with lemongrass, orange, and coconut. Nothing wrong with it; the mix just wasn't my - my apologies - cup of tea. Calling the tea "whole leaf" is a bit disingenuous, as when you read the box you see that it's "rough cut." I think that means that whole leaves don't hold up in bags, even if they are mesh pyramids. The bags, tags, and strings are biodegradable, which is responsible in my eyes. But the list price is $6.99 for a box of 15 bags, or about 47 cents a bag. Personally, I'd prefer to brew a pot with whole leaf tea, but as each bag comes in a separate plastic wrap, this is more convenient.
I received a greater array of flavors from Lipton, but found that the pyramid bags there seemed more of a gimmick. The PR write up says that the shape "allows for the long leaves and real fruits and caramel to fully infuse while steeping in a hot cup of water." Sorry, but I don't think you'll find a long leaf in one of them, as they are pretty much all broken up as well, though not as much as a country western song or the traditional flat bags. The teas are cheaper, at $3.49 for a 20-count box, or 17 cents a bag, and they taste it. Of the six flavors the PR people sent for me to sample, the Bavarian wild berry was reasonably pleasant. Others seemed weaker in flavor, even steeping for upwards of five minutes.
I'd skip the Lipton, pick up some Saphara - or, better yet, Revolution Tea - for convenience use, and then get a decent tea pot and a good batch of loose tea. You'll pay less and enjoy it more.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Review: CherryPharm
At times, I find myself becoming dizzy and nigh on to nauseated as one company after another batters away with product health claims. "Contains antioxidants!" shouts one. "Chock full of omega-3 fatty acids!" yells another. "Oh, yeah? Well, our omega-3 acids are low fat!" I expect another to loudly declare. A recent entry into the health hystrionics is CherryPharm - though one with redeeming values.
Surely this must be one of the worst names in the annals of food history (though there do seem to be serious contenders for this title every year). It sounds like a cough syrup or even, heaven help the digestion, a laxative. Being neighter, it is, instead, a fruit juice mix "harnessing the natural power of 50 whole tart cherries" - whatever that exactly means - in an 8 ounce bottle. That container also holds water and apple juice concentrate, so it's not straight tart cherry juice. The manufacturer touts the nutritional value, but a quick look shows that while they say it is good for muscle aches and cramps, there are also few vitamins.
But then, I'm no nutrition expert and think that you cannot depend on any one food stuff, no matter how mighty, to balance your diet. What I can say is that the juice is tasty - the whole family tested the sample sent by the company's PR firm and liked it. Be warned, it is also tart, which can be more refreshing, I think, than a sugar-laden slurry. You can purchase the product from the web site in batches of 8 bottles ($2.50 each) or 24 (price drops to $2 per). Shipping on a case of 24 bottles is $6.22 (at least when going to Massachusetts), which would make the least expensive per bottle price $2.26.
Surely this must be one of the worst names in the annals of food history (though there do seem to be serious contenders for this title every year). It sounds like a cough syrup or even, heaven help the digestion, a laxative. Being neighter, it is, instead, a fruit juice mix "harnessing the natural power of 50 whole tart cherries" - whatever that exactly means - in an 8 ounce bottle. That container also holds water and apple juice concentrate, so it's not straight tart cherry juice. The manufacturer touts the nutritional value, but a quick look shows that while they say it is good for muscle aches and cramps, there are also few vitamins.
But then, I'm no nutrition expert and think that you cannot depend on any one food stuff, no matter how mighty, to balance your diet. What I can say is that the juice is tasty - the whole family tested the sample sent by the company's PR firm and liked it. Be warned, it is also tart, which can be more refreshing, I think, than a sugar-laden slurry. You can purchase the product from the web site in batches of 8 bottles ($2.50 each) or 24 (price drops to $2 per). Shipping on a case of 24 bottles is $6.22 (at least when going to Massachusetts), which would make the least expensive per bottle price $2.26.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Review: Magic Bullet Platinum Pro
When I started testing the Magic Bullet, a friend of one of my kids said, "Oh, that's a Magic Bullet!" Apparently this is the stuff of infomercials and, according to the PR people, is one of the "must haves" that Jessica Seinfeld touts in her book on how to Deceptively Delicious. Avoiding the controversy of whether Seinfeld or her publisher was looking closely at the ideas of Missy Chase Lapine or not and jump into something else. I think the Magic Bullet has a few things going for it, but I don't think it's really not all that its promoters would like to promote to the world.
They position this relatively small device as a cross between a blender and a food processor. Let's look at the first part. The instructions claim that usually 10 seconds of blending does what you need. Not a chance. I tried milkshakes and fruit smoothies, and usually I needed upwards of a minute, which is fine except that you're warned under pain of hellfire and damnation not to let the unit run longer - NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER, as a Lear might instruct - than 60 seconds. A second longer and you could cause a cataclysm. Much longer than that, and I think life as we know it comes to an end.
Seriously, if you need a single serving of blended something, this device is decent. It comes with four plastic cups with removable colored rings at the top. Remove the ring, fill the glass with whatever, screw the blending attachment, invert the lot and put it onto the blender, and you're in business ... eventually. If things dont' seem to be blending, the instructions say to picj up the entire blender and cup (or one of the normal blending containers) and shake away.
Personally, I think this novel approach is probably an attempt to pragmatically spin the problem of not being able to stop the blender, easily remove a container's upward facing lid (remember, the part the screws off is now face down into the blender), shove a rubber spatula in to scrape down the sides, and then remove the spatula, replace the lid, and continue blending. However, hey, it worked for me. When things are done, you remove the container. If it's one of the glasses, you unscrew the blending unit, add on the colored collar, and start drinking. That's a lot better than washing two continers. Also, you can get to the blades to make sure they are clean, rather than having them forever fixed at the bottom of a vessel.
Where the Magic Bullet offers a misfire is in the food processing part. The instructions would have you take a chunk of vegetable (like an onion) that fits into the small blending container, drop it in, attach the flat-bladed chopping base, and pulse away. I tried it and was completely disappointed. Perhaps the piece was a bit large (though it didn't seem stuck in the container). Instead of being sliced and diced in a matter of seconds, the end facing the blade seemed a little chewed up, but that was about it. Now, I did try a few cloves of garlic, but it was a case of all or nothing - either full cloves, or a very find mince. (Had I not been pulsing the unit, it would probably have turned into garlic mush.)
So, if you like smoothies or need other blending jobs where dealing with a large container and heavy base unit doesn't sound good, then by all means check the Magic Bullet - the Platinum Pro runs $139.99 (including tax and shipping) with the two blending containers, four container/cups, blending bases, motor unit, and so on. It also seems to be avaiable various places on the web for about $60. But if you need to chop, forget this device, as it cannot "easily take the place of any food processor."
They position this relatively small device as a cross between a blender and a food processor. Let's look at the first part. The instructions claim that usually 10 seconds of blending does what you need. Not a chance. I tried milkshakes and fruit smoothies, and usually I needed upwards of a minute, which is fine except that you're warned under pain of hellfire and damnation not to let the unit run longer - NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER, as a Lear might instruct - than 60 seconds. A second longer and you could cause a cataclysm. Much longer than that, and I think life as we know it comes to an end.
Seriously, if you need a single serving of blended something, this device is decent. It comes with four plastic cups with removable colored rings at the top. Remove the ring, fill the glass with whatever, screw the blending attachment, invert the lot and put it onto the blender, and you're in business ... eventually. If things dont' seem to be blending, the instructions say to picj up the entire blender and cup (or one of the normal blending containers) and shake away.
Personally, I think this novel approach is probably an attempt to pragmatically spin the problem of not being able to stop the blender, easily remove a container's upward facing lid (remember, the part the screws off is now face down into the blender), shove a rubber spatula in to scrape down the sides, and then remove the spatula, replace the lid, and continue blending. However, hey, it worked for me. When things are done, you remove the container. If it's one of the glasses, you unscrew the blending unit, add on the colored collar, and start drinking. That's a lot better than washing two continers. Also, you can get to the blades to make sure they are clean, rather than having them forever fixed at the bottom of a vessel.
Where the Magic Bullet offers a misfire is in the food processing part. The instructions would have you take a chunk of vegetable (like an onion) that fits into the small blending container, drop it in, attach the flat-bladed chopping base, and pulse away. I tried it and was completely disappointed. Perhaps the piece was a bit large (though it didn't seem stuck in the container). Instead of being sliced and diced in a matter of seconds, the end facing the blade seemed a little chewed up, but that was about it. Now, I did try a few cloves of garlic, but it was a case of all or nothing - either full cloves, or a very find mince. (Had I not been pulsing the unit, it would probably have turned into garlic mush.)
So, if you like smoothies or need other blending jobs where dealing with a large container and heavy base unit doesn't sound good, then by all means check the Magic Bullet - the Platinum Pro runs $139.99 (including tax and shipping) with the two blending containers, four container/cups, blending bases, motor unit, and so on. It also seems to be avaiable various places on the web for about $60. But if you need to chop, forget this device, as it cannot "easily take the place of any food processor."
Thursday, January 10, 2008
SaltWorks Rears Its Salty Head About Fusion Salt Comments
I guess my comments on how incredibly dumb the idea of a "flavored salt" line called Fusion Salts sounded must have been like salt in the wound (sorry, couldn't resist) of either the CEO of SaltWorks (the manufacturer) or someone pretending to be him. So, it's time for one of my favorite games: deconstruct the PR spin.
I am so happy to know that you have the time to create your own spice blend ...Actually, it's called using herbs and spices with food - otherwise known as cooking.
...and flavored salts.Why the hell would I want flavored salt? I have my choice of regular table, kosher, and various sea salts, depending on the effect I want. But why flavored? It's like saying that if I want to use cilantro, I should use cilantro-flavored basil instead of using the cilantro itself. Or both if I want that.
Most professional chefs and home cooks don’t have the time to source the finest flavors and ingredients and develop them into a unique finishing salts and spice blends.And that's why they buy ingredients, herbs, spices, and salts from companies that do have the time to get them. You might be surprised at the wide variety of ingredients that is readily available these days. That is called making life more convenient.
Fusion sea salts are not for every day use.You mean I don't have to use them every day? Thank heavens for small favors.
They are gourmet.Just like McDonalds new Arch Bistro restaurant concept is supposed to be "gourmet" casual?
These salts were created for people and professionals that want to add a little something extra to a dish.And here I thought they were created to rationalize another way to sell salt. If you want something extra in a dish, like mushrooms, you could - who'd have thought it? - add mushrooms.
I am quite sure that it is easier for you to criticize our product than to create one yourself.I promise, if I can come up with an idea that sounds as silly, I'll get right on turning it into a product.
I am sorry that we cannot count on you as a potential customer but we will just have to count on our 100k current customers to pull us through.Do you share your customer list with McDonalds?
Maybe you could share with your readers how they could make these salts at home so that they don’t have to by ours.I'll go one better - add sea salt, and then add either red wine, or mushrooms, or truffle oil, or espresso (instant espresso actually works well in baking), or any other flavor you'd like in the dish. That way you can skip the R&D and skip handing extra money - and skip the extra sodium you'd get by relying on flavored salts to provide the range of tastes you want in a dish. Oh, and a small point: I think you meant buy, not by. Unless you meant bye.
While you are at it why don’t you explain to them why it is one of the top ten food trends in the US for 2008.Given that your press release said that the product was being introduced in a food show that hadn't yet happened, it's remarkable that you achieved this miracle. Maybe you just used the sales flavored salt.
Regards, Mark Zoske, CEO – SaltWorks, Inc.Here's a hint - if you're in business, going on the warpath is usually bad public relations. And if you're trying to be sarcastic, do try to get above the "Oh, yeah?" tone. Hope the salt doesn't taste as flat.
Labels: cooking, deconstruction, product, spices
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Flavored Salts?
I haven't used this product, but the concept seemed so inane to me: "sea salts infused with natural flavors." SaltWorks is announcing a new line of products called Fusion Salts and the CEO says "the outcome has been a tremendous -- even magical -- accomplishment." Could that be magical realism, the literary tradition in which the usual is turned upside into distorted and unreal variations? Some of the varieties include red wine, black truffle, green tea, porcini mushroom, Szechwan pepper, sun-ripened tomato, balsamic vinegar, and espresso. Espresso flavored salt? What happens if you want more of the flavor? Add more salt? Wait, combine truffle and Szechwan pepper, tomato, and red wine, and suddenly you have a dish that absorbs all water from your body and leaves you looking like a hardened sponge.
What is this mania companies have for assuming that people cannot - or should not - add any ingredients other than theirs? What's next? Chicken-flavored salt? Hold the dish, just add salt. Hmm, tastes just like ...
What is this mania companies have for assuming that people cannot - or should not - add any ingredients other than theirs? What's next? Chicken-flavored salt? Hold the dish, just add salt. Hmm, tastes just like ...
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Review: Honeybaked Ham
A sample 10-lb. half ham from the Honeybaked Ham Company recently came in, and we had a chance to put it through the wringer. First, it went into the freezer for a week or so, and then it came out for Christmas dinner. We were able to feed a good dozen people with some leftovers - excellent taste and very moist. It would have been even more so had we not heated the ham in foil. To be fair, the company says that it advises against the practice. Instead of the 10 minutes per pound, we went with five, so it was warmed but not hot. A slice on the outside got a bit too warmed, darkened, and dried a bit - so a couple of us did what had to be done and ate it.
There is some fat on the ham: not so much as to cause complaint, but not so little as to leave the meat tasting like shoe leather. The smoking also hits a great balance, enough so you know it's there, but still palatable to those who don't like heavily smoked foods. Great sweet glaze. The spiral cutting lets you easily remove slices for serving.
You do pay for all this. The half ham by mail goes for $85, although that does include both tax and shipping, which takes about a week. I just called one of their stores in Massachusetts, and the price there is $6.29 a pound, with a half ham, depending on size, running between $50 and $60. If you've got company coming and need a low fuss entree, particularly if there is an outlet near you, this is something to consider
There is some fat on the ham: not so much as to cause complaint, but not so little as to leave the meat tasting like shoe leather. The smoking also hits a great balance, enough so you know it's there, but still palatable to those who don't like heavily smoked foods. Great sweet glaze. The spiral cutting lets you easily remove slices for serving.
You do pay for all this. The half ham by mail goes for $85, although that does include both tax and shipping, which takes about a week. I just called one of their stores in Massachusetts, and the price there is $6.29 a pound, with a half ham, depending on size, running between $50 and $60. If you've got company coming and need a low fuss entree, particularly if there is an outlet near you, this is something to consider
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Review: Maker's Mark Bourbon
A good bourbon can be every bit and complex as a top blended scotch, as I noted in a blog entry about Eric Asimov's recent article on the drink. Interestingly, there was a comment signed by Bill Samuels, president and CEO of Maker's Mark, with some interesting information about tasting bourbon - for example, watering it down enough so that the alcohol doesn't burn your taste buds, leaving you unable to appreciate anything more subtle than ketchup. I had assumed that it was probably a PR person, and not Mr. Samuels himself, but you never can tell online.
In any case, I was happy to use that suggestion when a PR firm representing Maker's Mark asked if I wanted to try some when I was looking for products for the holidays. Twist my arm, I suppose so. I watered it down even further than the suggestion - probably leaving me with something about 45 to 50 proof. It was an interesting experience - you really get some of the complexity of this fine distillation without tears coming to your eyes. Gene Retske, a fellow writer and friend from Kentucky, mentioned that years ago, a standard way to order a drink in his home state was to ask for a B & B - not Benedictine and Brandy, but a bourbon and branch, where the latter was slang for water (a branch being like a small creek). I still found my tongue going a bit number after a glass, but then, unlike professional tasters, I don't spit out the liquid, and only had one to try. All in all, a very pleasant experience.
If the combination of bourbon and water isn't to your taste, you might consider a bourbon and ginger: some bourbon mixed with a strong ginger ale. The sweet flavors compliment each other, and the zing of the ginger works well with the oak flavor. Gene says that he actually sometimes marinates a steak in bourbon before grilling it. That does seem a singularly shocking thing to do with a bottle of good bourbon, but I supposed that's what lesser versions are for.
In any case, I was happy to use that suggestion when a PR firm representing Maker's Mark asked if I wanted to try some when I was looking for products for the holidays. Twist my arm, I suppose so. I watered it down even further than the suggestion - probably leaving me with something about 45 to 50 proof. It was an interesting experience - you really get some of the complexity of this fine distillation without tears coming to your eyes. Gene Retske, a fellow writer and friend from Kentucky, mentioned that years ago, a standard way to order a drink in his home state was to ask for a B & B - not Benedictine and Brandy, but a bourbon and branch, where the latter was slang for water (a branch being like a small creek). I still found my tongue going a bit number after a glass, but then, unlike professional tasters, I don't spit out the liquid, and only had one to try. All in all, a very pleasant experience.
If the combination of bourbon and water isn't to your taste, you might consider a bourbon and ginger: some bourbon mixed with a strong ginger ale. The sweet flavors compliment each other, and the zing of the ginger works well with the oak flavor. Gene says that he actually sometimes marinates a steak in bourbon before grilling it. That does seem a singularly shocking thing to do with a bottle of good bourbon, but I supposed that's what lesser versions are for.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Review: Route 29 Napa Candy
I received some samples from Route 29 Napa - caramel and toffee. My wife and I are both big fans of these candies and, in addition, she has professional candy-making experience and I regularly make caramel sauces, so our taste buds were ready, and not disappointed. The caramel had a good buttery flavor and a firm but not overly hard texture. The toffee is really good, as well. There were also flavored sugars, which the PR person called "revolutionary," although I had to point out that the concept is very old. To make vanilla sugar, for example, you stuff a couple of vanilla beans into a container of sugar and let everything sit for a while. The result is sugar that has a vanilla taste. There were three flavors: vanilla, cocoa, and Meyer lemon. The flavors are all clean and could make a real surprise as something to put into your coffee or as a decorative sprinkle on cookies or even, as the company suggests, using to rim the edge of a glass for a festive drink. High marks all around. If only I had asked to sample the licorice as well.
Review: Bombilla & Gourd Mate Tea
A PR contact send some samples of Bombilla & Gourd Mate Tea. Mate tea is popular in South America and supposedly delivers lots of vitamins, minerals, and energy. I can't vouch for that, but the blueberry flavor was pretty tasty, and I'm getting ready to head down and have a chilled pomegranate-flavored one as soon as I'm done with my hot Earl Grey. There's a lot less caffeine than in coffee, and the tea is actually brewed and bottled, not reconstituted from tea concentrate. It's supposed to be organic and available at Whole Foods stores. It's worth picking some up to try.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Review: Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices
I don't often hurry to dash off a review right after a product comes in, and it generally happens for one of two reasons: a) it's a winner, or b) I want to warn people off from a potential mistake. Unfortunately, it's the latter in this case. Gourmet Gardens, an Australian-based company, has a line of herbs and spices that "are picked fresh, washed, chopped and sealed in unique squeezable clear tubes. " Better you should use the tube and discard the contents.
I received a number of variations and tried the basil - which was mixed with milk whey, dextrose, and a bunch of other stuff. I know basil. I've tasted basil. Gourmet Gardens: this didn't taste like plain basil. There was an unpleasant sweet aftertaste as well as other things that I can't quite dexcribe and don't know that I'd like to. But, hey, diligence is why I make the non-existent bucks for this blog, so I tried the lemon grass. Again - opened the tube, squeezed some out onto my finger, put it into my mouth, made a face, and chucked the tube into the trash can.
Any cook would be better off wtih dry herbs than this, and fresh aren't that hard to come by or prepare. Steer clear of this product. As the PR contact wrote me, "There is no equivalent product on the market – cooked or dried – that can compete with Gourmet Garden. " Thank heavens for small favors.
I received a number of variations and tried the basil - which was mixed with milk whey, dextrose, and a bunch of other stuff. I know basil. I've tasted basil. Gourmet Gardens: this didn't taste like plain basil. There was an unpleasant sweet aftertaste as well as other things that I can't quite dexcribe and don't know that I'd like to. But, hey, diligence is why I make the non-existent bucks for this blog, so I tried the lemon grass. Again - opened the tube, squeezed some out onto my finger, put it into my mouth, made a face, and chucked the tube into the trash can.
Any cook would be better off wtih dry herbs than this, and fresh aren't that hard to come by or prepare. Steer clear of this product. As the PR contact wrote me, "There is no equivalent product on the market – cooked or dried – that can compete with Gourmet Garden. " Thank heavens for small favors.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Review: The Wedge
An online gift retailer called BLUW.com has sent a product called The Wedge, intended to help store bottles, cans, and other cylindrical items you might want to tip on edge and store. I don't know who designed the product, but the execution is intelligent. A set of of wedge-shaped strips ($12.95 for the pair) lets you set down a series of bottles or cans on a flat surface and keep that row together. You can then stack another layer on top, and another, each new row having one fewer than the one underneath. The result is a pyramid. You can also set one of the wedges opposite a wall and build the rows that way.
There are a couple of major limitations that might make you decide on some other storage mechanism. One is that the use of space is pretty inefficient. With the pair of wedges, you must build a pyramid, as you don't have the side vertical supports to keep additional items from rolling down the sides. That means you're wasting the space above the bottles, and in many homes that would be a problem. You can do a bit better using a wedge and a well (whether the wall of a pantry, cabinet, or inside wall of a fridge). In this case, the bottles or cans can actually stack up the wall some, because you're effectively tipping the triangle over and being able to stack upwards a bit more. Still, it is a limitation.
The other problem is if you have a variety of different wines or cans of whatever. When everything is the same, you take items off from the top. But when they are different, eventually you'll either have to unbury what you'd really like, or drink through everything above it first.
Personally, while I might use this for a display that I wanted to make part of a theme at some gathering, I'd probably opt for traditional storage that uses space more effectively.
There are a couple of major limitations that might make you decide on some other storage mechanism. One is that the use of space is pretty inefficient. With the pair of wedges, you must build a pyramid, as you don't have the side vertical supports to keep additional items from rolling down the sides. That means you're wasting the space above the bottles, and in many homes that would be a problem. You can do a bit better using a wedge and a well (whether the wall of a pantry, cabinet, or inside wall of a fridge). In this case, the bottles or cans can actually stack up the wall some, because you're effectively tipping the triangle over and being able to stack upwards a bit more. Still, it is a limitation.
The other problem is if you have a variety of different wines or cans of whatever. When everything is the same, you take items off from the top. But when they are different, eventually you'll either have to unbury what you'd really like, or drink through everything above it first.
Personally, while I might use this for a display that I wanted to make part of a theme at some gathering, I'd probably opt for traditional storage that uses space more effectively.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Review: Black & Decker Infrawave Countertop Oven
I first started hearing about ovens using light to cook a number of years ago - that is, if we aren't counting Easy Bake oven commercials from childhood. Black & Decker sent one of its Infrawave line of ovens for me to test. I had the oddest reaction of feeling uncomfortable with it and yet really liking it at the same time.
Basically it uses infrared light to do the cooking, which means that it cooks with radiation (no need for the lead suits), and not the convection of heat via the air. One positive there is that there is no preheat time; you put the food in, turn the oven on, and you've started, as lights at the top and bottom go on and off periodically as the food cooks. That alone saves you significant time, and it also can cook very quickly. For example, I put in some appetizers that were supposed to take 14 minutes, and they were done in 7. The speed success, I gather from my experimenting, depends on how flat the food is. For example, I tried baking five small potatoes. The system recommended 30-some-odd minutes, but to get them really done (with a nicely crisped skin) took closer to an hour. A traditional oven would have taken at least a half hour longer. But toast that might have been five minutes in a regular toaster was often done in two to three here. You can get a good browned surface in a way a microwave would never achieve. (Except for the late, lamented Sharp combination microwave and conventional convection oven, which was a drea but eventually died and I've yet to find an adequate replacement).
But you do have to get used to this oven. For example, you don't think in terms of temperatures, because the oven cycles differently for different types of food. Instead, you try to find the food that is closest in nature, which can be an interesting experience itself. Also, you can't try to outguess how the cooking happens. I had originally put two pieces of bread in to toast and took them out prematurely. One side was done, but the other wasn't. When I did leave it in, though, it worked right. So there's an element of trust involved until you get used to it.
I haven't baked anything in it yet, partly because of the oven's major fault: it's a bit small. Four pieces of bread fit in - barely. I was going to bake a cut-up chicken until I found that I couldn't quite fit all the pieces into the small baking pan, though a slightly larger oven probably would have worked fine. In short, it's an oven worth adding to your tool arsenal, although you'll need some training time.
Basically it uses infrared light to do the cooking, which means that it cooks with radiation (no need for the lead suits), and not the convection of heat via the air. One positive there is that there is no preheat time; you put the food in, turn the oven on, and you've started, as lights at the top and bottom go on and off periodically as the food cooks. That alone saves you significant time, and it also can cook very quickly. For example, I put in some appetizers that were supposed to take 14 minutes, and they were done in 7. The speed success, I gather from my experimenting, depends on how flat the food is. For example, I tried baking five small potatoes. The system recommended 30-some-odd minutes, but to get them really done (with a nicely crisped skin) took closer to an hour. A traditional oven would have taken at least a half hour longer. But toast that might have been five minutes in a regular toaster was often done in two to three here. You can get a good browned surface in a way a microwave would never achieve. (Except for the late, lamented Sharp combination microwave and conventional convection oven, which was a drea but eventually died and I've yet to find an adequate replacement).
But you do have to get used to this oven. For example, you don't think in terms of temperatures, because the oven cycles differently for different types of food. Instead, you try to find the food that is closest in nature, which can be an interesting experience itself. Also, you can't try to outguess how the cooking happens. I had originally put two pieces of bread in to toast and took them out prematurely. One side was done, but the other wasn't. When I did leave it in, though, it worked right. So there's an element of trust involved until you get used to it.
I haven't baked anything in it yet, partly because of the oven's major fault: it's a bit small. Four pieces of bread fit in - barely. I was going to bake a cut-up chicken until I found that I couldn't quite fit all the pieces into the small baking pan, though a slightly larger oven probably would have worked fine. In short, it's an oven worth adding to your tool arsenal, although you'll need some training time.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Review: De’Longhi DCF212T Complete Frontal Access Coffee Maker
I've seen a lot of coffee makers in my day, and while for non-espresso type I still like vacuum brewing, I'm impressed by the practicality of De’Longhi's new machine. The DCF212T is smart because they designed it for people who live in real kitchens, and who often have to shove an appliance under a cabinet or shelf. A door swings out from the machine and gives you access to both the grounds filter and to a trough that directs water back into the tank. There's no need to slide the unit out any more.
The carafe holds up to 12 cups (six ounces each, I think). When I was running the first two obligatory tanks of water to clean it out before regular use, I found that if I didn't push the glass container back far enough, no water came out - an obvious and hardly innovative feature, but nice to know that it's there. Not only does the filter come out for easy cleaning, but so does the filter basket.
You can set the internal clock and then a timer, to prepare water and grounds the night before and then have it automatically start brewing in the morning. Setting the clock took some time, as you hold one button down and wait for the right time to come by. Keep the button pushed in, and it starts going through the numbers faster and faster, so you're not there all day. Another nice touch is the Aroma button - if you're making less than a full pot, press this and it drips water in more slowly to extract more of the flavor. I liked the results, though you do wait considerably longer for the coffee to be done. The built in warming plate kept liquid warm for hours, though I'd have to have coffee sitting around for that long. But if you don't mind, it won't be cold.
Not all is perfect. Although I filled the tank up to the 4 cup line, using the Aroma button I got more like 3 cups in the carafe. When I ran water straight through, it seemed to come out right, so I'm guessing that the difference is in water retained by the grounds. You might consider testing first, and possibly making a bit "more" than usual so it comes out where you want. Also, they recommend 1 TBS. of grounds per cup, which is a bit weak. Admirably, they also give the amounts suggested by some specialty coffee association, which starts off at 2 TBS. a cup and eventually lessens, so 8 cups of coffee don't need 16 TBS. of grounds. However, given the size of the basket, if you take these recommendations you can only load enough grounds for 10 cups at those recommendations.
However, that's almost to the level of a quibble. Overall, this is a great concept, and at $49.95, reasonably priced as well.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Review: Oregon Scientific Wireless BBQ/Oven Thermometer
A probe thermometer - where the probe goes into the food and a wire leads out of the oven and connects to a display, showing the internal temperature - is a fabulous kitchen tool. It's the best way to make a roast. You don't need to guess at what time will provide the degree of cooking you want based on weight, some arbitrary temperature chart, and the amount of time the food has been out of the refrigerator. Oregon Scientific has taken the basic concept and done even better. The company sent one of its units for me to test, and I'm impressed.
The wireless version will let you monitor the food's internal temperature, in theory, up to 300 feet away. I only tried the wireless display maybe 100 or 125 feet away, but it was great. Instead of depending on hearing a beeper when the dish is done, you have the display unit with you. At first the display would not register the internal temperature, but on asking, I was told to remove the batteries from both the base transmitter and remote monitor units, and then to replace them, pressing the reset buttons, on the transmitter and receivers in order. That worked.
You choose the type of food, which brings up suggested times for your chosen degree of doneness, like rare or medium. If you like somewhat different temperatures for them, you can adjust things manually. There is a speaker that uses a voice generator that tells you what you're choosing. If you have vision problems, I could see how that would be useful, although I found it annoying. A belt clip lets you easily carry the receiver/monitor with you - good when you are entertaining company during the holidays. Also, bravo to the company for using a shielded cable from the probe, which would seem safer for dealing with the heat of an oven than the plastic-sheathed types you typically see on probe thermometers. On the balance, I can heartily recommend the unit, even if the voice does annoy.
The wireless version will let you monitor the food's internal temperature, in theory, up to 300 feet away. I only tried the wireless display maybe 100 or 125 feet away, but it was great. Instead of depending on hearing a beeper when the dish is done, you have the display unit with you. At first the display would not register the internal temperature, but on asking, I was told to remove the batteries from both the base transmitter and remote monitor units, and then to replace them, pressing the reset buttons, on the transmitter and receivers in order. That worked.
You choose the type of food, which brings up suggested times for your chosen degree of doneness, like rare or medium. If you like somewhat different temperatures for them, you can adjust things manually. There is a speaker that uses a voice generator that tells you what you're choosing. If you have vision problems, I could see how that would be useful, although I found it annoying. A belt clip lets you easily carry the receiver/monitor with you - good when you are entertaining company during the holidays. Also, bravo to the company for using a shielded cable from the probe, which would seem safer for dealing with the heat of an oven than the plastic-sheathed types you typically see on probe thermometers. On the balance, I can heartily recommend the unit, even if the voice does annoy.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Review: Clear2O Water Filtration Pitcher
I got a test unit of the Clear2O water pitcher with a built-in filter. Now, let's be realistic about testing some products. These people claim their product filters out 5 times what the "leading brand comparable pitcher" does - which, to me, probably means Brita. I don't have a lab and there's no way I really check that claim, which is one of those things that marketers count on. However, they claim that the pitcher fills far faster than that leading unnamed pitcher. That is certainly true. I've seen a Brita sit for a good long time as water dripped down. The Clear2O has an integrated hose that connects to your kitchen faucet. You may need to swap the nozzle on the faucet, but you get all the parts and it's easy.
As we live out in the sticks and depend on well water that already goes through one filter, we don't exactly have water pressure. It's more like water nudging. Still, I connected the hose, turned on the tap, and the pitcher filled in about a minute - longer than the 30-odd seconds they claimed, but that probably assumes a normal water system. Also, I found that the attachment that you screw onto the faucet didn't interfere noticeably with the water flow when the pitcher wasn't attached.
Four out of five people in our house gave the new water a thumbs up, and one said that there was a metallic aftertaste. Well, there is a bit of one, but I don't think that all minerals will come out, and it was greatly improved.
I like the design of the pitcher. Tall and slim, it fits nicely into our crowded fridge, so you can keep a ready supply of cold water on hand with a 72-ounce capacity. Pair this with some water bottles, and you can cut down on buying small bottles of water to take with you. The price on the company's site is about $30 for the original model with the white plastic lid and $35 with the "platinum" design. Personally, I'd stick with cheaper. You will need to get replacement filters that run $16 for one, or $35 for three. Each supposedly filters 40 gallons, or about 40 cents a gallon, which is significantly cheaper than most bottled water I've seen.
As we live out in the sticks and depend on well water that already goes through one filter, we don't exactly have water pressure. It's more like water nudging. Still, I connected the hose, turned on the tap, and the pitcher filled in about a minute - longer than the 30-odd seconds they claimed, but that probably assumes a normal water system. Also, I found that the attachment that you screw onto the faucet didn't interfere noticeably with the water flow when the pitcher wasn't attached.
Four out of five people in our house gave the new water a thumbs up, and one said that there was a metallic aftertaste. Well, there is a bit of one, but I don't think that all minerals will come out, and it was greatly improved.
I like the design of the pitcher. Tall and slim, it fits nicely into our crowded fridge, so you can keep a ready supply of cold water on hand with a 72-ounce capacity. Pair this with some water bottles, and you can cut down on buying small bottles of water to take with you. The price on the company's site is about $30 for the original model with the white plastic lid and $35 with the "platinum" design. Personally, I'd stick with cheaper. You will need to get replacement filters that run $16 for one, or $35 for three. Each supposedly filters 40 gallons, or about 40 cents a gallon, which is significantly cheaper than most bottled water I've seen.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Review: Empire Kosher Turkey - For The Birds?
We had Thanksgiving dinner with a family we're close to and we all discuss food often when means are still in the preparation stage. This time, they had purchased an Empire kosher turkey, which is something that we, too, have done. But when they defrosted and unwrapped the bird, it had some feathers remaining. Big feathers. There were also smaller ones, so if you dragged the back of a chef's knife over the skin, it would bump, bump, bump constantly. The solution? An hour-and-a-half - no exaggeration - with pliers, removing the offending items. We had a similar experience with an Empire turkey in the past, though it took us far less time. I understand that kosher treatment is supposed to be treatment as humane as possible, but this does take minimal processing to a ridiculous extreme. Doesn't anyone at the company actually check the products? I think it's time to find another purveyor of kosher poultry.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Review: Golden Moon Tea
I received a number of samples of loose tea from Golden Moon Tea. I've gone through a few different types and have found them interesting - in a good way, that is. There's an intriguing assortment. For example, you can get the Sugar Caramel Oolong - rolled green leaves that unfold in hot water with a caramel infusion - or a French Breakfast black which is most pleasant. The prices seem on a par with other premium teas I've seen. And one nice feature - you can get collections of tea samples, each in an airtight envelope with enough leaves for about four cups. That way you can taste a number of brews before investing in a larger quantity of something that you may or may not like. And now, time for another cup of tea.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Review: Cutco Santoku Knives
I recently received a set of Santoku knives from Cutco to test. I've tried some of their products before and was generally impressed - good feel, good edge, good finish. They make the knives in New York and they come with a lifetime guarantee - though, really, how often do you have to replace a decent knife because it fell apart? More interesting is the free sharpening service, though you pay $3 for shipping back to you for up to three of their knives. I could see this as an occasional treat, getting the blade back to a pristine edge every now and again.
The two Santoku knives - one with a 7-inch blade and the other with a 5-inch - are examples of a Japanese design that has become popular around the world. (If you'd like to read more about them, check this Wikipedia article.) The blades are thin and short compared to a French kitchen knife, and the profile allows a sharper edge, making them keener than a good chef's knife, even when newly honed. I generally like a larger blade, but find myself reaching for both of these pretty frequently. It actually surprises me that I've been sometimes using the 5-inch model, but I was cutting some small vegetables and found that I gained more control.
One thing to remember is that these are knives made for slicing, not for chopping or for cutting through tougher material like poultry bones. I'd be concerned that the thin blade would be too brittle and could chip, so don't toss that chef's knife yet.
Another point is that buyhing from Cutco is a little complicated ... and expensive. The site points everyone to a company called Vector Marketing, which sends college students out on appointments with people who want knives. Smells like potential high pressure sales, but at least the products are superior to many in the market, you never have to follow up on a magazine subscription, and apparently you can buy over the phone. (Although not over the web, which is what makes me suspect advanced sales tactics.) At these prices, that's good, because the two-knife set runs $186. The 7-inch is $99 and the 5-inch is $87. At prices like that, they'd better last a long time.
The two Santoku knives - one with a 7-inch blade and the other with a 5-inch - are examples of a Japanese design that has become popular around the world. (If you'd like to read more about them, check this Wikipedia article.) The blades are thin and short compared to a French kitchen knife, and the profile allows a sharper edge, making them keener than a good chef's knife, even when newly honed. I generally like a larger blade, but find myself reaching for both of these pretty frequently. It actually surprises me that I've been sometimes using the 5-inch model, but I was cutting some small vegetables and found that I gained more control.
One thing to remember is that these are knives made for slicing, not for chopping or for cutting through tougher material like poultry bones. I'd be concerned that the thin blade would be too brittle and could chip, so don't toss that chef's knife yet.
Another point is that buyhing from Cutco is a little complicated ... and expensive. The site points everyone to a company called Vector Marketing, which sends college students out on appointments with people who want knives. Smells like potential high pressure sales, but at least the products are superior to many in the market, you never have to follow up on a magazine subscription, and apparently you can buy over the phone. (Although not over the web, which is what makes me suspect advanced sales tactics.) At these prices, that's good, because the two-knife set runs $186. The 7-inch is $99 and the 5-inch is $87. At prices like that, they'd better last a long time.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Review: Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice Cocktail
When the dried fruit and cherries from Welch's arrived, along with them came a bottle of sparkling grape juice cocktail. The bottle was supposed to be specially decorated for the winter holidays, and it was. I only wish that the contents were as pleasing as the packaging. Check the label, and while juice is the first ingredient, it's followed by water and corn syrup, so you're getting a watered-down liquid. The "little bit of 'sparkle'" promised by the PR materials was overly aggressive and harsh. The suggested retail price is $3.69 for one bottle, or $6.99 for a two-pack. If you or some kids want something vestive other than wine, go for sparkling grape juice, or mix some straight juice with club soda.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Review: Jennie-O Turkey Store Oven Ready Turkey
Ever try to get ready for a holiday turkey dinner only to find that you had to plunge a partly or completely frozen bird into cold water baths so you could cook it? Jennie-O Turkey Store claims that its oven ready frozen turkeys can go right into the oven with no thawing and no cleaning after. I was a skeptic, but have to admit that it largely works.
The company sent a test bird in a completely frozen state, and I put it directly into our chest freezer, so it was hard as a rock when I cooked it yesterday. Oven went to 350 degrees, I tore open the package (easy to do), and placed the turkey, sealed in a cooking bag, into a roasting pan. I cut a couple of slits and pulled the bag away from the bird, put it into the oven, and waited about four hours.
I checked the temperature a couple of times with an instant read thermometer, but let a little too much time go between the last reading and taking the turkey out, so it over-cooked a bit and was a little dry. There is a pop-up indicator, but I've found that trusting those is often a mistake, and they don't help if you aren't looking often enough. Even slightly dry, the taste was reasonably good - not as good as, say, a properly brined thawed or kosher bird, but the whole freezer-to-oven trick makes up for that.
You do have to be careful about pulling the bag away from the skin before it goes into the over, otherwise the bag sticks, as happened in a couple of spots. The skin is decently browned, but not the deeper shade of a traditionally roasted fowl. Because a few cups of liquid get trapped in the bag, the turkey ends up a cross between roasted and steamed, but even the pickier members of my family didn't find that off-putting.
A few other considerations: You aren't going to be stuffing this bird, so you'll have to cook that dish on the side. The skin seems to have some kind of rub on it, but I didn't find it unpleasant. Oh, and you'd better hope that you can find these birds at a local grocery store, as an 11 to 13 pound one from the web site will set you back $57, which would let you buy a fresh bird, forgetting the entire freezer experience. (The one I tested seemed closer to a 15 pound or heavier bird, and the packaging suggests that they do come that large.)
If you have a critical dinner, one possible approach, if you can find one of these turkeys locally at a reasonable price, is to keep one in the freezer just in case something goes wrong with the main bird. That way you can still recover and serve dinner with no one else the wiser - and I promise not to tell.
The company sent a test bird in a completely frozen state, and I put it directly into our chest freezer, so it was hard as a rock when I cooked it yesterday. Oven went to 350 degrees, I tore open the package (easy to do), and placed the turkey, sealed in a cooking bag, into a roasting pan. I cut a couple of slits and pulled the bag away from the bird, put it into the oven, and waited about four hours.
I checked the temperature a couple of times with an instant read thermometer, but let a little too much time go between the last reading and taking the turkey out, so it over-cooked a bit and was a little dry. There is a pop-up indicator, but I've found that trusting those is often a mistake, and they don't help if you aren't looking often enough. Even slightly dry, the taste was reasonably good - not as good as, say, a properly brined thawed or kosher bird, but the whole freezer-to-oven trick makes up for that.
You do have to be careful about pulling the bag away from the skin before it goes into the over, otherwise the bag sticks, as happened in a couple of spots. The skin is decently browned, but not the deeper shade of a traditionally roasted fowl. Because a few cups of liquid get trapped in the bag, the turkey ends up a cross between roasted and steamed, but even the pickier members of my family didn't find that off-putting.
A few other considerations: You aren't going to be stuffing this bird, so you'll have to cook that dish on the side. The skin seems to have some kind of rub on it, but I didn't find it unpleasant. Oh, and you'd better hope that you can find these birds at a local grocery store, as an 11 to 13 pound one from the web site will set you back $57, which would let you buy a fresh bird, forgetting the entire freezer experience. (The one I tested seemed closer to a 15 pound or heavier bird, and the packaging suggests that they do come that large.)
If you have a critical dinner, one possible approach, if you can find one of these turkeys locally at a reasonable price, is to keep one in the freezer just in case something goes wrong with the main bird. That way you can still recover and serve dinner with no one else the wiser - and I promise not to tell.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Product Review: Smart Chicken Poultry
Produced by MBA Poultry, Smart Chicken is a brand of chicken and chicken parts marketed as a premium choice raised without antibiotics or hormones and packed with no water. We've had the organic version in the past, which my wife dubbed nearly as good as kosher. For her, that's saying quite a bit. So we thought that the vegetarian-fed, non-organic version would be good. Wrong.
We had purchased some and put it into the freezer, usually a safe enough thing to do. After defrosting the package of plump leg quarters, I baked the chicken without adding anything. The meat was spongy, like you might expect from a Purdue chicken, and nowhere near the quality of the organic. My guess is that their touted cold air processing doesn't do much to the texture, as the two types of birds receive the same handling, yet the difference would have been obvious in a blindfold test.
If you're thinking of trying Smart Chicken, my suggestion is to purchase the organic or else pass it by and pick up a kosher bird.
We had purchased some and put it into the freezer, usually a safe enough thing to do. After defrosting the package of plump leg quarters, I baked the chicken without adding anything. The meat was spongy, like you might expect from a Purdue chicken, and nowhere near the quality of the organic. My guess is that their touted cold air processing doesn't do much to the texture, as the two types of birds receive the same handling, yet the difference would have been obvious in a blindfold test.
If you're thinking of trying Smart Chicken, my suggestion is to purchase the organic or else pass it by and pick up a kosher bird.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Product Review: Rubbermaid Premier Food Storage Containers
There’s a lot to recommend the Premier food container line from Rubbermaid – you can heat them in a microwave, the smooth inside surface doesn’t take on food stains (think tomato sauce) the way many containers do, and it’s absolutely clear, so you can get a better sense of the state of your leftovers.But I find that I just can’t warm to them. They use a type of plastic that is rigid and hard and the company claims that it won’t crack or warp over time, though it will take longer to see if that’s true. I know it’s an issue of psychological perception, but I can’t help getting over the feeling that they are brittle.
The only semi-malleable part is the top. It does provide a secure lock. Nevertheless, there is a feature of being able to attach the lid to the container’s base for convenient storage that I find rather silly. The rationale is that consumers complain about losing lids, and by attaching the lid to the bottom of the container, you can always find it. Maybe the people at Rubbermaid have cabinets with 3 feet of space between shelves, but everyone I know stores containers one inside the other. You can’t do that with the lids attached – and you’re going to need to detach them when washing, and that’s where they often get separated.
Then there is the issue of the type of plastic and whether it’s safe. I know the FDA claims that all rated food grade plastics are safe, and I know that a number of university researchers have stated that there’s nothing wrong with them. And yet I keep seeing reference to studies that many of the plastics can leach chemicals, particularly if heated. Some of the sites claim that it’s only certain types of the plastics, identified by the number on them. (The Premier line is made of type 7 – often on the warning lists.) Other web pages say that there is no safe plastic.
I come down on the side that safe is better than sorry, so heat foods in glass or ceramic that is designed to withstand microwaves. We’ll use the test Premier containers the company sent for review, but I’m not sure that we’ll make the same choice when it comes time to replace them. They also aren’t cheap, compared to other plastic food containers. The sizes range from 1.25 cups to 14 cups, with prices $2.49 to $8.99.
Labels: container, product, review, Rubbermaid
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Review: FoodSaver V2860 Vacuum Food Sealer
After looking at the VacuWare (and providing an update on the shortcomings I found), I thought it would make sense to take another look at FoodSaver. The company sent a V2860 “Advanced Design” vacuum food sealer for me to test. I’m happy to say that the changes over the years have all been for the positive, with the result a much stronger product.
The FoodSaver line for years has used a dual design. To use bags for things like meat, poultry, fish, large vegetables, and even cooked entire portions, the top flips back. There’s a vacuum chamber into which you tuck one end of the bag. A sealing strip sits between the vacuum chamber and the edge of the unit so when the air is taken out, the device can use heat to close the bag. Earlier units often had the sealing strip too close to the vacuum chamber. That made it tricky sometimes to use rolls of bag material that require you to cut off a length you need and to seal one end before filling the bag and putting the remaining open end into the vacuum chamber. If the first open end was too close to the seal strip, you could find yourself with an incompletely closed edge.
That problem has pretty much disappeared in the 2860. There’s plenty of space to place the open end and get a good seal. Furthermore, the unit has a cavity that will fit one of the bag rolls and includes a cutter. When you need a bag, open the unit, pull out what you need, cut it to length, then seal, fill, and vacuum. It makes the unit a bit larger than some of the other models, but I found the trade-off of size for having that roll of bag material to be worthwhile.
Another improvement is that you flip a lever to lock the unit in place for use. That’s much better than trying to press down both edges evenly. You can also stand this unit on end for storage, saving a lot of counter space. A pulse option lets you take air out a bit at a time – important if you are trying to reduce the air volume, improving storage life, but want to cut things short for softer items, like bread, that could be crushed when the air comes out. The controls on top could be a bit clearer: the speed setting really seems to refer to the amount of air being taken out, so for a smaller bag or container you’d use a lower setting and switch to a higher one for a bigger volume.
Yes, I did mention containers. FoodSaver has a wide variety of optional falderal, including containers, a sealer for mason jars, and bottle stoppers. (I still have to try the latter with a bottle of wine, though I know from experience that removing the air lets an open bottle last days longer while retaining more of the quality.) There is also a quick marinator which supposedly draws marinade more fully into food. In a few weeks I’ll be testing that with some other approaches to fast marinating and seeing how they stand up to the traditional method, as I’m not convinced that you can necessarily rush all the effects (like increased tenderness).
The equipment is pricey. The 2860 has a suggested list of about $200, while canisters are $20 for a set of two, bottle stoppers are three for $13, and bag prices start at about $10. However, you can get the products cheaper and they work. They can save you money in the long run (and improve meals by helping eliminate things like freezer burn), though the time necessary to pay off the unit’s price would vary completely with your before and after kitchen habits.
Labels: foodsaver, product, review, storage, system, vacuum, vacuware
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Response from VacuWare Concerning Product Review
In my last post I mentioned that a comment added to a review of the VacuWare Fresh Food System made me suspicious that the remarks were left by someone tied to the company.
I just received an email from the company's communications director who was responding to my blog posting - the original review. In terms of the criticism, she wrote, "Based on our own evaluation of the FreshPouches and customer feedback we have received, we have found that they are too dependent on the consumer sealing them perfectly, which is not convenient for the consumer ... we are currently in the midst of developing new and improved FreshPouches."
As for waiting on line for help, she wrote, "After monitoring our call center and reviewing customer feedback, we determined that our customer service offering was not meeting the high expectations that we have set and that our customers deserve. We have taken the necessary steps to bring customer service in-house and called any customers who we saw had not been properly cared for." I hadn't received a call, but then my wife and I never actually spoke to someone there.
If I get a chance to try the new pouches - whenever they come out - I'll post an update to the review.
I just received an email from the company's communications director who was responding to my blog posting - the original review. In terms of the criticism, she wrote, "Based on our own evaluation of the FreshPouches and customer feedback we have received, we have found that they are too dependent on the consumer sealing them perfectly, which is not convenient for the consumer ... we are currently in the midst of developing new and improved FreshPouches."
As for waiting on line for help, she wrote, "After monitoring our call center and reviewing customer feedback, we determined that our customer service offering was not meeting the high expectations that we have set and that our customers deserve. We have taken the necessary steps to bring customer service in-house and called any customers who we saw had not been properly cared for." I hadn't received a call, but then my wife and I never actually spoke to someone there.
If I get a chance to try the new pouches - whenever they come out - I'll post an update to the review.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Review: VacuWare Fresh Food System
Vacuum food sealers can be a great way of keeping food for longer periods of time and I just had the chance to try the VacuWare system. There were some strong points, but also a pretty large weakness.
We've used a FoodSaver unit for a number of years (one that I reviewed for a newspaper column I used to write). But there were two problems I saw. One is that the FoodSaver equipment is large and you can't conveniently leave it out on a counter. The other is switching from bags to containers. Vacuum systems generally have to accommodate bags of some sort to store large items like meat and large whole vegetables. But the devices also need to support containers for cooked foods or bulk such as flour or coffee. With the FoodSaver you had to run plastic tubing from the vacuum unit to the special container or jar lid.
So I was at first delighted when VacuWare sent a review unit. The design seemed smart: an upright unit that would fit easily on a counter, taking up relatively little space. A wand rests over a seal on any of the containers, jar lids, or bags and pulls out the air. If you're traveling, there is also a hand pump that cuts the tether to an electrical outlet. And things worked well - with the containers. But bags are crucial and these were abysmal. Now, it's not as though FoodSaver bags are always the easiest things to use, particularly if you have one of the rolls of bag material that you cut to length, sealing one end, adding the food, then using the FoodSaver to suck out the air and close off the other end. Getting that first seal can be tricky, particularly with some of the lower-end models that don't give a lot of room for error when placing that first open end of the bag.
Unfortunately, the VacuWare bags made me think I had been in food storage heaven in the past. We tried packing up some pork chops. I carefully followed the directions, leaving empty space between the spot you place the wand and the top of the bag. I pulled away the strip covering the adhesive spot, folded it over as instructed, pressed it down properly, and used the wand. At first it didn't seem to work, which I wrote off to getting used to the new system. So I tried again and, yes, the air was sucked out and the bag pulled in around the food. That lasted until I detached the wand, at which point air started flooding back in and the bag expanded again. I tried this a couple more times but with no improvement. Also, unlike FoodSaver bags, these didn't look as though they'd last a microwave oven or in boiling water as another way to reheat leftovers.
My wife got on the phone to call customer service. The system told her to hold, and she waited. And waited. Seven minutes later, still not having heard a human voice and nor being given an idea of how long things might take, she hung up. Maybe the customer service people were busy trying to help others figure out how to make the damned bags work. It could be that we were doing something wrong, but, hello, I'm a consumer. If it's this tough to use the device correctly, either the company needs to include far better instructions or it needs to make the product more intuitive to use. Or maybe it just needs to make things work better.
The upshot is that we'll probably keep this around to use on the VacuWare containers and on jars with the special lid, because it is more convenient for such things than the FoodSaver. But if you ever need bags to store items in a freezer, you can't count on this being the only system you get. And with the kits running from about $160 to $200, that isn't something you want to hear.
UPDATE: I received a response from the company about the weaknesses I found with the product. Here is the blog post.
