Skittles: Taste The Brown-Hued Rainbow

The most recent addition to the Skittles family, Chocolate Mix Skittles, has popped up in some stores (I found mine at Duane Reade). I laid some of the pieces on a table only to have my cat Samantha mistake them for toys and knock some on the ground. Oh well, still have enough. Anyway, these Skittles consist of five different varieties: S'mores, Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate Caramel, Vanilla (since when is vanilla a chocolate?), and Brownie Batter. For the most part each of the flavors tastes as it should with mixed--but mostly good--results. Chances are if you are a fan of the oddly-flavored Jelly Belly beans which include such flavors as Jalapeno, Berry Blue, Buttered Popcorn, Cantaloupe, and Caramel Corn, you'll probably enjoy Chocolate Mix Skittles as well. (Incidentally, Jelly Belly makes their own Chocolate Pudding bean.) I think the Skittles are much better mixed and matched but see for yourself. Is the color brown in a rainbow? Yup, in the world of candy it is now.

Find The Fruit In 7Up Pomegranate

Last night I was picking up a few items and went looking for Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr Pepper (a soda I have yet to see anywhere) or my second choice, diet ginger ale. I spied a maroon-colored concoction on the shelf so of course that's what came home with me. I rarely drink soda that isn't diet but since I'm a sucker for weird beverages I figured 7Up Pomegranate was worth trying out, after all it's for a "limited time only!", according to the beverage's label. I have to point out that I love pomegranate. I try to eat one every few weeks or incorporate it into some type of relish when I'm not too lazy to make it (cranberry/orange with some pomegranate tossed in is yummy). Also, when I'm not too cheap, I'll buy a POM Wonderful drink. Among its many health benefits, the red fruit is high in antioxidants and helps battle bad cholesterol. Does 7Up Pomegranate have pomegranate juice in it? Of course not. Clearly Cadbury Schweppes/7Up is preying on those of us who see the word "pomegranate" and think, "Wow that must be good for me!" To this beverage's credit, however, I do think think it does have a nice not-too-sweet flavor to it, is very refreshing, and makes a terrific alternative to the usual colas and lemon lime sodas. They should have put this drink out around Thanksgiving time as the color would have matched nicely with the cranberry sauce. If you're into this beverage, stock up as it will be available only through January 31, 2008. Will I buy it again? Yes, I'm sure I will. Now please excuse me as I need to go and pour myself a big glass of yummy, sugary, red "pomegranate" soda.

A Teeny Snack Called ScracK Griss

I know, I know. It's been awhile. I've been a busy bee but I have managed to fit in some food shopping along the way. Recently I was in my favorite Italian store in the Chelsea Market, buonItalia, where I always pick up canned cherry tomatoes and anchovies. While hunting for other items of sheer deliciousness, I found these bags of ScracK Griss (yes, the "K" is upper case). "A light & savory Italian snack" it states on the front of the bag along with photos of yummy-looking loaves of garlic and tomato and basil-laden breads. Since I was planning on making sauce that night I thought I'd take a chance on these as a possible accompaniment. After all, they were reasonably priced ($1.95) and sounded interesting, and who doesn't love garlic bread? I splurged and picked up two bags: Aglio e Prezzemolo (garlic and parsley), and Pomodoro e Basilico (tomato and basil). When it finally came time to sample the snacks, I was struck by how small they are (they're about the size of a loaf of bread that Barbie might bake). But more importantly, they taste delicious. I think they make a better bar snack than a side to a dish of pasta with sauce but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty these little crackers are. ScracK Griss, you rocK!

Pretzel Magic: Portable Pieces Of Buffalo Wings

One of my favorite appetizers is buffalo wings. Although I don't indulge too often, when I do I really enjoy them. I love the spicy flavor of a well-made chicken or buffalo wing, the hotter the better as long as there's not water running out of my nose while I'm indulging. Heat is good but there's not much point if it doesn't taste, well, tasty. Snyder's of Hanover may have come up with the next best thing to real buffalo wings in its Hot Buffalo Wings Pieces. This product consists of chunks of sourdough hard pretzels seasoned to taste like hot sauce with generous dustings of cayenne pepper and paprika. These pretzels are no joke: they taste exactly like spicy wings and the bag contains a generous portion of the peppery treat. The other flavors in Snyder's Pieces family include Buttermilk Ranch, Honey Mustard & Onion, Steakhouse Onion, Garlic Bread, Jalapeno, and Cheddar Cheese (Buttermilk Ranch and Steakhouse Onion: I've got my eye on you two especially). If these other flavors are as addicting as Hot Buffalo Wings, I'm in trouble. Blue cheese dressing, anyone?

http://www.snydersofhanover.com/en/products.php

Bacon+Salt+Chocolate=Vosges

I'm lucky enough to work near the Vosges SoHo shop on Spring Street and recently the company's window signage was heralding a new entry in its "Exotic Candy Bar" line: Mo's Bacon Bar. Initially I thought how strange an idea that was for a chocolate bar but when I really thought about it, how different is it from a meal you might have with pancakes, bacon and syrup--sweet with meat? So I headed to my little "Haut-Chocolat Boutique" to check out the goods (Vosges' newest enticing treats include a cheese and chocolate truffle combination which includes balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Sicilian sea salt and Tuscan fennel pollen!). Mo's Bacon Bar's ingredients are Applewood smoked bacon, Alder wood smoked salt, and deep milk chocolate. Not much not to like there. Finally home, it was time to try the porky sweet. My first taste was of the bacon--they certainly didn't skimp on the meat. The chocolate blends very well with the bacon and then one gets the crunch of the smoked salt to top it all off. I found myself wanting more and in fact had to put it away before I pigged out and ate the entire bar. I have to admit that this is by far my most favorite of Vosges' exotic candy bar line of which I've had mixed results (Red Fire/good--Black Pearl/not good). At $7.00 a bar, it's not cheap but if you want something different--very different, Mo's should be your choice.


www.vosgeschocolate.com

What's Big, Chocolatey & Mean? Java Monster, Of Course

I'm not big on energy drinks. With few exceptions, most of them are filled with loads of sugar as well as other ingredients (chemicals?) that I cannot pronounce or spell, and they taste like cough medicine. When I do feel the "need for speed," I usually grab a can of Rockstar Zero or Lo-Carb Monster Energy. As anyone who checks out this blog knows, I do love coffee and Monster has come up big with Java Monster, a three-can selection of morning brews that taste absolutely delicious. First of all, they blow the metal off of the puny and overpriced fancypants Starbucks iced frappacrappochinos or doubleshots, and at a 15 ounce size are a much better bargain your average canned iced coffees. Java's selection includes the scarily named "Big Black," a strong coffee-flavored drink for the "I'll take mine black" imbibers; French Vanilla is the main ingredient in "Mean Bean"; while "Loca Moca" has more of a chocolately mild flavor. They're all worthwhile to try out and you can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. You can now have your coffee and get a doubleshot of caffeine to really wake yourself up for your important and special job. Two big black jumpy beans up from me, Hansen Beverage Company. Well done.

Tassimo: Starbuck-ing The Trend?

I love my Tassimo coffee maker but I'm quite envious of the Keurig machine which has such top-notch brands as Gloria Jean's, Van Houtte, Caribou, and Timothy's, in their stable of K-Cups. Tassimo, on the other hand, has Gevalia, Maxwell House, Kenco, and Nabob (who??) representing their T Discs. Because I'm so desperate to validate my purchase of the Tassimo, I'm actually looking forward to the Starbucks that Tassimo is adding to its list of available T Discs. Soon I'll get to drink Starbucks' House Blend, Breakfast Blend, Adrica Kitamu, and Caffee Verona for less than $5.00 a cup (I hope). However they taste, it'll be an improvement for the embattled Tassimo. Let's hope Kraft Foods makes some more deals with other companies to get some more decent beverages for its machine. How about some New England Coffee?

Attack Of The Purple Dough Balls

Perhaps the most eye-catching treat recently, Entenmann's Pop'ems has released a grape-flavored donut ball. A circular donut hole (much like Dunkin' Donuts's Munchkins) with grape-tinged bright purple sprinkles, this dessert is quite the attention getter. At checkout at D'Agostino's, the cashier said, "Oh what's that? That looks ... interesting." Translation:"Are you really going to eat those?" Truth is that I had seen them in a couple of stores only to pass them by and then go back a few days later to find them gone. Someone's eating them, most likely college kids who might have an attack of the munchies. These Pop'ems would feel right at home with your lava lamp, black light poster and disco ball. Perhaps Entenmann's is trying to appeal to both the 16-20 and 60-80 years-old markets. There's also absolutely no info on this product on the Entenmann's site, making me assume this is a "limited edition" donut. Or perhaps they don't want to take credit for this strange item. If you really want to try them which I think is well worth it, check any supermarket or deli nearby a high school or university. In New York City, I found mine at D'Agostino's on Greenwich and Bethune Streets.

Back From The Land Of Plenty (Of Food)

I’ve returned from my week-long vacation to Western New York, slightly tanned and no doubt with a few more pounds on my frame. Basically I ate and drank my way through Rochester, exploring as many different food options as possible. My host, Dessa, was kind enough to drive me around town to my destinations and hopefully she didn’t mind all that much. Here’s a rundown of the highlights:

Amiels Original Submarines—I always make it a point to visit this shop, which has two locations (Henrietta and Victor). I’m a big fan of their tuna salad subs but what makes their sandwiches so tasty is the bread, which is baked on site daily. Maybe next time I’ll try something else but there’s just something about that tuna!

http://www.amiels.com


Arby’s Popcorn Chicken Shakers—Ok, so you’re saying “You go on vacation and eat … Arby’s? What’s wrong with you?” True, I know. But ever since I’ve seen the TV commercials for their Popcorn Chicken Shakers I’ve been intrigued, after all any food that I can layer on hot sauce sounds good to me. And I’ll tell you, these are pretty good. Fast food in general always tastes better outside of New York City and these are no exception. I’m not even sure there’s an Arby’s in the City so there’s my excuse for going to the restaurant upstate.

http://www.arbys.com/menu/


Hank’s Ice Cream & Roast Beef Sandwiches--I think the name says it all. Even though I’ve never had the roast beef sandwich, I’ve heard they’re pretty large, juicy and tasty. The usually mobbed shop showcases tons of flavors of ice cream, frozen yogurt, ice cream cakes and several toppings. The Webster-based store also serves lunch and in addition to the roast beef, you can also grab a burger or the garbage plate if you’re really hungry.


Red Robin—Hands down, best burgers in town. Have you tried a burger at Red Robin? If not, do so as soon as possible. Again, they have two locations—Henrietta and Webster—and even though the Red Robin employees seem to be obsessed with blowing up balloons for children, they have an amazing assortment of burger options as well as turkey burgers and chicken sandwiches. Steak fries come with the burgers and supposedly they will replenish your supply of fries when you’re done although I don’t think they go out of their way for that. The restaurant also has some tasty appetizers including the Towering Onion Rings (13 onion rings on a stand that looks like a child’s toy) and Buzzard Wings, among many others. They should open a Red Robin in New York City as it’s much better than lots of the other chains that already exist here. I could make do with one less T.G.I. Friday’s.

http://www.redrobin.com


Beale Street Café—I’ve been to Dinosaur BBQ up in Rochester but I prefer this funky honky tonk restaurant which is located in the South Wedge part of Rochester. Against Dessa’s better judgment I decided to order an appetizer, Mud Bugs, fried crawfish with a tartar dipping sauce. I ate most of them using Beale Street’s jalapeno hot sauce and then ordered the special, a fried pork loin dish served with collard greens and mashed potatoes. It was truly an amazing experience to eat this dinner. Washing it all down with a couple of Miller Chills, I could barely finish my dinner. If you get a chance to try out this place by all means do so. It’s simply the best BBQ you’ll find anywhere.

http://www.bealestreetcafe.com/index.html


Wegmans (Mt. Read Boulevard, Greece, N.Y.)—This gigantic supermarket chain just opened its umpteenth store, a 100,000 square foot behemoth replacing an older 64,000 square foot version that was demolished earlier this year. Even though I am very impressed in general with the grocery stores upstate, I thought this store was a bit of overkill (and amazingly there's a larger and more upscale Wegmans in Pittsford!) as it houses not only your standard grocery aisles, but also has a tremendous food court, a “Wkids Fun Center” where children are looked after while their parents shop, a pharmacy, digital photo center, to mention a few. High atop the building is a clock tower, giving the store the appearance more of a church than supermarket. It seems Wegmans just wants to stick it to their competitors: My tower is bigger than your tower … oh wait, you don’t have one!

http://www.wegmans.coms


7-11 Squishees (Slurpees)—I love Slurpees and to celebrate the release of The Simpsons Movie, several 7-11s were "converted" into Kwik-E-Mart. Unfortunately the one I went to was not one of them. They had a few scattered Simpsons-related items (fruit snacks, donuts) but I went for the Squishees in Watermelon and Blue Vanilla flavors so I could bring home the cups. Hopefully the cups will hold up for a few more usages. 7-11 charged more for the Squishee if you bought the beverage in the special Simpsons cup. Sadly they were completely out of the Simpsons straws so I had to put up with the standard 7-11 Slurpee straws that have a little spoon on one end, perfect to get the last of my still-not-completely-melted drink.


http://www.slurpee.com/seeyellow.html

Upstate Gold: Country Sweet Sauce

In honor of my impending visit to Rochester, N.Y., tomorrow afternoon, I thought I'd make special mention of perhaps the best sauce condiment on the planet. The supermarkets in Rochester are to me like a toy store might be to a collector. Living in New York City, we are hamstrung by grocery stores with little shelf space, the majority of that precious space being taken up by the endless General Mills, Kellogg's and P&G's of the world. Up in Rochester, the locals are fortunate to have such wonderful supermarkets as Wegmans, Martin's and Tops, all with wide aisles, lower prices and lots of interesting local fare, including Country Sweet Sauce. Since I like much of my condiments on the spicy side, I picked up a bottle of Country Sweet's hot variety which proved to be a good move. There's nothing like the combination of sweet and hot. This sauce tastes sweet to start, then kicks in at the end with just the right amount of heat. It's quite a versatile sauce as it can be used for cooking, marinating, barbecuing or even dipping. If you'd like to give it a try, you'll find it sold up in Rochester in at least one of the above-mentioned grocery stores. Additionally, it can be had by searching the internet as a few merchants do sell it online. Country Sweet is available in habanero and mild as well as hot. If you find yourself in the land of Kodak and Bausch & Lomb, you might want to check out the Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs restaurant and explore the restaurant's other offerings, including their breaded and fried chicken wings smothered in sweet spicy sauce. Sounds like a plan to me.