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Is the Jennie-O Oven-Ready Turkey Really Worth It?

YumSugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:01:33 -0800

A few days ago the folks at Jennie-O sent us one of their Oven-Ready freezer to oven turkeys. According to their website these turkeys - which have been around for the last four years - require, "No Thawing. No Mess. No Prep. No Apron." That's right, no thawing. You literally take it out of the freezer and you stick it in the oven. In fact, you don't have to touch the bird ever.

I must admit, upon learning how it works - cooked in "Fool-Proof" bag - I was more than just a little skeptical. However, in the name of tasty eats, I knew I had to try it.

So how did it turn out? Was it really "fool-proof" and was it tasty? To find out the answer to these questions and more, read more

When I opened the outside container, I was met with an 11.8 pound turkey vacuum sealed inside of a translucent yellow bag. I followed the directions and cut a few slits in the plastic in order to break the vacuum seal. I then pulled the plastic away from the bird, placed it in a roasting pan and tossed in to a preheated 350F oven. That was it; my hands never once made contact with the actual bird.

Fast forward several hours and I was cutting into a succulent and juicy turkey. The skin was a little on the salty side, but the flavor was classic and not overpowering. It was also tender and juicy on the inside. As someone who loves to cook, I found it to be a little bit odd; there were a few seasonings I would have liked to use. However, I know quite a few people who don't love cooking and just want to have a nice bird on Thanksgiving. If you're one of those folks, then I would recommend you give it a try.

The experience is absolutely effortless, but not totally flawless. I didn't wait for the popup button to pop up - I find that by that time, the birds are usually overcooked - so I went with the thermometer method instead. Unfortunately, due to the plastic bag that the turkey is roasting - or is it steaming? - in, it was really difficult to see exactly where you were sticking the thermometer. I also found that gravy made from the drippings was too salty with a hint of artificial flavor to it. You also can't make any stuffing in it, and it does not come with the giblets/innards pack like most turkeys.

Overall I'd say, if you love cooking, then go ahead and skip out on this one, but if you're looking for a simple way to get a pretty good Thanksgiving bird on the table, then rush out and pick one up. The turkey will come out juicy and you won't have to worry about defrosting. The price on Jennie-O's website says $57, however I saw them at my local Safeway for under $25.

Have you tried it? If so, what did you think?

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Batter Blaster Blasts Away My Expectations

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 06:18:33 -0800

I was perusing the dairy section of my local Whole Foods Market when something caught my eye. There, on the top shelf, glinting like a jewel, was Organic Batter Blaster. At first I thought, WHAT??? WHY IS THIS HERE? I thought Batter Blaster would end up as one of those weird products - like HeadOn - that you hear about but never see. Then, once the shock wore off, I remembered that I was at Whole Foods, and that they have a pretty high standard when it comes to products they sell. So I did what every other foodie would have done: I picked up a can and put it in my cart.

Let me say right now, this product is surprisingly good. I was highly skeptical, and a bit worried by it, however, in the end it won me over. The batter itself oozes out of the can - I was expecting more of a high-powered spray like whip cream - and is a little difficult to shape, but not impossible. The flavor is like your standard fluffy pancake, only a tad sweeter. I've definitely had much, much worse at diners across America.

Would I buy this product again? Probably not, however I could see where it would come in handy. In just a few short minutes, we were eating our fill of pancakes. If I were a hungover college student or a busy mom, and just wanted to have decent tasting pancakes for myself or my brood, then it would definitely make sense. The ingredient list didn't look too weird - the first two ingredients are filtered water and organic wheat flour - they were super simple to make, and as the checkout guy at Whole Foods said, "Hey, sometimes you just want one pancake."

Have you seen Batter Blaster at your store? If so, will you end up trying it?

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Taste Test: Cheesecake Factory Cheesecakes

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:50:57 -0700

I must admit: I'm not the world's biggest fan of cheesecake, it's always seemed a bit too rich. But I'm obsessed with red velvet cake, and was intrigued when I first heard about red velvet cheesecake. I put it on my list of things to make and before I could get to it, The Cheesecake Factory came out with a version and sent one our way - along with a couple others. Was it the perfect hybrid of Southern red velvet and smooth cheesecake decadence? How was the cheesecake on a whole? Find out when you read more

Taste Test: Hormel Pepperoni Minis

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:00:25 -0700

Both PartySugar and I are fiends for cured meats as well as suckers for anything mini - so you can imagine our reactions when we opened up a parcel that was filled with pocket-sized packs of Hormel Pepperoni Minis! I stepped out to run an errand, but Party confessed she couldn't wait for me to get back to break into them. Were they as delicious as they were tempting? Find out when you keep reading

Taste Test: Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:00:50 -0700

Last week, my desk was covered with bags of Cape Cod Popcorn. This week, it was another comforting snack - pouches of Granola Nut Clusters, a new item from granola bar pioneer Nature Valley. The product, which is offered in four different flavors, comes in 5-ounce resealable bags for a reasonable price ($3.79). But were the nut clusters everything they'd been cracked up to be? The final answer is after the jump

USDA Orders Audit of National Organic Program

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:00:51 -0700

In the wake of the economic downturn, not only has the organics industry lost a significant share of customers, but it's been plagued by scandal as well. The natural foods industry was also the subject of debate when a recent UK study found that organic food is no healthier than conventional. Now, the US Department of Agriculture, hoping to address the ongoing organics problems, has ordered an audit of its National Organic Program (NOP), the organization that sets standards for organic products in America. The review, to be performed by the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, will examine whether the program is using internationally recognized standards for overseeing its network of almost 100 private certifiers, all of which have authority to determine whether foods meet federal organic standards.

Will an audit of the National Organic Program put questions about organic standards to rest? Do organic foods have a higher nutritional content than their conventional counterparts?

Mario Batali Set to Light Up the Silver Screen

YumSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:30:53 -0700

Looks like Padma Lakshmi's not the only food figure to catch the acting bug. Hot off the news that the Top Chef hostess is starring in a sitcom, we've learned that another celebrity chef, Mario Batali, has joined the cast of the upcoming film Bitter Feast.

Bitter Feast, which is being described as a dark comedic thriller, is currently filming in Manhattan and Woodstock, NY. Written and directed by Joe Maggio, the movie stars James LeGros as a New York chef and cooking personality who takes revenge on a food critic who recently crushed his restaurant in a review. Batali will play the owner of the restaurant. The movie is slated for a release this Fall from Magnolia Pictures.

Do you think Molto Mario has the chops to star in a major theatrical production? Would you rather watch Padma in a sitcom - or Mario in a movie?

Food Network Magazine Is Here to Stay

YumSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:00:35 -0800

Last month, we reviewed the "test" edition of Food Network's eponymous magazine, and we didn't think it broke new ground. But apparently its publisher does: Hearst Corporation has decided to give the magazine the official go-ahead. Said Hearst VP Alec Casey:

We have had a great initial response to the first test issue, and feel confident that this magazine will resonate with consumers. At Hearst, we are always looking at how we can introduce new products that fill a need in the marketplace, and we think Food Network Magazine fits that bill.

Another test issue is planned for January 2009 and will be followed by the first official issue in June/July 2009. The issues are scheduled to hit newsstands every other month, but eventually the glossy plans to transition into becoming a monthly.

Have you picked up a copy of the magazine at the newsstand yet? What do you think of Hearst's plans for a massive rollout?

Happy Hour: Smithwick's Irish Ale

partysugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:15:13 -0700

Recently, my parents returned from a vacation in Ireland.
Being as it was their first time in on the island, they eagerly sampled the local products, pubs, and pints. They picked up a fondness for a chocolate-colored, Irish ale named Smithwick’s (pronounced Smitiks). Their rave reviews made me curious, so when my dad invited me to join him at a local Irish pub, I jumped at the chance to taste the brew. Despite its dark color, the beer was surprisingly light and refreshing. The rich liquid was not bitter, but smooth, full, and stimulating. According to my father, the American Smithwick's lacked the frothy head of the brew he enjoyed in the old country, but I didn't mind, I thought it was delicious.

Have you ever tried Smithwick's? What do you think of the beer?

Does Coffee Dream of Electric Chocolate? New Starbucks Chocolate Reviewed

YumSugar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:30:31 -0800

This summer a press release went out with limited fanfare. The folks at Hershey's were teaming up with Starbucks. At the time there was very little news available, other than an upcoming Starbucks-branded premium chocolate. The news piqued my interest, but there was no word on when the products would hit the shelves. Turns out it's today.

Using the expertise of Artisan Confection Company - a division of Hershey's that includes Scharffen Berger and Joseph Schmidt - Starbucks has created a line of products to sell in stores. There are three types of chocolate bars, tasting squares and filled truffles. Thanks to FabSugar - who hand-carried these samples back from New York - we were lucky enough to give them a try. If you want to learn more about each flavor, as well as what we thought of them, read more.

The box the samples arrived in was dramatic. It was a high quality brown box filled with all sorts of goodies. There were six different tasting squares, four truffles, three chocolate bars and covered coffee beans. I thought the bars were better than the squares, and that the truffles were a bit overpowering. The beans on the other hand, were absolutely delicious. Overall, the flavors that paired coffee with chocolate were highly successful, the other tea-inspired flavors, not so much.
Truffles

Dark Chocolate Vanilla Bean Truffle: A rounded chocolate-covered-cherry sized truffle with a large dollop of vanilla bean cream in the middle. It was creamy and smooth, slightly buttery. Overall very nice.

Milk Chocolate Chai Truffle: This was the least favorite truffle. It was super heavy-handed with the cardamom and tasted more like sucking on chocolate covered cardamom pod, than it did like chai.
Milk Chocolate Caffe Mocha: The chocolate is slightly waxy. I thought it seemed rather Hershey's-like. Reminded us of the Hershey's Treasures, only better.
Dark Chocolate Espresso: This was by far our favorite truffle. The dark chocolate was smooth - almost too smooth - and it had a great melt, with a hint of smokiness. The espresso really came through, but was not overpowering. We'd definitely eat this again.

Milk Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans
This was my favorite thing in the box. FabSugar - who is a bit of a chocolate snob and hates on milk chocolate - even thought they were delicious. Unlike most chocolate covered beans, these are more like ground up beans covered in chocolate. It's a big coating of chocolate on a lovely amount of crunch.

Tasting Squares

Milk Chocolate: This was sort of generic. It would hit the spot if you craved chocolate, as it was tasty, but there was nothing special about it.
Dark Chocolate: Strangely, we liked the milk chocolate better. We thought it was a bit waxy. Again, tasty, but nothing special.
Mocha Dark Chocolate: This was our favorite square, the flavor pairing was really nice. There were bits of beans in it. I almost wished they offered this in a milk chocolate version too.
Chai Milk Chocolate: Like the truffle, there was way too much cardamom going on. Some of the folks here liked it because of that, but I was disappointed by how much it didn't taste like chai.
Passion Dark Chocolate: This was the worst thing in the entire box. Some of the folks thought it was okay, but I hated it. It was highly floral in taste, and there were bits of things in it that were just too much. It sort of tasted like artificial powder stuck inside of the chocolate. I say pass this one off to your friends, so you can eat the others.
Citron Dark Chocolate: Like the passion square, this one is also infused with tea. It was nicely flavored and okay. However at the end, it started reminding me of cleaner. If you love lemon/chocolate pairings you'd probably like it, but once again I say pass this one and eat the others.

Chocolate Bars
There are three flavors of chocolate bars - milk, dark and mocha dark - the flavors are reviewed above, but it should be mentioned that they tasted much better in a thicker bar format. It was nice to have something to sink your teeth into.

So, have you seen the new Starbucks Chocolates - they'll be in large grocery and drug stores retailers soon. If so, have you tried them?

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