at the supermarket: wasabi peas

Cheryl got me hooked on these. They’re like those peas that sometimes come in those Japanese savory snack bags, you know, with the differently-shaped rice crackers that are sometimes wrapped in nori, and that taste sort of umami-ish with just a hint of, like, mirin, or something.

Well, the peas *look* the same as those. But wasabi peas are covered in wasabi powder (who’da thunk?). When you first pop them in your mouth you don’t really notice anything, so you pop a few more in your mouth, enjoying the mild burn on your tongue.

And then, a few seconds later, comes that rush of heat that overpowers your nose and climbs roaring all the way up your septum, nearly burning off your adenoids and conveniently clearing any sinus problems you might have had.

The lingering aftertaste, though, brings back that umami-ish flavor; there’s also that fun texture, with the translucent skin of the peas that crackles when you bite through, and the sturdy pea underneath, all of which induce you to shove your hand back into the bag for more, until they’re all gone.

Yeah, and you can even get them at Trader Joes! =)

Filed under: food , food, peas, wasabi

at the supermarket: trader joe’s fruit floes

These popsicles are excellent, with chunks of fruit and all sweetness and light with no artificial ingredients. I’m a big fan of the strawberry, and I just bought a box of Caribbean-flavored fruit floes, which contain chunks of pineapple and even coconut, and those are really good too.

The lime flavored ones are good as well, with just a touch of bitterness that reminds me of tonic. Great for a hot summer day!

The bars are a good size (flat), not too melty, and at $2 for a box of 4, a pretty good deal.

Note: I know about 70% of the products in this recurring feature are from Trader Joe’s, but I promise I’m not a shill for them, really! I just shop there more than I do anywhere else, so my sample’s biased. There’s a fair amount of stuff at TJ’s that’s a little on the crappy side, but for the most part they seem pretty transparent, trustworthy, and reasonably-priced, so they’ve got my loyalty. I had a friend who worked for them and liked it too, so they also get points on that front.

Filed under: food

i totally miss crystal pepsi

i think another reason i don’t like to watch tv on tv is because i’m really susceptible to ads.

like, i really wanna try this sierra mist undercover orange drink. and, it’s only gonna be around for a limited time, so i’m gonna have to get moving.

or maybe it’s because i really like clear things.

Filed under: food

At the supermarket: Pacific Natural Foods Almond Milk

For some reason, my body doesn’t deal with soy milk very well. I don’t know why. I can eat tofu just fine. But soy milk makes my stomach truly unhappy =(

So I was a little wary when I my sister suggested I buy this almond milk, since it kind of looks the same, and is located right next to the soy milk in the supermarket aisle. But I love almonds, so I gave it a (cautious) whirl.

And my body is fine with it, and it’s good! So far I’ve tried the unflavored and the chocolate, and both are decent. I would even venture to say it tastes better than soy milk, but I’m not the best judge of that. Surprisingly, I thought the chocolate one was pretty close to regular chocolate milk, only less creamy, of course.

In the end, there is no substitute for real milk, especially the lovely 2% kind. And especially for cereal. Using almond milk to eat cereal with is kinda gnarly, not least because the “milk” is really more like juice, so it’s kind of translucent, and not terribly appetizing.

But as an ordinary beverage I bet almond milk is still way better for you than soda, even though it’s slightly more fattening. And more expensive.

Filed under: food

at the supermarket, Easter edition: Cadbury Mini Eggs

Cadbury’s is a fine brand. I always loved those commercials with the bunny that sounds like a chicken (bawkbawkbawk), and those foil-wrapped eggs have always intrigued me: I didn’t get to try one until I was like, 8, and it was pretty terrible, but the foil packaging is so shiny I bought at least a few more before giving up altogether.

When I went to England I went out of my way to try the original Dairy Milk, and Flake, which is a pretty awesome piece of confectionary.

Anyway, these things:

were on sale at CVS last week, so I bought two bags, one milk chocolate and one dark. The candy shell is pretty hard, so you wanna be careful so as not to break your teeth off, but they are generous with the chocolate.

The dark chocolate candy eggs are pretty good, and slightly addictive.

But the milk chocolate taste like vomit!

Luckily, the milk-chocolate eggs are easily distinguishable from the dark; the milk-chocolate ones are speckled, and the pastel of the candy shell is a little more pallid and sickly-looking. So it should be pretty easy for you to avoid those.

Filed under: food

at the supermarket: trader joe’s english soft peppermints

I don’t know why, but these were such an unexpected find at TJs, and so surprisingly pleasant, that I became an instant fan.

They’re not even unusual or anything: just your run-of-the-mill after-dinner soft mints, the kind you might pick out of a dish just before leaving a restaurant, only without the possible urine-tainting from people who partake only after they’ve visited the restroom =D

Anyway, these mints are pretty soft, and maybe just a little bit sharp with the peppermint taste, which keeps you from popping them into your mouth, one at a time, for hours on end. Which is good.

However, I’m not entirely sure what makes them particularly English, especially since the package proclaims it’s a “Product of Netherlands.” The only ingredients are sugar, cream of tartar, and natural peppermint oil.

I do like the nice round tin though, that’s pretty classy, I guess. Right now I’m using it to store a bunch of mini Cadbury eggs, and it’s given the chocolate a nice, faintly minty twang that I like.

Filed under: food

what i had for dinner today,

the second-to-last-day before finals:

1. one cinnamon-raisin bagel.
2. half a cupcake from Sprinkles, unfrosted.
3. handful of Cat Cookies (for people).
4. one 8-oz. can of tonic. Quinine-laced and everything.

My head hurts.

Filed under: food

at the supermarket: katsuo udon

Here’s something new: a foreign-foods edition of this column. And it’s FSM-approved!

Katsuo Udon really deserves props, though. I’m pretty sure the name is supposed to sound Japanese (and the font used on the packaging suggests likewise), but the product seems to be of Korean origin. It’s available at several Korean supermarkets, that I know for certain; haven’t checked any Japanese markets.

Anyway, this udon is really well-made. The noodles offer a perfect balance between chewiness and suppleness, and the liquid soup base is flavorful without being overpowering. The dry seasoning packet is a joke, but they always are. If you chop up your own scallions/onions and drop in an egg when the noodles are done (but while the water’s still boiling) – mwah! Perfection itself.

Of course, such quality comes at a price, about $4.99 for a pack of two, last I checked. At the Korean market you can get a different pack of udon that comes with powered soup base (like ramen) for like, $.50 (0.36 euros) or something. So I consider Katsuo to be an occasional treat (i.e., I wait until my mommy buys it for me). But on days when you want something really hot, or just something soupy and noodly (but not instant ramen-y), this is really the way to go.

Filed under: food

can’t concentra

Ahh, the holidays.

I don’t know if it’s coincidence that all the holidays where you gorge yourself (with social impunity) occur during the winter, but I’ve been preparing for it this season like none before. You know, like, because when it’s winter it’s cold, and you want to fatten up before the hibernation period begins. Plus it’s all dark outside.

Anyway, I’ve already had two Thanksgiving-type meals, and am finding it difficult to concentrate on anything because my mind and soul now have to devote a lot of their resources to the process of digestion. Blergh.

Filed under: food

at the supermarket: yogurt

Trader Joes offers a relatively wide selection of yogurts. There’s the normal kind, in the low-fat and nonfat varieties (French village, I think they’re called?). These will always do in a pinch, like when you need some pro-biotic goodness, as they have live and active cultures, but they can be pretty watery, mushy, and not that fun to eat, especially the fruit-on-the-bottom kind. Vanilla is good mixed with berries, and Black Cherry is reliable. Lemon low-fat tastes exactly like my nail polish remover smells.

For some quality yogurt, you have to go for either the Greek kinds or the Yogurt cups. The Greek style comes in several different flavors: my fave is the apricot, but the honey makes an excellent spread, à la cream cheese, and the unflavored is practically indistinguishable from sour cream – great for burritos!

But the small Yogurt Cups, the ones that come in packs of six 4-oz. cups, are really something. They are as rich and creamy as advertised on the package, and definitely not low-fat. The drawbacks are that they are small, and I don’t think they contain live cultures. Also, they are more expensive per ounce than TJ’s other varieties. The six-packs come in sets of two flavors – you can only choose either the package with 3 blueberry/3 vanilla or the package with 3 strawberries and cream/3 banana. Which sucks if, like me, you hate banana.

As for comparisons to other brands, well, I’m not a fan of the big-name ones like Yoplait or Dannon, even though I know Dannon is a big French brand (called Danone there). These yogurts aren’t that great (except the Yoplait Whipped varieties, which are acceptable if you treat them like desserts – I like the chocolate and key lime pie flavors.)

There’s that one at Ralph’s that’s called something like Stony Mountain, We Are Organic So Pay Up. Too bad it’s runny and gross, though, and not worth calling yogurt. Horizon tastes marginally better, but Horizon is also the sketchster organic brand and I won’t eat it out of principle.

No, TJs it will be. The small Yogurt Cups are best for those occasions when your wallet and your stomach want to splurge, but the Greek is all right any old time of the day.

Filed under: food