April 13, 2018
This is a medium-bodied wine which seemed a little harsh at first, but smoothed out once opened for a while. Mild tannins leave a mild earthy feel in the mouth. Compared to the 2010 Grifone Chianti Riserva, this one is a little disappointing. However, while not as good as the 2010 vintage, this is still a good red table wine pairing well with food. It’s an acceptable sipper also, although there are more enjoyable ones, but not at this price point.
Price $5.99.
March 31, 2018
Little squares, that’s what quadratini means. But these are really little cubes. That would be six squares in a cube, if anyone’s counting.
These are just like sugar wafers in the US, except they’re different. The typical sugar wafer is a five layer combination of light wafer cookie and relatively sweet creamy filling, most often in the shape of a long rectangle.
The Quadratini are a similar layering of a light wafer cookie with a creamy filling between layers. Except in this case there are nine layers in the finished product. And instead of a rectangle, the cookies are cut so that the length and width of the cookie roughly equals the height of the layers leaving a nine layer cube of around 3/4 inches (19.05 mm) to a side. This creates a very bite-sized, very dainty and very light cookie.
The other difference between this and the US variation, is the sweetness. These are not very sweet. There’s a very European feel to the chocolate wafer and chocolate filling. The taste of high quality cocoa predominates, minus much of the sugar that makes cocoa into chocolate. Now, if this flavor isn’t for you, there are 10 other flavors available – but possibly not all at Trader Joe’s.
Price $3.69 per 8.8 oz. bag
Calories 150 per 8 cookie cubes
March 31, 2018
The heat takes a few seconds to kick in, and then builds for the next few minutes. This is going to be a little more heat than some people like. For heat lovers, it’s not a “call the fire department” kind of heat. Along with the heat comes the flavor of the ghost pepper, which is very earthy. Try a little paprika straight out of the spice jar on your tongue to get an idea of the earthy taste. That’s another thing some people may not like. It is a different flavor.
While all the TJ flavored cheddar combinations reviewed so far, e.g., caramelized onion cheddar, have been more than good, this one doesn’t work for me. The combination of the cheddar, and both the heat and flavor from the ghost pepper just doesn’t work well together. Aside from the ghost pepper overwhelming the cheese, the flavors just aren’t complementary. Perhaps as a topping for a burger, this may work better.
Price $7.99 per pound Calories 110 per ounce (28g)
3/27/2018
The beans are medium brown in color with the oil just starting to sweat from the beans. There’s a nice aroma coming from the ground beans. This is a solid medium roast coffee.
There were plenty of CO2 bubbles when brewed, indicating a recent roast. The aroma in the cup is mild. As a medium roast, there’s a milder coffee flavor to go along with the mild aroma. For the first few days I noticed a slight secondary flavor in the coffee beyond a coffee flavor. After a few days, either I became accustomed to the secondary flavor or it dissipated from the beans. In either case, it didn’t break the coffee. In fact after a few weeks drinking this, I sort of missed it when I switched back to my everyday coffee. The milder medium roast coffee flavor was a good break from my normal darker roast.
The coffee is labeled Fair Trade Certified and USDA Organic. At a savings of a couple of dollars, or more, over similar quality coffee, this is a bargain for a good cup of coffee. Price $4.79
ALDI customer contact URL – https://www.aldi.us/en/contact-us/
March 27, 2018
This is a “vegetarian friendly”, certified organic, aged, sharp cheddar cheese. The texture of the cheese is firm, not hard, and not crumbly. There’s a touch of a non-cheddar flavor in the cheese. Regardless, this is a nice cheddar cheese, especially for someone looking for an organic cheese. Calories 110 per ounce, price $5.99 per pound
Roth cheeses can be found at other supermarkets also, click here to search near you.
One of my pet peeves about cheese labeling is the ambiguous references to “enzymes” in the labeling. Some enzymes (a minority now) come from animals – making them non-vegetarian. Animal enzymes are sometimes labeled as rennet (although even the word rennet can be used ambiguously). Other enzymes (many cheeses use these) are produced by bacterial cultures or are plant-based, and are vegetarian friendly. By not clearly labeling the type of enzymes used in making the cheese, the cheese makers make it more difficult for vegetarians to find cheeses which suit their dietary preferences. Even this one which is labeled “vegetarian friendly” – and I assume that means non-animal enzymes – doesn’t mention the source of the enzymes in the ingredient label. Here’s some additional reading.
Looking for more faces? click here.
March 5, 2018
Certified vegan, certified organic, non-GMO, dairy-free, gluten-free, family owned, 100% recycled paperboard carton and re-recyclable, Amy ticks off almost all the check boxes. It even tastes pretty good.
The green curry is medium spicy. More than the heat, it also a nice flavor. The flavor is not as complex as what can be found at a good Thai restaurant, but still nice by frozen box-food standards. The rice and vegetables are a bit softer than I like, but not overly so. Like many commercial products, the amount of sodium in the product is on the high side, 780 mg. At 360 calories per container, it’s a light lunch, but still filling. The$3.75 sale price is getting up there for a single portion frozen boxed meal. However if you need one of those check boxes listed above, this product could be for you.
Price $3.75 (on sale, Target) ($4.19 regular price)
Calories 360 per single serving container
March 5, 2018
This will bring a smile to your face. Perhaps not a Mona Lisa smile, but a smile nonetheless.
Today’s wine comes from a wine cooperative in the town of Vinci in the Chianti region of Tuscany.
While this is a nice wine with no bad characteristics, there are equally good wines at Trader Joe’s from Tuscany for the same or lower price. Now, a dollar or two or three isn’t much to quibble about. But if that’s a consideration, then look further on the shelves. Otherwise, if you haven’t tried this wine yet, here’s your chance to help the local economy and help support small local businesses as well as enjoy a very nice Chianti.
And if you’re not near a Trader Joe’s, there’s a “wine finder” on their website which will help locate another store near you that sells their wine. How nice! And why can’t other wine companies do the same? Price $9.99.
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