Posts Tagged ‘price’

Nürnberger Lebkuchen – Food Review – Trader Joe’s

12/24/2016

nurnberger lebkuchen, chocolate, trader joes, germanyDecember 24, 2016

Gingerbread on first bite, but there’s much more here.  Second bite, read the ingredient label.  This is a mini fruit cake without the bad reputation.  It’s like eating a puzzle as you try to match the flavors in your mouth with the ingredients.  Third bite, this cookie has history.  It was created by 13th century monks in its present form.  Where would foodies be without monks?  Think about it.  But before the monks the history goes back to the Roman legions.  Where would men in short skirts be without the Legions?  Maybe, don’t think about it.

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Imperium Lager Beer – ALDI – Food Review

12/16/2016

beer. lager, Belgium, ImperiumDecember 16, 2016

Aside from the fairly recent rise of the craft beer industry, most beers consumed in America are lagers.  Coming from Belgium this ALDI beer of the month is also a lager, but with the usual European flavor.  Generally European beers have more of everything when compared with American beers; flavor, calories, alcohol and bitterness.  This lager is somewhat of a transition between the two.  The bitterness is reduced making it closer, but still different, from an American lager.  For Americans desiring more from their beer, this is a way to take a step in that direction.   Price  $6.49 – 6 pack, Calories – unspecified

 

ALDI – German Pound Cake Trio – Food Review

12/16/2016

ALDI, Germany, pound cake

December 16, 2016

Maybe this should be labeled as half-pound cake?  The cake is surprisingly light and fluffy with a consistency similar to but firmer than a Twinkie.  The cakes have a nice taste and are not overly sweet.  There’s a thin layer of jam, with some pieces of fruit, embedded in the cake, sometimes rising to the surface.  Each cake comes in an individual thin cardboard tray.  This is a quality product similar to what local bakeries might have.  The only negatives are the price and calories (watch it, the box listed calories are for half a cake – really?).  The regular price is $3.99 per box of three cakes.  It seems many people agreed about the price as this was marked down to $1.99 when I purchased it.  One of the nice things about ALDI is we get to try some imported products that otherwise we’d never know existed.  For that reason alone, this is worth a try, if and when it comes around again to the ALDI freezers – especially if the price is $1.99.  Calories 380 per whole cake
ALDI, Germany, pound cake, nutrition

ALDI – Season’s Choice Black Bean Chipotle Burger – Food Review

12/10/2016

aldi, black bean chipotle burger, season's choiceDecember 10, 2016

This was quite a surprise to find a mainstream store carrying something so spicy. Have the Zantac ready!
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Trader Joe’s – Pineaplle Salsa – Food Review

11/26/2016

Trader Joe's, Pinapple Salsa, review, priceNovember 26, 2016

I wonder if the jar was mislabeled?  Except for on the label, what seems to be missing is the pineapple. There are plenty of references in the ingredients to pineapple.  But if they’re in the jar, I missed them.

To be fair, wash away the red stuff and there really are pieces of pineapple in the salsa. Take a spoonful of the salsa by itself and there’s an interesting complex blend of flavors. On a chip, the complexities are muted.

I was expecting a sweet-hot salsa experience. What seems to be in the jar is a very mild tomato based salsa.Trader Joe's, Pinapple Salsa, review, price, nutrition

Aside from expectations, this is a nice tasting mild salsa.  If that’s what you’re looking for give this a try.  But if you’re expecting a pineapple experience, move on.

 

Calories 15 per 2 tablespoons (30g)        Price $1.99 -12 ounce jar (340g)

Président® Madrigal (French Baby Swiss) Cheese – Food Review – Trader Joe’s

11/26/2016

president, madrigal cheese, france, trader joe's, swiss-styleNovember 26, 2016

It’s Swiss, but it’s French.  Hmm?  Well it’s a Swiss-style cheese made in France.  But saying that would probably get me thrown out of the country.  Both countries!

Let’s just say that if the word Madrigal was misread as Magical, that would be a good description of this cheese.  At $5.99 a pound this is a very good semi-hard cheese that actually tastes like a Swiss-style cheese, albeit a milder Swiss cheese.  The only thing to be careful about is the thin wax covering that sort of blends in with the cheese and tends to stick between the teeth if measures aren’t taken to avoid it.  Don’t ask me how I know.

Calories 100 per ounce (28g)
Price $5.99 -per pound

Trader Joe’s Bolivian Blend Coffee – Whole Bean – Food Review

11/19/2016

coffee, trader joe's, Bolivian Blend, medium dark roast, fair trade, organicNovember 18, 2016

The medium-dark brown fairly oily beans produce a nice aroma on opening the can.   Once brewed, the coffee produces a strong taste which is mildly bitter on the tongue.  As it cools, the coffee transitions to an earthy taste and the bitterness declines.  The bitterness is a good bitterness, like a good beer has some bitterness to it.  However as with many things, bitterness is an acquired taste.  If you’re adverse to bitter tastes, this may not be a coffee for you.  There’s some sense of acidity on the roof of the mouth and in the stomach.

This is a good coffee for people looking for a stronger tasting coffee without going over the edge.  The coffee is labeled as both organic and fair trade.   Price  $7.99 (14 oz can)

Trader Joe’s Chocolate Liqueur Cherries – Food Review

11/19/2016

trader joes, dark chocolate liqueur cherriesNovember 18, 2016

Dark chocolate covered liquid center cherries are my favorite treat.  Come gift-giving holidays, the family gets off cheaply as this is my usual present.  But no complaints.  Will the addition of alcohol to the mix make these even better?

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Trader Joe’s – St. Donatus Balatonboglari Merlot – 2015 – Wine Review

11/19/2016

Hungary, Merlot, semi sweet, St. Donatus, Garamvari, balatonboglariNovember 18, 2016

This one is different.  Read on.

There’s very little aroma when first uncorked.  On first pour, the wine is ruby-red and much lighter than a typical red wine.  The first sip reveals a mild semi-sweet fruity wine as the bottle claims.  There’s nothing intricate in the taste and at the same time nothing bad in the taste.

This wine is all about your expectations.  If you’re looking for something to savor and spend the night discussing the intricacies of Merlots and where this stands in that continuum, this wine is not for you.  If you’re looking for something to have at home with dinner, or just want something to sip, relax with, and not have to in any way think about what’s in the glass, this will serve that purpose.  With some mild red-sauced pasta, the wine worked well.

The key difference here, if you haven’t picked up on it, is the word semi-sweet.  This is a style of wine not usually found on the shelves outside of Hungary where this wine is made.  The sweetness of the wine is noticeable but not sickeningly sweet like some really horrible wines.  This is a nice good quality wine with a different flavor profile.  Price $5.99

ALDI – Clancy’s Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips – Food Review

11/12/2016

aldi, clancy's, potato chips, sour cream and onionNovember 12, 2016

I needed to buy two bags of these chips to do this review.  The first bag had very little seasoning. The second bag had more seasoning, but still on the light side.  In other words, there wasn’t very much of that sour cream and onion flavor in either bag.  Other than the seasoning, these are nicely done chips – thin, cooked perfectly, and not very salty.  At $1.39 per bag they’re not much more than a 1 ounce bag from a vending machine.  But if you’re looking for that sour cream and onion flavor, you may be disappointed with these chips.  Calories  150/1 ounce (about 13 chips)     Price $1.39 per 9.5 ounce bag

aldi, clancy's, potato chips, sour cream and onion, nutrition