Posts Tagged ‘reviews’
05/12/2017
May 12, 2017
There’s a very nice, strong aroma coming from the glass on first pour which portends a full-bodied wine. The wine is fruity and dry at the same time in the mouth. There are no real negatives. Although for the very critical among us, there are hints of things to complain about. This is a blend of mostly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, according to the internet.
Generally this wine is a love or hate affair when reviewed on the web. About 2/3 of reviewers like this and think it’s a great value wine. The 1/3 of reviews which hate this may be due to some “bad” bottles. Although my guess is those bad reviews are prompted by personal preferences. Most of the reviews were for earlier vintages. There were very few 2015 vintage reviews.
While this is not a great wine, and would anyone really expect a great wine at this price, if you’re not afraid to challenge yourself by adding some complexity to a wine, this is an inexpensive way to do that. And you just might like it. I did. Price $5.99.
Tags:2015, bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, chateau poyanne, merlot, price, red wine, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 3 Comments »
05/12/2017
May 12, 2017
This isn’t a well-aged prime New York strip steak to be
dabbled with ketchup. And really that wasn’t expected.
This is something for the person who worries about food wastage or worries more about being able to eat this evening. With the primary ingredients of the steak being; mechanically separated chicken, beef, pork and soy protein concentrate, this product seems very old school. By old school, I mean, don’t waste any ingredient or any part of any ingredient. While we don’t exactly know which parts of what went into the grinder, we can evaluate what came out.
What came out of the grinder are six Salisbury steak patties and a whole bunch of gravy. The steaks are bland. The gravy has a touch of beef flavor to it. The texture of the steaks is somewhere between chewable and gumable. There’s nothing especially bad about the taste, and there’s nothing especially good about the taste. For hungry people on a budget none of this is going to matter because it’s also warm and filling.
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Tags:aldi, calories, food, nutrition, price, review, reviews, salisbury steak
Posted in ALDI, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items | 4 Comments »
05/08/2017
May 8, 2017
The aroma and flavor are pleasantly smokey, reminiscent of a barbecue. The cheese is semi-soft to cut and creamy in the mouth. The smoke flavor is a nice contrast to the texture of the cheese. For $4.99 a pound this is a nicely flavored smoked cheese from Holland. If you’re in need of a smoked cheese and in or nearby a Trader Joe’s, this is a good and surprisingly economical choice.
Price $4.99 per pound Calories 90 per ounce (28g)
Tags:calories, cheese, Dutch, food, nutrition, price, review, reviews, smoked cheese, tj, tj's, trader joe's
Posted in Recipes, food, cooking and related items, Trader Joe's | 7 Comments »
04/30/2017
April 30, 2017
If you like cinnamon and sugar you’ll like these. Think of this as very light French toast in a bag. The wheat based churros are crisp, airy and light, fried into a spiral shape about 2 inches long and 3/4 inches around. Crunchy, sweet and not overly spiced with cinnamon, it’s hard to put these down. And that’s the only problem, it’s so easy to eat the whole bag (3 servings per bag) at once. That would put you back 360 calories for the day and still wanting more.
Calories 120 per 1 ounce serving Price 89 cents per 3 ounce bag
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ALDI customer contact URL – https://www.aldi.us/en/contact-us/
Tags:aldi, calories, churros, cinnamon, clancy's, food, price, review, reviews, snacks
Posted in ALDI, food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items | 6 Comments »
04/23/2017
April 23, 2017
A fruity aroma escaped the bottle on first opening which quickly disappeared for good. This is a mildly dry and earthy Malbec from Argentina similar to the other two Malbecs (Gestos, Amancay) recently reviewed. Red wines generally need a few years to reach their peaks. As a 2016 vintage, this is a red wine which has most likely not peaked. But as a $5 wine, does anyone much care?
For me, this is an everyday table wine meant to be consumed with food. The wine has a fairly strong flavor profile making paring with; red meats, strong cheeses, hearty sauces and of course pizza, obvious choices. A burrito Jalisco and Jimmy John’s #5 worked well for me on separate days.
Alone, this is still a drinkable wine with sometimes a bit of a bad aftertaste that may make one wish they had spent another dollar or two for a better wine. But still, this is not bad for the price and I’ve easily had worse. Price $4.99
Tags:2016, aldi, argentina, malbec, price, review, reviews, sayanca, wine
Posted in ALDI, Wine | Leave a Comment »
04/15/2017
April 15, 2017
Of the cheddars reviewed here, this one is the best cheddar yet at Trader Joe’s, if you like an American-style cheddar. Aged “over” 18 months, the cheese is just starting to get crumbly. Over that time the flavor has matured into a nice tasting cheddar. Compared to a Kraft sharp cheddar, this one is a bit tastier and definitely not as creamy. Both those things are good if you’re looking for an aged cheese. While tastier, the flavor is not overwhelming as the name might imply. Calories – 110 per oz (28g). Price $5.99 per pound.
Tags:calories, cheese, extra-sharp-cheddar, food, new york, price, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's
Posted in food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items, Trader Joe's | 6 Comments »
04/09/2017
April 9, 2017
The gimmick for this wine is the grapes grown at two different altitudes. That’s how it gets its name and label. The wine consists of 50% grapes grown at 1100 meters and 50% grapes grown at 700 meters. The idea is that each altitude (and environment) adds different characteristics to the grapes and ultimately the wine. And how does that work?
This wine is very similar to the Amancay Malbec reviewed last week. Both come from the Mendoza region of Argentina. The aroma is strong and earthy in the glass. The wine is dry and earthy in the mouth. The color is deep purple. There may be a bit more body and a bit less dryness than the Amancay. This would be a more interesting wine than the Amancay if not for a somewhat harsh aftertaste. Price $8.99.
Tags:2014, argentina, malbec, price, red wine, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 1 Comment »
03/31/2017
March 31, 2017
This Malbec from the Uco Valley of Argentina has a deep purple color in the glass with a mild fruity aroma. On the first glass there’s a bit of alcohol burn in the nose and the back of the throat. In the mouth there’s a dry watery feel. The dryness is not overpowering, but definitely there on the roof of the mouth. For those who don’t mind a dry red wine, this is a reasonably good wine for the price. The simple but elegant label is a bonus. Price $6.99.
Tags:2014, argentina, malbec, price, red wine, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wine
Posted in Trader Joe's, Wine | 3 Comments »
03/31/2017
March 31, 2017
This is a domestic (US) extra sharp cheddar from Wisconsin. While it’s a nice cheese, especially considering the only $4.99 per pound price, it’s not what I’d call an extra sharp cheddar. So just as a reality check, I went out and purchased an extra sharp cheddar from Kraft. The Kraft cheese is “sharper” but not as sharp as I remember it. Still however, the Kraft has more of the cheddar flavor I was expecting. As would be expected, both have more flavor when allowed to warm to room temperature. As a comparison, the Kraft came in at around $7 per pound slightly on sale at a regular super market. The texture was similar for both cheeses, solid but soft. For those wanting more flavor in their American-style cheeses, the TJ extra sharp cheddar will give you that at a reasonable price. For those wanting a still more flavorful cheese, look elsewhere.
Calories – 120 per ounce. Price $4.99 per pound. Coming up next week is a TJ X-tra X-tra Sharp New York Cheddar. We’ll see. As an aside, I nicely paired both of the cheeses above with some Amancay Malbec.
Tags:calories, cheese, extra-sharp-cheddar, food, price, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, wisconsin
Posted in food, Recipes, food, cooking and related items, Trader Joe's | 1 Comment »
03/16/2017
March 16, 2017
This is another one where it would be way too easy to eat the whole package in one sitting. A very little bit of a smokey peppery earthy taste mixed in with creamy, but not soft, English cheddar is the best description I could come up with. That description doesn’t do it taste justice. It may not be to everyone’s liking, but this is very good.
Of particular note are a couple of the lesser ingredients, anchovy and bamboo fiber. What’s This For? Well I sure don’t know, but whatever the reason the whole seems to work just fine.
At $9.99 per pound, this is in line with similar cheeses at Trader Joe’s. The calories, at 110 per ounce (28g), are also similar to other cheeses.
Tags:cheddar, cheese, england, food, italian, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, truffles
Posted in Recipes, food, cooking and related items, Trader Joe's | 15 Comments »
May 12, 2017
Ain't Found A Good Title Blog 