What New Foods Have You Tried?: Like It? Hate It? Share Here!

[WendyCR72]

I love Oreos. And I love Chewy Chips Ahoy. (I know, not healthy...but they're good!)

 

Well, there is now a cookie that combines the two...kind of: Chewy Chips Ahoy with Oreo Creme! And, yeah, they are good.  :-)  So if you like Chewy Chips Ahoy and Oreos, try these!

[PRgal]

Noted in another thread, but I recently tried chocolate hummus at a holiday vendor market and liked it, so I purchased a tub.  Used it for chicken the last night and let's just say that I'll probably go back to more "traditional" hummus flavours.  I also tried game meat burgers at a new Toronto area burger place (had camel and kangaroo along with more "normal" patties like lentil and fish (tuna, to be exact).  It was interesting, but in a good way.  I liked the camel (and blogged about it, too).

[emma675]

 

I love Oreos. And I love Chewy Chips Ahoy. (I know, not healthy...but they're good!)

 

Well, there is now a cookie that combines the two...kind of: Chewy Chips Ahoy with Oreo Creme! And, yeah, they are good.  :-)  So if you like Chewy Chips Ahoy and Oreos, try these!

Aw, dammit. I really did not need to know these existed. Two of my favorites!

[Tabbyclaw]

Resurrecting this thread because I have discovered Trader Joe's latest seasonal chocolate: Fireworks. A dark chocolate bar with a touch of chili and pop rocks. Yes, you read that correctly. I didn't think the heat added anything to the experience, but the candy was...entertaining.

[GreekGeek]

I bought cactus pear for the first time last week, because the pretty color (kind of magenta) caught my eye. It was already cut up and in a little plastic tub, so there was no need to peel and chop. I didn't care for it raw; there were too many seeds--like blackberry or raspberry, but larger. I looked up some recipes online and they suggested pureeing it and straining it for the juice. It was much better that way. I may get it again and make jelly.

[DeLurker]

Turkey salad with grapes and almond slices mixed in. Sounded awful but was surprisingly tasty.

Edited February 10, 2015 by DeLurker

[Betweenyouandme]

Turkey salad with grapes and almond slices mixed in. Sounded awful but was surprisingly tasty.

No. That sounds really good!! I've had it with chopped walnuts before but not almonds.

[Bastet]

I bought cactus pear for the first time last week, because the pretty color (kind of magenta) caught my eye. It was already cut up and in a little plastic tub, so there was no need to peel and chop. I didn't care for it raw; there were too many seeds--like blackberry or raspberry, but larger.

 

Oh, I love the tuna raw and the seeds don't bother me.  I usually eat it plain (for breakfast or a snack), but I like it on a salad, too. 

 

I also like the nopales of the cactus, usually in soups or salads, but sometimes just left whole and grilled.

 

Thankfully, my local market sells both with the spines already removed (as do most of the farmers selling them at the farmers' market, but at least one leaves them on ... for those who like the adventure, I guess, but unless I'm harvesting it myself I'd rather someone else do that step).

[jenh526]

Resurrecting this thread because I have discovered Trader Joe's latest seasonal chocolate: Fireworks. A dark chocolate bar with a touch of chili and pop rocks. Yes, you read that correctly. I didn't think the heat added anything to the experience, but the candy was...entertaining.

 

I was intrigued enough to go to Trader Joe's tonight and buy this. I'm going to save it for Valentine's Day though! I wanted to check out a couple of other things too. The contestants on the Great British Bake Off have made a couple of things that Trader Joe's sells - kouign amann and steak and ale pie. Decided to pass on these for now but I really would like to try the kouign amann - if anyone has had this, would it make a decent coffee cake for breakfast or is it strictly a dessert item? The steak and ale pie looks a bit too high in calories for me, although I guess I could cut it in half.

 

I gotta say, I'm getting some great food ideas from these threads. :) I recently bought some mini-phyllo shells and am trying to figure out what to fill them with. I'd like to try a s'mores thing with them, maybe with some marshmallow fluff under the broiler. Hope I won't be posting it in the disaster thread...

[Sandman87]

I noticed a package of an oddball type of Oreos that I'd never seen before in the discount aisle at the local market, aka the "buy it quick before it expires" aisle, so I tried it. After I got home, I mean. I didn't save the wrapper so I don't remember what they're called, but they're individual Oreo cookies (rather than the usual two cookie sandwich) with fudge frosting on top and dark chocolate covering the whole thing. They're pretty good, much better than a normal Oreo.

[WendyCR72]

I think I just licked the monitor.

[Sandman87]

Yep, I think that's them. Hard to tell, since there appears to be saliva on the monitor now for some reason. :)  Anyway, they don't suck.

[annzeepark914]

I believe I've mentioned these new discoveries in other threads in this forum but at Trader Joe's, I love their Reduced Guilt Mac & Cheese (frozen foods).  Just as tasty IMO as their regular M&C, maybe even better.  And Trader Joe's arrabbiatta sauce (the "heat" varies from jar to jar, I've learned, so I never add any heat myself).  And in the regular supermarkets, I now buy a couple bags of Bertolli's Shrimp & Asparagus w/ Penne to keep in the freezer.  All you do is pour it into a large skillet, cover and heat (I sprinkle with garlic powder and Penzey's Mural of Flavor first).  The sauce is a creamy tomato basil and quite delicious.  That's for nights when I just don't feel like cooking.  Back to Trader Joe's: their California Estate extra virgin olive oil is very good and only $5.99 (I think it's as good as Olio Santo which is $29).

 

Tonight I ground up chicken breasts (pulsing in my food processor) and added other ingredients so that all I have to do tomorrow is make chicken burgers...my new favorite.

[MargeGunderson]

I was intrigued enough to go to Trader Joe's tonight and buy this. I'm going to save it for Valentine's Day though! I wanted to check out a couple of other things too. The contestants on the Great British Bake Off have made a couple of things that Trader Joe's sells - kouign amann and steak and ale pie. Decided to pass on these for now but I really would like to try the kouign amann - if anyone has had this, would it make a decent coffee cake for breakfast or is it strictly a dessert item? The steak and ale pie looks a bit too high in calories for me, although I guess I could cut it in half.

 

I gotta say, I'm getting some great food ideas from these threads. :) I recently bought some mini-phyllo shells and am trying to figure out what to fill them with. I'd like to try a s'mores thing with them, maybe with some marshmallow fluff under the broiler. Hope I won't be posting it in the disaster thread...

 

I've had the Kougin Aman - they are very good! It's good for breakfast, kind of like a croissant (but less flaky) with a crunchy sugar crust. Be sure to proof them in a warm place; my kitchen seems to be a bit too cold in the winter so they only rise if I preheat the oven to warm, then turn it off and wait a few minutes before putting the pastry in the oven to rise overnight.

[GreekGeek]

Ooh, Sandman87, was it this? Yum.

 

Oh yes--I bought those, thinking they would be like regular Oreos with icing. They weren't bad at all, but I still prefer the original Oreos. There's just enough bitterness in the chocolate cookie not to be cloying. I doubt I'll buy the Fudge Cremes again--all the more for everyone else!

[Sun-Bun]

As long as we're talking Trader Joe's, I *finally* tried their fabled Cookie Butter from there. And it was such the foodgasm: tasted like mushed up ginger snaps! Liked it so much that I may have to go back and get some more, or just try the "chunky" style.

[stillshimpy]

I tried Trader Joe's Salted Caramel Gelato and have discovered another food item I must never buy again, lest I decide to live on it entirely.  

 

Really fun stuff, but luckily it's so potently flavored that I think it would be difficult to eat much of it.  

[DeLurker]

As long as we're talking Trader Joe's, I *finally* tried their fabled Cookie Butter from there. And it was such the foodgasm: tasted like mushed up ginger snaps! Liked it so much that I may have to go back and get some more, or just try the "chunky" style.

Ben & Jerry's is making Spectacular Speculoos ™ which is Dark Caramel & Vanilla Ice Creams with Speculoos Cookies & a Speculoos Cookie Butter Core.

 

I've only been able to find it at a Target near me so far.  It is delightful.

[Quof]

As long as we're talking Trader Joe's, I *finally* tried their fabled Cookie Butter from there. And it was such the foodgasm: tasted like mushed up ginger snaps! Liked it so much that I may have to go back and get some more, or just try the "chunky" style.

 

Get the kind striped with chocolate.

[BW Manilowe]

Has anybody else tried the new Sweetos Cinnamon Sugar Puffs, that are technically part of the Cheetos line & a Limited Edition product?

If you haven't/don't know what I'm talking about, there's NO cheese or "cheese dust" anywhere in the recipe. So it's not a mix of cheese, cinnamon & sugar. It's just a plain, oddly shaped "puff" of some kind (I don't think it's corn), covered in cinnamon & sugar. It tastes like cinnamon & sugar, & I thought it also tasted kind of buttery; so did my Mom, who ate 2 or 3. They come in a purple & light blue bag.

I'm kind of embarrassed to say my bag was bought Saturday morning & finished by last night. They were that good, in my opinion, & my Mom only ate 2 or 3. I really hope Frito-Lay/Cheetos makes them a year-round product & not just a Limited Edition.

[Betweenyouandme]

Do they taste like those dessert things at Taco Bell?

[BW Manilowe]

Do they taste like those dessert things at Taco Bell?

The Cinnamon Twists? Maybe kinda. But I like 'em way better, & I think they taste better too. But that's just my opinion.

[Sun-Bun]

Speaking of Taco Bell, I dream of finally making my way down their entire breakfast menu, because so far I've loved every damned thing I've tried on it(some bacon/egg crunch wrap thing and those Cinnabon balls? Nomnom).

[annzeepark914]

Turkey salad with grapes and almond slices mixed in. Sounded awful but was surprisingly tasty.

Since I've had chicken salad with grapes and chopped walnuts that was delicious, I'm sure the turkey would be just as good.  I think Trader Joe's sells containers of chicken salad with grapes and walnuts (haven't seen it in a while, though, but I bought it once last year and it was great!)

[Quof]

I put canned peaches in my chicken salad. Mmmm.

[BW Manilowe]

Speaking of Taco Bell, I dream of finally making my way down their entire breakfast menu, because so far I've loved every damned thing I've tried on it(some bacon/egg crunch wrap thing and those Cinnabon balls? Nomnom).

Oh God... I LOVE the Cinnabon Delights! I've been able to try 'em 'cause they're sold all day, as a "dessert/side/snack", & not just during breakfast hours. I haven't tried the rest of the breakfast menu (yet) 'cause my family won't "do" breakfast outside our house unless it's at a "non-fast food" restaurant (like, somewhere that isn't the equivalent of McDonald's). But, besides the Cinnabon Delights, I want everything that's made mainly with bacon, eggs, & cheese. At least those items, maybe others.

[BW Manilowe]

I've tried another new food I wanna recommend. It's Eggo Breakfast Sandwiches.

They come 4 to a box. They're available with Sausage, Egg & Cheese; Bacon, Egg & Cheese, & Egg & Cheese. They're on very soft bread that's been made to look like a waffle (think like IHOP's Criss-Cross Croissant, or however they spell it. if you've seen those commercials). Somebody (more likely a machine) pressed a "waffle" pattern into the bread, at least the top piece of it, so it looks like you're eating a waffle but it's soft like a pancake.

I tried the Bacon, Egg & Cheese variety earlier today & was most surprised to find the bread also smelled & tasted like it had been infused with maple syrup somehow--my hands still smell like syrup, even now. It was quite similar to eating a McDonald's Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles Breakfast Sandwich. And that was fine by me 'cause I love those things, but my family, except for me, doesn't like fast food type breakfasts. If I can keep getting my Mom to get these, I can at least get my McGriddles "fix" with a reasonable substitute.

If you're a fan of McDonald's McGriddles, or any other similar fast food/pre-made breakfast sandwich (except maybe 1 on an English Muffin since those tend to be chewier breads), then Eggo Breakfast Sandwiches should be for you!

[Bastet]

My best friend just recently discovered compound butter after I gave her some of the last batch I made, and since she is a pre-made kind of cook, she went out in search of something at the store.  She picked up a container of Chef Shamy Gourmet garlic butter with parmesan and basil.  I'd like it a little less salty, but it's quite tasty.

Edited March 21, 2015 by Bastet

[latetotheparty]

Ooh, I love dark chocolate and chilis! Years ago, Godiva had some kind of truffle with pop rocks-type bits in there. I remember a cranberry one that was very refreshing, kind of like champagne bubbles popping in your mouth.

 

This evening I took part in a Chocolate Crawl at Central Market. My favorites were the chocolate and cheese pairings. I think this was the first time I've had manchego, and it was very good. I may have to go cheese shopping tomorrow.

 

Manchego with fig preserves is a great appetizer pairing.  To die for.

[latetotheparty]

Today I went to Sprouts to buy chicken sausage and some produce that was on sale. I usually glance at the cheese section to see if there's anything good on sale. I'm so glad I did -- they had a bin marked "$3 or less" and it was filled with end pieces of various cheeses. I came home with "tasting sized" pices of smoked gouda, manchego, white cheddar, bergenost, and my new favorite: Sartori Reserve Espresso Bellavitano.

 

I had sampled a piece of the Bellavitano at another grocery store the other day, but the price kept me from buying a wedge (more than $15 per pound). Thankfully, I was able to purchase two "less than $3" pieces today. Yay! I ate some tonight with a hunk of chocolate cherry bread. It was heavenly.

 

Sartori is my favorite Wisconsin artisanal cheesemaker.  Try their Asiago with Rosemary.  So so good.

[mansonlamps]

When I read this:

I started giggling, because I thought of some kind of twisted murder mystery. The detective goes on TV to say the break in the case of "Who Killed Mrs. Butterworth?" came after the suspect confessed that his hands "still smelled like syrup."

j

Lol this reminds me of when I had to take my cat to the vet for a low blood sugar incident (he was diabetic). I was supposed to dribble honey into his mouth but all I had was maple syrup. When the vet took us into the examination room she was like "why does this cat smell like pancakes?" Luckily for both me and my cat I am apparently the diabetic cat whisperer because he lived 10 years post diagnosis when the vet predicted one or, at most, three with intensive care. That was back before diabetic cats were common, they were mostly unheard of.

[Betweenyouandme]

I've tried another new food I wanna recommend. It's Eggo Breakfast Sandwiches.

They come 4 to a box. They're available with Sausage, Egg & Cheese; Bacon, Egg & Cheese, & Egg & Cheese. They're on very soft bread that's been made to look like a waffle (think like IHOP's Criss-Cross Croissant, or however they spell it. if you've seen those commercials). Somebody (more likely a machine) pressed a "waffle" pattern into the bread, at least the top piece of it, so it looks like you're eating a waffle but it's soft like a pancake.

I tried the Bacon, Egg & Cheese variety earlier today & was most surprised to find the bread also smelled & tasted like it had been infused with maple syrup somehow--my hands still smell like syrup, even now. It was quite similar to eating a McDonald's Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles Breakfast Sandwich. And that was fine by me 'cause I love those things, but my family, except for me, doesn't like fast food type breakfasts. If I can keep getting my Mom to get these, I can at least get my McGriddles "fix" with a reasonable substitute.

If you're a fan of McDonald's McGriddles, or any other similar fast food/pre-made breakfast sandwich (except maybe 1 on an English Muffin since those tend to be chewier breads), then Eggo Breakfast Sandwiches should be for you!

I bought the sausage one today and ate one for dinner. I really liked it! You were right about the maple smell/flavor and pancake bread. Way better than Jimmy Dean's. Edited March 24, 2015 by Betweenyouandme

[DeLurker]

Picked up some Spiced Chai tea in teabags at Trader Joe's and have been very pleased with it.  I've tried chai latte at Starbucks and similar, but always found them too sweet.  Given the expense of buying a prepared one, I did not like it that much to pay for going through the process of figuring out how to modify it to my tastes.  I'll just default to my standard mocha order - grande two pump mocha with whip.

 

With a little tinkering at home, I was able to come up with a balance of milk and sugar to make it suit me.  Since a box of 20 teabags costs about the same as 1 chai at Starbucks, it's a win-win for me.

 

I also picked up a sample pack of Cafe Escapes Chai Latte at Target for the Keurig.  This was way too sweet for me.

[Quof]

I just had the Starbucks Birthday Cake Frappucino.  For dinner.  As expected, really sweet. And it would have better with actual chunks of cake in it.

[DeLurker]

At my SIL's yesterday, I tried a carrot souffle she made.  I was hestitant because I've tried sweet potato souffle before and find them over the top sweet.  But the carrot souffle she made was from a Cooking Light recipe and it was very nice.  She even used less sugar than this recipe calls for (a 1/2 c vs. 2/3 c) and many of the commentors said they used 1/3 c.

[mansonlamps]

I was on a very low carb weight loss plan last year when I went to the Purdue university fashion show so I didn't get to try the peanut butter burger everyone else was raving about. The show is next week and, sixty pounds lighter, I can't wait to enjoy it this year! Lol I'm sure it can't possibly live up to my year long expectation.

[DeLurker]

Belated congrats on the weight loss mansonlamps.  Sixty pounds is quite impressive!

[mansonlamps]

Belated congrats on the weight loss mansonlamps.  Sixty pounds is quite impressive!

Thanks much DeLurker, looking forward to my burger!

[Betweenyouandme]

Cosmo creations salted caramel popcorn. Comes pre popped in bags. I loved it.

[DeLurker]

Went to a Chinese restaurant on Friday night and the waitress recommended a certain section of the menu as it was "real" Chinese style cooking as opposed to the Americanized versions in the rest of the menu*.  We ended up ordering the black pepper fish from this section which was really tasty, but the big surprise was it was served on a bed of shredded cabbage that was lightly seasoned.

 

I'm luke warm on cabbage at best, but this was oh-so-delicious!  It paired wonderfully with the fish, but I could seriously eat a bowl of it on its own. 

 

I have no idea how they prepare it, but I'll take my nephew there next time he visits because he knows a lot about cooking and has the ability to distinguish the different seasonings/flavors used.

 

*That sounds kind of bad when I write it out, but we were the only ones in the restaurant at the time so there was no risk of someone else overhearing and taking offense.  Plus, my brother and I are half Taiwanese so the assumption was we wouldn't be offended.

[mansonlamps]

Who would possibly take offense at someone ordering the more authentic Chinese food over the Americanized version? That seems bizarre, it's just a food preference after all.

[EighteenTwelve]

I just came back from a vacation in Australia.  While I was there, I tried kangaroo and discovered I liked it quite a lot.  It tastes like beef, only more so, and the grain is a little different.

[BooksRule]

I don't think I've tried any new foods lately, but I always like to give new foods a try at parties, receptions, etc. because it's a great way to try them without having to pay for a dish that I might not like.  I tried rumaki once (even though I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it because I generally don't like any type of liver-based foods) and I was right--I didn't like.  But at least I gave it a try.  At the same party, I tried fried calamari and liked it (although since that time, I tried ceviche calamari and hated it).

[stillshimpy]

I tried So Delicious Cashew Milk Ice Cream  .  I normally really dislike dairy-free attempts at "ice cream" because they have an odd, not particularly creamy texture, even if the taste is good.  Like coconut milk ice cream.  If you don't make it at home, it has a strange texture.   

 

But the cashew milk ice cream is insanely good.  I swear that chocolate is every bit as good as chocolate ice cream and actually if you didn't tell someone it was dairy free, they wouldn't know.  

 

One thing though, it does have a funky thing going on where it takes sort of a long time to melt to a scoopable temperature.  Other than that, it is fabulous stuff.  

Edited May 31, 2015 by stillshimpy

[auntlada]

Turkey salad with grapes and almond slices mixed in. Sounded awful but was surprisingly tasty.

 

Add some curry powder and chopped apple, and it will be even better.

[imjagain]

I tried So Delicious Cashew Milk Ice Cream . I normally really dislike dairy-free attempts at "ice cream" because they have an odd, not particularly creamy texture, even if the taste is good. Like coconut milk ice cream. If you don't make it at home, it has a strange texture.

But the cashew milk ice cream is insanely good. I swear that chocolate is every bit as good as chocolate ice cream and actually if you didn't tell someone it was dairy free, they wouldn't know.

One thing though, it does have a funky thing going on where it takes sort of a long time to melt to a scoopable temperature. Other than that, it is fabulous stuff.

I liked this too. Very creamy. Will definitely buy again.

The funny thing is that I really don't like cashew milk. I feel like it was to thick, reminded me to much of real milk. I hate milk.

[DeLurker]

I'm making hamburgers tonight with ground beef bought from a local farm at the Farmer's Market yesterday.  It was pretty expensive, $8 a pound, but I wanted to try it to see if it's worth the price.   The burgers will have a mixture of marinated red, yellow and orange peppers, sliced onion and cucumber on top, as well as cheese.    On the side I'm roasting potato wedges.  For dessert is a cobbler with peaches, blueberries and raspberries (the raspberries are ones I picked myself in our backyard last year and froze.  The recipe called for blackberries, but they were pretty pricey, and I remembered I had the raspberries in the freezer.  I pulled out the bag of berries and tasted some, they tasted fine so I added them to the mixture instead of the blackberries.

Migrated from What's for Dinner.

 

I've been buying antibiotic, hormone free, and organic (depending on price) meat for about the last 9 months when I can.  Sometimes the price are just too high for me to jutify the expense though.

 

I've found, with beef especially, the product is usually worth the price.  Most of the time (although not always), there's a taste difference.  There's always a difference in the amount of run off you get when cooking the meat.  If I use ground beef for tacos or something that needs to be browned, there is very little liquid and fat runoff.  I find my family, including a college student and a teenager, are feeling satified on a smaller quantity of meat too.  For example, I might buy a couple of steaks to cook at once, but only cut each of us about 4 ounce portions.  There's more steak already cooked and I tell the kids to help themselves if they are still hungry, but they rarely get seconds.  Leftovers are never a problem at our house because they either become another meal, get repurposed or go into my son's lunch he makes (normally ramen noodles with leftover meat plus some veggies in it or sliced up meat on corn tortillas).

 

Have other people found these kinds of meat more filling and therefore eating less?

[harrie]

I do find grass-fed beef, if not more filling, less fatty and more satisfying in that it has a taste.  I'm enjoying the meat itself, not just the fatty/greasy flavor (though to be honest, I like that taste, too).

 

Plus, we try (and often fail) to eat like other cultures do, with meat as more of a garnish or accent than main component of a meal; so if we buy less because it's pricier, that's okay with us.  However, we're regular customers, and our meat guys (beef, pork, poultry, eggs, sometimes pasture-raised veal) often give us price breaks or throw in a value-added item -- so in the long run, it's probably not much more expensive than grocery store meat. 

 

There are other reasons - like food safety/producer accountability and treatment of critters - why I like to buy local meat (and other stuff), but I get way too preachy so will leave it at that.  I also know that not everyone shares my point of view and/or concerns, or can afford to go the farmers' market route; and I do not mean to imply that I think this is the only way to go.  It is merely what works for my household. 

 

DeLurker, that ramen plus leftovers lunch dish sounds really, really good!

[Bastet]

I do find grass-fed beef, if not more filling, less fatty and more satisfying in that it has a taste.  I'm enjoying the meat itself, not just the fatty/greasy flavor (though to be honest, I like that taste, too).

 

Same here, on both counts.  I prefer the taste of grass-fed beef (plus, one of my many ethical considerations for the consumption of meat is that the animal that is going to be sacrificed to become my dinner spent its life eating what it's supposed to eat), but a commercial beef burger is a guilty pleasure that tastes good in its own right.

[DeLurker]

I've been more concerned about the added hormones.  For me, I figure I am too old so it probably would not make a difference one way or another.  But for my kids, my daughter especially since she ate nominal amounts of meat prior to the last year, it might made a difference.

 

harrie - gussied up ramen is a big favorite in my family.  You can walk into anyone of my brothers pantries and you'll find it (we're brand specific so it will be Maruchen).  A big treat is when it is made with homemade bone broth.  My brothers all love cracking an egg in it right at the end of cooking.  Some will stir it around and get little egg runners in the soup, others will just leave it whole and spoon in to it as they eat.  I'm not big on that, but it thrills them to no end.

 

And count me in as "needing" a good burger fix now and then.  I though about becoming a vegetarian several times as an adult, knowing I would get hit with that craving every few months always stopped me.  I think I can be called a flexetarian - I eat meat a few times a week.  My daughter, just naturally, eats that way too.  My son is pretty married to the idea that dinner should contain meat.