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

[rcc]

I bought a box of Entemann's cupcakes yesterday on sale 2/$5.00 with a big NEW on the box. They taste just like the old Hostess cupcakes before the company that bought them made them awful.

The Entemann's were moist, icing creamy, the center just like it should be.

[EllieH]

I tried that new Oui by Yoplait yogurt yesterday, the french kind with fruit on the bottom (black cherry yesterday) that comes in little glass jars.  It was tasty and not too sweet, but only 5 grams of protein and I'd prefer a little more like Greek yogurt typically has.  And the jar was cute, I thought about washing it out and keeping it but with no lid it didn't seem very practical to keep.  That being said, I'd probably buy it again on sale and try more of the flavors.

[ebk57]

4 hours ago, EllieH said:

I tried that new Oui by Yoplait yogurt yesterday, the french kind with fruit on the bottom (black cherry yesterday) that comes in little glass jars.  It was tasty and not too sweet, but only 5 grams of protein and I'd prefer a little more like Greek yogurt typically has.  And the jar was cute, I thought about washing it out and keeping it but with no lid it didn't seem very practical to keep.  That being said, I'd probably buy it again on sale and try more of the flavors.

I had a buy one/get one deal from the local grocery store, so I did.  And I was not really taken with it.  The glass jar is cute, but as you say, it's not really practical, so into the recycling it went.  And the yogurt was only okay (I got the vanilla and lemon).

I've become quite fond of Noosa and Liberte (but I wish the coffee flavor from Liberte was permanent and not a limited release).

[Jaded]

I had a coupon for a single serve Evol Foods Truffle Parmesan Mac & Cheese. I had never tried anything truffle related before so I don't know if this frozen dinner represents what they taste like well. I'm still not sure if I liked it or not. I admit that it smelled kinda weird to me. It tasted better then the smell it gave off. 

[Qoass]

Okay, these aren't "new" foods but I had two triumphs over the weekend.

First, I tried a new recipe for chick pea & avocado salad that came out delicious! I had my doubts because I'm still not sure I actually like avocados and never pick a properly ripe one and I had to use lemon juice instead of lime but I was happily surprised.

Second. I am not one of those people who sleeps until the alarm goes off so thanks to Daylight Saving time ending, I was awake way, way too early Sunday morning. I gave up trying to doze and went to the kitchen and made cornmeal buttermilk pancakes and threw in some freezerburned blueberries for color (the flavor had flown) and they actually came out right! I tend to make burned-on-the-outside, raw-in-the-middle disks so, again, happily surprised.

[Spunkygal]

On November 6, 2017 at 8:52 AM, Qoass said:

Okay, these aren't "new" foods but I had two triumphs over the weekend.

First, I tried a new recipe for chick pea & avocado salad that came out delicious! I had my doubts because I'm still not sure I actually like avocados and never pick a properly ripe one and I had to use lemon juice instead of lime but I was happily surprised.

Second. I am not one of those people who sleeps until the alarm goes off so thanks to Daylight Saving time ending, I was awake way, way too early Sunday morning. I gave up trying to doze and went to the kitchen and made cornmeal buttermilk pancakes and threw in some freezerburned blueberries for color (the flavor had flown) and they actually came out right! I tend to make burned-on-the-outside, raw-in-the-middle disks so, again, happily surprised.

Thanks for the link to the salad! It does sound good and I plan on trying it next week. 

[Scatterbrained]

On 9/2/2017 at 0:39 PM, EllieH said:

I tried that new Oui by Yoplait yogurt yesterday, the french kind with fruit on the bottom (black cherry yesterday) that comes in little glass jars.  It was tasty and not too sweet, but only 5 grams of protein and I'd prefer a little more like Greek yogurt typically has.  And the jar was cute, I thought about washing it out and keeping it but with no lid it didn't seem very practical to keep.  That being said, I'd probably buy it again on sale and try more of the flavors.

Speaking of cute little glass jars, I recently discovered that 4 of these fit nicely into one of these ( I can't remember the exact dimensions, but will look them up if anyone wants me to).  I am now using them to store little odds and ends in my cupboard.  I think they also make good containers for storing little bits of things, like dips, or leftover berries.

Edited November 20, 2017 by Scatterbrained

[chessiegal]

This isn't a new food, but I have a question about hard boiled (peeled) eggs being sold in the grocery store. I use them on occasion when I want to make deviled eggs and want to save time. I also like what I grew up calling pickled eggs (raised in PA), hard boiled eggs added to canned beets with vinegar added, and use them for that. I read a comment about who knows what preservatives they add to these eggs. I use Egglands Best. The packaging lists 1 ingredient - eggs. If they're using preservatives, it would have listed. Am I missing something?

[mishy]

Quote

I use Egglands Best. The packaging lists 1 ingredient - eggs. If they're using preservatives, it would have listed. Am I missing something?

I thought those eggs were processed in citric acid and sodium benzoate? 

Edited November 21, 2017 by mishy

[chessiegal]

I like dill pickles, and have settled on Clausen refrigerated. I saw on ATK that Boar's Head was rated best so bought some. I was disappointed - taste was good but I thought they were too mushy. I like my pickles crisp.

My grocery store offered a free package of Mrs. Fields cookie dough, so I got some with high hopes. I'd say they're worth what I paid for them - disappointing.

[Mindthinkr]

4 hours ago, chessiegal said:

 

I like dill pickles, and have settled on Clausen refrigerated.

 

I have never had any better than the Clausens or ones that my family has put up. Well maybe this old time store (years ago) that had them by the barrels. 

[rcc]

To me Clausens is the best commercial pickle maker. Every type especially the bread and butter pickles.

[thosme]

Clausens are my favorite too but only the dill pickles.  For the last 15 years I have guzzled the brine for periodic calf muscle cramps.  Fortunately the rest of my family likes the pickles too so there is usually extra brine. 

[PRgal]

I had seal for the first time.  I'm not sure what to think about it.  Actually, I'm not even sure how to describe it, other than the fact that it was my first time eating Indigenous Canadian food (other than bannock, which is a kind of bread). 

[Quof]

Yeah, every Canadian child made bannock in Grade 7 Social Studies, didn't they? 

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, Quof said:

Yeah, every Canadian child made bannock in Grade 7 Social Studies, didn't they? 

I wasn't in the country in Grade 7 (I was in Bermuda that year), so no.  

[larapu2000]

On 11/20/2017 at 9:01 PM, chessiegal said:

This isn't a new food, but I have a question about hard boiled (peeled) eggs being sold in the grocery store. I use them on occasion when I want to make deviled eggs and want to save time. I also like what I grew up calling pickled eggs (raised in PA), hard boiled eggs added to canned beets with vinegar added, and use them for that. I read a comment about who knows what preservatives they add to these eggs. I use Egglands Best. The packaging lists 1 ingredient - eggs. If they're using preservatives, it would have listed. Am I missing something?

Companies are required to list all products used, so if it only lists eggs, it's only eggs.  I'm pretty sure that the packaging is the "preservative" here.  They are probably using some kind of process that removes the "regular" air from the package and replaces it with nitrogen, or another gas that staves off bacterial growth.  Those eggs, once opened, then have a ticking clock, as it says on the package-I believe 7 days after opening the seal.  

Hope this makes you feel better about eating them.  There's really no harm in this type of packaging.  You'll see it also used on precooked bacon products when you wonder why they don't have it in the cooler. 

Processes and packaging can limit or eliminate the use of preservatives.  My company makes cheese sauces, dips, and puddings, and our process is an ultra high heat cooking for a short period of time, with a sterile packaging area that gives our products 12-18 months of shelf life without using a single preservative.  

It's unfortunate that there is so much suspicion around our food.  I can tell you, as someone that works for a food company, we are constantly working FOR the customer, not just for ourselves!

[chessiegal]

Thanks for the info on the hard boiled eggs. Nitrogen packing makes sense. I use them when I want to make deviled eggs and don't want to worry my own hard boiled all come out perfectly shaped.

[film noire]

I ordered Yuzo Kosho from Amazon: it's a rough paste with a salty, citrusy flavour & a bit of heat (I have a high heat tolerance, so it may be hotter for others). There's a faint, tea-like background flavour (which I love). Been using it in stir fry/curry/chicken dishes. 

Edited December 5, 2017 by film noire

[DeLurker]

@film noire - That sounds like something worth trying!  I can't take heat if it comes from any kind of peppers, so I think I will need to use it very sparingly.  I suspect others in my extended family are going to be delighted with a much healthier dosing! Since I need to go to the local Asian Market for some fresh bean sprouts, I'll look for this too.

Edited December 5, 2017 by DeLurker

[Mindthinkr]

@film noire  Never heard of it but I enjoy a bit of heat and spice. I take it you have been using it before. I'm interested in trying it. Do you have a link to a recipe or if not, a suggestion of how much to use and what to try it in?  I probably do not have you heat tolerance. When I go to the local Indian restaurant, for instance, and ask for medium heat which always ends up pretty hot! 

[film noire]

2 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

@film noire  Never heard of it but I enjoy a bit of heat and spice. I take it you have been using it before. I'm interested in trying it. Do you have a link to a recipe or if not, a suggestion of how much to use and what to try it in?  I probably do not have you heat tolerance. When I go to the local Indian restaurant, for instance, and ask for medium heat which always ends up pretty hot!

3

This is my first jar (so I'm no expert ;)  but I came across it on Heidi Swansen's 101 cookbook site (she put it in salad dressing which I have yet to try) and it sounded interesting so I ordered a jar on Amazon. It's great with any Asian flavors (especially if using sesame oil, just allow for the saltiness in the paste if using soy sauce).  I also dilute it a bit with olive oil to rub on chicken breasts and shrimp, then roast. And anytime I use green curry paste (usually with chicken) it adds zing. I don't grill (illegal on our fire escape :) but lots of people use it with grilled meats.  A little info here:

http://honestlyyum.com/8148/what-is-yuzukosho/

And there are recipes online (so you could control the heat that way, maybe?) but yuzo (the Japanese lemon) is hard to find here, so people use a lemon/lime/grapefruit mix. 

[ariel]

1 hour ago, film noire said:

This is my first jar (so I'm no expert ;)  but I came across it on Heidi Swansen's 101 cookbook site (she put it in salad dressing which I have yet to try) and it sounded interesting so I ordered a jar on Amazon.  

Which one did you order on Amazon?  I'd like to give it a try.

[film noire]

39 minutes ago, ariel said:

Which one did you order on Amazon?  I'd like to give it a try.

https://www.amazon.com/Yuzu-Kosho-Japan-S-B/dp/B0012X1MJ2/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1512500856&sr=8-3&keywords=yuzu%2Bkosho&th=1

It's gone up in price  (I paid 6.79 with Prime).  It's not (as they describe) a "chutney" texture -- not chunky at all - it's more like the mixture you get when you mince garlic and then mash it with kosher salt with a knife. (And it's a smaller container than the picture indicates - there' s no writing on the jar in English, so it's hard to tell - I'd say maybe 3 ounces?) 

Here's the link to 101 cookbooks for the salad dressing: "The trick is to warmth oil just enough for it to liquify, mix together all of the ingredients, toss them with the salad, and then let the dressing return to its solid state, tiny coating each leaf with a velvety, rich texture and bright citrus chile spice." 

https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/an-exceptional-salad-with-an-unusual-coconut-oil-dressing-recipe.html

Never made it because (for some reason) the re-solidifying of the coconut oil puts me off (maybe that's the next new thing I should try :)

Edited December 5, 2017 by film noire

[biakbiak]

I am going to Japantown later in the week will check out the grocery story and see if they have it. Thanks for the tip!

[DeLurker]

Question:  I bought some dried cranberries from Trader Joe's (organic) for a recipe - I've eaten dried cranberries before, but not often and I haven't purchased them previously.  Is there a brand that is less sweet?  If so, what type?

[chessiegal]

Grilled okra - and I liked it. We were visiting family last week, and one night they made grilled chicken skewers (chicken had been marinated). They took okra, put it in olive oil, salt, pepper and grilled it. I don't care for okra, but grilling it took the slimy out.

[Spunkygal]

On December 14, 2017 at 0:07 PM, DeLurker said:

Question:  I bought some dried cranberries from Trader Joe's (organic) for a recipe - I've eaten dried cranberries before, but not often and I haven't purchased them previously.  Is there a brand that is less sweet?  If so, what type?

I have used Ocean Spray's reduced sugar dried cranberries for orange and cranberry shortbread cookies and am pleased with that product. I've never tried TJ's.

[DeLurker]

I gave them to my brother - he lliked them fine, but his wife and son noticed they were sweeter too.

I'll try the Ocean Spray Reduced - thanks!

[Qoass]

Someone in my company has shared a gift box from Brownie Points and oh my goodness, every little bite is heaven sent.

Edited December 27, 2017 by Qoass

[chessiegal]

This really isn't a new food, but I grew up loving what we called pickled eggs, but I've seen referred to as beet or red eggs. Take hard boiled eggs and add them to pickled beets. I had some today and wondered how they be as deviled eggs. I made some and dang they are good. Definitely going to the next pot luck.

[DeLurker]

Just had this last night - Hamachi Kama:  Grilled Japanese yellow tail jaw serve with ponzu sauce.

I had never had it before and it was really good.  You need to excavate the fish from the bones but it was well worth it.

[biakbiak]

On 12/29/2017 at 7:09 AM, DeLurker said:

Just had this last night - Hamachi Kama:  Grilled Japanese yellow tail jaw serve with ponzu sauce.

I had never had it before and it was really good.  You need to excavate the fish from the bones but it was well worth it.

I love fish collars! Its a shame they are getting so popular, my friend who worked in the fish department at WF used to give me heads and fish collars for free.

[HunterHunted]

7 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I love fish collars! Its a shame they are getting so popular, my friend who worked in the fish department at WF used to give me heads and fish collars for free.

Same thing with marrow bones. I used to get them dirt cheap. Now they are usually $6.99 a pound.

[Snow Apple]

Why can't I get into the m&m thread? Anyway, I just discovered white chocolate m&m and I think they're my favorite flavor now.

[BW Manilowe]

16 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

Why can't I get into the m&m thread? Anyway, I just discovered white chocolate m&m and I think they're my favorite flavor now.

I just tried it & I can get in just fine. Maybe you had a glitch. Try it again.

[SunnyBeBe]

I realize that fresh is best, but, sometimes, time is limited. These are some of the prepared things that I have tried and liked>

  I really like this Mashed Cauliflower (Sour Cream and chives.)  So tasty and not really different from mashed potatoes, imo. Except a fraction of the calories and carbs.  I keep it on hand at all times. It's really incredibly good, imo, but, I love veggies.

https://www.birdseye.com/product/mashed-cauliflower/

Also, for a good treat are Green Giant's Veggie Tots.  They come various flavors.  The key is to cook in oven, much longer than they recommend.  Then turn on broil, so they are crispy.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Green-Giant-Broccoli-Cheese-Veggie-Tots-16-oz/156218335?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=1579&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42423897272&wl4=aud-310687321802:pla-51320962143&wl5=9009687&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=156218335&wl13=1579&veh=sem

And my new favorite beverage:  Diet Cranberry/Cherry juice.  Only 2 carbs and 5 calories per cup.  

http://www.oceanspray.com/Products/Juices/By-Type/Diet/Diet-Cran-Cherry-Cranberry-Cherry-Juice-Drink.aspx

[PRgal]

New favourite snack?  Banana-based "brownies."  

 

https://www.ipanemavalley.com/

[Mittengirl]

LaCroix sparkling water - I see it everywhere and have tried a few flavors and just don’t get the popularity.  I think it is nasty tasting!

[HunterHunted]

On 2/8/2018 at 4:08 PM, Mittengirl said:

LaCroix sparkling water - I see it everywhere and have tried a few flavors and just don’t get the popularity.  I think it is nasty tasting!

Which flavors? I think coconut, cran-raspberry, berry, blackberry cucumber, and grapefruit melon are kind of weird and gross. I'm strictly a grapefruit, peach pear (and this only with orange juice), and cherry lime person. I've never tasted the elusive cola flavor.

[annzeepark914]

On 2/8/2018 at 5:08 PM, Mittengirl said:

LaCroix sparkling water - I see it everywhere and have tried a few flavors and just don’t get the popularity.  I think it is nasty tasting!

My daughter drinks LaCroix and two years ago, when her family visited us, I bought THE CASE (sheesh) of lime, which she said she likes. Ugh. She only drank a few of them and I was left with the about 8 cans of this disgusting drink.  Last fall she was here and I got the lemon (at her request) and it wasn't as awful (I still had a bunch of leftovers but just finished them).  If you squirt a little fresh lime into the lemon LaCroix, add lots of ice...it's not the end of the world.

[chessiegal]

I stopped at a place near our house to get shrimp pad thai. I'd never had it before, but saw someone making it on TV and it looked good. It was overly sweet. Is it supposed to be like that? The only other thing I've gotten there is hot and sour soup, and it was not good. Is it worth while to try some from a place I know does good Thai or Vietnamese?

[Sweedish Fish]

Harvest Snaps!  Very good.

 

[Lovecat]

I love those! Problem is, once I get going I can down a whole bag in one sitting :/

[scriggle]

I tried Zesty Herbs & Spice Fire Grilled Wings. Normally, I wouldn't buy something like this because $9.99 for 20oz is way too much and I can make my own much cheaper. But I had $1.50 manufacturer's coupon and a $1.50 store coupon that I could combine plus the fact they were on clearance at 50% off. They were okay bordering on good. So worth trying for $1.99 but not worth full price.

[GreekGeek]

I'm working on eating healthier carbs and more protein, so I bought a couple of boxes of chickpea pasta. I like it! I've also been enjoying Quest protein bars. They satisfy my craving for chewy candy. I bought some sprouted rye bread at a farmer's market last weekend. It's really dense and it gets very hard after a few days, definitely a change from the soft supermarket breads. I've looked in the local supermarkets for Ezekiel bread products, but no luck so far. Has anybody tried them?

[Mudra]

This is the third recommendation I have heard in as many days for chickpea pasta, will give it a go.

[ariel]

19 hours ago, GreekGeek said:

 I've looked in the local supermarkets for Ezekiel bread products, but no luck so far. 

I think I saw that at Trader Joes.  If you have one near you, call them and see if they have it.

[DeLurker]

On 3/15/2018 at 9:21 PM, GreekGeek said:

I've looked in the local supermarkets for Ezekiel bread products, but no luck so far.

A lot of companies have store locator directories on their sites so you can find where there product is sold in your area.  Here's Ezekiel's.

You pop in your zip code or address, select a search in X miles and hit go.

[Bastet]

On 3/15/2018 at 7:21 PM, GreekGeek said:

I've looked in the local supermarkets for Ezekiel bread products, but no luck so far. Has anybody tried them?

Ha - yes, because my friend had groceries delivered when I was visiting, and they were out of the bread she requested, a preservative-free whole wheat with no added sugar from a local bakery, so substituted Ezekiel (without telling her).  As she unpacked, all of a sudden came an indignant squeak of "Why the hell is there a bible verse on my bread?" 

Anyway, I swear I could taste the lentils, which I don't like, but it was okay.  My friend thought it was fine, but stuck with her usual after that one loaf.