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

[theredhead77]

On 8/4/2022 at 11:06 AM, JTMacc99 said:

So this is real, and will be sold exclusively in Walgreens.  I am fairly certain I'll be going out of my way to get a bag, just because.

Well?? How was it?

[annzeepark914]

We tried Alexia brand Sweet Potato Puffs. They were quite good...creamy inside. I made spicy ketchup that makes the puffs even better 😉.

[Gramto6]

I ordered Stonefire mini naan bread from Amazon. It was just the right size for a serving for me (1/2 works too). Froze the unused ones and thawed as needed. Quite tasty. I just reordered last night and also the Stonefire mini naan dippers. They look to be about 2 bites each perfect snack size. I have some  Tzatziki Ranch  Dressing that should be a great dipper! 

My appetite comes and goes so small bites work better for me.

Edited October 5, 2022 by Gramto6
added on to post

[Gramto6]

Just can't with candy corn...too much sugar for a diabetic... never like them even as a kid.

[EtheltoTillie]

I tried making the grape jelly meatballs everyone was talking about.  I made them in the pressure cooker after browning  the meatballs in the oven. I did not have the chili sauce as the store didn’t sell it. I improvised with ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder vinegar and cayenne. Came out pretty good. I had to adjust for taste at the end. I see that this is one of those recipes that may have originated from a manufacturer to sell a product, that is, Welch’s grape jelly.  I actually love that genre of foods.  It’s on their web site but includes barbecue sauce instead of that chili sauce. 

[kristen111]

52 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I tried making the grape jelly meatballs everyone was talking about.  I made them in the pressure cooker after browning  the meatballs in the oven. I did not have the chili sauce as the store didn’t sell it. I improvised with ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder vinegar and cayenne. Came out pretty good. I had to adjust for taste at the end. I see that this is one of those recipes that may have originated from a manufacturer to sell a product, that is, Welch’s grape jelly.  I actually love that genre of foods.  It’s on their web site but includes barbecue sauce instead of that chili sauce. 

For the grape jelly meatballs, what do you put in the chop meat?  I only make meatballs one way .. Italian style.  The girl on Southern Charm looked like she put nothing in the meatball mixture.  Just the chop meat.

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, kristen111 said:

For the grape jelly meatballs, what do you put in the chop meat?  I only make meatballs one way .. Italian style.  The girl on Southern Charm looked like she put nothing in the meatball mixture.  Just the chop meat.

I make all meatballs the same way, for Italian style or not.  I use beef, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and an egg (for a pound of meat).  I don't put in spices, grated cheese, none of that.  The sauce does the work. 

Chop meat--that's such an old timey Queens expression.  Says this old timey Queens girl. 

On 10/4/2022 at 11:39 PM, Gramto6 said:

Just can't with candy corn...too much sugar for a diabetic... never like them even as a kid.

Diabetic or no--never liked the awful texture of candy corn. 

[kristen111]

50 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I make all meatballs the same way, for Italian style or not.  I use beef, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and an egg (for a pound of meat).  I don't put in spices, grated cheese, none of that.  The sauce does the work. 

Chop meat--that's such an old timey Queens expression.  Says this old timey Queens girl. 

Diabetic or no--never liked the awful texture of candy corn. 

This Ozone Park, Queens girl puts in the chop meat, eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, hint of dill, maybe Parmesan cheese.  My block in Queens consisted of Italian, Polish, Jewish Irish .. and we all got along and shared food.  Honey cake, pasta, stuffed cabbages.  Sat on the stoops at night.  It was wonderful.  Long, long ago.

[kristen111]

After making sauce for years and years for the ravioli and macaroni, I tried the jar of Rao’s Marinara.  WOW, delicious!  Never bought jar sauce before, but this one beats them all, IMO anyhow. 

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, kristen111 said:

After making sauce for years and years for the ravioli and macaroni, I tried the jar of Rao’s Marinara.  WOW, delicious!  Never bought jar sauce before, but this one beats them all, IMO anyhow. 

Yes, it consistently wins taste testings (including by America's Test Kitchen) as the best jarred marinara sauce.

[annzeepark914]

Over the years I've tried a lot of jarred sauces.  My favorite is Belletieri Marinara. It's almost as good as the sauce that my family's Italian-American friends would make. It's sold at Wegmans, costs about $3.40 a jar, and is from an Italian restaurant in Pennsylvania.

There's one other jarred sauce we really like & that is Trader Joe's Arrabiatta Sauce. I don't add pepper as it has a tiny hint of heat & I don't like "hot" food.

Edited October 13, 2022 by annzeepark914

[SuprSuprElevated]

20 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Over the years I've tried a lot of jarred sauces.  My favorite is Belletieri Marinara. It's almost as good as the sauce that my family's Italian-American friends would make. It's sold at Wegmans, costs about $3.40 a jar, and is from an Italian restaurant in Pennsylvania.

There's one other jarred sauce we really like & that is Trader Joe's Arrabiatta Sauce. I don't add pepper as it has a tiny hint of heat & I don't like "hot" food.

We recently discovered Rao's Marinara, and we really like it, but man is it spendy.  I save it to use with angel hair and meatballs, which is my hubs favorite.  When I need sauce to bake with or flavor a dish, I typically just buy Hunts canned sauce and jazz it up from there.

[Bastet]

2 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

We recently discovered Rao's Marinara, and we really like it, but man is it spendy.

It's available at Costco for a good price, but that only works if you use a lot of it, as it comes in a two-bottle pack.

Tomato-based sauces are my least favorite (I love fresh tomatoes, though) -- I prefer pesto, alfredo, olive oil & herb, cacio e pepe, bechamel, brown butter, etc. -- so I rarely use marinara.  When I do, I either make my own or, often, grab a small bottle of the Rao's, as I agree with all the taste tests declaring it the best.  But if you'd use a larger bottle in a timely fashion (and have a Costco membership), that's an economical way to go.

[Gramto6]

I love Rao's Marinara! Yes, it is a bit spendy, but so worth it! I just buy one jar at a time and freeze the leftover in 1/2c freezer storage containers.  I live alone so that is an adequate serving size for me with pasta/meat/cheese. A jar gives me 5-6 meals...

[Lovecat]

On 10/11/2022 at 12:38 PM, kristen111 said:

For the grape jelly meatballs, what do you put in the chop meat?  I only make meatballs one way .. Italian style.  The girl on Southern Charm looked like she put nothing in the meatball mixture.  Just the chop meat.

On 10/11/2022 at 1:53 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

I make all meatballs the same way, for Italian style or not.  I use beef, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and an egg (for a pound of meat).  I don't put in spices, grated cheese, none of that.  The sauce does the work. 

If I'm taking the time to make homemade meatballs, I'm not going to be drowning them in a jar of grape jelly and a bottle of chili (or barbecue) sauce!  I've got nothing against those grape jelly meatballs (they're delicious!)--but if I make them for a party or something I just use a bag of frozen mini meatballs and call it a day. 

[EtheltoTillie]

25 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

If I'm taking the time to make homemade meatballs, I'm not going to be drowning them in a jar of grape jelly and a bottle of chili (or barbecue) sauce!  I've got nothing against those grape jelly meatballs (they're delicious!)--but if I make them for a party or something I just use a bag of frozen mini meatballs and call it a day. 

LOL.  Since I take the easy way out for meatballs, for me they take little time and effort, so I just make them and use whatever sauce I like.  I mix up the meat with breadcrumbs and egg, roll in balls, and brown in the oven.  My experience with frozen meatballs has actually been disappointing.  I didn't like all the added flavorings. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

4 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

My experience with frozen meatballs has actually been disappointing.  I didn't like all the added flavorings. 

My biggest issue with 'OP' (other people's) meatballs, is that the meat : bread ratio is off; heavily favoring the bread crumb or filler component.  I prefer to actually taste the meat.

Edited October 20, 2022 by SuprSuprElevated

[EtheltoTillie]

23 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

My biggest issue with 'OP' (other people's) meatballs, is that the meat : bread ratio is off; heavily favoring the bread crumb or filler component.  I prefer to actually taste the meat.

Oh, yes, this also belongs on Pet Peeves.  That's why I usually avoid restaurant meatballs.  So many taste like school cafeteria fare, with that awful bready texture. 

[Bastet]

37 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

My biggest issue with 'OP' (other people's) meatballs, is that the meat : bread ratio is off; heavily favoring the bread crumb or filler component.  I prefer to actually taste the meat.

This is why I hate most people's - and restaurants' - crab cakes.  If they're not right on the brink of falling apart even after being refrigerated, they have too much binder and not enough crab.

[chessiegal]

Talk of meatballs reminds me of the before times when I was going to my Fun Lunch pot locks. One woman made the best cocktail meatballs in a brown sauce. I should have asked for the recipe.

[larapu2000]

On 9/27/2022 at 1:13 AM, isalicat said:

There is no actual food there...its like a hobgoblin of chemicals arranged in a strangely attractive concept. For me, any package that has very large letters spelling out: "Artificially Flavored" on it is not coming into my house 😸 But that is because I am an old...if I was a 20 something I would so try these. Now I am thinking about how you could make these au natural with corn tortilla strips rolled up and fried and then you would put some butter and caramel sauce on (and of course you need some vanilla ice cream - this would be a rad dessert!).

Water is a "chemical."

Artificial flavors are more heavily studied and tested than their natural counterparts.  Plenty of natural flavors are also not sustainable (ex: vanilla).  So feel good that this product is safe to consume at any age.  Unless you need to watch sodium or something else called out on the nutritional label as an allergen you need to avoid personally.

[chessiegal]

Paneer cheese. Horrible. One thing I enjoy about the Blue Apron meal kits is trying new foods I otherwise wouldn't think of trying. This week one meal was roasted paneer and vegetables with brown rice, arugula, and creamy cilantro sauce. I cut up the paneer and tossed it with olive oil and Shawarma spice blend and roasted it. I took one bite of the cheese - blech! It wasn't the spice blend as I've had that before and enjoyed it.

[Gramto6]

Yeah, paneer is a no go for me too.

[Bastet]

I love palak/saag paneer -- cheese and greens, yum.

Paneer is often referred to as Indian cottage cheese, but I find queso blanco more similar than cottage cheese.  Halloumi and feta are other good substitutes if you don't like paneer but are interested in a recipe calling for it.

[annzeepark914]

Saag paneer...my favorite Indian dish. The paneer *almost* has a mild nutty flavor. I could be a vegetarian if I lived in India (or could afford to hire an Indian cook 😁). They know how to make vegetables taste divine!

[PRgal]

On 10/27/2022 at 12:55 AM, Bastet said:

I love palak/saag paneer -- cheese and greens, yum.

Paneer is often referred to as Indian cottage cheese, but I find queso blanco more similar than cottage cheese.  Halloumi and feta are other good substitutes if you don't like paneer but are interested in a recipe calling for it.

Paneer is more like pressed cottage cheese than the kind found more frequently in supermarkets.  

[oliviabenson]

I tried whipped apple cheesecake from aldis. It’s very good!

[oliviabenson]

The turkey cranberry ravioli were not good lol.

[isalicat]

On 11/14/2022 at 6:54 AM, oliviabenson said:

The turkey cranberry ravioli were not good lol.

Oh well! Thanks for vetting them for us! 😸

[stewedsquash]

On 10/30/2022 at 7:55 PM, PRgal said:

Paneer is more like pressed cottage cheese than the kind found more frequently in supermarkets.  

This is interesting to me. I know you are in Canada but wondered if you have a suggestion on what type of store this might be purchased in in the US? I like-ish cottage cheese and figured out it is the bally texture that throws me off so if I could find the pressed kind I am sure I would go crazy over it.

[PRgal]

3 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

This is interesting to me. I know you are in Canada but wondered if you have a suggestion on what type of store this might be purchased in in the US? I like-ish cottage cheese and figured out it is the bally texture that throws me off so if I could find the pressed kind I am sure I would go crazy over it.

I get mine from a regular supermarket near me (it's actually a Whole Foods, but I know that WF in the US will have different brands/items).  The brand I get is a local (to Toronto) and is owned by people from Eastern Europe, so maybe try an Eastern European grocery store?

[stewedsquash]

@PRgal I have access to Whole Foods in Wilmington and also Cary. I will be in Wilmington this Saturday so I will check there! Thanks for the suggestions.

eta google says there is an eastern European grocery in Cary also and if it isn’t in a sketchy area I will check it out

Edited November 22, 2022 by stewedsquash

[oliviabenson]

On 11/22/2022 at 10:47 AM, stewedsquash said:

This is interesting to me. I know you are in Canada but wondered if you have a suggestion on what type of store this might be purchased in in the US? I like-ish cottage cheese and figured out it is the bally texture that throws me off so if I could find the pressed kind I am sure I would go crazy over it.

I saw paneer cheese in Whole Foods 

[stewedsquash]

I didn’t make it that weekend because we did sonogram thing and I made mistake of riding with the others. I had to go back to Wilmington this weekend and went to Whole Foods. The cheese lady veered me to ricotta. I said no I don’t think that’s it. Another cheese lady asked questions and what I wanted to do with it. I told her it was pretty much just a texture issue and would do anything with it that curd would be used for. She handed me a giant tub of farmer cheese. I walked around and got a few things and put it back. It was too large to test. I will check other places.
I also probably won’t venture back in Whole Foods. It was dreary, unappealing, and over priced. I almost felt like I was in a Lidles (sp), another store I dislike.I went over to Trader Joe’s and got a few things and picked up some fresh flowers. They have fresher looking ones than WF and less expensive. 
Bummed because from Top Chef I thought WF would be more exciting. I prefer TJ, Publix, and Harris Teeter. Fresh Foods is also on my wonky list. I never find any new things there and now I guess WF is added.

Forgot to add that in Trader Joe’s I picked up a can of their Wintery Mix coffee. It’s an acquired taste and I wish I had gone with gingerbread. I like it I am just ambivalent on the cloves in it.

[annzeepark914]

I kept hearing about Chick-fil-A's peppermint shake so I decided to try it while out running errands today. Well--my first sip through the straw was awful. It tasted like that fake-y instant vanilla pudding. Got home, stirred it & the taste improved a bit. Then, I poured it into a blender & added some of my (iced) green tea & pureed it. Not bad. Think I'll stick with my Starbucks Pink Drink w/whipped cream (but no strawberries, please 😉).

[PRgal]

I tried fava "tofu" tonight.  Marinaded in a hemp based pesto sauce and cooked it in the oven.  It wasn't really the kind of texture I typically get in soy-based tofu (I love extra firm) and reminded me a bit of the kind of tofu found in many Chinese dishes (less firm).  At least it wasn't like silken...I still have nightmares from those restaurant dau fu fa desserts of my childhood.  YUCK.

[Jaded]

On 12/17/2022 at 12:04 PM, annzeepark914 said:

I kept hearing about Chick-fil-A's peppermint shake so I decided to try it while out running errands today. Well--my first sip through the straw was awful. It tasted like that fake-y instant vanilla pudding. Got home, stirred it & the taste improved a bit. Then, I poured it into a blender & added some of my (iced) green tea & pureed it. Not bad. Think I'll stick with my Starbucks Pink Drink w/whipped cream (but no strawberries, please 😉).

I'm not a real peppermint fan in anything type of person so there's so much Xmas candy out there that I think would be so good minus it. 

[EtheltoTillie]

I have a favorite new snack:  Krinos brand taramosalata dip.  Great on matzoh.  Also great on brioche bread.  Our local deli sells these new packaged brioche loaves.  They are like Wonder Bread shape, but delicious French brioche.  Makes good French toast too.

[annzeepark914]

49 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Also great on brioche bread.  Our local deli sells these new packaged brioche loaves.  They are like Wonder Bread shape, but delicious French brioche.  Makes good French toast too.

Is the brioche bread sweet? I need thick slices of a non-sweet bread to make French bread, now that I can no longer find Texas Toast bread at Walmart.

[EtheltoTillie]

Just now, annzeepark914 said:

Is the brioche bread sweet? I need thick slices of a non-sweet bread to make French bread, now that I can no longer find Texas Toast bread at Walmart.

Yes, it is a bit sweet.  I was surprised by how much I like it with the salty taramosalata.  I don't know how well it would work for Texas Toast.  I am surprised you can't find that at Walmart, but I don't get to Walmart often so I'm not up on their selections.  I've seen Texas Toast at Lidl and Stop and Shop. 

[chessiegal]

I've seen frozen Texas Toast at my regular grocery stores for many years.

[Blergh]

Kodiak Flapjack Cups ! I'm surprised it's never been done before but these are amazing! They come in buttermilk, maple chocolate chip,etc.flavors and all you have to do is pour a quarter cup of water or milk into the cup with the premixed pancake batter, stir it up then ZAP it about X number of seconds, then you get INSTANT hot pancakes in a very convenient cup. Nice hot pancakes entirely in that cup with no need to grease or fire up  a frying pan or hunt for a spatula. FANTASTIC alternative for cereal which makes a good treat on a cold day  for one's breakfast.

Edited January 3, 2023 by Blergh

[Browncoat]

21 hours ago, Blergh said:

Kodiak Flapjack Cups ! I'm surprised it's never been done before but these are amazing! They come in buttermilk, maple chocolate chip,etc.flavors and all you have to do is pour a quarter cup of water or milk into the cup with the premixed pancake batter, stir it up then ZAP it about X number of seconds, then you get INSTANT hot pancakes in a very convenient cup. Nice hot pancakes entirely in that cup with no need to grease or fire up  a frying pan or hunt for a spatula. FANTASTIC alternative for cereal which makes a good treat for one's breakfast.

I love those things!  They are a little on the spendy side, but they are delicious.

[DearEvette]

Wonton pizza rolls. 

I came across a recipe video of someone making these and they looked good.  So tried them -- pepperoni, mozzarella, and pizza sauce wrapped in a wonton wrapper and deep fried.  Then brushed with garlic/parmesan & parsley in melted butter.  Eaten with extra pizza sauce for dipping.

They were delicious.  They are basically a homemade version of the Totino's pizza rolls.  But so much better. The wonton wrappers make the difference.  The texture is so light and crunchy.

[PRgal]

17 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Wonton pizza rolls. 

I came across a recipe video of someone making these and they looked good.  So tried them -- pepperoni, mozzarella, and pizza sauce wrapped in a wonton wrapper and deep fried.  Then brushed with garlic/parmesan & parsley in melted butter.  Eaten with extra pizza sauce for dipping.

They were delicious.  They are basically a homemade version of the Totino's pizza rolls.  But so much better. The wonton wrappers make the difference.  The texture is so light and crunchy.

Speaking of wonton roll pizza, I once tried a pizza spring roll.  Same kind of thing, different shape. The gourmet grocery store that had that no longer sells them at their prepped food counter though.  I haven't seen any kind of spring roll in a while.  Maybe it wasn't too popular.

[chessiegal]

I've not been able to find wonton wrappers. Any suggestions? Whole Foods says they do not carry them at my store. I haven't looked to see if there is an Asian market nearby.

[Mondrianyone]

20 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Wonton pizza rolls. 

Those sound like a nifty appetizer! I looked on YouTube and found what I think is the recipe you used, @DearEvette. I've got a pack of wonton wrappers and all the other ingredients. I even have one of those electric fryers I've been looking for an excuse to use. So maybe this weekend. Thanks a bunch!

[DearEvette]

Hey @Mondrianyone is it the African American woman with the clear fryer?  That is the one I used.  But the recipe is soooo simple there are a bunch out there.

 

@chessiegal - Yeah any Asian food market should have them.  I have also seen them at Target.  Do you live in the Northeast and have a Wegman's nearby?  They have them.  That is where I get them.

[Bastet]

58 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I've not been able to find wonton wrappers. Any suggestions? Whole Foods says they do not carry them at my store. I haven't looked to see if there is an Asian market nearby.

All of the supermarkets near me have them, so since that's obviously not the case in your area, I'd say, yeah, just check for an Asian market.  Besides, they'll have more options.  (Here, most of the supermarkets just carry Dynasty brand in medium thickness -- which is perfectly good, mind you, it's just nice to have more options.)

[chessiegal]

2 minutes ago, Bastet said:

All of the supermarkets near me have them, so since that's obviously not the case in your area, I'd say, yeah, just check for an Asian market.  Besides, they'll have more options.  (Here, most of the supermarkets just carry Dynasty brand in medium thickness -- which is perfectly good, mind you, it's just nice to have more options.)

Where are the wonton wrappers stocked?