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

[Qoass]

When I think classic cookies from a supermarket, I think Oreos.

[Wings]

On 5/20/2017 at 11:57 PM, Mellowyellow said:

Oh that looks amazing and I adore crackling but I don't think Aussie customs will let that through. They once siezed all my beef jerky from Hong Kong. I was so upset. 

What an odd thing to seize.  I know you cannot bring ham back to the US from France so there is something about meat products, I guess.  Or maybe things from certain countries/places are specific. 

I would think any dry, crunchy snacks would pass.  

Edited May 22, 2017 by wings707

[Mellowyellow]

4 minutes ago, wings707 said:

What an odd thing to seize.  I know you cannot bring ham back to the US from France so there is something about meat products, I guess.  Or maybe things from certain countries/places are specific. 

I would think any dry, crunchy snacks would pass.  

No meat products at all. No cheese, no dairy (cookies with milk baked in them are ok).

No fresh or dried fruit and they freak the crap out if you have anything remotely banana (except artificial banana lollies) because we have a huge banana industry.

[Wings]

16 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

No meat products at all. No cheese, no dairy (cookies with milk baked in them are ok).

No fresh or dried fruit and they freak the crap out if you have anything remotely banana (except artificial banana lollies) because we have a huge banana industry.

Maybe skip bringing any food items back!  Go for a key chain.  LOL! 

[spiderpig]

56 minutes ago, wings707 said:

Maybe skip bringing any food items back!  Go for a key chain.  LOL! 

Aussie customs regulations are tough.  Mr. pig visited recently taking his cousin a carton of cigarettes, knowing full well the taxes would be more than the carton, and was completely prepared to pay.  But he knew he wanted to bring a gift to a family member he'd never met face to face, declaring them freely.  The (very polite) customs officer had him wait for a supervisor, and after an hour and a half with no supe available said OK, just take the cigs.  Enjoy your stay mate.

I believe cigarettes are more expensive in Australia than just about anywhere in the world.  Around $20 a pack.

Neither Mr. pig nor I smoke, BTW.

[Wings]

1 minute ago, spiderpig said:

Aussie customs regulations are tough.  Mr. pig visited recently taking his cousin a carton of cigarettes, knowing full well the taxes would be more than the carton, and was completely prepared to pay.  But he knew he wanted to bring a gift to a family member he'd never met face to face, declaring them freely.  The (very polite) customs officer had him wait for a supervisor, and after an hour and a half with no supe available said OK, just take the cigs.  Enjoy your stay mate.

I believe cigarettes are more expensive in Australia than just about anywhere in the world.  Around $20 a pack.

Neither Mr. pig nor I smoke, BTW.

Customs anywhere is a pain in the ass.  Going to Canada is a breeze, coming back into my own damn country can be nasty.  

[DeLurker]

Earlier this year I picked up a bottle of Organicville Miso Soup at Whole Foods.  It's a concentrate so the small bottle has 15+ servings.  I haven't actually used it to make miso soup, but I've been putting some in my stir fry or fried rice seasonings, into other soups and salad dressings I've been making.  I like both the red and white ones.  I'm pretty sure it is now a staple of my fridge.

[Quof]

Do you people not watch Border Security: Australia's Front Line?  It's the best.  I've not been to Australia, but understand that landing cards are available in a multitude of languages, there are many, many signs in the corridor from the gates to the Customs area telling you to declare all food, yet so many passengers "forget" to declare.  Australia is very protective of its agriculture and keeping it pest-free, so practically no produce, meat or dairy are allowed.

[tom655]

I tried the new M&M's Caramel the other day.   They're good, but they are pricey!

[Mellowyellow]

13 hours ago, spiderpig said:

Aussie customs regulations are tough.  Mr. pig visited recently taking his cousin a carton of cigarettes, knowing full well the taxes would be more than the carton, and was completely prepared to pay.  But he knew he wanted to bring a gift to a family member he'd never met face to face, declaring them freely.  The (very polite) customs officer had him wait for a supervisor, and after an hour and a half with no supe available said OK, just take the cigs.  Enjoy your stay mate.

I believe cigarettes are more expensive in Australia than just about anywhere in the world.  Around $20 a pack.

Neither Mr. pig nor I smoke, BTW.

We don't smoke, we are too cheap too smoke even if we enjoyed it ( we've never smoked but you get the idea!). But it's interesting you say they are expensive in Australia. I vaguely know that they cost the earth here but I thought all cigarettes cost the earth in general! Had no idea we were more expensive!

[spiderpig]

27 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

We don't smoke, we are too cheap too smoke even if we enjoyed it ( we've never smoked but you get the idea!). But it's interesting you say they are expensive in Australia. I vaguely know that they cost the earth here but I thought all cigarettes cost the earth in general! Had no idea we were more expensive!

Here's a link I found when researching how to take cigarettes to Australia without being a suspected smuggler.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3572446/Budget-2016-cigarettes-40-packets-make-Australia-world-s-expensive.html

Escalating taxes mean Aussies will be paying $40 AUD by 2020.  Even now you're paying twice the price of the French!  (the map in the article is fascinating).  I guess if Aussies continue to smoke it'll be cheaper to buy a ticket to the Philippines and puff away there, especially after 2020!

If Mr. Mellow is able to hitch a ride north or check around with his local contacts, I recommend See's Chocolates.  They have stores all around the SF Bay Area.  I read years ago that Europeans welcomed See's as a host gift - and considering Europe that must be a compliment.

Edited May 23, 2017 by spiderpig

[Mellowyellow]

What does MrSpiderping think of our food prices Spiderpig?

I like to read American food blogs and your food seems much more affordable! Especially your yum cha!

[spiderpig]

2 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

What does MrSpiderping think of our food prices Spiderpig?

I like to read American food blogs and your food seems much more affordable! Especially your yum cha!

He spent two week with his cousin (their mothers were sisters, and they'd never met) and the first thing he commented on was how expensive food was in Oz.  Starting with one of the basic food groups - beer.  He said on average it was at least twice what we pay over here, even for Foster's.  They'd do man-shopping at the local groceries, and having been well-schooled by moi in the art of shopping, he knew food finance.  Pretty much everything is more expensive in Oz.  Who do you think you are - Hawaii??? :-)

[vavera4ka]

On ‎5‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 0:03 PM, theredhead77 said:

This. Just butter.

with salt :)

[callie lee 29]

@spiderpig. If mr. Pig is coming to florida I will buy him See's chocolates if he brings me some Violet Crumble!

[spiderpig]

14 minutes ago, callie lee 29 said:

@spiderpig. If mr. Pig is coming to florida I will buy him See's chocolates if he brings me some Violet Crumble!

You've got a deal.  If it's sweet, he's all in. :-)

[Bastet]

My mother loves See's chocolate.  Neither my dad nor I understand this affection.  I mean, it's not bad chocolate (is there such a thing?), but, wow, is it far down the list of Chocolates I Must Have.  The milk chocolate is okay (and the bordeaux bar is divine), but that's just sugar; the dark chocolate is what I'm interested in, and See's is nothing to write home about.

[annzeepark914]

Here's a warning:  avoid Halo.  It's in the ice cream freezer at the grocery store and some folks on WW use it as their alternative to ice cream.  I was having a friend (who is on WW right now) over for dinner the other night and thought I'd buy it.  I took a little taste test and ended up spitting it out. That is some weird product.  I gave it to her to take home (we ended up each having a slice of ice cream roll) and haven't heard yet whether she was brave enough to try it. Blech!

[larapu2000]

I agree, I think See's is basic.  Like a local chocolatier would be better to try-we Americans like our chocolate on the less milky and less sweeter side than Europeans, (which I think is a good thing).  If they can get something shipped to them, I recommend Lilly Handmade Chocolates out of Cleveland, they ship.  Their truffles and candy bars are wonderful!

Australia and Australian food are waaaaaay more expensive than the US.  I don't think I found a bottle of water in Sydney for less than $5 the entire time I was there (I'm sure there were, but good luck, pal!)  My sister lived there and found it difficult to have too much extra in spending money because of the price of food, transportation, etc.  I will say that Australia is far and away the friendliest country I've ever visited.

[ennui]

On 5/22/2017 at 6:55 PM, tom655 said:

I tried the new M&M's Caramel the other day.   They're good, but they are pricey!

I tried the Peanut Butter M&Ms. They taste just like Reese's Pieces. What a shock.  I also bought the Caramel, but haven't tried them yet. 

[callie lee 29]

I would give serious cash for s'more Oreos and violet crumble.

I think see's are good, the dark is definitely better than the milk, but what makes them good for me is the scotchmallows and the chewy nut things. Only chewy nut candy I like.  Also, while I'm not big on truffles (unless it's  a good liquor one) the Truffle Shop in Nevada City, CA is phenomenal. They cost an obscene (though I understand why) for shipping to Florida, but they are soooooo good. 

 

Damn now I may need to get some.

[PRgal]

On 2017-05-07 at 5:28 PM, ariel said:

I haven't had a Big Mac is over 20 years.  I had one the other day.  They suck. 

Not 20 years for me, but it's been a while since I've had a "real" McDonald's meal (coffee and pastries don't count).  I don't even know if I want one - I've become used to "REAL" burgers. 

[Giselle]

I don't like chocolate. But I've always loved See's precancerous roll. Penuche center dipped in caramel and rolled in pecans. These would be in my Easter basket rather than chocolate. I also love their butterscotch lollypops.

Edit: I'm going to leave it in all its autocorrect glory. It was suppose to be pecan roll.

Edited June 7, 2017 by Giselle

[biakbiak]

I was going to suggest they needed to rename it.

[auntlada]

A guy in our Sunday school class is in the Army reserves and brought some MREs for us to try. We haven't done so yet, but I am interested in seeing how good (or bad) they are.

[ennui]

37 minutes ago, auntlada said:

A guy in our Sunday school class is in the Army reserves and brought some MREs for us to try. We haven't done so yet, but I am interested in seeing how good (or bad) they are.

Or you could tuck them away for the apocalypse.

[Trini]

8 hours ago, auntlada said:

A guy in our Sunday school class is in the Army reserves and brought some MREs for us to try. We haven't done so yet, but I am interested in seeing how good (or bad) they are.

I was about 12 or 13 when I got one from my cousin. I don't even remember most of what was in it (or how good or bad it was), I just remember thinking it was cool how all the food was condensed into little packets! Also gave me my first taste of coffee.

I would hope that they aren't too bad these days.

[PRgal]

Sheep's milk baked yogurt!  Sheep's milk itself is sweeter than cow's or goat's (apparently closer in taste to human breast milk (question:  so the people who taste it remember??)) and the baked yogurt itself is custardy in texture (less thick than Greek yogurt).  It's great as a topping for fruit - either frozen (as seen in the picture) or freshly cut.  I wasn't sure what to expect, so I bought a small container (a little more than a standard single serve yogurt container, I suppose) at weekly summer farmer's market. :)

 

Edited June 22, 2017 by PRgal

[chessiegal]

This is not new, but when we were in France and Italy our hotels included a breakfast buffet. All of them had yogurt and put out nuts to put in the yogurt (walnuts, almonds, pistachios). Now that I'm home, I'm putting walnuts in my yogurt in addition to fresh fruit. I like the crunch.

[BooksRule]

Quote

A guy in our Sunday school class is in the Army reserves and brought some MREs for us to try. We haven't done so yet, but I am interested in seeing how good (or bad) they are.

I got a bunch of MREs after Hurricane Katrina.  They definitely weren't gourmet, but they tasted pretty good when you don't feel like (or can't) cook your own meals.  And, they were kind of fun to 'assemble'.  I don't remember many of the flavors, but I do remember that one had one of those teeny bottles of Tabasco sauce with it.  

[Sandman87]

Got some "Limited Edition Dunkin' Donuts Mocha" Oreos at the discount grocery store the other day. Mocha flavored "stuff" between the Oreo cookies. Me likes. Good for dunking in milk, since the mocha flavor is pretty strong.

[auntlada]

22 hours ago, BooksRule said:

I got a bunch of MREs after Hurricane Katrina.  They definitely weren't gourmet, but they tasted pretty good when you don't feel like (or can't) cook your own meals.  And, they were kind of fun to 'assemble'.  I don't remember many of the flavors, but I do remember that one had one of those teeny bottles of Tabasco sauce with it.  

We ate two of them on the Fourth of July. Our fireworks were canceled because of rain, so we thought that would be a good way to celebrate. We had spaghetti, which wasn't bad after I mixed it up. It comes out of the bag in a rectangle, even after it's cooked, and doesn't look appetizing. After you break up the block, it looks fairly normal. The boy thought it was gross when we opened the bag, but after he tasted it, he liked it a lot. We also had one with sausage and a sort of pancake/maple muffin top thing. I think one of them did have a bottle of Tabasco.

[larapu2000]

On 7/12/2017 at 7:06 PM, chessiegal said:

This is not new, but when we were in France and Italy our hotels included a breakfast buffet. All of them had yogurt and put out nuts to put in the yogurt (walnuts, almonds, pistachios). Now that I'm home, I'm putting walnuts in my yogurt in addition to fresh fruit. I like the crunch.

My first trip to Europe, we flew Air France and they gave us yogurt with granola and all of the Euros around me poured their granola into their yogurt, so I followed suit and my mind was blown! Now if I have to eat yogurt without any crunchy accompaniments, it makes me sad!

[Spunkygal]

Regarding yogurt and granola, I cannot eat yogurt without Michele's Granola, which I buy at Whole Foods. Every variety she offers is delicious and has a great combination of ingredients. I am too lazy to make my own. 

Edited July 15, 2017 by Spunkygal

[Mindthinkr]

Deans French Onion Dip

I grew up on the sour cream and French onion soup mix type of dip and this is as close as I can taste it without having to make it from scratch. It's thick so best served with a sturdy chip. 

[DeLurker]

I love Dean Dip (because when I started to eat it there were no other flavors by them).

Trader Joe makes a thin chip that holds up very well to it - think it is the classic.  Less greasy than Lay's and the like to me.

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I grew up on the sour cream and French onion soup mix type of dip

I make mine with half mayo/half sour cream (because I don't like sour cream, so I have to combine it with other things), but I still unabashedly love onion dip made from the little Lipton onion soup mix packet.

[ariel]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I make mine with half mayo/half sour cream (because I don't like sour cream, so I have to combine it with other things), but I still unabashedly love onion dip made from the little Lipton onion soup mix packet.

I do too. Having said that Ree Drummond is going to claim this recipe was all her idea.  ;)

[Mittengirl]

Trader Joe's carmelized onion dip is awesome.  Don't get it if you don't want to become addicted.  Hide it from other family members if you want to make it last more than one day.

[Spunkygal]

1 hour ago, Mittengirl said:

Trader Joe's carmelized onion dip is awesome.  Don't get it if you don't want to become addicted.  Hide it from other family members if you want to make it last more than one day.

Have you shared this awesomeness on the TJ forum?

[rcc]

I just discovered plantain chips. Gluten free, no trans fats and pretty tasty. They're made by The Plantain Chip Company out of Tampa, FL. 

[HoboClayton]

Thanks to the food threads, I decided to give Duke's mayo a try. Bought one of the smaller bottles and had a chance to open it up today to make a turkey sandwich. It's pretty good. It has a more robust flavor than Hellmans. It tastes like it has more 'weight' to it.  Goes well with the tomato. Would buy again, but, not earth shattering enough to make me change one way or the other. 

[ariel]

Tear Drop Grapes.  They have an unusual look & taste great.

https://grapery.biz/index.php/our-grapes/tear-drops

[DeLurker]

Haven't had those (or seen them in the stores yet), but Moon Drop grapes have started to show up for limited times at my grocers in the last 2 years.  They are pretty tasty.

[Sandman87]

For my entire life our family, grandparents included, has purchased French's brand of yellow mustard exclusively for our hotdog and burger needs. Last week while shopping at the local mom & pop market I had mustard on my list, but they were out of French's, so I got Heinz instead. Great galloping Gatsby, that stuff is much better than French's!

[Bastet]

The only mustard I like (among those I've tried) is Chinese-style hot mustard, which is just ground brown mustard seeds and water; I make my own, since it's so simple.  I hate vinegar, which is why I hate most mustard.

I've mentioned that I hate sour cream, so I only use it when combined with an equal amount of mayo and then the herbs and spices of whatever I'm making (I do that because with the mayo and other flavors, the taste of the sour cream is masked, so I can reduce the fat by swapping out some of the mayo without sacrificing the taste because there's enough else going on to cover up the sour cream).  Because I hate it, I use fat-free sour cream, in order to further reduce the fat - why waste the calories on something I don't even like? 

Anyway, I always buy Knudsen; I tried Daisy once and didn't like it even mixed in with other stuff.  But the other day I was picking stuff up at Ralphs (Kroger) rather than my usual local market, and they only had regular or low-fat from Knudsen.  But the generic was available in a fat-free version, so with some trepidation I got that.  I can't exactly rave about it, because it's sour cream, and thus - to me - inherently gross on its own, BUT - used to make ranch dressing, it tastes the same as the Knudsen.  I don't think it was all that much cheaper, but hey.  And with the way generic works, it may very well be made by Knudsen.

[JTMacc99]

If anyone wants to try some interesting and terrific mustards, look up Raye's Mustards. Love their stuff. 

[Mindthinkr]

On 7/18/2017 at 9:42 PM, Mittengirl said:

Trader Joe's carmelized onion dip is awesome.  Don't get it if you don't want to become addicted.  Hide it from other family members if you want to make it last more than one day.

I tried their cheddar cheese with caramelized onions and was wonderfully surprised. It was very sharp and sweet at the same time. It didn't last long lol. 

[DeLurker]

I tried the carmelized onion dip after @Mittengirl's post.  I was lukewarm on it at first, but it has grown on me - not to addiction level.

I'll need to look for this cheddar cheese you speak of @Mindthinkr...

This might be of interest to other TJ fans - Eater did an article on what brands produce under a TJ label.

[Mindthinkr]

Interesting article. Thank you @DeLurker !