I’m still working through a pile of samples from the Fancy Food Show. Here are some more standout products from the show:

Last week I grilled Karoun Dairies‘ Yanni Grilling Cheese and Jalapeno Grilling Cheese. The plain variety was great in sandwiches with homemade (from a garden) pesto on grilled ciabatta rolls. The jalapeno variety was delicious and eaten straight (after being grilled) and were made with an excellent blend of jalapeno and spices.

Saffron Road makes frozen ethnic (mainly Indian, Thai, and Moroccan) entrees, which are carried in this area by Whole Foods. We tried 4 varieties: Lamb Vindaloo, Lamb Saag, Lemongrass Basil Chicken, and Chicken Tikka Masala. I passed on the Chicken Pad Thai, and don’t remember seeing the Lamb Koftis or Moroccan Lamb Stew at Whole Foods (Arlington). Whole Foods had one of Saffron Roads’ chicken nugget products (I think it was the Chicken Bites) but not the Tandoori Seasoned Chicken Nuggets, so I passed on the nuggets as well.

So, how were the frozen dinners? They all have tasty sauces and quality ingredients. They are a little small for me, which made me wish that they included a compartment with an added vegetable or even a dessert. Also, their listed spiciness level is inconsistent (across products) and therefore not very accurate. Plus, if you follow the microwave directions, results are inconstant across entrees, even with the same microwave. Some entrees will get severely overcooked if you follow their directions, and we had a problem with one entree (Chicken Tikka Masala) with the meat cooked much faster than the rice. I still recommend Saffron Road’s products, but you should watch them like a hawk when they are being microwaved.

My favorite of the products was the Lamb Saag, which had more of a substantial sauce (because of the spinach). My second favorite was the Lamb Vindaloo. The Lemon Grass Basil Chicken was probably my least favorite but it still had interesting green peppers (which seemed to have some vinegar in them). Texturally, the lamb did seem to respond a bit better to being microwaved.  I will definitely purchase the Lamb Saag (and probably the Lamb Vindaloo) again.  I may even try the other entrees and nuggets

I took this at pic the Fancy Food Show.

I met the Cake Mix Doctor (Anne Byrn) at the show, and then found her Deep Dark Chocolate Cake Mix at Ross in Seven Corners for $3, so I picked one up. “S” made it today (and used store bought chocolate frosting) and it turned out well although a little dense. We used regular sour cream, but might use light sour cream next time. “S” said that she would “…make this to bring to a party instead of buying a pre-made cake.” Anne has good recipes on the website to “doctor” cakes.

Milton’s Craft Bakers‘ makes multi-grain crackers.  I got my hands on three varieties: Original Multi-Grain, Everything Multi-Grain, and Roasted Garlic & Herb.  Our favorite of the three varieties was the Garlic & Herb, with the Everything coming in second, although they were all tasty.  They did a great job with the flavor combinations on the Garlic & Herb and Everything varieties, with the former containing rosemary (extract), garlic powder, dehydrated garlic, and parsley flakes, and the latter containing rosemary (extract), caraway seeds, poppy seeds, dehydrated onions, sesame seeds and onion and garlic powders.  While they are delicious, it would be nice if the crackers were larger so that they would work better as a cheese delivery method. I’ve seen the Original variety being sold at Costco three boxes at a time; Milton’s says that Safeway and Harris Teeter carry most varieties.  They use recycled board & ecofriendly inks in the packaging for the crackers.

I actually felt bad for the other participants at a Blush N Brush class when they ate boring look crackers as we munched on Milton’s. No, that doesn’t mean we shared. 🙂

I also sampled Rigoni’s  Fiordifrutta organic fruit spreads and Nocciolata (organic hazelnut/chocolate spread).  There are some great Fiordifrutta flavors (I tried strawberry, fig, and grapefruit); I’ve been buying their products for years.  The nocciolata is a new product to me, and is delicious.  If you like Nutella and want a great tasting organic alternative, try this product.  It was great on toasted (good quality) wheat bread.

For those of you who want your chocolate and booze in one shot, try Tortuga‘s Chocolate Rum Turtles With Sea Salt.  It is a product from Barbados, and the flavor combination of chocolate, rum, and pecans is layered and delicious.  I also have one of their rum cake samples on hand. Mmmmmm, rum.

-JAY

Disclaimer:  I know something to this effect is stated in our “About” section, but (as sometimes happens), we received freebies.  That said,  our words are our own.

[ad]