Kosher Food Reviews

Stir-fry Tofu n'Sauce - Parve BC Kosher

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:37:00 +0000

My wife picked up two 250g packages of Sunrise Soya Foods "Stir-fry tofu n'sauce" teriyaki the other week. Knowing that each package would make a nice meal for one we used both of them plus rice to make a complete and yummy meal.

On the back of the packaging is a cooking method including which vegetables to use, I veered away from this and did it my way with vegetables that are more to my liking. While I'm sure their suggestion of broccoli and carrots would be great, I used string beans, mushrooms, a variety of peppers and some garlic.

Overall, I must admit that on the surface it's the convince of the combined tofu and sauce that got our attention. However, once it was all cooked up the real winner was the nice firm tofu pieces. What Sunrise has done is put the tofu right in the sauce instead of selling with the sauce in a separate package like some other companies. This means that the tofu has been sitting in the teriyaki sauce since it was packaged and as a result it's been absorbing all that flavor. Unlike when you cook tofu and sauce from scratch at home where the tofu barely absorbs any flavor this tofu is reasonable flavorful.

While the packaging boasts that it is ready in 5 minutes, take that with a grain of salt and assume 3-5 minutes once your veggies are just about ready.

The teriyaki flavor was as expect sweet but not too sweat and very pleasant & easy going on the taste buds.

Overall I give this product 4.5 out of 5 because flavor, texture and convenience.

Note this product is available in a variety of other flavors of curry, sesame ginger and Szechuan.

Boom Choco Boom - Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Mon, 31 May 2010 15:18:00 +0000

The boom CHOCO boom snack bar from ejoylifefoods.com was a real find. Before I even opened the package, I notice very large and clearly printed symbols designating the bar as vegan, kosher parve and certified Gluten Free. At last a snack bar from a company that gets it. Now vegans, kosher, lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant people can all enjoy a common snack.

OK enough about the packaging and on to how the product tastes. The key to this chocolate bar is that it is made from rice milk. So a quick sampling of the bar reminds you of a milk chocolate candy bar. While not being overly sweet, it still had enough sweetness to make most sweet tooths happy and the inclusion of rice crisp gave it a a great crunch. I could have easily eaten several in one sitting simply because they're that good.

Another pleasant surprise is the break down of all ingredients: Evaporated Cane Juice; Non-Dairy Cocoa Butter; Natural Chocolate Liquor (Non-Alcoholic); Rice Milk Powder (Rice Syrup Powder, Rice Starch, Rice Flour, Salt, Carrageenan); Salt.For a change, I didn't need a dictionary or a chemistry book to know everything that it contains.

A finer read of the back of the packaging goes on to state that the bar doesn't contain 8 of the most common allergens including no: wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy , fish or shellfish. We tip our hat to Enjoy Life Foods for thinking of the needs of the greater community instead of just the mass market.

For the bar's overall taste and the company's concern for the digestive needs of many different kinds of people we give the boom CHOCO boom a 4.5 out 5.

Munchies® BBQ Flavour Crunchy Coated Peanuts - Circle U

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:43:00 +0000

I picked up a large bag (210 g) of "Munchies® BBQ Flavour Crunchy Coated Peanuts" from Frito Lay Canada in Toronto last week. While I wasn't looking for a "healthy snack" I was looking for something different to try and since I love almost anything BBQ Flavored I decided to go with these.

I don't know what I was really expecting from a crunchy coated peanut perhaps something along the lines of a beer nut, but that's not what I got. My first taste revealed something so salty and almost void of any BBQ flavor what so ever. There is a bit of heat, and some our nondescript flavor, but I guarantee you its doesn't taste like any other BBQ flavored snack I've ever had from Frito Lay. I barely managed to eat a bit more than 2 handfuls.

I will say this about the snack, they are definitely crunchy! Whatever they used to coat the peanuts gives them an almost a potato-chip like crunch. The picture on the packaging shows the coating very clearly.

I looked around the Frito Lays Canada website trying to find a great picture of this product and some additional information, but was very hard pressed to even find the one I used. There is virtually no information about this product other than its name and when I looked at the US version of the site, it didn't even mention it. My guess is that they are testing this product in Canada.

To that I can say lucky for the US. While I'm sure I will eventually finish the bag I purchased, I'm in no rush. I can only recommended this product if you really like over salted snacks with just a touch of heat.

I give it 1.5 out 5.

Odwalla Banana Nut Bar - U dairy

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:36:00 +0000

The Banana Nut Bar from Odwalla is a real treat. It's both tasty and reasonably nutritious. It is perfect for mid day snack or take it with you anywhere you'll need a snack.

Despite being labelled as Kosher (Circle U) dairy, a read of the ingredients list showed no dairy items, so it is appropriate for vegans or people suffering from Lactose intolerance. One must assume that they must manufacture them on the same equipment as other items containing dairy. So avoid eating it after a meat meal.

As referenced on their website, it really does taste like home-made banana bread. At 220 calories and 5 grams of fat per bar, its safe to say its a healthier alternative. The bar also contains reasonable amounts of fibre, protein and vitamins A, C and E plus iron, calcium and beta Carotene.

While you should be able to find them many kosher grocery stores or best bet is to look for them at your local health food store, or high-end grocery store.

This should be a must for the snack cupboard and we give it an overall score is a 4.5 out 5

Nosher Lactose Free Cheese - Cholov Israel

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:08:00 +0000

Just got the heads up on this product. As person with Lactose Intolerance I'm always on the lookout for alternative or lactose free products. For several years now, various non-kosher cheese makers are producing lactose free and rennet free cheeses, but they were never certified kosher.
So I was thrilled to discover that this Canadian cheese from Noshers is not only lactose free but certified Cholov Israel Kosher.

So far I've only tried the Muenster (Noshers produces a lactose free cheddar which I haven't tried) and it was good. The flavor is not a defining as the regular Kosher Muenster or from some other lactose free non-kosher brands, but it's still good with a great soft texture.

Not much more to say other than I can now buy a kosher lactose free cheese and that makes me very happy.

Overall score 3.5 out 5.

Brain Toniq - Energy Drink: EarthKosher

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:53:00 +0000

First off I must disclosed that Brain Toniq contacted us and asked if we'd like to review their product. After investigating it, finding out that they only use a variety of organic products and that is is certified kosher by EarthKosher we said yes.

A case of the product arrived in the mail about a week later and I put a few in the refrigerator to cool down. I was rushing around that day getting ready for Sukkot and quickly sampled one to see if it would live up to its billing as an energizing drink and a way to clear the "Head Fog".

After about 15-20 minutes I started to feel something. I felt an energy rush for about 1 hour and invigorated for about another two hours. Not knowing if it was truly the Brain Toniq or just an adrenaline rush I knew that I'd have to give it another try on another day when things were a little less hectic.

So far, I've tried Brain Toniq a total of 4 times. I must admit that on neither of the subsequent trials did I feel the same rush as I did the first time (so let's just chalk that up to a stress related adrenaline rush), but I did feel something which is more in tune with more mental alertness and a slightly better ability to focus on the job at hand (the clearing of the "Head Fog"). Which matches how the the product is positioned "specifically designed for those who need more mental focus and clarity".

From firsthand experience, I believe the product works as advertised and its Kosher so what about its taste. If you explore the Brain Toniq website and look at the ingredients you'll discover that they added "Natural Citrus Extract" purely for flavoring. So the product naturally has a light citrus flavor and is lightly carbonated resulting in an overall pleasant taste that isn't overly sweat.

I'm even more impressed that they don't use artificial sweeteners that can leave a nasty after-taste in your mouth nor do they use refined sugar. Instead they've sweetened it with organic agave syrup. There are reportedly many health benefit to this type a sweetener that would take too long go into.

Brain Toniq unlike many energy drinks on the market (especially the ones I don't like) has no caffeine. Instead it relies on a variety of other organic and natural plant botanical and organic compounds with no extracts.

According to their marketing material Brain Toniq contains 5 to 10 times the amount of active ingredients (including Rhodiola root, Choline and DMAE, Eleuthero and wild-harvested Blue-green Algae) then their competitors (I didn't validate this statement). The concept behind this formalization (according to their web site) is the energy/alertness increases should be longer lasting without a dramatic crash at the end. From my trials, we most certainly did not experience any crash after a few hour unlike the times I've tried caffeinated energy drinks.

Based on my 4 trials I'd say they live up to their billing.

Speaking of billing, if you can't find it in your local stores (check their web site for store locations near you) you can order it on-line in various quantities. Depending on the quantities ordered you can expect a can to cost between $2-3 including shipping within the US and slight higher for shipping to Canada and even a bit more for shipping to other countries.

The only criticism I have is Brain Toniq limited flavors. It is currently offered only in citrus. While I don't mind the flavor, I know of many people who don't like citrus tasting drinks and who might prefer something else.

As part of their current promotion, they are offering readers of Kosher Food Reviews a 19% discount valid until November 30, 2009. Simply enter the coupon code KOSHER in their on-line order form to receive your 19% discount.

Overall we give it 4 out 5 mostly because it only comes in one flavor.

A note about the Hechsher (Kosher emblem): The paper packaging at this time displays a Hechsher on the bottom (not in plain view), and each can is stamped with the EarthKosher symbol. During our evaluation we did receive some older cans that were not stamped, but have also received cans displaying the appropriate Hechsher. If having cans displaying the EarthKosher symbol is important to you, be sure to specify this in your ordering instructions just to make sure. The firms kosher certificate is available on their web site.

Tofurky Italian Style Tufo Sausages - WOW!

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:27:00 +0000

I normally don't title my blog posts with a "WOW!", but this product deserves it. The full product description is Tofurky Italian-Style Tofu Sausage with Sun Dried Tomatoes"

I picked up these tofu (KSA parve/vegan) sausages on a whim at my local grocery store in their "health food" section. For the most part I picked them to just have them around for one of those days when we don't feel like eating meet.

They come fresh packed and I put them straight on the BBQ. After a few minutes on the BBQ the casings started to crisp up and I noticed something I've never seen before with a tofu hot dog or sausage, some fat actually started bubbling out of the casings. I checked the ingredients and discovered that this fat was "expeller pressed canola or high oleic safflower oil" which by all account is not unhealthy and may actually be OK for you.

After cooking them evenly all around it was time to give them a taste with nothing added. This is where the WOW came from. They tasted great! For a moment I forgot they were tofu based. OK that only lasted a few seconds, but still something I didn't expect.

The sausages were slightly spiced (not too much heat, but enough that you could taste it) with a well balanced flavor. I then shared them with my wife and she was equally impressed.

We've tried and still continue to buy other products from Tofurky, but haven't been overwhelmed by them as we were with these sausages. We usually buy Tofurky products when they are on sale for the kids' lunches. I can honestly say, we'll be buy this product not only for us, but for when our vegan or vegetarian friends come over. I'll be more than proud to server these tasty sausages.

Below is the products Nutritional Facts

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 3.5 oz. (100g)
Servings Per Package: 4
Calories 270 Calories from Fat 120
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g		20%
Saturated Fat 1.5 g		8%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg		0%
Sodium 620mg		25%
Total Carbohydrate 12g		4%
Dietary Fiber 8g		32%
Sugars 3g
Protein 29g
Vitamin A 6%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 4%	Iron 15%

Elite Airy (Bittersweet Chocolate) - U Circle Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:54:00 +0000

I must first state that I'm not a big fan of most bittersweet chocolate. I much more prefer semi-sweet or even baker's chocolate when it comes to eating Parve chocolate. Yet for this recent passover, I saw on the "Kosher for Passover" shelves the Elite Airy (Bittersweet Chocolate) and thought I'd give it a try as the picture on the label reminded me of the Aero bars I loved as a kid.

Once we opened up the 85 gram bar, it didn't disappoint. Everyone in the family liked it even the kids who normally won't eat much more than a nibble of bittersweet chocolate. Each piece of the Airy bar has tiny bubbles and that melt very nicely in your mouth. I don't know if it is the bubbles, but for the first few seconds on the tongue the chocolate actually tastes sweet (more like semi-sweet than bittersweet). If you leave the the bite size piece on your tongue for a few more seconds, you get a somewhat prominent vanilla taste. Nothing too strong or overwhelming, but more than from most other bittersweet chocolates.

What is a bit confusing is the packaging, with its large picture of the trademarked Elite Cow on the wrapper. By first glance, I thought this must be a milk chocolate bar, but then remembered that the cow graces all of Elite's chocolates. There is no mention of cocoa in the ingredients, just sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, emulsifier and artificial flavor (vanilla). Regardless, it tastes good.

As a testament to the Elite Airy, before Pescha was finished, I headed back to the grocery store to purchase several more bars as I'm not sure if they'll be carried by the store after Passover and to take advantage of Pescha clearance sale price.

Overall I give the Elite Airy bar a 4 out 5 on the taste scale.

Strawberry Sorbet - Parve (Kosher for Passover) Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:07:00 +0000

This is a classic at our dinner table anytime we have company.

1 egg white
1/4 c. sugar
1 pkg small frozen strawberries (or other fruit of your choice)
1/4 c water

Combine the fruit, sugar, and water in a food processor and mix until the sugar dissolves and the fruit is chopped up
Cover the mixture and chill 2 hours in the freezer
Beat the egg white in a separate bowl until stiff. Fold into the chilled fruit mixture.
Back into the freezer.

The trick to this sorbet is to make sure that the fruit doesn't freeze to a solid block before combining with the egg whites. If you let it freeze a bit too long, just drop it back into the food processor and give it a few whirls until it is the consistency of a a slushy.

Variations

One of the kids favorite variation, is to use fresh pineapple. Instead of peeling the pineapple, cut it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh. Be careful not to puncture the skin. Rub a bit of lemon juice on the inside of the skins and set the skins aside. Once the pineapple sorbet has been mixed, pour it into the pineapple skins and then freeze. Serve it to the table in the two pineapple hales for a truly spectacular presentation of a very delicious pineapple sorbet.

Lemon Sauce - Kosher for Passover Recipe (and Year Round)

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:23:00 +0000

I tried out this recipe parve lemon sauce recipe at our sedar table this year and it was a big hit. The recipe is a modification/blending of several recipes I've found and adjusted to be suitable during Passover and to make it parve.

It's also easy to prepare and takes about 15-20 minutes if you do everything from scratch or 10 minutes if you use already prepared fruit juices.

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (you can substitute store bought OJ)
1/2 cup sugar (you may want a bit more depending on how tart/sweet you like your sauce)
5 tbsp potato starch (when not Passover use 3 tbsp cornstarch)
Zest and juice of 4 lemons (you can substitute store bought lemon juice and skip the zest if you're in a rush)

Directions:

Pour orange juice, sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest and lemon juice into a small saucepan.
Bring to a simmer over a medium heat while whisking well. Continue to whisk as it begins to thicken.
Once the sauce's consistency is that of a slow drip from the whisk, pour it into a bowl and refrigerate until required

We used this sauce to drizzle over our home made "Strawberry Sorbet".

For an extra fancy presentation, place a small amount of the lemon sauce at the bottom of wine glass, then place a serving on sorbet followed by a drizzle of the lemon sauce. The parfait like desert will be a big hit.

My guests liked how the tartness of sauce complemented the sweetness of the sorbet creating a truly refreshing desert. A perfect end to a traditional sedar meal.

Healthy Chicken Fingers (Kosher for Passover)

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:12:00 +0000

I make these chicken fingers all year round, but with a twist when it's not Passover. Perpetration time is about 15 minutes. You can easily reduce or increase the amount of ingredients based on how many you want to make. This recipe will serve 4 adults.

Ingredients:

4 large boneless chicken breasts
1 cup regular matzo meal
1 cup whole wheat matzo meal (substitute whole wheat bread crumbs when it's not passover)
2 large eggs
1 tsp of sea salt
3 tsp of dried thyme
3 tsp of dried basil
1/2 tsp of white pepper
1 tsp of paprika
2-3 tsp of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Slice the chicken breasts into strips about 1" wide and 3" long (don't have to be perfect)

In a large bowl mix the eggs well

In another large bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well (be sure to taste a small pinch and adjust to taste).

Take a 8 x 14 baking sheet and grease it with olive oil

Dip each strip of chicken/chicken fingers first into the eggs and then in the dry mix making sure they are well coated and place on the baking sheet. Repeat and leave a small amount of space between the strips on the cookie sheet to ensure they brown on all sides.

When the cookie sheet is full place in the oven and turn down the heat to 375.

Cook for 6-7 minutes or until outside crust starts to brown up and then remove tray and turn over chicken strips/fingers. Return to the oven for another 7-8 minutes or until crust starts to turn brown.

Remove, serve and enjoy!

Hint: The crust will trap moisture and keep the chicken moist and tender. So make sure when coating the chicken fingers to make sure they are 100% coated.

Louisiana Hot Sauce - Star K

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:07:00 +0000

The Original Louisiana Hot Sauce has been a staple in our kitchen for years. I first discovered this family favorite nearly 20 years ago on a trip to New Orleans. Bottles of Louisiana Hot Sauce were on virtually every table in every restaurant I visited right next to the salt and pepper. So how could I not give it a try.

Most of us are familiar with the more heavily advertised hot sauces such as Tabasco or "Fred's Red Hot". But many people I've chatted with over the years have simply never given this brand a try or even know that the Original Louisiana Hot Sauce is kosher. When they do give it a try they are pleasantly surprised and are pleased that I've recommended it.

So what makes this hot sauce stand out from all the others. Is it its heat? Is it its strong flavor? The answer is no to both of these. In fact, I would only rate the heat factor as moderate. What I love is the subtle but complex flavors you get when you taste it. This sauce doesn't overwhelm you primary foods flavor, but instead enhances them. If you want a bit more heat or more flavor add a few more drops. There is no need to be shy with this hot sauce.

I personally love adding about 5 - 6 shakes to my personal serving of Cholent just to give it a kick. Another tasty use I've found is to add 1 -2 shakes to a glass or even a can of Coke. Yes to Coke. Be forewarn that that if are adding it directly to a can of Coke, to take a big sip first. Just one or two drops will start the Coke fizzing and if you didn't take that sip get ready for a small explosion of coke.

The Original Louisiana Hot Sauce get a perfect rating of 5 out 5.

Four O'clock Organic Green Tea - MK Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:55:00 +0000

Found this organic green tea in Toronto, and unfortunately the Four O'clock brand of teas is only distributed across Canada according to the companies web site (http://www.transherb.com/), so if you live in a border city in the Unite States you might be able to score some when you cross the border.

Four O'clock Organic Green Tea only comes in what they call a Green Tea Chest (60 bags). The cardboard box/chest does function nicely as a disposable tea chest and looks good even on the kitchen counter.

The individually packaged teas, have a very strong yet pleasant green tea smell when you open them. Once you add the hot water and let the tea steep a bit, the tea develops a delicious aroma. The tea has a stronger taste then the average commercial grade of green tea which to me is a good thing. As a bonus, there is almost no lingering aftertaste as well. The tea is great on its own or with a bit of honey added for those who like a sweeter tea.

We rate the Four O'clock Organic Green Tea a 4 out 5. After all, it's just green tea even if it is an above average tasting green tea.

Arrowhead Mills - Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle Mix - K Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:51:00 +0000

Over the years we've used various Arrowhead Mills pancake and waffle mixes in our home. Our current favorite one is their Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle Mix.

Arrowhead Mills - Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle Mix is easy to prepare requiring an egg, some oil, a bit of honey and water. The package does recommend using soya milk (which we usually do) as an alternative to the water. (note: the mix does contain some soymilk powder). This allows the pancakes to remain parve and appropriate for vegetarians. If you're prepared or want to use regular milk you can and the pancakes will turn out just as perfect.

If you have a vegan in the house, you'll want to use an egg substitute. If you simply cut out the egg, you'll still get a tasty pancake, but the texture just won't be the same.

When it comes to taste, we like the richer taste you get with the buckwheat when compared to using regular white flour. As well, the convenience of a premixed saves a bit of time when preparing breakfast.

I also like to cut in one small banana and toss in a generous handful of parve chocolate chips to the pancake batter as well. This combination makes the most delicious pancakes. Just a reminder when doing so, you'll want to cut out or cut back on the honey used to sweeten the batter. Some other combinations we've tried and enjoy are simply substituting Almond milk or flavored soya milk (i.e. Vanilla flavored soy) for the regular soya milk.

From a health perspective, Arrowhead Mills - Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle Mix is organic (Certified organic by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), a rich source of fiber and calcium along with riboflavin, Vitamin A and iron.

I generally find Arrowhead products at my local health food or organic grocery store. I have on occasion spotted it at regular grocery stores as well.

The only negative is the packaging. The package does not come with some form of a resealing method. So I'd recommend pouring the contents into a glass container to keep everything fresh.

Arrowhead Mills - Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle Mix easily scores a 4.5 out fo 5.

Solgurt (Dairy Free Soy Yogurt) - Kosher Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Being lactose intolerant, I'm always on the look out for dairy alternatives and have tried many different soy based yogurt alternatives over the years. So when I spotted Solgurt from Sol Cusine a dairy free cultured soy product from a brand I had never tried before I decided to give it a try.

I purchased the unsweetened natural style in the 680g container instead of something in the smaller single serving size containers because it was just a better deal and there were no flavored ones available in the larger container available at the store.

To be fair, I've never been a fan of just plain natural yogurts so when I open it up and gave it a taste I was a bit taken back. The taste was very sharp and I started to wonder if it had gone bad on me. I then remembered, that it was suppose to taste like natural yogurt which in essence is sour milk. For my taste buds, I couldn't eat it in its natural state (I'm sure some people would just love it), so I quickly added a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup and mixed it in. The result was something much more pleasing to my tastes.

So now, I'll be experimenting with adding different fruits and flavors to to my Solgurt to find the one I like the best.

To Sol Cusine's credit this product comes with with 7 Active Probiotic Cultures and Prebiotic-Inulin (Chicory Fibre) making it an extra healthy item on my table. Being dairy free (Parve) means it is a great option for vegans plus if I find a meat recipe that calls for "yogurt" I now have a parve alternative.

Overall I'd give it 3.5 out 5 in the natural version and 4.5 once you add your own flavors.

I'm also curious of how good their flavored varieties taste.

Amy's - Organic Medium Chili with Vegetables - K Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:40:00 +0000

We picked-up a couple of cans the other day of Amy's Organic Medium Chili with Vegetables (www.amys.com) simply because we are always looking for something quick and tasty for a healthy lunch.

Once you open the can you can see the quality of this product. Kidney beans (red beans) are plentiful and you see lot of corn. Upon spooning it into a bowl for reheating, other vegetables are evident, but hard to distinguish. Once heated (about 1 minute in the microwave) the tasting began.

The flavor of the sauce is perfect with a medium amount of heat. Perfect for my taste buds. During the tasting small pieces of potatoes were also spotted and tasted. They were still firm (not over cooked) and something green. Perhaps the green stuff was the bell peppers or jalapeno peppers listed on the can, but if so they were well cooked down and void of taste. There were no signs of the other vegetables listed on the can.

Overall the chili was tasty, convenient and worth what it cost. The only complaint is towards the overcooked bell peppers, it would have been nice to spot them in another form then as a tasteless mush. The overall rating for Amy's Organic Medium Chili with Vegetables is a 3.5 out of 5

COR Kosher Alert - Raisins

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:55:00 +0000

Just got this announcement from my Shul and thought I should share it with you.

---

Over the last two weeks, there have been widespread reports of insect infestation in raisins. A few kashrus organizations in the USA have disallowed the usage and consumption of raisins in their certified products and for their constituents.

The Kashruth Council COR has conducted its own research and subsequently consulted with its Poskim (Halachic Authorities). The Kashruth Council's decision is to continue to allow the usage and consumption of raisins without further checking for worms or other insects. This opinion concurs with the opinion of many kashrus organizations across Canada and the USA, including the Orthodox Union (OU).

Please note that research into the matter is ongoing and further updates will be provided for any new developments.

One should always be careful to store raisins in cool, dry and clean environments so as to avoid any potential infestation.

Sally's Dark Chocolae Pecans - Cor Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:27:00 +0000

The lable is orange with a hint of pink and the brand is officially "Sally's The Fresh and Tasty Snack" and the product is their dark chocolate pecans. I found this special treat on the nut and dried fruit display at the Kosher Sobey's grocery store in Thornhill, Ontario. I'm not sure how widely distributed these chocolate covered nuts are, but if you find them buy them.

I'm always a little hesitant when it comes to parve chocolate. Many times it is simply bitter sweet chocolate that overwhelms ones mouth. In this case, the chocolate is semi-sweet and compliments the large pieces of pecans perfectly.

I tried to find out more, but there is no web site listed on the packaging and a search of web didn't turn up Sally's web site. So all I can suggest if you're interested in purchasing the dark chocolate pecans, and you don't live in Thornhill or the Greater Toronto area then check your packaging as I suspect that these were simply private labeled for the local market as the packaging states "Product of USA" and that they were packed in Canada.

Sha Sha Organic Spelt Lemon Snaps - U Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:50:00 +0000

Last week while at the grocery store I accidentally tossed in a package of ShaSha Organic Spelt Lemon Snaps in the shopping cart instead of the usual Spelt Ginger Snaps. This error wasn't discovered until I got home and started unpacking the groceries.

Being the lazy person I am, I wasn't about to return to the store to exchange them, so instead I opened them up and gave them a taste. All that I can say is I'm glad I did.

The taste that spread across my mouth was wonderful and oh so enjoyable and the treat even started before I tasted them. When I first examine one of the Lemon snaps, I saw tiny little black specs. Could it be, a quick check of the ingredients confirmed it, these were indeed organic poppy seeds. One thing we all love about ShaSha snaps in my household are the all organic ingredients of the snaps. The lemon flavor didn't come from some chemical, but instead from Natural Dehydrated Lemon Flavour and the sweetness comes from a combination of organic evaporated cane juice and organic honey.

The initial taste is of a strong lemon flavor (bordering on a bit too strong - similar to a lemon pie) and after just a few seconds, one can taste the subtle flavor of the poppy seeds. The snaps have a great crunch and go nicely with a cup of hot tea.

Overall the Lemon Snaps are enjoyable and make for a nice change to the ShaSha Ginger Snaps that I still prefer. As such, I can only rate them 4.5 out of 5. Of course, if you generally prefer lemon snaps over ginger snaps then you might rate them the other way around.

Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars – Kd

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:29:00 +0000

For a healthy snack, the Kellogg Nutri-Grain cereal bars are a very clever choice. They have many great flavours, they have zero transfat, and they fit well into lunch boxes or plastic containers.

As a kid, I grew up on these bars; they were always in my lunch box, or the thing to nosh on if I was still hungry. As previously mentioned, they fit great in lunchboxes and if you are packing for a picnic or a trip in the car each bar is packaged and for the most part durable.

A great thing with these cereal bars is the wide variety of flavours, so you can switch things up and not have to worry about not liking a particular flavour. Flavours include: Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, Cherry, Mixed Berry, Raspberry, and Strawberry.

Depending on the flavour nutritional information differs slightly, but overall one Nutri-Grain cereal bar is a 37g serving size with 140 calories, 0 Trans fat, and 1 gram of protein. Vitamin count is really good on these bars as would be expected. Vitamin count includes Vitamin A, Calcium, Thiamin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Iron, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, and Zinc.

The Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars are Dairy, and they contain Wheat, Milk, and Soy Ingredients. But to be fair, they are cereal bars, so you sort of expect this to be the case.

For more information about the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain cereal bars, see the website at http://www.nutri-grain.com/CerealBars.html or to view the entire Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain line up of products go to http://www.nutri-grain.com/, besides the cereal bars, Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain also makes Fruit & nut bars and Yogurt bars. So they are quite focused on the snack side.
Food awards are always tricky to decide if they mean anything, every food seems to have won some sort of award or many, but the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars are the recipients of the American Culinary ChefsBest Award for Best Taste.

As I mentioned before, I grew up on these things and there is always at least two boxes of them in my house at all times. They taste great, they are great nosh, they are nutritious, and they fit in a lunch box. In all fair warning, if packed in too tightly they have a habit of turning into mush, but the mush tastes the same and because the jam is thick, even as mush they are easy to eat.

Rating 4.5 out of 5

Soyrizo Meatless Soy Chorizo - KSA Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:45:00 +0000

Discovered the Soyrizo Meatless Soy Chorizo (produced by Frieda's Inc.) while vacationing in Florida at the Kissimme Super Wallmart in the fresh produce section.

Soyrizo come unfrozen vacuum packed with two large chorizo in the package. To prepare them you simply need to remove them from the packaging and then you have remove the plastic sausage casing before cooking them up in a lightly oiled frying pan. Removing them from their casing proved a bit difficult and one of the two chorizo got a bit squished.

Because the casing were removed, both sausages quickly started loosing their shape, so I cut them into smaller sections which helped a bit. Once cooked all the way through it was time for tasting. Of course, you could simply break it all up and cook it up like ground beef if you prefer.

For once, I discovered a soy based sausage that didn't taste like a soy hot dog or any other soy product. The color was dark and the taste was exceptional. There was just the right amount of heat (some on the meek side might find them a bit spicy) and the texture was fantastic. The two large sausages proved a bit much so we had about a half a chorizo left over for the following day. The next day we added it to some vegetarian chili and it worked wonderfully.

From a nutritional perspective, the Soyrizo are high on fat. According to the label the package contains six portions (more likely it would work well for 3-4 adults) and each portion contains 9g of fat. Fortunately, this is not trans fat. They were also a bit high on the sodium side (but what sausage isn't). On the positive side of nutrition each portion contains 10% of daily requirements of iron and 6% of daily requirements of calcium.

We rate Soyrizo a 4.5 out of 5. It would have scored a 5 out 5 if the sausage casing used was an edible casing instead of a plastic casing which had to be removed prior to cooking.

Anderson Braided Twists Honey Wheat - U Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:21:00 +0000

We stumbled on the (for a lack of a better phrase pretzels/crackers/bread sticks) Braided Twists Honey Wheat a few months back. Most of us in my household love honey, so when I spotted them on the grocery shelve I tossed it into the shopping cart.

When we got home and opened the package, we could stop eating them. At one dinner with company, we put them out along with various dips, and most of the guest just started eating them plain. The positive comments were overwhelming and the braided twists score a home run.

So it is clear that the Braid Twists Honey Wheat taste great, but what about the nutritional side of the equation. Well there isn't much to them, nor did we expect a great health benefit. So it came as no surprise that there isn't one. The good news is there really isn't anything in them that is harmful (except for a few calories). They contain ZERO trans fat and only 1g of fat and 11o calories for about 10 sticks.

The above pictures shows a large jar (23 oz), we managed to buy them in a 10 0z bag. So if you're interested in trying this delicious treat, but are scared you might not love them as much as we have, then look for the smaller bag at your grocer.

So our rating is a 5 out of 5.

FoodShouldTasteGood Buffalo Tortilla Chips - U Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:02:00 +0000

FoodShouldTasteGood Buffalo tortilla chips live up to their name. Always on the hunt for healthy snacks especially parve ones let me to discover these yummy tortilla chips on my grocer's shelf.

After picking them off the shelf I did a quick scan and saw that Buffalo (just like Buffalo flavored wings) was composed of cayenne pepper, vinegar and Garlic. A further glance at the packaging reviled beyond being parve, they are also "certified Gluten-Free" (great for people with a Gluten intolerance or allergy). So far so good, I then flipped to the back to read the ingredients and nutrition facts. There are 5 basic ingredients which are Stone Ground Corn, Cayenne Pepper Sauce (cayenne peepers, vinegar, salt, garlic) High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Corn Bran and Cane Sugar and contain no Trans Fat. Of course, as with any chip the overall fat content of a mere 10 chips was at 9% of the daily recommended, but also contains 3g of fiber and a bit of vitamin A, calcium and iron.

So into the shopping cart they went for a taste test at home. My wife quickly spotted them and always wanting spicy chips quickly opened the bag. We both sampled a tortilla chip. The chips are crisp with an excellent crunch. The taste is good as well. Nothing outstanding, but the chips do have a pleasant taste with just a bit of heat that will after a few chips creep up on you. Overall we enjoyed them and I'll give them a 3.5 out 5 on our scale. Perhaps next week I'll try one of their other flavors.

For more information you can visit FoodShouldTasteGood's web site at what else www.foodshouldtastegood.com.

ZenSoy – Soy Pudding - U Parve

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:46:00 +0000

Perhaps it was the cute panda on the packaging that caught my attention when scanning the dairy refrigerator at the local store or perhaps it was the desire for something sweet. Either way, I'm thrilled that I came across ZENSoy's "Soy Pudding". This product is certified USDA Organic and U Parve.

I've tried various other brands of parve puddings over the years and while they may meet the sweet tooth criteria, they didn’t make me want to run out and buy more until now. Being Lactose Intolerant and frequently feeling like a sweet creamy dessert after a meat meal, keeps me on the lookout for products like this.

My first venture was to purchase the Vanilla flavour. I opened up the first of four single serving cups, put a spoon in and then tasted a creamy and just sweet enough vanilla packed spoonful of the most wonderful pudding. Before I knew it, I had consumed the entire first serving. The next day, I made sure to share a taste with my six year old. If anyone truly says what he thinks, he does. So as I watch his response anticipating the usual "Yechhhhhh" to any food substitute, instead I got a "mmmmm, can I have the rest?"

So there you have an unbiased opinion of mmmm. I give this treat a 5 out 5.

The soy pudding cups come in three additional flavours: Banana, Chocolate and Chocolate/Vanilla Swirl. Nutritional and other information on this and other products from ZenSoy can be found on their web site at www.zensoy.com

Sesmark Sesame Thins - OU Dairy

noreply@blogger.com (The Reviewers) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:26:00 +0000

Nosh lovers, this is a find that could change the way you view crackers.

I only bought the original flavoured, but as I peruse I see there are also garlic and cheddar flavoured thins. This comes as quite a shock since the original Sesmark Sesame Thins have so much flavour in them. After you treat yourself to a few Sesmark Sesame Thins on their own, now is when the excitement begins. Fill these crackers with cheese (melted or sliced), jam, peanut butter, fish, Humus, your favourite vegetables, or whatever else tickles your fancy.

To keep up with the "thins" name there is a mail in offer for a free Pedometer. The purpose is to help you "Think fit, eat fit, and walk fit." One warning: the name "thins" isn't just because they are light on the nutritional side, these crackers aren't heavy duty so they make break into pieces in the butter or the salsa.

The thins are all-natural and contain no preservatives, artificial colours, or flavours. The crackers are great tasting, healthy, and an enjoyable snack for all ages. For full ingredients and information, feel free to see the website at http://www.sesmark.com/products/sesame_thins.shtml

Allergy warning: The sesame thins contain wheat and soy, and may be made in a facility that also processes milk and tree nuts.

The sesame thins are one of many Sesmark products. They come in boxes with a plastic over them so you can make sure to pick up a box that doesn’t have too many broken crackers. Once you found a box with the crackers that look the best, you notice the OU Dairy hecsher on the side. The package size is just over 50 crackers, so there are not tonnes, but there are enough that you might want to watch yourself before you start noshing or they will all be gone before you know.

These crackers are dairy, but if you are fleish, they are worth the wait!