Summer Tasting

A big box of F&E goodies arrived a few weeks ago. My apology for not getting too it sooner!

The thing is, before I even get to take a picture of the loot, SOMEBODY started in on the Cranberry Oaktmeal Cookies with Walnut ...and I haven't seen the rest of the tub since. *sigh* Verdict: Nirvana ...judging by the fact that it has disappeared in a few days after arrival.

Then there were the condiments: Organic Ketchup, Yellow Mustard, and Barbecue Sauce. Haven't tried any of them yet but their mere presence led me to find out that the ketchup and yellow mustard I have in the fridge expired in 2008. Whoops.

The Il Fornaio Gourmet Wheat Hamburger Buns arrived just in time for my LOST finale dinner! The original idea was to get a bucket of fried chicken and pretend they were from Hurley's Mr. Cluck. But now that I had the buns, we switched up the menu to a pineapple-ginger-soy glazed sirloin burger (flavored with pressed garlic, a squirt of Sriracha, and salt and pepper) with butter and rum caramelized onion instead.

The soft, tasty buns grilled up beautifully nutty. No structural integrity failure here when you take a bite (yes, we used that term for our food stuff in this geeky household). Verdict: Heavenly.

Now, I'm not a huge white wine drinker, so I past along the Vine Yard Pinot Gris to Sister Amanda (from Four Girls Three Wines episode) after said LOST finale dinner. She said she enjoyed it very much and it went very well with her mango chicken salad a few days later. Verdict: Heavenly.

Malt Vinegar & Sea Salt Kettle Chips is waiting to be tested. My boss is a big salty snack fan so I'll let her review that one. :)

The Box O' Joy also came with an apron, the crowd-favorite $5 of $20 purchase coupon, and a gift card.

Also in the box was a list of their grill events with award winning grill expert Neil Strawder (aka Bigmista) with special grilling tips. The first 100 people will receive a free reusable bag.

• Friday, June 4: 5 p.m. at Eagle Rock location on, well, Eagle Rock.
• Friday, July 30: 5 p.m. at Norwalk location on Rosecrans.
• Saturday, August 21: 4 p.m. at Alhambra location on Main.
• Saturday, August 28: 4 p.m. at Northridge location on Nordhoff.

The irony in this is that I just went to F&E to restock a couple of days before the box arrived. While there, I did go a little crazy as I always do after a few weeks of not haven't been to F&E. Ah...the binge cycle! I came out with a few new items I haven't tried before.

Barbecue Pasta Salad was a surprise. I bought that to eat with the veggie dogs I picked up for my meatless Tuesday and found myself serving it again with the LOST Burger and it was divine. Pasta, corn, black beans, and red bell peppers tossed in mayo-based barbecue dressing that is just sweet enough with a subtle kick of poblano chilli. It doesn't taste like a pasta salad mixed with barbecue sauce, if you're thinking that's what it is. It's more of a sweeter and smokier pasta salad than your plain ol' stuff.

Your meal having barbecue sauce already on it or not, this pasta salad will still kick your traditional pasta salad's ass. Verdict: Nirvana.

Organic Chocolate Soy Milk was new to me. Sister Aurora (the Provider of F&E Coupons...since she lives in Long Beach and getting all the F&E mail) told me about it but I haven't picked it up. And I was a little disappointed that it seemed more watery than the Silk counterpart. I don't know what are all in it that makes the difference but it tasted like a glass half full of Silk Chocolate Soy with another half a glass of water mixed in. Verdict: Purgatory.

Eat Well Creamy Basil Chicken was quite disaster. The whole wheat pasta was overcooked and was grainy in texture. And, a trend with Eat Well line, the sauce was under-salted. Having been to the Eat Well tasting event and talked with the chef, I knew why the salt level was low. But this thing just lacked flavors altogether. If there were more tomatoes, I think I might have been okay with it not having the salt. But I *did* eat it all, so it wasn't completely inedible. Verdict: Purgatory.

Tons of products at F&E for the summer grilling, you guys.

And of course, keep your eyes out for the great deal that are the Grill Pack: nearly 5 lbs. of burger patties, Italian sausage, and seasoned chicken pieces. The normally $9.99 deal usually go on sale for something like $5.99 during the high grilling season so keep your eyes peeled and stock up!

F&E Review: Experimenting with Grab-And-Go

I've been stocking up on a variety of grab-and-go entrees from F&E as they make perfect lunch to take to the office. Some were hits, and some miss the mark by miles. So here are my verdicts.

Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice is still the winner so far.

Chicken Parmigiana with Fettuccine comes in close second. Can't fault anyone for the parmigiana not being crispy. I mean, it's been sitting on top of sauce and noodles. However, the flavor and the tenderness of the chicken more than makes up for the lack of crispiness. I like the fact that I don't need a knife to cut through the chicken. The pasta sauce is fine to me although Brandon thinks it's a little sweet. Verdict: Nirvana

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad looked and sounded promising, but it did not deliver. Not sure what it is with F&E (or Chef Mike's?) decision to put red bell peppers in a lot of things. (i.e. a surprise in the Tikka Masala although not disruptive.) But the roasted red peppers KILL this salad. I really want to like it but I just can barely taste the Caesar underneath the peppers. Verdict: Pergatory

Chicken Arrabiatta with Fettuccine is a far cry from the fellow Italian entree. The chicken was bland. I mean, I saw that it's supposed to have herbs on it but I don't taste anything. It was like bland boiled chicken slices on top of noodles and sauce. The sauce, I didn't like that either. Not sure what it is but I gave it three bites before I tossed that out and went downstairs to look for edible lunch. Verdict: Hell

Finally, a field report from Sister Sarah, another friend and fan of F&E, that matches my verdict. Chicken Tortilla Soup = FAIL. Big time. First, the texture was like someone blended a proper chicken tortilla soup. Not completely smooth but not completely chunky. That's not very appetizing. And then there was the taste. It was salty. And that is all we could taste. There is absolutely nothing good we can say about the soup. Verdict: Hell

**

Now you too can be the reviewers for F&E product!

F&E just announced that you can write your review of what you've tasted at F&E Kitchen Table. Once again, they're showing us that they LISTEN. And that's why we love the store.

Amy's Reviews

Yesterday I attended the opening of the new Fresh & Easy location at 10 N. Eastern in Las Vegas. The F&E people in attendance could not have been nicer (Hi Simon!) and definitely embody the friendly neighborhood market energy that is Fresh & Easy's mission. I took pictures and will post them when I get back from vacation. (Hi Sallie!)

First, some product reviews:

Penne Pesto: This dish was delicious, light and flavorful -- which is perfect in the Las Vegas heat. I was so pleasantly surprised when the F&E pastas microwaved and didn't dry out. Fresh vegetables in this dish complement the pesto without overwhelming it. If I had one less positive comment it would be that I wanted my pesto heavier. But, disclaimer: I like a lot of pesto. My mom split the dish with me and it was the perfect proportion of pesto to penne for her.

Verdict: Heavenly

Penne Arribiata: OMGBBQ. SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO YUMMY. Spicy without being painful, with deliciously tender red and yellow and green peppers in the dish that add an aesthetic as well as aromatic appeal to this meal. (hey! I made a rhyme!) I've bought this dish a few times now. It is a perfect entree, late night snack, lunch idea.

Verdict: Nirvana

Penne with Tomato Cream Sauce: First of all it is only $1.99! You can find it in the sandwich and sushi display in the front of the store and it is the perfect amount of pasta for one person. Fresh diced tomatoes are throughout this dish and the sauce is the perfect shade of pink. I usually add some olives to it for my own personal perfection. This is what I'm having for dinner tonight.

Verdict: Nirvana

Tomato, Basil, Mozzerella Sandwich: The roll used on this sandwhich is delicious. Somewhere between a ciabatta and french roll, it is the perfect complement to the fresh buffalo mozz, fresh basil and tomato slices with a sprinkle of lemon juice/pinenut mixture on it. The ratio of bread to cheese to tomato to greens is DIVINELY PERFECT.

Verdict: Heavenly

Ham & Swiss sandwich: I've had this sandwich 3 times and it was delicious all three times, although once the bread wasn't the greatest--just passable. The next two times the bread was good, but not as good as on the tomato/basil/mozz sandwich and not as good as the individual french demi baguettes in the back of the store. The Ham is sliced thin enough for a gal like me who likes her lunchmeat wafer thin. The swiss is creamy. The dijon mustard has just the right amount of bite. This is the sandwich I'm tucking into my carry on for my flight to Aruba tomorrow.

Verdict: Heavenly

Chicken Escallopes and Rosemary Garlic Red Potatoes: I'm listing these together because together they take about 10 minutes to make and presentation and taste wise appear like you slaved in the kitchen for hours. Chicken fillets are in a crust of spices including rosemary, thyme, basil and garlic. Pan saute them in extra virgin olive oil for 10 min, turning frequently. Red Potatoes are in olive oil, rosemary and garlic mixture and microvave for about 3 1/2-4 minutes. OMGBBQ I could eat this everyday, for real.

Verdict: Nirvana


BBQ Chicken Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza and Pepperoni Pizza: for $4.49ish, they are a bargain and easy to pop in the oven. I did not add any extra spices to them and they were alright. They tasted like frozen pizza despite being fresh take and bake style. DiGiorno is better. Now, that said, some fresh garlic and tomato added to the pepperoni might have elevated its rating. My main criticism of the pizzas is that the crust was cardboard like.

Verdict on all 3: Earthbound

Fruit and Cheese Plate: Do you have to bring an appetizer to book club? For $4.49 this is the ticket. About 6 small rounds of bread with a small piece of brie, some white cheese that seemed havarti like, a few cubes of cheddar, sliced apples and dried apricots. This also makes a great snack and will also be in my carry on on the flight to Aruba tomorrow.

Verdict: Nirvana

Beef Fajitas: Oakley rated this a Nirvana, so I will give it another go after my vacation. I think perhaps the issue I had with the marinade/spices is cilantro. I'm not a huge fan. But the beef was tender.

Verdict: Earthbound

Pro-Yo Berry Crunch, Dark Chocolate Pudding and Vanilla Banana Smoothie: I AM ADDICTED to all three and my F&E is STILL out of them. HELP!

Verdict: Nirvana

Chili Marinated Chicken Tenders The plastic container melted in my microwave and the odor--oh good god the odor. This was a freak incident as no other F&E plastic container has fared a similar fate. I didn't eat them obviously and now I am (irrationally) afraid of them. Have you tried them? Should I give it another go?

Verdict: Purgatory for now, subject to change.

I'm off to Aruba tomorrow so I'll write more when I get back!
Amy

The Pudding Escapade

All these few pounds I gain in the past 2 weeks are all for you guys, by the way. That's just how dedicated I am.

I picked up almost all of F&E single pudding and flans and tried them all out over the past week. I was never fond of anything "western" with coconut flavoring, having grown up where desserts actually HAVE coconut in them, I forwent the Coconut Flan to be subjective.

Here are the results.

Chocolate. A favorite at my household. Brandon got us buying the big tub now. I would occasionally dunk apples in them. It's definitely yummy. However, if you put me in a blind test between F&E and another brand, I'm not sure I could pick out the difference. But for whatever reason, Brandon seems to enjoy this one hence the high rating. Verdict: Nirvana.

French Vanilla. Not overpoweringly vanilla-y with crunchy little seeds. Not sure if I like the crunch but otherwise that wouldn't make it a FRENCH vanilla. I did like it quite a bit. Verdict: Heavenly.

Vanilla Flan. The flan was a double taste test. My coworker whose signature desserts are creme brulee and flans wanted in on the action. Neither one of us like it. We actually took a couple of bites each and decided to throw it away. It's neither creamy enough or caramel-y enough. So it tastes a little, well, bland. Not what we were expecting at all. If I have a flan craving to quench, I'd go to El Pollo Loco before I go to F&E. Verdict: Hell.

Rice Pudding and Tapioca Pudding. I had some that was more like vanilla pudding with tapioca in it. But this is more custardy and creamy and milkier tasting, if that's a term, than the vanilla pudding, Then again, on the same note, there is more pudding than rice/tapioca in theirs than in F&E's. The rice pudding, especially, it was almost like having a milk pudding in a bowl that used to have rice in it--too much pudding and note enough rice. It's almost the same way with tapioca, but I actually got more tapioca action than I did with riced. Verdicts: Rice pudding, Purgatory. Tapioca pudding, Earthbound.

Dark Chocolate. The king of the F&E pudding! I am already in love with the dark chocolate mousse (though I haven't officially reviewed it yet), and this was just like it...if you added more milk. Chocolatey with just enough sweet. My bias is toward dark chocolate so this is totally the winner for me. Verdict: Nirvana.

Now, I must go practice my Thriller to burn off the calories.

Iced Tea Variety Part II

Tropical Black Iced Tea: This is another one of my favorite. I have always been a fan of the Paradise iced tea. This one comes pre-sweetened! Instead of the usual passion fruit flavoring, this on actually brews with black tea with calendula and safflower flowers, and achieve similar passion-fruity result.

Verdict: Nirvana

Black Iced Tea with Lemonade: And it tastes exactly what it is. Nothing that knocks me off my feet, but I give it credits for tasting like home brew sweet tea with lemon.

Verdict: Heavenly

Black Iced Tea: Well, that's just it. With just a little sugar. Pure and simple. Like someone just brew it for you. I guess for the fact that it tastes just like it should, it gets this verdict.

Verdict: Heavenly

Pomegranate White Iced Tea: The color is so vibrant you would've thought it'd be syrupy like the Raspberry Rooibos, but it wasn't as sweet as it looks. Actually, it wasn't too sweet at all. I'm not a fan of pomegranate so I'm already a little bias. But there's something off between the pom and the white tea I think. Not sure if they compliment each other.

Verdict: Purgatory

Fresh Fettuccine

My colleague and I both found ourselves frustrated over the fresh fettuccine from the refrigerated section.

We dropped the bundle into hot boiling water. Whereas other brand of pre-made pasta noodles would gently unfurl and separate, the F&E noodles did not. Okay, unfurling they did, but they didn't separate. There are a few parts that are stuck together and refused to come apart.

I didn't mind too much as I just violently yank them out of the pot. The texture and taste is just fine. Actually, I find them more spongy than other brand and I kind of like that.

My colleague however was sorely disappointed as she kept finding clumps of broken of stuck-together pieces. While the clumps just frustrated me, she absolutely hates that in her pasta.

Verdict: Purgatory

Iced Tea Variety

My husband is cutting down on his soda consumption and has done pretty well. We have switched to Vitamin Water for a while to get him off the caffeine and slowly off the sugar. But after a while, both of us found them too sweet.

We're not fans of artificial sweeteners. Out goes anything "diet" or "sugar-free" on this end.

So, we tried a few of F&E bottled iced teas. There are a few more we have to pick up, I believe. But here are the results so far.

Green Iced Tea: Refreshing and definitely not too sweet. It does have a bit of a bitter after taste which I like. Totally something I would grab from the fridge coming in from a hot day. My husband loves this stuff.

Verdict: Nirvana

Raspberry Rooibos Iced Tea: The red delicious is probably the sweetest of the bunch with its raspberry essence and a touch of lime juice. It was a little too syrupy to be sipping in the hot sun straight out of the bottle...like I did, on the beach, during a heatwave. With a glass of ice, that might work better.

Verdict: Earthbound

Moroccan Style Mint Green Iced Tea: This is my favorite of the bunch so far. A touch of mint refreshes is so refreshing and the sweet just comes right in to complement that. A bit sweeter than the green tea, but I fell in love with that minty effect.

Verdict: Nirvana

Chamomile Iced Tea: This one was a little odd. I guess I didn't quite pair chamomile with a splash of lime juice. (As a matter of fact, it seems all of the teas except for original green has lime juice in it. Interesting...) Definitely not big on this one.

Verdict: Purgatory