Tiffany Tastes

I <3 Trader Joe's

Whenever I visit a city with a Trader Joe's, I have to make a special trip, even if just to look around. During my recent trip to Chicago, I stopped at one of the FIVE Trader Joe's in Chicago. As I was making my rounds, I found...

They may sound disgusting, but chocolate-covered potato chips are amazing. Sweet, creamy, salty and crunchy. It meets all snacking requirements.

Maybe it's better for me that we don't have a Trader Joe's. I feel like I would eat way too many of these.

What? Another Product Review?

Yes, dear readers, I have another product review for you. I know they've been few and far between. :) A few weeks ago, I read about House Foods Tofu Shirataki noodles on the Hungry Girl web site. As a true carb-o-holic and a lover of all things pasta, I was extremely interested in the idea of a pasta alternative that's only 20 calories a serving. With standard pasta clocking in at about 200 calories a serving, I had to try it out.

Tofu Shirataki noodles are made with tofu (obviously) and yam flour as opposed to the semolina that makes up traditional pasta. You won't find Tofu Shirataki in the standard pasta aisle; it's next to the tofu (duh!) in the refrigerator section. It comes in a small pouch filled with liquid, and there are there different sizes: spaghetti, fettucini and angel hair. I chose angel hair, because in general, I like the long skinny noodles the best :)

Now, here is the very important part. It is imperative that you follow the directions explicity to achieve the best results. I did a lot of research before purchasing this product and was prepared for the "authentic aroma" as the back of the package states. Some of the reviewers called it an "ammonia-like" or "fishy" odor. It wasn't overbearing but it was definitely present. First thing, a good rinsing.

 

Now, dry them really well. You can pat them dry with paper towels or a method that I picked up off the internet is to stir fry them in a dry wok on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until excess liquid has evaporated.

If you choose to stir fry, then you can remove the noodles from the heat and incorporate them into a dish as you would any cooked noodles. If you pat them dry, then you need to complete one more step. Place the noodles in a microwave-safe dish and cook in the microwave for 1 minute OR par-boil for one minute in boiling water and and drain well. Then add to your dish as you would any cooked noodles. These steps completely remove the authentic aroma of the noodles.

I decided to make a quick veggie stir-fry.

 

The texture of the noodle was pretty spot on. Although, I will say that the angel hair reminds me more of the noodles you would find in a nice ramen soup than traditional angel hair pasta. WIth that note, they may have been a little too thin for a stir-fry. Next time I use Tofu Shirataki in my stir fry, I'll go for the spaghetti version. The flavor was mild, just a shade above bland. But, it offers a good vehicle for whatever sauce you decide. I'm looking forward to picking up some Tofu Shirataki fettucini and trying the Hungry Girl's alfredo.

You can find Tofu Shirataki noodles at Whole Foods nationwide. For other retailers, check the House Foods website for store locations. They are a little more expensive than standard pasta, running about $2.50 a package. You should get two ample servings from each package.

House Foods Tofu Shirataki noodles
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It's a Dirty Job...Part 2

In my previous post, I compared the red velvet cupcakes at Muddy's Bake Shop and Gigi's Cupcakes with Muddy's being the slight favorite.  In this edition of "It's a Dirty Job" the hubby and I take on Muddy's and Gigi's chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting, named the Prozac and Texas Milk Chocolate respectively.

As with the red velvet competition, Gigi's (left)  clearly dominates Muddy's (right) in the size department.  Twice the size and twice the price.  Gigi's cupcake are also more decorative with the chocolate sprinkles and the fondant heart. 

The color of the cake and frosting in this case are much closer than with the red velvet versions. 
While both cupcakes had some positives, there was a clear winner.

Muddy's: The Prozac wins on flavor of cake and frosting.  It was sweet and rich, but not overly so; 3 delicious chocolatey bites.  The Prozac also wins on the texture of the cake; moist, light and fluffy.  Where Muddy's chocolate on chocolate version lost a couple of points was on the texture of the frosting.  It was a little too soft, almost as if it was melting.  Otherwise, it was perfect.

Gigi's: The only way that this cupcake was superior was the texture of the frosting.  Everything else was subpar.  The frosting wasn't as rich or as chocolatey as its Muddy's counterpart.  The cake was dry (I honestly think that the size of Gigi's cupcakes prevents them from being as moist or as light as the smaller Muddy's versions. It's possible that they dry out because it takes some much longer for them to bake through).  Another issue was the flavor of the cupcake.  Instead of biting in to rich, chocolate bliss, the Texas Milk Chocolate cupcake has the strange addition of cinnamon added to the cake batter.  For a cupcake that is described as "milk chocolate cake topped with milk chocolate frosting," the presence of the cinnamon was quite jarring.  I found the description to be a bit deceiving. After a while, I didn't mind the cinnamon so much, but the hubby didn't care for it at all.  And, again, it seemed like there was just way too much frosting for the amount of cupcake.

The winner of this round and of our competition overall is Muddy's Bake Shop. Even though the cupcakes are smaller, Muddy's wins on the taste and texture of their cake.  It's true that Gigi's gives you more, but more doesn't always mean better.

It's a Dirty Job...

Oh the sacrifices I make for you, my faithful followers. A few months ago, I did a post about Muddy's Bake Shop, a bakery in East Memphis that offers assorted treats such as puddings, pies, cookies and most importantly...cupcakes.  For a while, this was the only shop of its kind in East Memphis.  A few weeks ago, a little competition came to town in the form of Gigi's Cupcakes, a shop that is a part of a small specialty chain that sells, wait for it, cupcakes.  So, I've decided that it is my supreme responsibility to sample cupcakes from both establishments to give you my official opinion about where to buy the best cupcakes in town.  I enlisted my husband to help me (and share the calories).  So we stopped in each of the shops on a busy Saturday afternoon, grabbed some milk, and got to it.

We decided to try two different kinds of cupcakes in order to get a sufficient sample size.  I selected the red velvet cupcake and the hubby wanted to sample chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. 

Gigi's red velvet offering is called Scarlett's Velvet and Muddy's named theirs Frankly Scarlett.

Gigi's version is on the left and Muddy's is on the right.   Gigi's rendition has more decoration, while Muddy's took a simpler route.  As you can see, Gigi's is much larger than Muddy's but at twice the price ($3.00 for a Gigi's cupcake and $1.50 for a Muddy's cupcake) there needs to be something to justify the large price tag.

Just based on appearance, in addition to the obvious size difference, the Muddy's version is way more red; the Gigi's version is darker.  Gigi's cupcakes also have a crap-load more cream cheese frosting.  There's almost more frosting than cake.  Gigi's utilizes a vanilla cream in the center of their red velvet cupcake.

As far as taste goes: I found the flavor and texture of Muddy's cupcake to be far superior to that of Gigi's cupcake.  The Gigi's version seemed a little dry, even with the cream filling.  I found the inclusion of the cream filling to be a little odd, especially since it added absolutely zero flavor to the cupcake overall.  It made the inside of the cupcake just seem weirdly damp. However, I preferred the flavor of the frosting on Gigi's red velvet cupcake than that of Muddy's.  It was a little creamier, a little sweeter, and the crunchy sugar crystals on top offered a nice textural contrast.  But, there is way, way, way too much frosting on Gigi's cupcake.  More is not always better.

Tom, on the other hand, really enjoyed the cream filling in Gigi's cupcake. He said that it reminded him of a cream-filled doughnut, and felt that Gigi's cake was better overall, but he preferred the flavor of Muddy's frosting.

For me, Round One goes to Muddy's (by a slim margin).  Stay tuned for the results of Round Two (chocolate on chocolate) in my next post.

Healthy Sweets

Most people who know me understand that I love sweets.  My dad did a lot of baking when I was growing up, and dessert was a mainstay at my house.  I'm ambivalent about a steak, but I'll knock a sucker out for a brownie.  In my quest to lose a few pounds and live an overall healthier lifestyle, I've found many low-fat, store bought sweets to be lacking.  Sadly, there aren't many options for people who want tasty sweets that won't pad your hips. 

I was perusing the Fresh Market near my job when I ran across a new line of frozen treats from a company called Wine Cellar Sorbet.  Now, I love wine and I love sorbet. Win-win! Score!  I picked up a pint of Sangria sorbet and took it home to enjoy.  Let me tell you, it was worth every penny of the $5.99 price tag.  Tangy, sweet, and super refreshing, it was difficult to stop after only three spoonfuls.

With flavors like sake, mimosa, ruby port and pinot noir, there is an option for every type of wine connoisseur.  It's fat-free and low calorie, so it's also a good choice for those of us who are watching our figure.  I can't wait to try some of the other flavors.

Sangria Sorbet
Wine Cellar Sorbet
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Watchamacallit vs. Thingamajig: A Candy Bar Face Off

One day in the not too distant past, I was perusing the candy shelves at a local Walgreen's when I came across a candy bar called a "Thingamajig," a limited edition chocolate bar distributed by Hershey.  People who are near and dear to my heart know that the Whatchamacallit (also distributed by Hershey) is my absolute most favorite candy bar.  As I reached for the Thingamajig, I noticed the similarities in packaging to the Whatchamacallit.  The color of the wrapper was different, but the graphics were the same.

Underneath their wrappers, there is also no discernible difference in appearance. (The Watchamacallit is on the top) The Watchamacallit is a bit slimmer and a touch longer, but that's about it.

However, the fillings differ greatly.  The Watchamacallit advertises that it is made with chocolate, peanut flavored crisps and caramel.

The Thingamajig boasts chocolate with cocoa crisps and peanut butter.

As you can see, the chocolate crispies give the Thingamajig a darker center, while the caramel and peanut crisps make the Watchamacallit much lighter in appearance.

THE TASTE TEST:

The chocolate crisps of the Thingamajig give it a softer center while the Watchamacallit is more dense and crunchier.  The Thingamajig has a much more pronounced peanut butter flavor which the hubby ultimately preferred over the caramel center of the Whatchamacallit.  I, however, think that the Watchamacallit is infinitely superior :) The flavors are more balanced, and it has everything that you could want in a candy bar.

FINAL RESULTS:

If you like peanut butter, the Thingamajig is probably a better fit for you, but for purists, the Watchamacallit is the way to go  Both candy bars are quite tasty in their own way, but if your looking for a Thingamajig, you better act fast; it is a limited edition treat.

My First Product Review

I know that I have been slacking the past week, and I have done a disservice to my loyal followers (however many of you there may be.) I hope to make it up to you by posting my very first product(s) review.

As I walked through the grocery store a little while back, something caught my eye; Häagen-Dazs had released a special line of ice creams called Häagen-Dazs Reserve. This limited edition set of flavors includes Amazon Valley Chocolate, Brazilian Açai Berry Sorbet, Fleur de Sel Caramel, Hawaiian Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream, Pomegranate Chip, and Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle. The ice creams in this series are supposed to contain rare and unique ingredients, therefore explaining their limited availability and slightly elevated price tag. At my local store, a pint of traditonal Häagen-Dazs ice cream costs $3.69 with the Reserve varieties coming in at a hefty $4.07.

I decided to sacrifice myself and choose two flavors to review, Fleur de Sel Caramel and Hawaiian Lehua Honey and Sweet Cream.  The Fleur de Sel Caramel was a great combination of textures; the base was a rich caramel flavored ice cream with caramel swirls and chocolate-covered Fleur de Sel caramels.  I really love salted caramels, and this ice cream is a perfect embodiment of the delicious contrast between salty and sweet. Fleur de Sel (which is literally translated as Flower of the Salt) only comes from Brittany, France. It is a delicate counterpoint to the rich and decadent caramel.  The end result is luscious, sinful, and quite possibly the best ice cream I have ever eaten.  It is worthy of my first 4 smiley review.

Häagen-Dazs Fleur de Sel Caramel Ice Cream :) :) :) :) out of :) :) :) :)

The Hawaiian Lehua Honey and Sweet Cream is a much more delicate ice cream that starts with sweet cream base that is swirled with rich Lehua honey.  This honey is gathered from the Lehua flowers on the Ohia tree in Mauna Loa. I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle flavor and textural contrast between the ice cream and the abundant pockets of the Lehua honey, which is delicate with definite floral notes.  The overall ice cream is light, sweet, and would be a great addition to a bowl of fresh berries. 

Häagen-Dazs Hawaiian Lehua Honey and Sweet Cream :) :) 1/2  out of :) :) :) :)

Final Impressions: I probably made a mistake in trying the caramel ice cream first. The honey ice cream was behind from the start.  Don’t get me wrong, the Hawaiian Lehua Honey and Sweet Cream ice cream is perfectly tasty, but if you want a frozen treat with a little pizzazz, then Fleur de Sel Caramel is the way to go.