Product Review: DRY Soda Co: Lavender

Anyone who knows me knows that I love lavender. From the plant, to the scent, to the color I can't get enough of it. I even drink lavender tea. On a recent trip to the Fresh Market, I was almost doing cartwheels at the site of the DRY Soda Co: Lavender. While I applaud their bravery of featuring lavender as a flavor, I was slightly disappointed with the results. It wasn't horrible, but for my taste buds, the lavender could have been a bit stronger. On the last bottle I had added a good squeeze of lemon. It needed just that bit of tartness to balance it out. With lemon, it was really refreshing and I would definitely buy it again. I do wish they would up the essence of lavender though. If you're going to go for something that unique, go for it!

The packaging is Brilliant. I loved the Flavor Profile, Characteristics, and Pairing Ideas that were on the side of the box. The logo was appealing and even the bubbles delighted that part of my brain that sings, "it's pretty - must have".

They really did put a lot of detail into the packaging. Even right down to the bottle top.

Fresh Market had two other flavors: Lemongrass and Rhubarb. If you have a look at DRY Soda's website, they also have other interesting flavors.

Creating a more sophisticated soda for grown ups is a fantastic idea. Kudos to them, and I can't wait to try the others!

Product Review: Patak's Coat & Cook! - Tandoori

Having previously tried the Tikka version, I was looking forward to making Patak's Coat & Cook Tandoori, with a few noted changes.The last time I used the Tikka, I didn't mix the packet with anything, and spread it directly onto two chicken breasts. The results were a little too strong and salty, and the paste was a little thick. My friend Jane had suggested using yogurt to mix with and marinate. Well, I didn't have any yogurt, so relied on my favorite Duke's Mayonnaise, mixing equal parts of each. I had two extremely large chicken breasts that I cut into smaller portions, coated with the mixture and marinated for 2 hours, turning occasionally. The chicken was cooked at 325F for 20-25 minutes, and the results were lovely. The mayonnaise made a world of difference as it kept the chicken nice and moist, and the flavor was superb.

I made this for a picnic, and like to think that we had the tastiest food of the bunch. Modestly speaking, of course.

Product Review: Simply Organic Red Pepper Curry Vinaigrette

On a recent day of al fresco dining, I settle for an Indian theme. Salad is always an easy picnic vegetable option, and I had this packet of Simply Organic Red Pepper Curry Vinaigrette mix lurking in my cupboard. The directions called to mix the packet with water and vinegar. Once mixed, I felt that it was lacking something, so added a little more vinegar and also good amount of olive oil, as in my opinion, no salad dressing is complete without it. With a little experimenting and the improvisations, we were really impressed with the turn out and will definitely have again.

Product Review: World Market's Dal Mughlai Curry (Lentils)

Whenever I'm in Jacksonville, after seeing my dad and step-mom, my next "Must See" is World Market in Orange Park. If you're not familiar with World Market, it's sort of like an old school Pier 1 with loads in international foods and a nice wine selection. Apart from getting to my dad's house, World Market is the only place in Jacksonville I really know how to get to. My dad is always sweet enough to take me there, and patient enough to spend as long as I need to take in all the good stuff. As I am a huge fan of Indian food, I was elated to discover their own brand Curried Mixed Lentils. They are under $3 a can, and are really quite tasty. Actually imported from India, I like to think I'm getting a truly authentic product.

As they are mildly spiced, I like to add a little chili flakes when heating. I also like to add some tomato, and found this the perfect use for the rest of the can that I didn't use when making the Indian Spiced Kale and Tomatoes.

They make the perfect accompaniment to any Indian meal, are vegetarian - if you are so inclined, and are really good value. Now if only they would open a Wold Market in my area! I've been e-mailing their corporate office regularly suggesting they consider our area and figure one of two things will happen: they will promptly open once the economy picks up, or are considering a restraining order for harassment. I hope its the first option, as this could seriously become a very enjoyable habit.

Product Review: Quorn Gruyere Chick'n Cutlets

I can't recommend this product highly enough. It is absolutely divine, the texture is light, the breading crisp, and the cheese... aaahhhh. It is an absolute favorite of ours, and at this time is only available at our local Whole Foods, so I stock up every time I'm there.

If you're not familiar with Quorn, it is a meat and soy free product that is high in protein and fiber, which is made by processed edible fungus (similar to mushrooms). It uses egg whites as a binder, so is not suitable for vegans. I first had it about 11 years ago at a vegetarian friend's house in England. She was making fajitas and I was really impressed. While living in England, this was a staple in my diet in the form of chick'n cutlets, patties and the ready made meals, most notably was chick'n tikka. It was around 2002 when I first started seeing it in the US, along with tons of articles on how it wasn't safe to eat as it would cause severe stomach reactions. While I'm sure it can (as can fish, peanuts, and eggs if you are allergic), I had never had any adverse reactions nor had know anyone who had. I had many vegetarian friends in the UK who ate this at almost every meal, with no problem what so ever. The bad publicity prompted me to e-mail Quorn to let them know how happy I was that their product was available in the US, and that I hope that had great success. This e-mail was followed by an unexpected "Quorn" canvas bag, and a generous supply of coupons. While I wasn't expecting anything, this was greatly appreciated. In my opinion, this company not only has a great product, but excellent customer relations!

Product Review: Duke's Mayonnaise and Cholula Hot Sauce

~ Ok, I admit it, I'm a sucker for advertising. While not a huge mayonnaise eater, there was a recent advert for Duke's Mayonnaise saying that it was the official mayonnaise of the South, or something to that effect. There was a man saying that it was what his mother used and it is the secret ingredient of his prize winning potato salad. I might add, he looked like someone who'd know a good potato salad when he sees it. That was all it took for me to scope it out in the supermarket. I was impressed with the ingredients, easier to identify than most commercial mayonnaise, so I bought it. It was pure mayonnaise magic, and I'm now a convert! In the first week or two I made dill potato salad, macaroni salad, all these "American" classics I don't usually eat, just to use this blissful new-to-me condiment. Since then, the novelty has worn off, so I'm back to a healthier consumption level of mayonnaise, high cholesterol need not be a worry.

~ Then there is Cholula Hot Sauce. I don't really remember where I first tried it. I only know that I now cannot live without it. It is the best hot sauce, in my opinion, and I eat it on almost everything. It is sheer bliss on a black bean taco with fresh cilantro, or on any sort of taco for that matter. It also seems to be the sauce of choice at most of our local Mexican restaurants, which are actually run by Mexicans and not some corporation that has as much to do with Mexico as Pizza Hut (and their 'Tuscani' pasta) has to do with Italy.

~ Just recently we mixed the two together for our favorite "Buffalo Chicken Baguette" and it was divine! We have also made if the official sauce for our Fried Green BLT's.

~ The last time I went to buy Duke's I accidentally picked out "Whipped Salad Dressing" instead of mayonnaise. This was on a day that they had wine sampling throughout the store, which probably is the reason for this happening. It's my excuse anyway. Now while I have no idea what "Whipped Salad Dressing" is, it wasn't horrible and is very similar to salad cream that you get in the UK. It was tangier than mayonnaise, so probably just has more vinegar. While I would sometimes choose vinegar over oxygen, I think I'll get regular mayonnaise next time.

Product Review: Patak's Coat & Cook! - Tikka

I bought this last October when we were in England. As it was due to expire in September, it seemed like a good idea to use it. Patak's make a good, reliable range of Indian cooking products. We can get some of the sauces in the US, but I had never seen this product here.

I coated two boneless chicken breasts with the paste and baked for 35 minutes at 350F. Ooh, now that I'm looking at this, it looks like a set of lungs that belonged to a chronic smoker!!!

In the end, I was only moderately happy with the results. No fault to Patak's, but I used the entire packet of paste on 2 pieces of chicken, when it probably was enough for 4. If I could change anything, I would coat the chicken, let the paste penetrate for 30 minutes to an hour, scrape the extra off, and cook as listed above. The taste was nice, so I would definitely try again. I served it with Indian spiced kale, and curried potato salad.