Marie Ange Di Costa Morbidi Torroncini Al Pistacchio

Ahh, just like being in Italy again

The Attraction:

Pistachios seem to be one of several popular nuts in Italy (hazelnut, almond and cashews are a few others), so it was only natural when I saw this bag of pistachio nougats begging me to take it home in the airport in Rome, that I take the bait. Well, I think we know how that turned out, don't we?

The Review:
While I was in Italy, I found a few gelato stands that served some amazing pistachio gelato. I'm going to go off on a bit of a tangent here, but the last time I had pistachio ice cream, it was in a form of a milk shake probably back in 1996 up around Oyster Bay, Long Island New York. I remember well because it was so tasty and bright green when I was drinking it....and not so tasty and bright green when it left me. I won't go into all the gory details, but that was a big part as to why I shied away from the pistachio flavored anything for awhile. This was as good as an excuse as any other to try pistachio flavored anything again.

I take a nougat out and tear open the wrapper it was sealed in. As I open it, there is a very subtle hint of pistachio flavor. I take a bite into the piece and I am pleasantly surprised how easily the nougat yielded to my bite. The texture of the nougat itself is more of a dense paste than a nougat I've been used to. The pistachio flavor greets me at the door, then shortly after the sugar wave starts to hit, except it keeps rising and rising, and rising...when will this sugar wave crest and finally crash?! Damn this thing is sweet!

Let me out!

The Sweet:

These nougats have a nice texture that isn't overly chewy 

The Bitter:
The sweetness doesn't stop...it's really sweet, no seriously...really sweet

Umm..pistachio..yay?

Conclusion:
Marie Ange Di Costa seems to make some pretty fancy treats in Italy. These nougats are no exception. Although they are seemingly well made, they are just too sweet for my taste. I was so distracted by the sugar level that I barely noticed the pistachio part of the description. I don't even know if I can even finish the rest of the bag. Which reminds me, the next time I'm in Italy and I got a hankering for pistachios, I'll just stick to the ice cream variety.

Video of the Week
The good people over at Motherboard have released an interesting video of one of their correspondents staying at a hotel exclusively staffed by robots. I don't know about you, but have you seen some of the people that work at the front desk of a hotel? We might not be able to tell the difference.

This is ridiculous, I demand a real dinosaur as my concierge!

Pringles Xtra Tangy Buffalo Wing

I've been fooled by "hot" claims before!

The Attraction:

I've been on the hunt for a good spicy, savory snack lately. I've tried a few like Cheez-Its Hot and Spicy, Wheat Thins Spicy Buffalo, and Pop Chips Crazy Hot. Though some were better than others, none really brought the heat the way the scary artwork on the packaging would suggest. Let's see if these Pringles can actually deliver the goods....( I don't feel too optimistic about this)

The Review:
I dig Pringles and even though I don't love all their products, (see here and here), I enjoy their products enough to give them a chance when I see a new flavor that might work. Let's "pop the top" and find out where this flavor stands.

I break the seal on the can and I catch a hint of tabasco. Yes, that tabasco. OK, the product doesn't claim to actually use the brand Tabasco sauce, but it sure smells like it. I take chip out of the narrow canister and toss it in my mouth. "Oh yeah, vinegary like Tabasco too.", I think to myself. If it ain't Tabasco, it sure taste a whole lot like it and that is a good thing. Once the initial vinegar hit subsides, you can feel some of the advertised heat start to rise in your mouth all while tasting the familiar Pringles flavor.

The spiciness works really great in this instance. It adds another dimension to the flavor of the chips. If you love Asian noodles in soup like I do, a good analogy might be that Pringles by itself is like a noodle soup and Xtra Tangy Buffalo Wing flavor is what happens to your noodle soup when you add sriracha or hot chili oil to your noodle soup.

Looks innocent enough...

The Sweet:

Classic Pringles taste with a enough heat to make you stand up and notice.

The Bitter:
Not for the faint of heart "mild spicy"eaters.

Whoa...did you feel that too?

Conclusion:
Pringles didn't mess around when they said Xtra Tangy Buffalo Wing. Surprisingly, they brought the heat and didn't water down this snack. It's a bit more of a cumulative affect, but you'll get there. I'm not sure why it took so long to find something that hit the spicy spot just right. Perhaps the other snack makers wanted their product to appeal to more of the masses, so they tone down the heat index on their items. A part of me understands the business decision behind that, but the spicy snack lover in me can't help but feel alienated and bamboozled when I buy into the claims of "hot" snacks. I know the term "spicy" is very subjective from person to person, but surely, I can't be alone in saying that some of these claims of "spicy" or "hot" just fall completely by the waist-side when I eat them.

Well, search no more.

Video of the Week
Who said eating at fast food joints aren't good for you? Take this guy for example. In addition to be "bennurished", he has developed a skill that will pay dividends for at least a few minutes.

Move over Calvin Harris, there's something meatier...

Ferrero Tronky Latte e Cereali

 

Ferrero? Let me guess...hazelnut again?

The Attraction:

As I begin to polish off the remaining snacks on my recent trip to Italy, I pulled out this box that I've been waiting to review. What caught my eye about this snack is this description of milk and cereal flavor. I had no idea what that means exactly or what flavor that would taste like. Let's find out, shall we?

The Review:
I've been staring at this box for awhile. I've been wanting to try this, but I purposely have been holding this out to the end to so I had a snack to really look forward to. I must say though that my previous reviews of some of the other snacks I got from Italy like Loacker's Tortini Mini and another Ferrero product called Nutella B-Ready had gotten me used to a certain formula that these Italian snacks seem to follow; crunchy shell, hazelnut cream, perhaps some chocolate thrown in there somewhere. This product should be different, I hoped, as the flavor I choose seemed to not indicate any sign of hazelnut anywhere. Don't get me wrong, I got nothing against hazelnut, but even man cannot live on hazelnut alone.

The box houses five individually wrapped Tronky "sticks". I unwrap one and quickly see the familiar shell similar to the one on the outside of a Nutella B-Ready stick, albeit a lighter shade. "Please! Have mercy....no hazelnuts, sir!" I beg to the Tronky Gods.

I take a dive in fully expecting a hint of hazelnut to greet me at some point, but there was none to be found or was there? What I did get was a smooth sweet cream, with the texture reminiscent of the cream in the middle of an Oreo, except in this case, sandwiched between two light crispy wafers. The filling, isn't as sweet as the cream in an Oreo, but it does have a slight taste of hazelnut (curses!), but not overwhelmingly so. It's more of a passing flavor versus a full on assault.

It actually reminded me of this Choco Roll, I had way back when. Is that a good or bad thing?

This shell looks familiar

The Sweet:

Nice familiar crunchy wafer wrapped around a sweet cream core.

The Bitter:
Maybe not the ideal start to the morning, if you take the flavor suggestion literally.

Is that what semi-solid milk and cereal taste like? 

Conclusion:
Yes, Ferrero reuses the shell...again, but the differentiator for me this time is the cream filling. Perhaps wisely I stayed clear of the Tronky Original that has hazelnuts in it. I have a feeling this review would have been very different otherwise. Be it as it may, these are fine snacks and aren't overly sweet and deliver a nice sugar pick-me-up when needed. Would I hop on the next plane back to Italy to get another pack? Nah, but if I have a layover there, I might drop a Euro on this little treat while I continue to comb the candy rack for other treasures.

Video of the Week
I don't think I need to say much, if you haven't seen it already.

December can't come soon enough

Kettle Brand Maple Bacon Potato Chips

Here we go again

The Attraction:

When I stepped out of the office the other day to pickup lunch, I was fully expecting to pickup the old standby, a bag of nacho-flavored Doritos, when I spotted this curiosity on the potato chip rack. I've had a few variations of this theme lately, so I was a little reluctant at first, but then I thought, "OK, I guess I can try one more...."

The Review:
I've started to rack up my fair share of snacks that have tried to incorporate "meat" flavor into their products like here, here and here. Although the results have been mixed, I was feeling hopeful when I saw that the Kettle Brand company took Lay's lead with trying some new and interesting flavors. Maple and bacon?! I can see by their illustration on the front of their bag that they are trying to capture that unique flavor combination when your pancake syrup drips off your short stack and onto your strips of crispy bacon. Ahh....I can taste that already....but can a bag of chips possibly capture that magic?

Tear the bag open and the maple syrup smell is first to greet me. I pickup a chip and indulge. There's the maple flavor I smelled....and as the tail end of the bite concludes, the cured taste of bacon comes around to close out the show. It's not bad, and they certainly have captured that maple flavor, but something seems missing.....it doesn't seem to deliver the knockout blow.

When I have potato chips, part of my preset expectation is there will be a savory (salty) component to it....and there is in this product, but it doesn't quite deliver it as strongly as I had hoped. It's like ordering a side of french fries...but they aren't quite salted enough. Yes, they are crispy, yes, they are hot, yes, they smell amazing...but when you pop that fry in your mouth, if it doesn't deliver a hit of savory flavor, either via salt or ketchup, it seems to miss the target. That's how these chips came across to me.

Would it kill them to put more in there?

The Sweet:

Kettle chips crispy crunch with a sweet maple start gets you excited.

The Bitter:
It doesn't quite scratch that savory flavor itch.

Is there bacon in there?

Conclusion:
In theory, this sounded like a plausible flavor combination, but the reality didn't quite live up to the expectation. I've come to give up that any chip will ever be able to come very close to simulating "meat" flavor, but where this snack falters is that unlike having that piece of bacon with pancakes in the morning where the saltiness of the bacon helps neutralize the sweetness of the maple syrup, the savory aspects of the these chips doesn't come through quite strong enough to satisfy that savory craving.

Video of the Week
As we enter post-season play in baseball here in the States, (Go Mets!), here's a clip of a Samurai showing you how to really show a baseball who's the boss.

First try? I can't even hit a ball with a bat going that fast!

Pocky Coconut Resort

What's a Coconut Resort?

The Attraction:

Pocky, one of the oldest and trusted names in the Asian snack game has been kicking out some new flavors as of late. One of their newest ones is Coconut Resort. Based on my experience with one of their other variations, I was ready to jump in feet first to sample another offering by them.

The Review:
I have a very complicated relationship with coconuts and coconut flavoring. I generally am not a fan of coconut shavings or chocolate covered coconut bits or even Mounds chocolate bars. However I love coconut flavored drinks, desserts and coconut juice itself, so with that,  I wasn't sure how to feel about this new variation from Pocky, being that it sounded like this item fell into the former category.

The Pocky sticks come in a very pretty sealed 2 pack with 8 sticks a piece in each pack. As I tear open a pack, without even really trying to catch a scent, the coconut component of this treat hits me between the eyes. OK, so there's coconut in there, but will it be too much?

I pick out a stick and snap into it. Hmm...chocolate flavor, the coconut taste and texture kick in and finally, the muffled crunch of the stick. It seems like well covered ground at this point. It's done well, but it's hardly anything innovative or exciting.

Looking sharp!

The Sweet:

Another solid variation from the folks at Pocky.

The Bitter:
It's starting to feel a little bit like a "one trick pony". What else can they incorporate?

"Look at me bits of coconut!"

Conclusion:
Glico, the people that make Pocky, wisely decided to not go overboard with the coconut shavings in this "Resort". They slap on just enough to get the taste and some of the texture, but not enough to send your coconut senses into overload. They get it just right, but I can't help but wonder what's left for the folks at Pocky. Although Pocky has been around for years, the idea itself at the time was gimmicky to me (a partially covered chocolate stick). They can't go savory, because they have the Pretz line for that. They've already inverted the cookie and created the Pejoy line. Maybe they will pleasantly surprise me with some flavor or variation no one has ever thought of. One can only hope. Let's see what else they can pull out of their snacking sleeves because these uninspiring flavor variations are wearing thin.

Video of the Week
Whenever the discussion would come up as to who the best stand up comedian is, there are several names that invariably come up; Chris Rock, Louis CK, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart and of course Eddie Murphy. Although he hasn't done any new material in years, I found this early set of Eddie Murphy testing material in a comedy club before it would ultimately become Delirious. I wonder if he knew this routine would forever change his life?

Umm...there may be some adult language, so be warned!

Cheez-It Hot and Spicy

They spent the money to use the Tabasco name!

The Attraction:

Who doesn't love Cheez-Its? For awhile, they were one of the few savory alternatives I had to potato chips. How can you improve upon cheese-flavored crispy crackers? How about tossing in some spice? Count me in...

The Review:
Early this year I reviewed one of Cheez-It's line of Crunched products. Although it left some things to be desired, I was open to see if the Hot and Spicy variation would translate better to it's original cracker.

As I open the box, I could smell the scent of the jalapenos exuding from the Cheez-Its. My fear of the Cheez-It's people just throwing some spicy red pepper flakes or paprika on it and calling it Hot & Spicy seem to dissipate after that. Just the smell alone would lead me to believe they put some more time into this. I shove my hand into the box and pull out a cracker and take another good whiff. If that's not the smell of jalapenos, I'm not sure what is. It's not quite the smell of Tabasco, but this might be better than I was expecting.

I take a bite and the flavor is far more complex than the sprinkling of spicy seasoning on a regular Cheez-It. The "Hot and Spicy" flavor seems to be really incorporated into the cracker itself. One second it's the familiar Cheez-It flavor, the next its a new and unexpected twist towards spicy and then the original Cheez-It flavor returns again. It's more than just a "Hot" Cheez-It; they took the time to focus on the spicy part as well.

Its like a handful of Sunshine!

The Sweet:

The Cheez-It flavor and crunch you've come to expect masterfully incorporated with spicy flavoring that adds depth and complexity.

The Bitter:
If you are looking for the type of spice and heat to set your face on fire, you won't find it here.

How can anything the size of a stamp taste so good?

Conclusion:
Cheez-It Hot and Spicy is an intriguing product; I've come to expect these spicy variations to be just the same as the original plus heat, but this variation takes the flavor profile to another level. Instead of creating Spicy-Nacho Doritos from Nacho-Cheese Doritos, the finish product tastes something more like a whole new flavor altogether. It's a pleasant surprise and one that will give me pause the next time I want Cheez-Its; how will I decide which flavor to reach for?

Video of the Week
I recently was listening to Prince's new album HITnRUN Phase One, specifically the smooth grooving 1000 X's and O's when I decided to do some digging around the Net to see what other little treasures I could uncover by him. That's when I came across this video of James Brown performing at the Beverly Center. Towards a break in the performance, he calls to stage Michael Jackson and then Prince! MJ does a little something and then Prince comes on stage and just about brings the house down, just not quite in the way you are thinking.

If I didn't see it, I wouldn't have believed it

Meiji Rich Matcha Biscuits

These look like grown-up Oreos

The Attraction:

Meiji is one of the major snack manufacturers from Japan. You may know them from classics like Yan-Yan or Hello Panda. If you are ever at an Asian grocer, you'll see their products all over the place. Upon my recent review of Oreos Thins, I had taken a renewed interests in Oreos, so when I saw these on the shelf, I thought it was high time to try these out.

The Review:
Matcha-flavored items have been steadily growing in popularity over the years. The flavor has made many fans due to the mild green-tea essence it conveys. Naturally, matcha also has a slightly bitter aftertaste which many snack manufacturers have taken advantage of by pairing it with chocolate to help mellow out the sweetness, however some manufacturers elect to remove the bitter aftertaste from their matcha-flavored products because they worry that consumers may find it off-putting. I wonder how Meiji decides to handle it with these biscuits.

These cookies are packaged in pairs to maintain freshness, which isn't unusual in Japanese snacks. I open a package and the matcha scent that wafts out is immediate. The cookie wafer is a shade thinner than an Oreo's and the matcha cream itself looks to be drier then the cream in an Oreo as well.

It's time to get to business.

I take a bite and the chocolate wafer crunches under the weight of my bite. The chocolate flavor is mild and quickly surrenders to the green tea flavor crashing the party. There is no doubt that the chocolate wafers just serve as the supporting cast in order to let the matcha cream shine. It's clear who's Glady's and who are the Pips in this snack...she's also not afraid to show a little bitterness along the way

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They really squeeze that matcha cream in there, huh? 

The Sweet:

Crunchy chocolate wafers paired with the mild green tea matcha cream works well and doesn't overwhelm you with the sweetness factor. The matcha flavor takes center stage and has a nice slightly bitter finish to cleanse the pallet.

The Bitter:
Some snackers may not love the bitter aftertaste of the matcha.

The wafers are not chocolate covered,

in case they look that way

Conclusion:
These are a neat little snack. Although this flavor pairing is not very unique these days, I can see why it's so successful. The mellow green tea vibe is an excellent counter to the sweetness of the chocolate cookie. It's easy to see how this item could get lost in the shuffle with all of the other "sexier", ehem, sorry, I meant "sexier" products out there. No, it doesn't have a glamorous brand to ride the coat tails of, but like other snacks that stood the test of time, maybe these Meiji Rich Matcha Biscuits can quietly stand on their own and distinguish itself from the pack by simply being....well....itself; unassuming, well made and provide the promise of a matcha-flavored snack for matcha-flavor lovers.

Video of the Week
I'm a fan of a band call Chvrches. They were recently in concert here in NYC, when a fan yelled out "Marry Me!". The lead singer seemed to take exception to this. Below as well as this associated article were the results. Personally, I don't see why she was so upset, but I'm also not an attractive Scottish female singer on tour that gets odd things yelled at them regularly, at least not anymore.

A proposal has never been less welcomed

Ruffles All Dressed

What flavor is "All Dressed"?

The Attraction:

Ruffles, another branch of the Frito Lay snack company that also makes all those crazy flavors as of late, like this and this, has jumped on the alternate-flavor bandwagon. One of their offerings is this supposed Canadian favorite, "All Dressed". Yes, exactly. I said the same thing.....what the eff is "All Dressed"? You've suckered me in again, Frito Lay.......

The Review:
When you look closely at the outside packaging for this snack, one can only venture a guess as to what the three different items on them are. I think that's a bottle of barbecue sauce, a glass of vinegar or oil and cinnamon, maybe paprika? What the hell do Canadians eat in which that combination of ingredients would result in that being the "#1 flavor in Canada"? I always thought Canadians were a little weird, now I finally have proof. (Besides Celine Dion.)

Time to open the bag up.

I stick my nose in the bag and see if I can detect what may lie ahead; vinegary? That confirms what was supposed to be in the glass on the front of the bag of chips. Let's see how this might taste.

Like the smell tipped me off to, the first flavor is vinegar-based, then as I eat on, it turns a little smoky, as the bottle of bbq sauce would suggest. It's slightly sweet at the end, but not quite as sweet as a bag of bbq-flavored chips. This "All Dressed" flavor essentially comes across as a light vinegar-bbq based chip to me. Interesting, but is it interesting enough?

Moments before I stick my face in the bag

The Sweet:

Classic thick Ruffles chips crunch with a mild-tasting bbq flavor twist to it.

The Bitter:
It makes me long for the stronger, more assertive BBQ flavored Ruffles that they offer.

"Look! I'm All-Dressed"

Conclusion:
I enjoy this crazy flavor trip that Frito Lay is taking us on. Although they aren't all home runs, it's the idea that they are thinking outside of the box and willing to take some chances. They are only an idea away from being the next Honey-Butter flavored chip maker of the western hemisphere, but until they come across that golden ticket, we get to sample all the variations of Wonka bars they come up with. Their "All-Dressed" flavored chips come across as just a mild bbq flavored chip to me and it's true that I may not be running to the store to buy another bag anytime soon, however, one day I could be looking back on these days and telling someone, "Hey, you know that company that makes those chips that everyone is waiting in line for to buy? They used to make these chips called "All-Dressed".

Video of the Week
I'm a little late to the party, but I recently read some positive reviews about Carly Rae Jepsen's new album Emotion. I downloaded the album and was pleasantly surprised. Now, clearly I'm not the spring chicken I used to be, but being a kid from the 80's, these songs sounded familiar and just fun to listen to. Hopefully you'll feel the same. (I didn't receive anything for this endorsement, btw. I just enjoy sharing good music.)

Would wearing a Carly tee be too much?
How about a denim vest?