#Basic Fall Flavors Taste Test

Scientifically, it's only been Fall for a few weeks. Thermometer-ly in North Carolina, we've had about three real days of fall (under 75 degrees, in my book). 

But emotionally, for all the #basics, fall started the day kids went back to school in August. Starbucks' cult of devotees were able to order pumpkin spice lattes and find commercial PSL products (like creamer and k-cups) on store shelves August 27 this year; and speculation about the release date began before we'd finished cleaning up our red,white, and blue, Fourth of July decor. 

I do not worship at the PSL altar but I do long for cool days, extra crunchy leaves, and all the other cliches around fall - infinity scarves, shabby-chic flannel with riding boots, slouch beanies, and general Hocus Pocus.

This will of course sound incredibly hipster of me, but I loved fall flavors before they were cool - and still do. We're right in the middle of apple country, so September - November we're overloaded with fresh, delicious apples and all the recipes that come along. Plus, in the South, we love our winter vegetables; bring on the sweet potato pie. 

Unlike hipsters who (constantly) roll their eyes at trends, I'm on board with the glut of products hitting shelves in the fall (or fall-adjacent) months. Some of it is absurd, bizarre and totally unnecessary, but sometimes you can find a gem. We turned this festive trial and error into a fun excuse for a seasonal thematic dinner and taste test with friends. 

K and I went to high school together and have reconnected since she and her husband joined our church. We've always had quite a bit in common, and it's become more pronounced that we're both broke state employees married to total nerds. We both make regular treks to Asheville for bargain hunting at Aldi and Trader Joe's. Currently, both stores are OVERLOADED with all things fall. Trader Joe's monthly ad, Fearless Flyer, is devoted to "Pumpkin Season" and Aldi's weekly specials are full of apple, cinnamon, pumpkin, caramel and maple flavors. 

October 2019 "Fearless Flyer" cover

I did some highly unscientific research with my Facebook community to gauge folks' fall flavor passions and was rather surprised by the results. In the (pumpkin?) pie chart below, my crowd prefers Cinnamon over everything else. No one voted for pumpkin spice and I was the only savory pumpkin hold-out. 

Our taste test dabbled in some of these flavor categories, but I promise, if your favorite was underrepresented there are at least five options at any grocery store right now! 

On to our picks! 

• Trader Joe's Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce, $3.49/jar - I love pasta and I really enjoy incorporating savory pumpkin and squash into our dinners. I've served pumpkin alfredo with tortellini for years, but this is so much easier. It's thick, creamy and full of robust flavors. I think of fall dishes as being really warm, rounded flavors, but this was surprisingly bright. We served it with large rigatoni noodles (I think that would be better than long, thin pasta) and a sprinkle of Parmesan. It'd be great with grilled chicken (or rotisserie chicken #MomHack) and roasted veggies. 

• Baby spinach salad tossed with Aldi Apple Vinaigrette - K brought a delicious salad of baby spinach and greens, with pecans, dried cranberries and hunks of goat cheese. She topped it with an Aldi dressing. (Note: Aldi's salad dressings are SO affordable; under $1.50, I believe. But they also have a more refined, glass bottle line, too.) This dressing was tangy - almost sharp - and vibrant, with just the right amount of sweetness from the apples. It pairs greatly with creamy cheese and nuts

• Trader Joe's Pumpkin Biscotti, $3.99/box - I have a love/hate relationship with biscotti. By nature, it's freaking crunchy and my teeny tiny teeth struggle. The flavor in these is delicious; they weren't overpoweringly pumpkin, spicy or sweet. However, it was like eating gravel - which is the way you want your biscotti. For nibbling - no, thanks. With a cup of coffee, in my favorite rocker, in complete empty house quiet - OH YEAH. 

• Trader Joe's Pumpkin Joe Joe's, $2.49/box - If you've never had a Joe Joe, it's basically an Oreo, but incredible quality and made with the most vibrant flavors derived from real ingredients. For example, their Neopolitan Joe Joe's scream STRAWBERRY because the creme is filled with freeze dried strawberry pieces (J would highly recommend). These Joe Joe's are just as saturated with pumpkin-y, spice-y flavor. And...it's a lot. The cookie is thick and just the right texture, but so flavorful. The creme is smooth and sweet and in perfect ratio to cookie, but so flavorful. Like the biscotti, I think I'll like them under specific conditions. Dunking one or two in a glass of milk would be divine. Eating a sleeve on their own (as one is wont to do with Oreos) is not for me. 

• Trader Joe's Pumpkin Cream Cheese - First of all, I love cream cheese. I could eat plain cream cheese right from the package. I ate at least one bagel slathered in cream cheese every day of my senior year of college (RIP 19 year-old metabolism). This, I did not love. It was cloyingly sweet; like honey nut cream cheese sweetness (which I enjoy) x 10. And we served it on plain mini bagels, so they weren't overdone with a pumpkin bread, either. Also, it's the most disturbing camel color... Did I mindlessly eat 2 mini bagels worth? Yes. Would I buy it again? Hard pass. 

• Aldi Bake Shop Pumpkin Cake Roll,  approx. $3.99 - I refuse to make jelly roll cakes. I made one once as a kid and it tore all to pieces; I let J make these desserts instead or better yet, I buy one for less than $5! I enjoyed this! It was simple, but really elegant-looking and tasted great. The cake was dense, but good texture; and the cream cheese icing made it just sweet enough. I'd buy this again. And I'm willing to bet it would freeze beautifully, too (AKA buy a zillion of these, freeze them and save yourself some time at Thanksgiving). 

• Aldi Apple Cinnamon Goat Cheese, $2.49/roll - You know how I said I love cream cheese? I also love goat cheese. I love the tangy smoothness that's easy to spread on a baguette or crumble in a salad. This was no different. The natural sour and saltiness of the goat cheese was perfectly complemented by a thin layer of diced apples and spiced sauce. Each bite gave a little apple crunch and perfect blend of salty and sweet. I served it with some lightly toasted baguette and Town House Crackers. This would be a perfect addition to a charceuterie platter or cheese board; I'd like to try it with some more inventive crackers or add-ons. Aldi also has a salted caramel version too. 

• Trader Joe's Baked Blood Orange Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cheese, $10.99/lb (this block was around $4) - TJ employee's are encouraged (or required?) to be incredibly knowledgeable about the inventory of their stores. They pride themselves on how well the know about the items, where they're located (they actually have to take you to them, not give you directions), how to prepare them etc. So I was slightly terrified when our cashier said "Ooh, what's this?" as he rang up this cheese. He looked at the label, "Baked, blood orange...chocolate chip...ricotta..? Hm.. Well.. Good luck on that." I paid for it, thinking all the while, "This is going to be awful." Boy, was I wrong. This was delicious. I've never had baked ricotta (other than a lasagna) so I didn't know what to expect. My foray into chocolate cheese last year was a NIGHTMARE. And orange flavorings can go wrong so quickly. This cheese was super smooth but light as air. It was fluffy and the flavor was so bright. It was basically a cheese version of the inside of a Three Musketeer's bar and tasted just like those chocolate oranges you get in your Christmas stocking and have to bang on a table. SO GOOD.  

(P.S. Highly recommend this podcast in general, but this episode in particular discusses how dedicated TJ employees are to their job, craft, and products!)

My winner from this was the Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce. I will buy this again and I'm very eager to try some of their similar products - like Autumnal Harvest Soup (or I may just add a can of coconut milk to their pasta sauce..) and Pumpkin Bisque. 

The Baked Blood Orange Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cheese gets honorable mention, too. It would be the MVP, but it doesn't quite fit our cliche flavor profile. I would include this on any fall/winter cheese tray; it'd be especially beautiful at Christmastime.

Some items from TJ and Aldi which weren't featured in our taste test, but that I'm so curious about and would love to hear your feedback on, include:

• TJ Spiced Pumpkin Madelines
• TJ Riced Cauliflower & Butternut Squash Risotto
• TJ Maple Ginger Cookie Swirl Ice cream
• TJ Apple Cider Jam or Cinnamon Bun Spread
• TJ Pumpkin Spice Biocellulose Sheet Masks - I may not be a PSL freak, but I'm a total sucker for face masks. Told you I had #basic tendencies. 
• Aldi Pumpkin Brioche

This was a fun, easy, and relatively budget-friendly way to entertain and would be a blast with a bigger crowd and on any theme. It can be an engaging riff on a classic potluck: everyone bring a new snack, Christmas food, exotic fruit etc. you want to try and share with the group. Add cocktails, board games, and lots of laughs. 

Local Eats: Nettie's Bakery & Tea House

If you follow the Endlessly Delicious Life facebook page - which, you should, of course - you may have noticed multiple mentions of Nettie's Bakery & Tea House. I am not in any way affiliated with or sponsored by Nettie's (a girl can dream), but I just enjoy their business so darn much.


Next week, I'm having a mother-daughter 
birthday date (it's the big 3-0, y'all!) at Nettie's and I'm so looking forward to it. In my reading and re-reading of the menu, I've reflected upon previous Tea House joy - which I have to share with you. 

Nettie's doesn't deliver; but occasionally
The Hubs will deliver their goodies to me at work.

Nettie's is just as adorable as it sounds. It's on the cutest little street in a tiny Western North Carolina town, a breath away from Waynesville. Hazelwood's Main Street is just what you'd expect in a quaint Southern block - a local soap company, a meat-and-potatoes brew pub, thrift stores, a Chip and Joanna Gaines-style home decor store, gun shop (welcome to "Home of the Plott Hound" hunting dog), locally owned pharmacy, and this adorable sweet spot. Nettie's is a small bakery with what appears to be an ample kitchen and cozy dining space. You order at the counter, indecisively lingering at the bakery case, and can have a seat at one of few antique tables. Tea house that it is, Nettie's is filled with tea sets - unique, fragile, antique, and miniature. Not unlike so many of our Southern grandmamas' parlors, it's full of "breakables," floral prints, and lace. 

Their regular menu offers a variety of cutesy sandwiches like you'd expect at a ladies auxiliary meeting - such as grape-pecan-chicken salad or homemade pimento cheese; and a rotating selection of fresh pastries. I've never gone to Nettie's for lunch, but we often pop in while visiting Robin Blu next door. Their variety of pastries is ever-changing and always delicious. The cinnamon rolls are huge, the scones are crumbly, the cookies are dappled with big chocolate chunks, and the cakes are beautiful layers upon layers. Personally, I go straight for the more nuanced desserts. Great British Baking Show watch out, because these ladies know how to wow with items like macarons, Viennese whirls, and petit fours. 

The showstopper here is the tea parties. Afternoon and High Teas are available every day (24-hour notice required) and special seasonal tea menus are available throughout the year. Last month, my mom and I attended a Mother's Day tea and I don't think I can do justice to this experience. It was so much fun, completely delicious, and a great adventure to share with my Mama. 

When I was little, I had a pink and white plastic tea set that we'd play with. I vividly remember sitting in a pillow fort, drinking sweet tea, eating the worst tuna salad ever (Peas, mom? Really?) and watching "Anne of Green Gables" together. We were pretending to be fancy, polite and delicate ladies; but Nettie's almost convinced us we were grown-up and elegant. 

The tea events have a set menu with savory and sweet items. The seasonal teas are more high-end with a few additional items. At Mother's Day we were treated to: a salad with oranges, almonds, (fresh!!) croutons and cinnamon vinaigrette; waldorf chicken salad tea sandwiches; pimento cheese and bacon puffs; berry jam scones; doodashes (an eleveated version of your Mamaw's cheese straws); chocolate ganache macarons; bonbons and Viennese whirls. 

Tea Treat Tower!

#SoFancy

It's a tremendous spread, not to mention the tea! A variety of teas are available and you can choose as many as you like. The owner must understand the unsophisticated palates of us low-brow sweet tea drinkers, so she mentioned "if you don't like the flavor, we'll pour it out and try a new one!"  We drank a whole pot of berry tea which required a little experimenting with milk and sugar. Pro tip: un-stirred sugar cubes will sink to the bottom of your cup and give you a final shockingly sweet sip...or so I'm told... 

Basically doing this giddy wiggle
until our next Tea Party

The food was spectacular, but I'm literally giddy trying to describe the experience. They make a real effort for guests to feel special and pampered. From the lace tablecloth (onto which I IMMEDIATELY spilled salad dressing) and napkins, to the real, delicate china tea set, to the silver serving utensil (from which I launched a doodash at my mother) to the tea tray the rolled to our table (IS THIS REAL LIFE?), every detail is curated to develop an authentic, luxurious treat. Downton Abbey, eat your heart out. 

My husband, y'all. #HappyWife

If you're ever in Hazelwood, it's imperative you stop in for a snack. But really, I'd recommend making a trip just for a bakery case treat. Also, be sure to follow them on Facebook where they share upcoming events - like seasonal tea schedules - and exciting deals - like this fancy Valentine's Day goodie box with shortbread, chocolate-covered strawberries, champagne cupcakes and macarons. 


And folks, this place can save you the heartburn of trying to find a unique way to show someone in your life that you love and care about them. Fellas and kiddos: brush your hair, wash your hands and take your lady and/or your mama out to tea. And gals, this would be the place to get in some super sweet girl time with your friends, the expectant mama who needs to savor quiet time, or a stressed out soon-to-be bride! 

Big, obnoxious hats are optional. 

Wait, What's a CSA? (Awesome Fresh Food!) And Do I Need One? (Um, yes)

Growing up, my family ALWAYS had a garden full of veggies - beans, corn, lettuce, onions, potatoes, and random seeds they let Little Amanda choose. We ate fresh all summer and were busy canning, too. As I've gotten older, those gardens have become too cumbersome or we just haven't made time; and our canning is more infrequent. But we still love our fresh veggies. 

In the warmer months, the Hubs, the Baby and I head to our area Farmer's Market which takes over a downtown parking lot on Saturday mornings (and now Wednesday evenings, too!). Usually we wander around, linger at a couple of booths but only buy a few things; and generally only in peak produce time. Not out of lack of interest or particularly unreasonable prices, but we just can't decide. 

So this year, we're trying something new: a CSA. 

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, which is one of the tastiest and economical win-win situations you can find! With a CSA you're buying "stock" in a farm. Your purchase gets you regular packages throughout the growing season and provides the farmer security that product will be sold. There are a variety of types of CSAs, most frequently of the fruit and veggie variety; but some include meats; and I've been particularly interested in a local grower's flower program. 

Let's talk about the finer points of why a CSA might be great for you and your family. 

1. Fresh, locally sourced items.

^^ Anxiety-free lettuce!
Courtesy of Deal Farms

Obviously, this is a win. Recently, the news has been awash with stories of food production workers who didn't wash and have spread infectious food-borne illnesses across the country. There was whatever the heck happened with Chipotle, a scary egg recall, and most recently an E. coli epidemic related to romaine lettuce. During LettuceGate, CDC officials recommended that people avoid commercial romaine, at restaurants and purchased in stores, and only consume lettuce when you knew EXACTLY where it was grown and who harvested/packaged it. I haven't worried about lettuce, because once a week, I drive down to the next town over and pick up a box containing veggies still covered in dirt and fuzz from the frost blankets. Oftentimes, the actual employee who picked it is there while I collect my goodies. 


2. Value - Price, Time and Experience 

I would say that you can't put a price on freshness and flavor. But...you totally can. And sometimes convenience and low-low cost means sacrificing quality. However, with a CSA the prices are generally lower than you'd find at their farm stand or at the market but with great quality. I recently saw a CSA offering Farmer's Market credit instead of pre-packaged weekly boxes and for a $300 season enrollment, you received over $350 in credit; so you're certainly saving. 

I mentioned before how I aimlessly wander through the Farmer's Market. I stop and stare at the pretty carrots that still have their tops, the vibrant radishes or the bushels of peaches (actually, no, I can't pass up peaches); yet I can rarely decide what I want. Many CSAs do the work for you; they're the original subscription box. Most groups offer you a limited variety of items from which you can pick (up to a weekly cost limit, or have it deducted from your total estimated value) but it's really Mother Nature's roulette - you're going to get what's in season and ready to pick. This saves me so much time and effort instead of pacing the market on Saturday mornings (but we still go to the farmer's market because...peaches and fresh bread and homemade soap). 

And like a new Blue Apron box, it's exciting. We're already getting items that I'm not sure what to do with, so we have to research, explore and try new things. This week, we got the biggest (but most beautiful) green onions and some Swiss chard (along with lettuce and strawberries). Both of which required some googling to find appropriate recipes (I think we're going to try a Swiss chard and green apple fritatta and some cheesy green onion breads) and we're excited to try new vegetables! 



3. Meaningful support of area agriculture 

Farming is hard and it's risky. And if you want proof of that, look only at the landscape of American farms - small, family farms are struggling to be as productive as commercial agriculture. 

My Papaw was a cabbage and cattle farmer and I loved being in the cabbage patch with our family setting the little plants and watching them turn in to heavy, leafy masses. But as beautiful as that was, I know my grandparents were nervous wrecks every year. You spend so much money up front for a product that may or may not turn out, and sometimes through no fault of your own. Too much or too little rain, sun, heat, wind etc. etc. can ruin a crop. And one bad year can set you back so much you can't buy the supplies the following year to literally dig out of debt. 

Hands down the best, juiciest berries I've had in ages.
#NoFilterNeeded

A CSA subscription lightens that farmer's load a little; it provides a pinch of security they wouldn't normally get. By purchasing a share you are guaranteeing that farm a sale. They don't have to open a stand or weather the market to sell their product; they know x amount will be moving. And the money can be an investment in making the best crops they can, which in turn, encourages you and others to buy additional items or be loyal subscribers. 

For example, we've had wild weather this year in our area and it stayed cold later than normal, so some planting was staggered. This meant that the only thing available in early- to mid-May was strawberries. Fortunately, we are a berry-loving household to begin with, and we were excited to try making freezer jam and Surry County sonker. Imagine if you were trying to sustain your farm on strawberries alone. It'd be terrifying. But having a known quantity of support (and people to take strawberries off your hands before they go to waste) could be crucial. 

Here's my shameless (unpaid, unsolicited) plug for our CSA provider: Deal Farms.  Millennial that I am, I learned about their CSA program via Facebook, but had purchased canning tomatoes (at a steal) from them last year. We opted to get a quarter share, which is supposed to be an allotment for a family of two every week for around five months. So far, it's been a fair amount of food, but we are still buying other produce. Now this may change as we get into peak harvest time but if we stay at this quantity the whole season we'll probably opt for a half-share next year. We have had three helpings of strawberries (at least two gallons worth!) plus the goodies pictured above, and everything has been DELICIOUS. Those strawberries are the best berries I've had in ages. Seriously, y'all, it's amazing the difference in flavor you have from berries that were picked early and shipped for hours or hundreds of miles (btw strawberries don't continue to ripen after picking). I can't do their fruit enough justice! If you're ever in Macon County, take a minute to pop by their stand! 

We're only a couple weeks into this adventure but we're already feeling like this was a good investment for our family. I encourage you to consider this as an option for yours. Visit your local farmer's market or seek out an area agricultural group; in WNC, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) keeps lists of area CSAs and can refer you. 

A couple critical questions to ask when talking to providers: 

1. What is your estimated season?
2. How much food should we expect per box? 
3. What foods could we anticipate? 
4. Are the boxes standard or do we get to choose/"shop"? 
5. Is all payment required up front? 
6. How does pickup day work? Hours? Deliveries? 

Day (Whole) 30 or How I Learned to Make the Best Damn Potato Salad Ever

Well, he did it! Jordan finishes his Whole 30 today.

I never had any doubts he could do it. This man can be the most determined person ever. He's gone a full 30 days without sugar (save accidentally licking Ransom's dripping fruit popscicle), legumes, all grains, soy, and dairy. I, on the other hand, have enjoyed a steady diet of queso and mini M&Ms.

No, really, I've stayed on the wagon for the majority of our meals - maybe adding a condiment or slice of cheese; but my snack life has been a little (ok, a lot) more lax.

And even as a two-time Whole 30 drop out (aren't you proud, mama?), I have to say it is a pretty good plan. Strict, yes. Time consuming, hell yes. But the food is good and REAL and the results are obvious.

I want to share a few quick positive observations with you before I share what might be our new favorite recipe in the whole world (not just Whole 30, but all of recipe-dom).

• You don't have to go hungry. There's no counting - carbs, calories, fats, nothing. There aren't limits on how many times a week you can eat x. You're actually listening to your body and if your body feels hungry, you eat. Given, you need to eat something good, but you're not denying yourself food in general. This is a big deal for a "diet" - I don't do hangry well.

• You're not eating bizarro "health" food. We didn't eat a single piece of kale, a chia seed, or fake noodle made out of mushroom powder. Sure, you might lose weight from the cabbage soup diet or the one where you just drink water with lemon juice and cayenne pepper but who cares if you're skinny if you're a miserable jerk?

• You can make delicious meals that people wouldn't even realize were Whole 30 - like the recipe below. Meat + vegetables + fruit is really all you need. And when you fully utilize your spice cabinet and lovingly cook things, not just microwave them, you can make tasty food.

So, speaking of delicious meals, here's our Friday night feast. Yes, we've made it every Friday night; it's THAT good.

I found this potato salad recipe right as we were getting started and we made some minor modifications to make it Whole 30-approved, but also, more delicious. If you want to follow the original recipe, you can view it HERE.

We pair this with a juicy, medium grilled steak; which, if you do it right, needs nothing more than salt and pepper - no A1, no clarified butter, just perfectly seasoned beef. But it would be great with any protein and I think it would be perfect for a potluck or picnic. It's also great cold, assuming you'll ever have leftovers.

* Whole 30 mayo recipe HERE

It's been a hard month, no doubt (see: my breakdown on Day 5 HERE). But it's not been un-enjoyable and the results are easy to see. J's got more energy, he's looking all svelte, and we haven't had a single "where do you want to eat" fight!

I really would recommend Whole 30 to anyone seeking a change or even just a re-set on their digestion and metabolism, if for no reason than you'll actually enjoy the food you're eating and the way you feel.

For more information on Whole 30, consider buying the affordable cookbook and reading through the process and trying some of the recipes. You're supposed to do this 100% and take it on as a lifestyle change, but even just starting out with making healthier decisions and home cooked meals is a step in the right direction for anyone.

Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" Taste Test

Lay's Potato Chips, in their infinite corporate wisdom, created an exciting advertising campaign that also outsourced the work of their R&D department; the annual Do Us a Flavor contest. Folks submit their flavor ideas to Lay's, who then chooses four flavors to develop and sell for a limited time. The general public votes for their favorite flavor which will join the chip canon and earn a big cash prize for the "flavor ambassador" who submitted it.

They've done this contest for three years or so now, with some hits and some big misses. 

One of their first trios included sriracha, cheesy garlic bread and chicken & waffles. The first two weren't too shabby and pretty true to their inspiration. However, the chicken and waffles chips made me realize that sometimes imitation is not the sincerest form of flatter, but just downright weird. They were too realisitic and my brain couldn't process a thin slice of potato tasting like maple syrup, much less fried chicken. 

Last year, they upped the weird factor by introducing us to bacon mac 'n' cheese (which tasted just like gas station Hot Fries!), mango salsa (I despise mangoes), wasabi ginger, and cappuccino chips. I was underwhelmed and kinda grossed out by that group. 

While I questioned their judgement last year, I must admit the process is interesting and they are able to produce on-point flavors that accurately represent the inspirations (however misdirected). And they made an exciting update to put texture into play, too. You can submit your flavor with a "chip style" -kettle cooked, wavy or traditional - that I find to be a big influence on the success of the chip. For example, cappuccino chips shouldn't be wavy, because what on God's green Earth would you dip that in? But waves are a perfect fit for a salsa-flavored chip; the pairing with guac is obvious!

Lay's has just released their newest quartet of contenders and we bought three of the four flavors this weekend. The 2015 Do Us a Flavor nominees are wavy West Coast Truffle Fries, Southern Biscuits and Gravy, kettle cooked Greektown Gyro, and New York Reuben. We picked up the Truffle, Gyro and Reuben chips at our local Ingles Market (on sale!); they are supposed to be available nationwide within the month.

Prior to Lay's release of 2015 flavors, we found a bag of Larry the Cable Guy biscuits and gravy chips at Big Lots (artisinal grocery it's not) for less than $2. Enjoying our youthful sense of immortality, we bought a bag. They were disturbingly realistic and tasted like fresh sausage and creamy, peppery gravy... and that made me very uncomfortable. Maybe I take issue with the re-imaginging of Southern staples, but I just can't wrap my head around a porky potato. Needlesss to say, we skipped the Lay's version. Let's assume it's lovely and true to breakfast...but spare me. 

Only a hit in the midwest?
Data from 8.3.15 on www.dousaflavor.com

Here's our review of the other three flavors. Like any good girl of Irish descent, I do have a specific rubric for my potato products; so we based our judgments on the following criteria: is the flavor a good interpretation of the intended dish; is the flavor enjoyable on its own, unrelated to the original food (would you eat these again regardless of novelty); and how successful is the flavor:"chip style" pairing?

NEW YORK REUBEN (traditionally cut chips)

This was the flavor J was most excited about. After working in a deli for many years, he is a connoisseur or reubens and was very eager to try them. I'm a casual reuben-eater, if for no other reason than my palate is not rye-bread-friendly. 

Overall, the flavor is okay, but the purest notes are of rye. So, the one item that I generally substitute on my sandwich is the primary flavor of the chips. But, once I got used to that twangy taste, I could eat these fairly mindlessly and enjoy them. J was anticipating more of a mustard/sauce flavor in addition to the meat and rye, and was pretty disappointed. 

I think the flavor is approachable outside of the context of just being a reuben chip and that's helped by the super thin texture that just screams picnic or late night munchies. No frills, just like a basic reuben, but it's hard to knock the novelty kitsch. 

I've never seen a chart using corned beef-colored graphics.

GREEKTOWN GYRO (kettle cooked chips)

I wasn't anxious to try these given how poorly I handled the fake-sausage chips. But I think Lay's did a great job compiling all the diverse and complex flavors of a gyro to make a multi-faceted chip. You get a subtle beefy taste - the way barbeque chips taste more like sauce than literal smoked meat; but thankfully, you also get the tzatzki sauce with fresh cucucmber and dill; a little onion and a hint of feta. J put it best saying "these are delicious" and they are probably the best out of the three. 

I love the choice of kettle chips for this flavor, too! When I think of gyros, I immediately think of the crispness of the Greek salad stuffed in the pita with the meat. These extra crispy chips are reminiscent of the crunch of the lettuce, onions and cucumbers you find in a quality gyro. They really added authenticity of flavor and dimension by choosing the kettle chips. 

I'll be casting my vote for this flavor!

WEST COAST TRUFFLE FRIES (wavy chips)

Because we aren't independently wealthy and maybe because the tv cooking shows we watch belabor how much the oil is overrated, we don't eat many truffle-laden foods. But I anticipated these chips to taste refined, with a light truffle perfume and a subtle flavor. The picture also included melted cheese (Parmesan? Asiago?) and fresh herbs on the potato wedges, so I was looking for bright, clean flavors. These fell short. They were like a delicate version of sour cream and onion chips; maybe chives instead of "onion" and a little more garlic than your plain old sc & o chip. But certainly nothing to write home about. They tasted fine but I hardly find them innovative. 

They do work well as a wavy chip because I could see them pairing well with onion dip, or something to impart more bold flavor. 

Meh. 

The Do Us a Flavor contest is really a fun diversion for summertime snacking. We look forward to seeing what's new and trying the experimental flavors. However, I am a year-round salty snacker. J has a huge sweet tooth, but I crave salty snacks, especially chips. As enjoyable as this is, I'm probably just as happy with a bag of plain rippled chips and french onion dip. 

If you are looking for a REAL chip experience with bold, unique flavors and unparalleled quality, head to The Gourmet Chip Company in Asheville, NC. They are a handmade chip (and pressed sandwich) shop in the middle of downtown with the best flavors I've ever found. They'll fix your chips right in front of you with awesome combinations like Belgian dark chocolate and apple-smoked bacon (The Corsican) or sun-dried tomatoes, pecorino romano cheese, fresh basil, sea salt and balsamic vinegar (The Italiano) at reasonable prices. And they have a retail shop with packaged chips, too! It takes a lot of will power for us to not stop here everytime we're nearby (thanks in part to crappy city parking). 

(foreground) Pressed Cuban sandwich with The Buffalo chips and
 (background) The Pressed Parisian Melt with The Italiano chips

Fancy artisinal chip shop or not, I highly suggest venturing outside of your comfort zone with chips. The things you like and dislike, just might surprise you! 

Rant of the Day: Fussy Eaters

With over one hundred Endlessly Delicious Life posts and a similar amount of topic “labels,” you can tell that I’m not a picky eater.

I’m not opposed to shopping at discount grocery stores or squeamish with expiration dates (“best buy…” means you can still eat it, right?). I have no problem experimenting with new recipes and ingredients, and I get downright giddy at the prospect of trying a new restaurant.

I never really had a chance to be too choosey.

My parents raised me with a firm foodie hand where I ate what they ate – or I was foraging for my own meals in our pantry (read: soup bean & cornbread nights). I remember an attempt at a Lenten sacrifice where I wanted to be a 40-day vegetarian and Dad said “Well, enjoy cooking your own meals, kid.”

We always had a big garden and canned our own produce, jams, jellies, pickles, and meats; fresh, homegrown food covered our table. The food you grow and cook yourself always tastes better; who would turn that away?

Baby Amanda making eggs with Dad

And for one reason or another we didn’t take expensive vacations together; but could swing a dinner at the new joint in town or drive to Asheville for exotic grub.

I recently read comments from acclaimed chef Curtis Stone that picky eaters aren’t born, they’re made by parents who assume young taste buds only respond to fries and Cheetos, and it got me to thinking about the true meaning of being “picky.”

J and I haven’t yet been blessed with our own little mess-maker(s?), but we have both dealt with our fair share of adult picky eaters and let’s be real, they’re infuriating.

J gets the brunt of this at the restaurant with orders like “I want a Philly cheese steak but with no cheese, no onions, no peppers and turkey instead of steak” or “Can you remove all of the pickle relish from the egg salad?” Um…no. #AintNobodyGotNoTimeForThat

Fiercegifts.tumblr.com

But I get equally aggravated by friends who must pick a restaurant that serves items from their three American food groups: pepperoni pizza, fried chicken items (nuggets, tenders),  and cheddar cheese products (macaroni, grilled cheese). Which automatically nixes 75% of the places I enjoy eating.  

These aren’t people with a biological disposition to be sensitive to various textures, colors or flavors (many people on the autism spectrum have very specific preferences to food) and they aren’t folks who have just realized they don’t appreciate x dish or enjoy the flavor of y, or get heartburn/headaches etc. from z.

These are the jerks whose parents only handed them the kids’ menu and from the crowning of their first tooth imprinted on them their own preferences or scared them away from adventure – “No, you won’t like this; it’s for grownups.”

Nothing makes my eyes twitch quite hearing this familiar discussion:

"Do you want some (Fill in the blank - calamari? sushi? osso buco? salsa verde? imported beer?

"EWWWWW NO! I HATE that!"

" Have you ever tried it?"

"No, but I hate it."

I’m pretty sure an angel loses its wings every time someone does that.

And there lies the reality of being a picky eater versus living the life of an independent thinker and diner. Picky eaters were never given a chance to try new things and didn’t take it upon themselves to explore later in life.

My dad doesn’t eat lemon desserts – pudding, pie, bars, gelatin (well, Jell-o in general) – for whatever reason. And growing up, we never had lemon desserts in the house and if we went out to eat he’d pick over those items on the menu. I decided I didn’t like lemon desserts either, (except for lemon poppyseed muffins). It wasn’t until recently that I actually put thought into why I won’t eat lemon bars, and I tried one… I loved it.

I adopted a similar hatred of blueberries because my mom wouldn’t eat them. Mom likes their flavor, but they discolor the veneer of her front teeth. I don’t have any veneers, caps or false teeth but I turned my nose up at blueberries (except for muffins, again) because I “didn’t like them.” I didn’t even knew the flavor of a blueberry until I was 20. Turns out, they’re pretty good. Now I don’t eat them because they’re so darn expensive.

But that’s just it. I had no idea what these things tasted like, but assumed – either on my own or from mimicking my parents – that they would be awful. The point is that I was (eventually) willing to try and then decide for myself.

You’re not picky if you’ve experienced different ingredients, dishes and flavors and decided you don’t like them. And part of that is probably a personality trait – a willingness to experiment, to try new things and to persevere and try them a few times. For example: If I had only tried mom’s meatloaf, I’d say I don’t like meatloaf; but if I try several recipes, I would find that I love meatloaf! (Sorry, mom.).

Having a list of things you’d rather never eat again doesn’t make you a chicken-nugget-fool, but rather someone with a discerning palate. Even the best, most famous chefs have things they hate. Did you ever see Scott Conant’s infamous rant on Chopped about raw red onions? That actually cost someone $10,000.

In all fairness, and to not belabor our poor choosy eaters, I’ll share my list of things I HATE to eat:

• Licorice and its natural counterparts fennel and star anise: So, so gross. I would say 90% of the world eschews black jellybeans and come to find out it’s not a sad flavor made in a laboratory, but a legit vegetable and spice. Ick.
• Dark beer: I think it’s the bitterness, I just can’t handle it. Wine cooler, please.
• Raw tomato slices: This is totally a texture thing; if you’ll scoop the “guts” out, I’ll gladly add it to my burger, taco or salad.
• Processed cherries (maraschino cherries, cherry pie filling): I love fresh cherries but hate how sickly sweet they get in processed forms.
• Artificial grape/purple flavoring: It all tastes like cough syrup to me. J is the same way with cherry/red flavoring, so we swap Skittles. The only exception has been a Japanese gummy from Skoshbox that tasted just like a real muscadine.
• Fresh mangoes: I think they taste furry (random, I know) and they are a pain in the butt to slice, anyway.
• (not sweet) Pickles: One of my shining moments as a toddler is screaming “NO PICK PICKS!!” as I threw my Happy Meal burger into my mom’s windshield as she was driving. I’m working on this one. I had some amazing pickles at Cedric’s Tavern at the Biltmore Estate and I now enjoy pickled things (green tomatoes, beans and squash).
• Raw red and yellow apples: Again, a texture thing. Red and yellow varieties are much more prone to mealy-ness than green species. I can’t overcome the soft and grainy mouthfeel to enjoy them.

And thus comes my challenge to you: try something new this week. It could be a new recipe, restaurant (let your friends pick!), ingredient or menu item. Just give it a go and decide for yourself it it’s something you like.

Don’t let other folks’ opinions or your own hang-ups (“Ew! Oysters look like snot!”) get in the way of experiencing something new, and potentially wonderful. I read an article about a guy who copied the order of the person in front of him (at fast-food) or to the right of him (sit-down dining). A surprise every time! And many times it turned him on to something he would have never considered but really enjoyed. Sure, sometimes you’ll get a dud, like my Uncle Buddha’s peanut butter & bologna sandwich, but regardless, you’ll never know what you like until you try!

Lionsgate