Showing posts with label product review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label product review. Show all posts

Thursday, January 24, 2013

A Jar of Sadness: Premade Matzoh Ball Soup

Let's say you're busy, and you're at work, and you're not feeling all that great. What could be better than some matzoh ball soup? The warm, savory goodness. The fond childhood memories. Sounds like a plan, right?

It is, but only if you happen to live near a restaurant that serves one (and if you do, I am jealous and I kind of hate you), or if you have time to make some from scratch. Much as I wanted to love it, matzoh ball soup in jar form just turned out to be kind of depressing.

Before:
 
"It'll be like getting a warm hug from Bubbe!"
 
 
 
After:
 

 
"Nope."
 
 
I wanted to like it. I really, really did, especially since the only other food I had in my office was some leftover falafel and a bunch of frozen peas, which is not really the greatest combination, as meals go. But it was just... not quite right. The matzoh balls had disintegrated in the broth a bit; the broth itself was overly salty, even compared to the normal powder broth mix. To be fair, I normally add  more water than is recommended when using the powdered mix, so this may just be a personal preference. And the vegetables! The vegetables were just sad little memories of what a carrot used to be, lurking at the bottom of the bowl like flakes of fish food.
 
My recommendation: if you anticipate wanting matzoh ball soup at a time when you won't be able to make it fresh, make the balls ahead of time and store them separately from the broth. Then mix with the broth and vegetables, and microwave that. It's what your Bubbe would want you to do.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Surprisingly Kosher: Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joes

It just doesn't seem like anything candy-cane-containing should be kosher. It seems like such a product should contain gelatin, or perhaps tiny crunchy bits of communion wafer. But happily, neither is the case for Trader Joe's amazing and festive Candy Cane Joe-Joes.


These cookies-- still available now at Trader Joe's, but I'd hurry, since they're a "holidays-only" thing-- combine the delightful unhealthy creaminess that sandwich cookie aficionados know and love, with the crunchiness of tiny candy cane pieces. Perfect for snacking on while you sit in front of a roaring fire, or a roaring episode of "Breaking Bad"...whichever.


And yes, they really are kosher, I wouldn't lie to you. See?