Reviews

Cookbook Gift Guide

by T. Susan Chang, Posted Dec 7th 2010 @ 11:00AM

cookbook gifts Photos: Amazon.com

When it comes to giving a cookbook as a gift, there's no such thing as one size fits all -- sometimes you want a cookbook for a serious cook; sometimes you want a sweet-and-simple general-interest cookbook, and sometimes you want a cookbook for someone who doesn't actually cook but likes to read about cooking. We've asked T. Susan Chang -- food writer, cookbook reviewer for KitchenDaily and The Boston Globe, and a frequent contributor to NPR's Kitchen Window series -- to do the sorting for you. Here are her favorite gift-cookbook picks:

Cute little books for anybody:

• Tea and Cookies: Enjoy the Perfect Cup of Tea--with Dozens of Delectable Recipes for Teatime Treats, by Rick Rodgers (William Morrow, $21.99). Cookie cookbooks are a gift that keeps on giving, especially if you happen to be invited over for tea. A smart selection in a delightful package.

• Simply Ming One-Pot Meals: Quick, Healthy & Affordable Recipes, by Ming Tsai (Kyle Books, $29.95). Nobody likes cleaning pots. Keep it to a single one, with Asian-fusion how-tos from the cutest Chinese chef on TV.

Filed under: Books, Reviews, Cookbook Spotlight

The Cake to End All Cakes: The Pumpple

COMMENTS 14

by Sarah De Heer, Posted Nov 2nd 2010 @ 5:00PM

Photo: Elizabeth Hait, AOL

Last week, our sister site Lemondrop.com wrote about the Pumpple Cake: half cake, half pie and all calories. The Pumpple, created by the Flying Monkey Patisserie, in Philadelphia, consists of apple and pumpkin pies baked inside vanilla and chocolate cakes covered, no, obliterated, with vanilla buttercream. It just so happens I was in the area this weekend, and picked up a Pumpple to bring back to AOL Headquarters.

Having made the trip back to New York in one piece, the cake was ready for the food team to dig in. By 10:00 a.m. we were slicing into this masterpiece. For a moment we all just stood there in awe, thinking, How did anyone even come up with this idea?

Eating a cake this large and indulgent doesn't come without repercussions. Here come the heartbreaking numbers: The Pumpple weighs 15 pounds and measures more than a foot tall. And make sure you have a crowd to share this cake with, because each slice packs 1,800 calories. No, that is not a typo.

Filed under: Taste Test, Reviews

Taste Testing Kraft Deluxe Mac and Cheese

COMMENTS 2

by the Editors at YumSugar, Posted Oct 7th 2010 @ 12:00PM

Kraft Homestyle Deluxe Mac and Cheese Photo: jmackinnell, Flickr

You may be intimate friends with the classic Kraft blue box, and you may have experienced the company's recent "Cheddar Explosion," but how about the new line of mac-and-cheese dinners called Homestyle Deluxe? Susannah Chen, over at YumSugar, dug into all three varieties (Classic Cheddar, Hearty Four Cheese and Old World Italian) and chose her favorite, then voiced a few gripes.

In only 30 minutes of prep time, the three flavors were lined up side-by-side for the comparison test. How did they stack up? Did it make Chen nostalgic for the old blue box? And was it worth the extra effort? Head over to YumSugar to find out.

Filed under: On the Blogs, New Products, Reviews

Salt & Vinegar Potato Chip Taste Test

COMMENTS 51

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 27th 2010 @ 5:00PM

Photo: Elizabeth Hait, AOL

Round two of our potato chip taste test: Salt and Vinegar. The second most sought after potato chip flavor (after BBQ), salt and vinegar chips have been taken to the next level in recent years, with upgraded ingredients like sea salts and malt vinegar.

With more than 15 different bags, we separated this taste test into three different categories: regular, kettle and an alternative. We tested each chip on the following categories: chip thickness and the balance of flavors -- were the salt and vinegar flavors in harmony, or did one overpower the other?

In the end, we chose an overall winner and loser for each category.

Filed under: Taste Test, Reviews

Best BBQ Potato Chips: Our Taste Test Results

COMMENTS 72

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 21st 2010 @ 6:00PM

Photo: Elizabeth Hait, AOL

Just in time for football season, Slashfood has decided to start reviewing the best potato chips. Several years ago, we held a potato chip taste test, but with all the new brands of chips that have hit the shelves since then, we felt it was necessary to revisit the supermarkets and try them all again (tough job, we know).

First up in our new taste test series: BBQ. It's the most sought after flavor at the grocery store, but there are so man varieties available, where do you begin?

With over 25 different bags, we separated this taste test into five different categories to make it a little easier: plain BBQ, Mesquite, Hickory, Baked and Alternative (non-potato chip). There were also some stragglers, flavors that didn't fit into any category, but still needed to be tested. We gave this flavor the Editor's Choice award (we still can't get enough of them). We tested each chip on the following categories: chip thickness, coating of spices (intensity of BBQ flavor) and saltiness.

In the end, we chose an overall winner and loser for each category.

Filed under: Taste Test, Reviews

Subway's Fiery Turkey Jalapeno and Steak & Cheese Subs Reviewed

COMMENTS 13

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 21st 2010 @ 11:00AM

Photo: Elizabeth Hait, AOL

Once in awhile Subway comes out with a new creation that we're excited to try, like their breakfast sandwiches. The same cannot be said for Subway's two most recent additions -- the Steak & Cheese (pictured in the front) and the Fiery Turkey Jalapeno subs.

The Steak & Cheese has been out since August; the Turkey Jalapeno sandwich is part of Subway's Fiery Footlong Frenzy campaign, which is sponsored by Playstation (and seems to truly motivate gamers to purchase several Subway products at one time for a chance to win Playstation gear).

Subway's motto is "Eat Fresh," and their fiery sandwiches are indeed "fresh"...in the sense that they're down right mean. They truly create a burning hot, can't-taste-anything-else-for-30-minutes sensation.

Filed under: Fast Food, Taste Test, Reviews

Burger King Breakfast Menu: New Items Reviewed

COMMENTS 37

by Sarah De Heer, Posted Sep 17th 2010 @ 1:00PM

new burger king breakfast Photo: Elizabeth Hait, AOL

With all the buzz around the new Burger King breakfast menu, we couldn't resist an invitation to attend a press taste test of the new menu items. Walking into Burger King Thursday morning, we saw blue tablecloths, actual silverware and waiters -- were we in the right place? It was clear that Burger King meant business about their new menu and that we were in for a treat.

Burger King has added nine new items to the breakfast menu. Some of those include blueberry biscuits, the Sausage, Egg and Cheese Croissan'wich, the BK Breakfast Bowl, a pancake platter and the BK Breakfast Ciabatta Club Sandwich. They're also brewing Seattle's Best coffee and have launched an advertising campaign that's very product focused and, according to North America Chief Marketing Officer Michael Kappitt, "The largest campaign in my time, which is eight years."

Filed under: Taste Test, Fast Food, Reviews

Taco Bell Chicken Flatbread Sandwich Reviewed

COMMENTS 3

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 14th 2010 @ 1:00PM

Taco Bell Flatbread Chicken Sandwich Photo: Elizabeth Hait, AOL

Introducing Taco Bell's newest menu item, the Chicken Flatbread Sandwich. According to their site, it's a "warm, square-cut flatbread, filled with marinated all-white-meat chicken, and a melty three-cheese blend of cheddar, pepper jack, and mozzarella topped off with flavorful chipotle sauce and melted to perfection to seal in the flavor."

While the picture may not do it justice, every bite was filled with the ingredients as advertised -- cheese, chicken and sauce -- which doesn't happen often.

We were surprised how this sandwich all came together.

Filed under: Taste Test, Fast Food, Reviews

Spotting a Phony Review

COMMENTS 1

by Jessie Cacciola, Posted Sep 13th 2010 @ 5:00PM

restaurant on opening night Photo: Urban Mixer, Flickr

Ever since anonymous masses were granted the power to push a "publish" button, there's been debate over the validity of consumer-generated restaurant reviews. Fueling the skeptical fire early this month, Time's NewsFeed blog reported on a restaurant in Chicago that received a poor review on Yelp before the restaurant even opened.

According to Sylvia Rector, a Free Press restaurant critic on Freep.com, people who frequently use these types of sites "develop a critical eye for reviews, factoring in the writer's experience and history." Besides poorly informed bloggers, one should be especially wary of phony reviewers like PR people, competing restaurants and other biased parties. So what should you look for?

"If a restaurant opens and gets three or four glowing reviews the first day," Rector says, "you have to wonder if they were written by the owner's friends and relatives." Also, question reviews that are outdated (restaurants do change), those that are "different from most other comments" or those "with an absence of specifics." You can't drop a bomb without a reason -- if the food was intolerable, why? If a review is particularly out of place, check the poster's profile or other reviews he or she made on the site.

Filed under: Restaurants, Reviews

Starbucks New Toffee Mocha Reviewed

COMMENTS 16

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 9th 2010 @ 4:00PM

Photo: Elizabeth Hait, AOL

Starbucks recently launched their new flavor for the fall season, Toffee Mocha, and we couldn't wait to try it. We love the fall for many reasons, and one of those includes getting our hands on the popular Pumpkin Spice Latte, so we were interested to see how this flavor would stack up against it.

We ordered the coffee both hot and cold (no whipped cream on either) and shared them among the Slashfood and KitchenDaily team members for a taste test.

The nutritional information isn't available online yet, but we're betting these drinks should be considered more of a "treat" than an everyday item, considering they taste like dessert.

Filed under: Taste Test, Fast Food, Reviews