I have always been a fan of root beer. When my sister and I were kids, our intake of sugary drinks was actively monitored by our mom and so there wasn't much in the way of soda in our house. When we'd go out to eat, my dad would often get a root beer while we had to content ourselves with milk. We'd beg for sips from his glass on those occasions and so I associate root beer with comfortable family outings and special treats.

When I heard that Thomas Kemper, craft brewer of quality sodas (out of my hometown of Portland, OR) had developed a low calorie root beer that was sweetened with Splenda and honey, I was really excited to taste it. The box arrived last week with three artfully arranged bottles of soda and I popped the whole thing into the fridge to chill.

A couple of hours later it was cool and ready to taste (I must say that drinking soda out of a glass bottle is far more satisfying than out of a can). Twisting off the cap, I took a long pull and swallowed. It was nice and fizzy, but sadly didn't live up to the flavor profile of Thomas Kemper's sugar version of root beer. It is missing the sharpness that root beer typically delivers. This product is totally drinkable and for those folks who are watching their calorie and sugar intake, I would say that it's a terrific option. But personally, I would rather have a single, sugar-based root beer once a month than drink this version on a more frequent basis.

This root beer is available starting this month, and they will be following it up with low calorie versions of their ginger ale and black cherry soda in April.

The most widely available non-dairy nog is the Silk brand Soy Nog, although Vitasoy and Oregon Chai also have non-dairy nogs available. All three are good choices for anyone who is vegan, lactose intolerant or simply looking for a healthier - lower fat and lower calorie - alternative to traditional eggnog. I picked up Silk Nog, along with "light" and regular nogs (Rockview Farms brand from Trader Joe's) for an impromptu taste test.

The regular eggnog was the thickest and most yellow - no doubt to reassure the drinker as to the number of egg yolks - and the others were progressively less so. Personally, as I have a preference for thinner, uncooked eggnogs, I liked the "light" version better than the full fat. Neither had a strong egg flavor, but both had the feel of custard and a nice nutmeg-y taste, although there was an almost minty quality about them that seemed like it would work well with alcohol (I tasted all these plain). The Silk nog was not too sweet and was drinkably thin, making it more refreshing than either of the eggnogs. It also had a much milder taste to it, which I preferred. Overall? An eggnog aficionado is not going to be satisfied with the Silk nog and will probably enjoy the heavier stuff, but the Silk nog is tasty - and at only 90 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving, it's a holiday treat worth having.

We first heard about Cacao Reserve chocolates, the new premium line from Hershey's, a couple of weeks ago. It is the first Hershey's-branded premium chocolate line, since up until this point, all of the gourmet products from the company have been produced by Scharffen Berger or Joseph Schmidt Confections, the two luxury chocolate brands that Hershey's acquired. Cacao Reserve is all-natural and, like so many other new chocolates, is categorized by cacao percentage, not just "milk" or "dark." They seem to carry the full line, although I did not see the "country of origin" bars (with beans from specific countries, at Target and I picked up a couple bars to try.

One of the reasons that we love and respect Cook's Illustrated is that they take care to cover all the bases in their testing of foods, recipes and kitchen gadgets, filling us in with the whys and hows of the process, so that we really understand what when into their decisions and can trust the conclusions that they make. Sometimes, however, those conclusions didn't really need to be drawn. A recent test showed that homemade pie crust faired better in a taste test than prepacked, store-bought crusts. In a pinch, they would only consider recommending the Whole Foods Pie Shells.

But unlike many of the CI tests, it doesn't seem like these crusts got a fair shake. After all, if you have the time and culinary skill to confidently make a pie crust from scratch, you're probably not going to buy one. A more equitable test would have pitted the frozen store crusts against the crust of frozen pies, since anyone pressed for time could be trying to make a decision between those options and is probably not factoring in a completely from-scratch pie. The problem with that situation, which is probably why the test kitchen didn't consider it, is that you're tasting two things that aren't as good as they could be. So instead of choosing between the lesser of two evils, you might want to consider just picking up a pie at a bakery, Marie Callendar's or a similarly pie-oriented store and at least take the quality up a couple of notches. And maybe practice making a homemade crust (which can be stored in the freezer for a few weeks) for next year.

The HJ Heinz Company has had the highest consumer satisfaction rating in the country for the past six years, and it's no wonder because, although they make many different products, they make one of the most popular and best loved condiments you can name: Heinz ketchup. Everyone likes Heinz, or at least, they think they do. Endless taste tests rank it sometimes higher and sometimes lower than other brands, and the brand still averages a high score. One recent test, however, may actually forecast a change in the way Heinz makes their ketchup. In it, Organic Heinz came out above regular Heinz.

For years, organic goods such as sauces and, of course, ketchup, had a hard time catching on with consumers since their flavors and consistency were too unfamiliar. Perhaps tastes have grown up a bit, or the technology is simply better, but if the organic version is now scoring higher with tasters, we could see a resulting increase in the availability of organic ketchup, possibly in place of the traditional stuff.

Where would you rank Organic Heinz? Is it as french-fry worthy as the classic?

Back to school time is rolling ever closer, and if you have kids, you might be starting to think about what to put in their lunchboxes. Individually packaged servings of desserts and other foods are very convenient and are more popular than ever. Some kids, as one writer found out, even prefer the packaged stuff to homemade - at least in the case of chocolate pudding. So individual puddings were put to the test by a group of seventh graders to see which products would be good lunch box choices.

The winners were Hershey's, Swiss Miss and Handi-Snack, in that order. All three were judged to be smooth, sweet and chocolaty, with Swiss Miss and Handi-Snack garnering compliments for using the perfect amount of sugar and having a fudgy taste. Hershey's, the winner, was praised for tasting "like melted chocolate" and seemed to get bonus points for being packaged in a tube, like the popular Go-Gurts.

The main difference in store bought pudding versus homemade, aside from the packaging, is that store bought doesn't develop a "skin". Avoid a skin on homemade by placing plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding until it is cool. And you can even make your own tubes of pudding by following the instructions here. And if you want your kids to eat the homemade pudding instead of having to buy packaged, have them help you make it. They'll be so excited that they won't care about "skin" or packaging.

Since Kellogg's cereals are about to go up in price, taking a look at some of the lower-priced alternatives to name brand cereals seems prudent. This month's Consumer Reports happily obliges us with their taste test of store brand frosted flakes (Kellogg's Frosted Flakes), toasted oats (GM Cheerios), and frosted mini wheats (Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats).

Frosted flake cereals are the least nutritious of the bunch, with about 120 calories, 12 grams of sugar and only 1 gram of fiber. Kellogg's well-known brand topped the taste test, tied with the lower-priced Malt-O-Meal version of the cereal. Other brands tasted slightly bitter. CR also noted that a few turned the milk bright yellow. Sounds like it's best to stick to the familiar in this case.

When it comes to cooking, grills are no more than tools. As long as the tool you have is functional, it's how you use it that counts when cooking. A taste test between rib-eye steaks cooked on a $1,600 Firestone Legacy grill and a Big Green Egg charcoal grill/smoker that was less than half of that price confirms this theory: almost all tasters preferred the meat cooked with the Egg.

Of course, the reason that tasters preferred the Egg steaks was because they had a slightly smoky/woodsy flavor from the charcoal, which was not present with the larger gas grill, and the tasters liked their meat that way. The point is that both grills performed well, cooking the steaks evenly despite their differences in price. The specific flavor preference of the tasters, while an interesting addendum to the gas vs. charcoal debate, has nothing to do with the functionality of the grill.

I'm sticking with my gas grill because I like the way it works and am not a huge fan of charcoal flavors in my everyday foods. But whether you like charcoal or gas, as long as you buy a well-made grill and not necessarily an expensive one, you are bound to have more than a few good meals.

I managed to sneak a look at some dozing persons newspaper this afternoon - it's damn hot here in the UK today so an afternoon doze is fine by me. Lying under their arm was a pickle taste test - and shock! horror! the ubiquitous Branston Pickle came out badly!

The tasters top pickle, as is so often the case, comes from a small independent producer. In this case a round of applause to Woody's Sussex Special Pickle. The quote says "Much lighter in colour than the rest, but the balance of sweetness and sourness is perfect. You get apples, prunes, swede and celery packed in, and there is none of that nasty, sugary gloop. Lovely."

Cost is £2.33. Their website offers a host of delicious looking products so you can add plenty more to your shopping basket.

Second place went to Marks and Spencers Pickle (£1.39)

This was one of those taste tests you see in the Sunday papers. This particular one is from the Sunday Express and has Antony Worrall Thompson tasting balsamic vinegars -

• M&S Di Modena £4.99 for 250ml - 9/10 "just the right side of sharp"
• Waitrose Antica Modena £14.99 for 250ml - 8/10 "this is deliciously winey"
• Tesco Finest Vinegarde Modena £11.99 for 250ml - 8/10 "just enough bite"
• Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Four Leaf £11.99 for 250ml - 7/10 "nice and thick but a little too sharp"
• ASDA Balsamic £2.94 for 250ml - 5/10 "a poor imitation of the real thing"

 

Sarah recently posted about the fact that sales of spaghetti are down at the leading supermarket chain in England because "younger British diners lack the same culinary skills their parents have." That doesn't hold true in the US, where long, thin spaghetti is still the best selling pasta shape. Since most people buy their spaghetti premade and dried (even restaurants, according to Waiter), Real Simple magazine took the opportunity to taste test fifteen common store brands and pick out their favorites. They judged the pasta on flavor and texture, looking for a slight nuttiness and noodles that didn't get mushy after cooking. Dressed in simply olive oil and salt, the spaghetti went to a tasting panel and they picked out their top three: (1) De Cecco 12, (2) Barilla,  (3) Colavita. De Cecco is twice as expensive ($2/pound vs. $1/pound) as the other brands, but tasters thought it was clearly the best choice, with great flavor and texture.

Maybe if they switched to one of these brands, the spaghetti-challenged diners wouldn't mind a chance to practice their fork-twirling skills.

I know that there are plenty of people who enjoy ramen noodles, but I can't help but associate them with the image of a "starving student." Many college-age men and women still rely heavily on this ultra-inexpensive packaged meal. While none can really be considered "health food," they still make a better and more economical meal than relying on McDonald's to get you through lean times.

If you're going to eat it, you may as well make an effort to pick out a good one. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has done a very comprehensive taste test of one dozen different flavors of Ramen across a range of different brands. Their favorite was the Myojo Chukazanmai Soy Sauce flavor, while the Ve Wong Peppered Beef is one to be avoided at all costs, especially since one taster described it as "the worst instant noodle I've ever tasted in my life." Read the whole review for a rundown of the all options, with critiques of the various flavorings and noodle quality.

In this month's issue of Cook's Illustrated, the editorial team took on the challenge of evaluating a bunch of egg white substitutes, all commercially packaged egg whites. Egg whites are low in fat and calories and can often be substituted for whole eggs in recipes and dishes like omelets, though there is the annoyance of separating a whole egg and having to dispose of (waste) the yolk with this method. Sold in individual bottles and hermetically sealed packaging, the pasteurized egg white products sound like they have all the benefits of shelled egg whites and none of the drawbacks - and Cook's Illustrated wanted to see if they would really stand up in performance.

They tested three products, Papetti Foods All Whites, Eggology Egg Whites and Eggbeaters Egg Whites, in recipes for Angel Food Cake, baked meringues, meringue frosting and scrambled eggs. They found that Eggology was the closest in performance to regular egg whites, though they made a poor angel food cake. The other products did not fare as well, particularly the Papetti brand, which could not perform even respectably in any of the tests.

The Observer Food Monthly published a taste test last Sunday that detailed those selected by Christophe Michalak the world's top pastry chef. He works at the Hotel Plaza Athénée Paris.  His top selections are -

• White Chocolate - Marks and Spencer Swiss (£1.19 125g) 'refined and delicious'
• Milk Chocolate - Divine Fairtrade (£1.09 100g) 'smells and tastes like milk chocolate should'
• Dark Chocolate - The Chocolate Alchemist (£1.75 100g) 'very intense... fantastic'
• Nutty Chocolate - Prestat Organic (£3.60 80g) 'Absolutely delicious'
• Boxed Chocolate - Pierre Marcolini (£25.50 250g) 'not perfect but very good'
• Truffles - Fortnum and Mason (£25 250g) 'seductive presentation' (but only two out of 5 stars!)
• Chocolate Spread - Nutella (£1.35 400g) 'Nothing compares to Nutella'
• Low Fat Chocolate Mouse - Marks and Spencer Count on Us (49p 70g) 'a good texture and isn't too sweet'
• Chocolate Pudding - Marks and Spencer Fudge (£3.49 400g) 'almost perfect'
• Brownies - Village Bakery Organic (£2.39 140g) ' great flavour'

 

The Observer Food Monthly has a taste test offering the best sweet wines from £5 to £50. Tasting through 20 different wines the choices are eclectic; the top 8 are:

1. Renaissance Domaine Rotier Gaillac Doux 2002 (£10.85 50cl Vine Trail) "beautiful, super-sexy palate of honey, cream and nuts" Gaillac is a delightful area in the South-West of France; believed to have been the first viticultural area of ancient Gaul.
2. Inniskillin Gold Vidal Icewine 2004, Canada (£49.95 per 37.5cl Liberty Wines) "very lush and viscous - orange peel and peaches". Rediculouly priced but superlative wine.
3. Concha y Toro Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, 2002, Chile (£5.49 per 35.5cl Majestic) "lovely golden colour with a nose of dried fruits and honey". Worth their Best Buy sticker as this nutty-caramel wonder is super at the price.
4. Domain Léonce Cuisset Saussignac, 2004, France (£7.99 per 37.5cl Sainsburys) "Rounded marmalade and apricots". Saussignac is another South Western France region producing sweet wines from Semillon grapes.
5. Isole E Olena Vin Santo, 1998, Tuscany, Italy (£26.95 Liberty Wines) "a profound maple and nut nose". Vin Santo is the Tuscan 'holy wine' made by drying Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes on straw mats.
6. Domaine du Mas Blanc Banyuls Vieilles Vignes, 1996 (£25.75 per bottle Vine Trail) "tastes of Christmas cake". Would go superbly with Christmas cake too!
7. Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling, 2005, Australia (£14.49 per 37.5cl, Liberty Wines) "Smoky bacon scents, pale gold colour,a zesty finish".
8. Torcolato Maculan, 2003, Veneto, Italy (£14.49 Oddbins) "Funky dessert wine with a nose of fennel. It's spirty and has an range liqueur taste"