Nu South Strawberry Lemonade

Here's a nice, cooling drink for the summer, sent by Nu South, a flavored lemonade beverage company. It's a bright pink drink with lemonade and strawberries, two of the heat's favorite things. If only they found a way to add in a pool float, it would be perfect.The drink is very cool and refreshing, and I like the fact that the company has many varieties of lemonade from different states, like Georgia to represent their peach lemonade. This lemonade represents Alabama. The color might be a little artificial for some, and it definitely imparts some of that in the taste. It's bright pink, like the color of the terrible sunburn my face now sports, with a little eye area sectioned off in the shape of my Wayfarers. There's a predominantly floral, tangy flavor from the combination of the tastes, and it reminded me a little of Red Robin's freckled lemonade, but with less fruity flavor and more lemon. It tasted a lot like red gummy bears.The lemonade flavor wasn't extraordinary, but it definitely imparted a good, sour flavor that made the drink far less saccharine than it would have been. It cut the sweetness and helped, but the overall texture of the drink is a bit syrupy. I could see myself ordering this in a restaurant and not minding that, but in a retail bottle, I want something a little less sugary.

Président Rondelé Peppercorn Parmesan Spreadable Cheese

This was one of the treats I picked up at the Taste of UMass trade fair and was very eager to get back and try with crackers and chips. I am a big fan of flavored cheeses and cheeses in general, especially Babybel and all Laughing Cow varieties. As a kid, I was addicted to the gourmet cheese cubes and have been trying to find them everywhere.This particular specimen is from Président, one of my favorite makers of Brie, and is a cheese spread with parmesan and peppercorns. I was a little skeptical about trying this because I was worried that the creaminess would detract from the pepper flavor, and that the peppercorns would be nothing more than a little more ground pepper than the average.The little packet is the perfect portion for dipping, though, and when I opened it, I was surprised to find a very spicy, freshly ground scent above the cheese, and then a mellow creamy undertone. The cheese was a little thick for my liking, definitely more of a thick, cream cheese than a whipped cheese spread that I could easily dip my crackers and chips into. That's typical of a Boursin or Rondelé, though. A lot of the foods I tested it with broke, and I wonder if it might be better to microwave or let sit out to room temperature beforehand. I think that I'd have preferred this on a sandwich or a bagel, as it didn't seem conducive as a dip. The flavor was sublime, though. There were at least seven crunchy peppercorns, which gave not only a burst of fresh spice, but a wonderful crispy texture to the cheese. Some dips and spreads have parm, but it's often a very subtle flavor. Not this one. Not at all. The parmesan was very sharp and tangy on the tongue, but was blended into the cheese so that it had a consistent texture.

Generally preferring a softer and less textured cheese, I don't know how inclined I'd be to buy this at retail price, but it's definitely an unusual flavor and texture combination that I'd love to see incorporated into the line of "Wee Bries" which I adore, to get the perfect consistency with the tangy flavorings.

Nestle Raspberry & Passion Fruit KitKat

Even if a Japanese KitKat flavor sounds good, you never really know how it's going to turn out until you try it. I suppose this is true for just about everything, but personally, I'm not particularly good at knowing which flavors I will enjoy.

For example, I love a good caramel macchiato, but the KitKat was pretty gross. Ume soda sounded like a stinker, but it actually wasn't bad. And I never expected to like Raspberry & Passion Fruit as much as I did.


The bar was a gorgeous shade of matte brown and smelled like bittersweet cocoa with hints of fruitiness. While chewing my first bite, I was pleased with the stick texture and rich flavor of the chocolate. Raspberry and dark chocolate is a fantastic pairing, as the fruit really enhances the tanginess of the chocolate.

The fruit flavors in this KitKat were surprisingly authentic and delightful. The raspberry tasted just like jam, and though I couldn't specifically pick out passion fruit, there were some lovely tropical notes that helped to mellow the tartness of the raspberry. The combination of bittersweet chocolate and tart fruit was just perfect here. It was absolutely delicious and one of the best, most memorable KitKats I've had in a long time.

There are many other reviews of this KitKat, so have a look at Chocablog, Pocky Watch, and Jen's KitKat Blog for a start.

A+

Compost Cookies

I am always on the search for the best cookie. I like having a snack I can keep in a bag around without pomp and circumstance and, in most cases, refrigeration, and if I can make it myself, it's all the better.I have no idea where I found the recipe for Compost Cookies, because I've never been to the Momofuku Milk Bar, but it has changed my life for the insane. If you're a fan of strange combinations and want to plan these out, that works, or if you have a ton of random shit in your cupboards that you must get rid of, that works, too.This happens to be my favorite combination of flavors, and hopefully, it'll be yours, too.

The Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie
recipe by Christina Tosi
(Courtesy of Regis & Kelly's website)

Ingredients (makes at least 24 large cookies)
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsps Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups of your favorite baking ingredients- I used chocolate chips, Special K cereal, a stick of Rollos, and peanut brittle.
1 1/2 cups your favorite snack foods- I used Fritos and chocolate covered pretzels.

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While that's happening, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla for a few minutes in an electric mixer to get it fluffy and incorporated together. We didn't have a mixer, and did this by hand, but if you're going to go that route, plan on this project with at least three people to pass the bowl around with.
2. Add in your eggs and vanilla and beat thoroughly for another ten minutes. The goal is to get this mixture extremely fluffy and big.
3. Little by little, add in the dry ingredients and beat for another minute. I cannot stress the importance of salt in this recipe, because it gives a fantastic counterbalance to all the sweet in the cookies!
4. With a food processor or a meat tenderizer, smash up your snack foods and baking ingredients. Leave relatively small chunks. We found that if the Frito pieces were too large, they ended up becoming chewy and strange in the cookies. We added the Rollos to the batter itself instead of smashing them together because we didn't want to have the caramel sticking everything together before we added it.
5. Mix in your toppings until just incorporated.
6. This is the most important step, and unfortunately, the part you'll hate the most- DO NOT BAKE THE COOKIES. You must let them chill in the fridge for around an hour, two hours, or they will bake improperly. Do NOT bake with room temperature dough.
7. Go play Parcheesi, bother your dog, or sculpt a giraffe out of modeling clay for that timeframe. Or watch Lost. Pass the time and try not to think about the cookies, but when the timer goes off, get your hands or ice cream scoop or serving spoon and scoop out relatively large balls of dough onto a baking sheet. We had a silicone sheet on top, but I'm sure spraying it down would work just fine.
8. Bake at 400 for around 10 minutes, and devour. They keep forever, but won't last for long.
In this particular batch, the peanut brittle was the star, melting down perfectly and leaving salty, gooey patches of candy around the dough with the crunchy pretzels. What would you put in your Compost Cookies?

Tortilleria y San Roman

Hi, I've been walking around the Italian Market blind — more like focusing intently on the ground so as not bruise shins on suddenly halting carts being pulled by old ladies, or step in puddles of fish juice — and was wondering if you have, too?

'Cause did you know that there's a tortilleria at the corner or 9th and Carpenter churning out fresh tortillas? Neither did I. And it's apparently been there for about a year. Seriously, where have I been?For $1, we got a half kilo of warm, fresh tortillas (16 total in this paper wrapped package). A kilo will cost you $2. I like simple math.

Tortilleria y San Roman
951 9th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147

Nestle Royal Milk Tea KitKat

After my KitKat withdrawal, I went on a bit of a buying spree. Along with the Sakura Matcha and the KitKat in this review, Royal Milk Tea, I also have Raspberry & Passion Fruit, Calpis, and Maple ready to go.

The box had an adorable, if stereotypical, British motif. However, the milk tea enjoyed in Japan is more like Hong Kong-style - a blend of black teas with condensed milk.


The bar had a milky and slightly floral scent, like milk tea. It was a white chocolate bar, which was a fitting base for the classic milk tea color. As I expected, it tasted very sweet.

The flavors were very mild, and though I could taste the milk and just a bit of tea, I was hoping for a stronger floral flavor. It was tasty, and I didn't mind that it was quite sweet, but just like with the beverage, I shouldn't have expected much tea flavor.

Check out some other reviews at Japanese Snack Reviews, Jen's KitKat Blog, and Melon-Soda.

B+

VitaMuffin Chocolate Mint VitaTop AND CONTEST!

I want groupies.

I mean, there must be some chicks, or even a few gorgeous guys out there, who are willing to pull off their VitaTops for me and show me that they've tattooed or written "Foodette Reviews" on their chests. Or arms.

Here's the deal: send your photos, with Foodette Reviews written anywhere on your body, and I'll pick the best ones for a special prize. It will be something delightful and delicious from my coffers. Extra points for curly, twirly script and drawings that look like old sailor's tattoos.

You have until 11:59 PM EST, SATURDAY, MAY 8TH to email all your submissions to foodette.reviews@gmail.com and then, the winners will be posted on the site. I'm not responsible for ink poisoning or sudden crushes from the same or opposite sex flocking towards your sick tat.

On another note, I'm reviewing a different kind of VitaTops today, the kind that's rarely featured on Girls Gone Wild. This is a natural and delicious snack from VitaMuffins, who makes all sorts of delicious and healthy treats perfectly portioned at just 100 calories apiece. In Paris Hilton math, that's half a muffin top a day!

Today's VitaTop is a chocolate mint. Having a well-known affinity for all things Girl Scout, I gravitated towards this and the peanut butter chip VitaTop and geared up for a fantastic snack. This is a pretty big snack, too, roughly the diameter of one of the dining common's dessert plates or Gollum's eyes, clocking in at around three inches. As I opened it, I immediately smelled a fresh, minty aroma, and knew that this would be sumptuous.The cake part is fluffy and moist, just like a real muffin. I know that with some lower calories muffins, texture is compromised, but not here. It's cakey and substantial and there's a multitude of chocolate chunks spotting the entire surface of the muffin.

The flavor is identical to a Thin Mint. Seriously. But it's like the one Girl Scout of the bunch who could beat everyone up, Scout Mum included. It's packed with a ton of vitamins, including 4 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 50% of your daily serving of iron. In a muffin top! After eating this for a snack, I was full for a good hour and felt like I could stay full for a little while more. It's very chocolatey and minty, and neither flavor dominates over the other. The mint makes it refreshing and just adds to the overall wonder of this snack. I could feel just fine eating two or three of these for breakfast and enjoying it.My only real criticism of this is that because they're all natural and lack preservatives, they have to be frozen at all times, but that's easily rectified with a quick thaw or 30 seconds in the microwave. These feel really versatile and I think they'd make great desserts just as they do breakfasts and snacks. VitaMuffins also has a wide range of other products and recipes for an endless array of variety. I'm keeping this snack in the books.