Ultra Violet Mt. Dew

I like the color purple just as much as I like a good sale, so when I spotted Mt. Dew's new Ultra Violet on sale I decided to try it. The pop is really pretty - a light lavender color in the bottle. But when I poured it into my glass all the fizz and bubbles turned a sky blue color. Disturbing.

The taste? Not so great - much too sweet and syrupy for my liking. I couldn't drink the whole bottle.

Dear Mt. Dew,

Please bring Mt. Dew Throwback back.

Love,

Me.

I'm nuts for these nuts!

Check your grocery aisles (or Walgreens) for True North's Pecan Peanut Almond Clusters. They're 100% Natural, 100% Delicious, and 100% Free after Rebate (make sure it has the red rebate sticker on it)!

[Image from Frito Lay]

She put in her thumb and pulled out a plum-a-granate...

“I am putting real plums into an imaginary cake.”

- Mary McCarthy (American novelist and critic,1912-1989)

Unfortunately no cakes, imaginary, or real, are being made today.

Plum is on the menu though - in the form of Snapple's "Plum-a-granate Diet Tea." I had it at work the other day, and it's really good. It's got more plum than pomegranate, but in my opinion, that's the way it should be. Try it!

They call me pomelo yellow...

Pomelos look like beefy grapefruit, but they taste sweeter - like a combination of grapefruit and strawberries. I found them to be "drier" too. They are the largest citrus fruit ranging from extra-large grapefruit size up to the diameter of a basketball (thanks Wikipedia)!

Pomelos are also known as Chinese grapefruit, pummelo, pommelo, Lusho Fruit, jabong, pompelmous, and shaddock.

[Photo by John Panzarella]

Soup's On

I bought this soup at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights, IL. It had been setting in my cupboard for awhile now. Even though it sounded tasty, I'll admit, I was apprehensive. I found nothing else to inspire me food-wise last night, so this soup got its chance.

My initial impression? Salty! But mmm... tasty. Very tasty. Very, very tasty. I would have eaten it all, but at 44% RDA of sodium per serving, I controlled myself. This soup was like gourmet ramen.

This little piggy had acorns...

The most delicious meat in the world is pata negra (or black hoof in Spanish and Portuguese) from the Black Iberian pig. Pata negra is a type of jamón ibérico de bellota, ham from free-range pigs that roam oak forests along the border between Spain and Portugal, and eat only acorns (thanks wikipedia!).

Jake and I tried pata negra while visiting the Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park, IL. Wondering how much this fine ham will set you back? We found it for $160.00 per pound. Our 6 or so thin slices rang in at $10.00. It's very worth it though if you're a foodie-type and enjoy prosciutto.

Pata negra is the best prosciutto you can imagine. It's texture is very similar, but it is so much more deliciously oily. The thin slices exude a rich oil as a result of the acorn diet. Definitely something to try if you have the chance!

[Image from su-lin]

Can't Decide What To Eat?

I just saw a commercial on tv for the Nintendo DS game The Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What To Eat. Are enough people willing to go consult their game console when they feel indecisive about their next meal? The concept is cool, but I can't imagine the people that would actually use this even have a DS to begin with.

Bakin' with Bacon

From the good home-cookin' Bacon and Eggs to the fast food industry (the Bacon-ator!) to the finer Bacon-wrapped scallops - Bacon is everywhere. And now it's in my bread. I found this Bacon Onion Bread in the bakery at my grocery store and figured it deserved a chance. Can bacon be bad? I wouldn't say it was the best thing ever, but definitely not bad. Just... different. It's not everyday I eat bread with bits of bacon in it. And that's probably a good thing.

The King has gone too far.

Burger King has entered the chip aisle with two new flavored potato snacks: Ketchup and Fries and Flame-Broiled.

If I "had it my way" I'd pull these snacks from the shelves. Oddly enough, the only place I've seen them so far was a big display near the checkout aisles in Menards (of all places!). Number one, any type of snack that advertises yummy ketchup flavor is just... weird. Secondly, if you're craving a hamburger, do you really think you'd grab a bag of these? "Mmmm... I could really use a great hamburger. Oh wait - I think I'll eat some burger-flavored potato snacks instead. They'll really hit the spot!"

Yes, there are some parts of a fast food meal that make a good chip. Cheese? Definately! Pickle? Yes! Veggie? Sure! Salt/Vinegar? Of course! Juicy burger? Not a chance.