A classic, any way you slice it

When it comes to pound cake, traditional flavors count

By Debra Samuels, Globe Correspondent | July 14, 2010

There are few better accompaniments to fresh berries than a slice of pound cake, that perfectly balanced classic originally made with one pound butter, one pound sugar, and one pound flour. Now the formulas vary, but it’s always plain, unfrosted, dense, and rich.

We tasted five brands of pound cake, unadorned. Berries and ice cream came later. Cakes range from dense and compact (like frozen Sara Lee Pound Cake) to light and fluffy (Entenmann’s All Butter Loaf Cake). Contrary to the advertising jingle, nobody among our pound cake pundits really liked Sara Lee. She was voted least favorite by six of the 10 tasters. “I’ve seen sponges that have more texture,’’ said one.

Everyone went for the ringer in the group, a cake made from a mix (all others are sold already baked). Betty Crocker Pound Cake Mix, to which you add eggs, butter, and milk, came in first. Cake mix aficionados caught on immediately. “Smells like store-bought box cake mix, which is a good thing, if you ask me,’’ announced one.

Alas, the list of stabilizers in some of these confections is staggering. The one from Roche Bros., called “Our Own 100% Butter Pound Cake,’’ is the closest to made-from-scratch with only seven ingredients. The loaves are baked on the premises and frozen immediately. Other brands contain up to 18 ingredients.

One taster always requests pound cake for her birthday and advised us how to prepare leftovers.

“Toast slices in a dry skillet or toaster oven. There is plenty of butter in the loaf without adding more.’’ Then, of course, pile on berries and ice cream.

Betty Crocker Pound Cake Mix WINNER!

($2.79)

Prepare this mix and you get two 8-inch loaves and a kitchen that smells like imitation vanilla. Two ounces of butter give the cake a buttery finish, but that’s the only real butter in it. Several tasters gave Betty thumbs up for appearance: “Nicely browned.’’ “Healthy look makes it seem less naughty to indulge.’’ But one thought it had a “painful, rocky’’ look. “Outside color is quite light and it is hard on the top. Tastes like it’s from a mix.’’ (Astute.) Many found the cake’s texture to be “light, almost like angel food cake.’’ “Fluffy’’ and “airy,’’ said others. “Very vanilla. Great aroma. Not too greasy!’’ Another: “A lot of vanilla. Nice smell and texture, but a little dry on the edges.’’

Capitol Old Fashioned Golden Pound Cake

$1.19 for 10 ounces

This was the bargain of the lot. The label says “golden’’ but should say “lemon.’’ Every taster detected citrus flavoring. “Fruity taste,’’ said one. Another: “I like the lemon flavor.’’ “Has a very sweet orange taste.’’ “Tantalizing citrus aftertaste.’’ The appearance bothered some. “Points off for paper wrapping,’’ said one. Others: “greasy,’’ “extremely sweet,’’ and “processed.’’ Then again, one person’s greasy was another’s “melts in your mouth.’’

Entenmann’s All Butter Loaf Cake

$4.29 for 11.5 ounces

Entenmann’s blue and white package is a supermarket standard. This was the most yellow cake of the batch, garnering comments like “bright easy appearance,’’ “looks homemade,’’ and “looks buttery.’’ That buttery quality made it seem “naughty to eat’’ for one taster. For another: “The split across the top is very attractive. It looks appetizing and moist. But looks are misleading. Only the top was moist, the rest is dry. It actually tastes more like pancakes than pound cake.’’ Two chose it as a favorite because they liked the moist texture, sweet taste, “pleasant light flavor,’’ and “good vanilla taste.’’

Roche Bros.

$3.99 for 16 ounces

Wow, this is a pound cake! And one true to the claim of 100 percent butter. Two chose it as their favorite: “The top rose up and is golden brown with a split down the middle. From looks alone I was most excited about this one. Very dense and buttery, tastes most like a pound cake. The top is sugary and pleasant.’’ Seems that most loved the crust, “Looks really good, like I want to pick just at the top, like a muffin,’’ said one. “Cookie-like exterior,’’ “great crust! Most homemade looking!’’ Judgments of the texture ranged from “dense’’ to “very dense’’ to “super dense.’’ You get the picture.

Sara Lee All Butter Pound Cake

$3.99 for 10.75 ounces

This familiar pound cake, from the freezer case, is often used as a base for layered desserts with fruit and cream. Going solo didn’t win it any compliments. “A little industrial.’’ “Strange, artificial appearance on top.’’ “Very flat top, doesn’t look appetizing. It tastes like frozen Sara Lee. Taste is very ordinary. I like bland, which is why I like pound cake, but this is pushing it.’’ Someone else picked up on this too: “Tastes and looks like frozen pound cake.’’ It wasn’t all bad. “Nice vanilla tones,’’ “sweet and creamy,’’ “not too rich or sweet,’’ “nice, unremarkable appearance,’’ and “overall, average.’’

© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

Which is the better butter?

March 10, 2010

Few things taste better than crusty bread spread with butter. Real butter. Many families have banned bread and butter from their tables, but restaurants are serving premium butters again, rather than presenting little dishes of olive oil. We tasted seven brands of unsalted butter, first just the butter, then some of it on a slice of rustic bread. It was a decadent event.

Three of the American brands are made in New England: Kate’s Homemade Butter in Maine; Vermont Cultured Butter, European Style; and High Lawn Farm Unsalted Butter in Lee. Two were imported, from France and Ireland.

Plugrá European Style, made in Winnsboro, Texas, was the big winner. A Belgian taster wondered if the name were taken from the French “plus gras,’’ which means more fat. In this case it was more taste. American regulations require 80 percent butter fat in a product for it to be called butter. European-style butter generally has 85 percent butter fat and is churned, which lowers the moisture, making it very good for using in browning and baking.

With its deep hue, Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter looked like it had been dipped in a pot of gold. It was least favorite. According to the company’s website, cows munch on grass rich in beta carotene. One taster said it was the color of “cinema buttered popcorn’’ and others didn’t like it, either.

Some butters were cultured, which means a slight fermentation of the cream or milk, giving them a soft tang. Several tasters picked up on this - but not in a good way; they thought the butters were “off.’’ All were well within their sell-by dates.

Ingredients typically listed just one word: milk or cream. What a relief. And without salt, noted one in the group, the taste was “more genuine.’’ Please pass the bread.

Plugrá European Style WINNER!
Unsalted Butter
$4.99 for 8 ounces

“My favorite butter from France’’; “French or European,’’ declared two tasters. This is an American-made butter, which comes in a half-pound rectangle. Plugrá is part of Keller’s Creamery, which represents several brands (Breakstone and Borden’s among them) and is part of the cooperative Dairy Farmers of America. The website says the butter has 82 percent butterfat and is “churned in the old world style’’ which adds more air and makes it less moist. Our tasters enjoyed it. “The sweet pleasant mild flavor and perfect color.’’ “Best color and texture.’’ “Like the shape.’’ “Creamy nice texture and nice taste.’’ One said “fattier.’’

Celles sur Belle
Premium Churn Unsalted Butter
$4.29 for 8 ounces

This butter from the Poitou-Charentes region in western France comes in a rectangular shape. It was instantly identified as a European brand by several and had one favorite vote: “Import quality, not American butter.’’ The texture was described as “creamy’’ by several people. Others commented: “Light and mild taste,’’ “pale yellow and pale taste,’’ “sweet, delicious and mild.’’ The color worked against the brand for one: “Pale color. Looks like lard.’’

High Lawn Farm
Unsalted Butter
$5.99 for 16 ounces

This home-grown company from Lee got low marks for its packaging. “The fact that this butter is in a tub works against it. You take it less seriously because of that.’’ “Reminds me of margarine.’’ People found the taste “average,’’ “not much flavor,’’ “airy.’’ Some found the texture “heavy and hard,’’ “brittle,’’ “OK on bread.’’

Kate’s Homemade Butter
Unsalted
$5.39 for 16 ounces

Little Kate and her red kerchief are very appealing on this Maine butter, which comes in a box with four 4-ounce bars. Most tasters found it lacking in flavor: “Least buttery,’’ “not much taste,’’ “short on flavor.’’ Many liked the texture: “Very creamy and smooth,’’ “creamiest,’’ “tastes good with bread.’’

Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter
Unsalted
$2.69 for 8 ounces

Kerrygold is made in a rectangular shape. Those happy grass-fed Emerald Isle cows produce a very golden butter, whose color was a detraction. “Looks like margarine.’’ “Very yellow; oily with a margarine taste.’’ “Yellow. Strange aftertaste when tasted alone. Less pronounced when eaten with bread.’’ Others: “I like the look that is more yellow. Tastes better with bread.’’ “Nice color, great taste.’’ Two said the texture was “oily,’’ “greasy.’’ “It left a film on my tongue.’’ “A bit of a smell (buttery?) which I didn’t find that pleasing but it definitely tasted good on the bread.’’

Land O’Lakes
Unsalted Sweet Butter
$2.50 for 16 ounces

The brand with the iconic (and controversial) Native American woman kneeling before a lake is the butter most Americans know best. “Subtle smell. Smooth and velvety. Tastes like the brand I usually eat? Pleasant both on and off bread.’’ Most noted its taste: “Light, not full flavor.’’ “Sweet and mild.’’ “Watery flavor.’’ “I can taste vegetable oil.’’ The color was described as “pale.’’ On the texture: “Bit of an oily aftertaste.’’ “Creamy mouth feel.’’

Vermont Cultured Butter

European Style
Unsalted
$4.99 for 8 ounces

This butter comes in a half-pound cylinder. “Surprised this tasted sour in comparison to others. I believe this is from Normandy and I usually love their butter.’’ (It’s made in Vermont.) “A little too oily. Better for cooking than eating, but good taste.’’ “Soft, smooth, melts in your mouth, spreadable.’’ As for flavor: “Bland, fat taste.’’ “Mild. No aftertaste.’’ “Not much taste on bread either. Greasier.’’ The appearance put one off: “Looks like a yellow sausage tube.’’

Navigating a veritable sea of tuna salads

February 3, 2010

For many people, tuna salad is the ultimate lunch, spread between hearty slices of toast, tucked inside a sub roll, or scooped onto shredded lettuce. It’s filling and deliciously old-fashioned.

Eight people tasted prepared tuna salads from the deli departments of four supermarkets and one delicatessen. Of the five sampled, only Barry’s Village Deli in Newton is made daily on the premises. Roche Bros.’s prepared tuna salad is made in Haverhill and delivered four times a week; Whole Foods Market delivers six days a week from their commissary in Everett; Shaw’s does a cross-county trip from Oregon three times a week; Stop & Shop did not answer calls to tell us where theirs was made.

Textures range from chunky to pureed. “I like chunks of tuna,’’ one taster said. It turned out she was eating Buck’s tuna from Whole Foods. Stop & Shop offers a creamy puree. Tasters found Barry’s sweet, Roche Bros. zesty. A constant in all the salads is mayo and celery, but after that each entry is different. They include pickle relish and onions. An unexpected add-in is matzoh meal. What’s matzoh meal doing in tuna? Stabilizing, probably.

Colors range from shades of white to pinky tan. Barry’s, Roche Bros., and Whole Foods Market use white albacore; Shaw’s and Stop & Shop use light tuna.

Roche Bros. was the winner. It’s made by food purveyor Hans Kissle in Haverhill. Barry’s was a close second. “We sell at least 200 pounds of the stuff a week,’’ says Barry’s manager Scotti Leslie. It’s a popular item elsewhere too. “It’s one of our top sellers in prepared foods,’’ says Robin Rehfield of Whole Foods Market North Atlantic region.

Each of the candidates got at least one favorite vote; Shaw’s got three. When all the tasting was done, the crew topped whole wheat bread with their favorite spread, added tomato and lettuce and sat down for a classic lunch, sweet pickles and chips on the side.

Barry’s Village Deli
$8.99 a pound

If you like your tuna on the sweet side you’ll love his version. Some tasters didn’t: “Very sweet and relishy - not a big fan. The tuna flavor is mild and consistency is OK.’’ Then: “Sweet! I love it! You can feel the freshness.’’ “What’s that seasoning? Sugar? Spice? Something nice,’’ another wrote. (In fact, it’s sweet pickle relish.) “Pleasant taste and smell, grainy texture but a distinctive flavor.’’ “Low mayo ratio,’’ said another. Scotti Leslie of Barry’s says the shop uses a high-quality low-fat mayonnaise. Several noted the texture, “I like the chunky tuna in this one, tastes fresher, but a bit too sweet.’’

Shaw’s
$6.99 a pound

The creamiest of the lot. “The tuna is so pureed it is practically a spread. A very smooth texture and noticeably light color; you can definitely taste the mayonnaise in this one.’’ “Run of the mill, ’’ announced another. “Tastes a bit processed. Not enough lemon or onion.’’ “Salty and not appetizing.’’

Stop & Shop
$5.99 a pound

The other creamy entry. This is the salad that lists matzoh meal in the ingredients. “Looks like flesh-colored mayonnaise. Too creamy and mushy feeling. Slight fishy taste.’’ “Tuna puree is more like it,’’ said another. “Far too processed. No lemon, no onion, just sugar.’’ One thought the consistency was a plus: “Very creamy but with a nice addition of pickles. Distinct shiny color and perfect for spreading.’’ Another: “Looks gooey, pinkish, and tastes good.’’

Roche Bros. Winner!
$6.99 a pound

This is the salad that the tasters found most balanced and interesting, without sweetness. Ingredients include white tuna, celery, mayonnaise, garlic salt, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. “Good taste, texture, and the balance between tuna and onion is good. Perhaps a bit more lemon would be good.’’ “This one tastes the most fresh! Not too sweet.’’ “Good honest tuna salad. Just crunchy enough, not sweet, like homemade.’’ “Smooth texture, with nice crunchy bites mingling with the tuna.’’ The lone detractor said, “No imagination, not particularly snazzy, but you know, it’s fish.’’

Whole Foods Market’s Buck’s Tuna Salad
$7.99 a pound

A Whole Foods team member named Buck submitted her favorite recipe for an in-house contest and Buck’s tuna became a favorite among many consumers. It’s simple: albacore tuna, mayo, red onion, and celery. Many noted that onion taste: “Lots of red onion and lemon (not sure about that), but slightly dry. Strong fishy smell and taste, which is not nice.’’ “Onion?’’ was the single comment from another. Several noted the size of the tuna chunks: “Very creamy in both taste and texture, the large-ish pieces of the tuna still manage to feel dry. I don’t find any flavor.’’ (The store uses dry-pack albacore.) “You can actually taste tuna meat in here, not tuna puree like most others. Problem is there is no other flavor.’’ “Tastes OK, but very dense mouth feel.’’ “I like the chunks in this one, tastes fresh.’’

Squeeze in some lemon sorbet

By Debra Samuels, Globe Correspondent

September 9, 2009

Lemon sorbet is a refreshing dessert any time of year. At the end of summer, when local fruits are in the markets, pair them with a cool scoop of lemony ice and add a crisp cookie.

We sat down to taste six brands of lemon sorbet and among 16 tasters there was no clear favorite. Ciao Bella Lemon Sorbetto, with four votes, edged out three others with three votes each. “Most intense lemon flavor and best palate cleanser,’’ was heard repeatedly. But neither was there a clear loser; 365 Meyer Lemon Sorbet (Whole Foods Market’s house brand) was turned away by four tasters with “bitter’’ being the most common remark.

Sorbet is generally defined as containing water, fruit juice or pulp, and sugar. That’s what each brand contains, plus stabilizers and preservatives. Most are labeled “naturally fat-free.’’ Sorbet is often confused with sherbet, its creamier cousin, which can contain dairy and sometimes egg whites. That said, ingredients vary. Sorbet recipes are also made with dairy products such as cream and half-and-half. Gus Rancatore, owner of Toscanini’s and maker of icy confections, says, “I’m a traditionalist. Sherbet has milk or egg whites.’’ Many chefs ask Rancatore to make sorbets using dairy products because, he says, chefs don’t live in a rigid world of definitions.

None of our brands contain dairy or eggs. Tasting a particularly creamy sorbet, like Stop & Shop’s Lemon Sorbetto, one of our crew wrote “this is not sorbet!’’ Well apparently it is. The texture comes from stabilizers such as carrageenan, pectin, guar gum, and xanthan gum. This would explain the “gelatinous’’ and “gummy’’ comments leveled at several brands, which by the way, were easier to scoop. But “creamy’’ can also come from whipping, which is why many recipes for homemade sorbet encourage immediate consumption.

As for color, all of the brands sampled are white, with one exception. Sharon’s is lemon yellow - really turmeric yellow. The color put some tasters off: “How artificial looking! It must be food coloring,’’ one said. Others found the color to be “luscious’’ and an eye-appealing “baby-chick yellow.’’

Most sorbets are flavored with lemon juice concentrate, which could include flavorings and sugar. Only Ciao Bella has plain lemon juice and rind among its ingredient list.

Ciao Bella Lemon (Limone)

$4.99 for 1 pint
This brand was lauded for its lemony taste and grainy texture. Lemon juice is the second ingredient, the highest proportion among the competitors. “This has the most intense lemon flavor and would be the best palate cleanser.’’ “Nice icy consistency, tastes like it might have some peel in it.’’ “Delicious, looks like a sorbet. Consistency is nice and fresh.’’ Another: “Yum-o. Nice fruity flavor with a crisp texture.’’ “Acid not creamy too sherbet-y.’’ “Tangy and sweet.’’ “Icy, tastes artificial.’’ Others: “Tastes a little like Mr. Clean smells - pine-scented kitchen cleaner. But the texture is nice.’’ “Light on flavor and substance.’’

Haägen-Dazs Fat-Free Sorbet Zesty Lemon

$3.99 for 1 pint
“Good texture and plenty of flavor but also has a medicine-y aftertaste that is off-putting.’’ “A bit of a bitter after-taste. Too creamy. Something other than lemon is in back.’’ “OK for bitter lemon sorbet. It is too sweet and too bitter. Lacks the tart clean taste of fresh lemon and peel.’’ “Nice white smooth looking. No scent. Very smooth quite metallic, false lemon flavor.’’ “Dreadful glop of bitterness.’’ “A nice smooth blend of lemon and sweet.’’ “Good creamy.’’ “Did they add a lot of lemon flavor? Too sweet.’’ “No taste of lemon really.’’ And from one who chose it as a favorite: “Full rich ice creamy, tangy; too lemony chemical aftertaste. But still good.’’ What kind of endorsement is that?

Sharon’s All Natural Fat Free Lemon Sorbet

$2.69 for 1 pint
(This brand got three favorite votes and three least favorite.) “Tastes like mom’s lemon meringue pie!’’ “Bold lemon flavor and luscious yellow color. Love the crunch.’’ “Tart, icy, lemony . . . delicious.’’ Not everyone gushed over the color. “Why so yellow? More crunchy than smooth. My tooth hurts. First sweet, then turns sour.’’ More texture comments: “Not very creamy, but subtly lemony taste. Better once it thawed a bit. Artificial yellow color.’’ “Seems like real lemon, maybe a bit bitter in the aftertaste.’’ “Looks grainy, no smell at all.’’ “Smooth icy.’’ “Too yellow, too sweet.’’ “Consistency is not very smooth. More like flavored ice.’’

Stop & Shop Simply Enjoy Lemon Sorbetto

$4.49 for 1 liter (half gallon)
(Got three favorite votes and three least favorites.) Easiest of all to scoop. “This is not sorbet. Gelatinous texture after-feel on tongue. Overly sweet. Too much lemon oil, not enough fresh lemon.’’ “White like snowflakes. Smooth tangy refreshing, opens up the taste buds.’’ “Bitter lemon tastes artificial. Too creamy for sorbet.’’ “Very sweet, not real lemony.’’ (Lemon appears as the fifth ingredient; most other brands list it third or fourth.) “Creamy, a little bitterness in mouth.’’ “Love the smell, texture, and taste of this sorbet. It has the right amount of sweetness.’’ “Smooth, sort of creamy, light lemon flavor.’’ “White color, creamy smooth consistency, mild initial flavor, tart aftertaste.’’ “Lemony scent with a bit of extract smell. Lovely texture. Very smooth no granules. False lemon flavor. All extract, no real lemon bitter edge.’’

Whole Foods Market 365 Meyer Lemon Sorbet

$3.39 for 1 pint
“Very smooth, nice blend of sweet and tart.’’ “Remote flavor of lemon like it was near a lemon at some point. Texture is not unpleasant, just not good.’’ “Least sweet and has an aftertaste which is bitter. Texture is smooth and creamy.’’ “Bitter and too much stabilizer.’’ “White, very creamy, astringent.’’ “Gummy - OK acceptable.’’ “Creamy and a little bitter.’’ “This is too thick and acidic. Tart without lemony flavor.’’ “Rich, too lemony, too intense, smooth.’’ “Smooth white, looks like there might be flecks of rind. Lemon scent is extract-y. Flavor is bitter, too much extract but right amount of sugar. Too bad about the bitterness - it has that metallic bitter edge but nice smooth texture.’’ “Consistency excellent.’’

Whole Fruit Sorbet Lemon

$2.69 for 1 pint
Some commented: “No artificial color’’ and “nice off-white looks, smooth, scent is soft lemon.’’ Others: “Feels chemical and smooth.’’ “Not bad for a lemony sherbet. Lemon-ish and not too sweet. More creamy than I like a sorbet to be.’’ “Dense full flavored. Tangy and white. More ice cream than sorbet.’’ “Color OK. Excellent lemon flavor. Not quite as icy as it could be, but really good.’’ “Very creamy with a balanced flavor and pleasant aroma. Lacking intensity.’’ “This has a great tang. Smooth texture with a lemony fragrance you expect in a lemon sorbet.’’ “Way too tart. Doesn’t have sweetish aftertaste.’’ “More authentic fresh lemon flavor. Not as strong as others.’’ “White, smooth, tart, with very little sweet.’’

The word on rotisserie bird

The aromas from five rotisserie chickens, purchased just before the tasters arrived, were so enticing that the group of six sat at the table, forks at the ready, and let out a collective "Mmm." All of the birds had come out of their ovens between 4 and 5 p.m., timed perfectly for shoppers on their way home from work.

Debra Samuels

March 25, 2009
By Debra Samuels

Globe Correspondent / March 25, 2009

The aromas from five rotisserie chickens, purchased just before the tasters arrived, were so enticing that the group of six sat at the table, forks at the ready, and let out a collective "Mmm." All of the birds had come out of their ovens between 4 and 5 p.m., timed perfectly for shoppers on their way home from work.

Many markets have the birds on view doing their slow pirouettes on spits behind glass-door ovens. When done, the chickens are packed and placed under warming lights. We chose the plain flavor each store had to offer but only one bird was truly plain. Others were roasted with spices. Shaw's supermarket, Market Basket, and Roche Bros. list ingredients that include a solution of water, salt, sodium phosphates, and sundry other items (some up to 20 percent).

The winner was Shaw's Sea Salt and Pepper chicken, chosen by four tasters, labeled Culinary Circle. A friendly staff person at Shaw's told me they cook chickens every three hours (all the stores are on similar schedules) and if you're willing to take home a cold bird, it's $2 less. "It's not old, its just cold," she said. Boston Market did not list ingredients on its package; if it did, salt would be at the top. It garnered one best vote but was deemed way too salty for the others. The only bird without spices was Whole Foods Market's, which got four least favorite votes; most found it dry and tasteless.

Prices range from $4 to $10 for a whole chicken regardless of weight. Not bad for feeding a family, considering there will probably be leftovers for a sandwich or at the very least bones for a tasty chicken soup.

Culinary Circle, a Shaw's brand ($6.99)
Packaged in a domed plastic container.
This chicken with sea salt and black pepper received consistently high scores across the categories. On appearance: "Looks appetizing, color is good." "Browned just right." "Best color - evenly roasted." Taste: "Breast is moist and delicious. Thigh is moist and tasty." "Juicy thigh; juicy breast." " Skin looks appetizing and is tasty too." "Not overcooked." Aroma: "Smells delicious." Only one didn't join the love fest: "Why no flavor? High marks for being moist, low marks for flavor."

Boston Market ($8.29)
Packaged on an aluminum tray in a lined hot bag.
The overwhelming consensus: way too salty. "More salt than could possibly be healthy. The chef must have stock in Morton's," said one. Chosen best by our resident salt lover and worst by another who found the "legs salty, and the back not done." Someone else found "thigh somewhat moist and very salty." The appearance received low marks from two for uneven coloration. "Bird doesn't look appetizing, burned markings are uneven." "Color is not attractive - too pale." As to size, "Puny," sniffed one as she examined this bird. Some found the meat and texture good. "Moist white meat, moist dark meat." "White meat is very tasty, but the skin is soft." And finally the only comment about the aroma: "There is none."

Whole Foods Market
Plain Rotisserie Chicken ($9.99)
Packaged in a domed plastic container.
Apparently chicken being the only ingredient isn't enough. And the skin wasn't appealing either. "Doesn't look done enough." "Not browned enough. Pale and on the small side." "Looks like cardboard, tastes like chalk." The texture was indeed dismissed by all with one word: "Dry." If other birds were too salty, this one lacked it entirely. "Thigh: no salt! Breast: no salt!" "It's flavorless," announced one. But another said, "Dark meat is tastier" if she had to choose between white and dark. Then this: "Tiny wings and tiny legs." As the Borscht Belt line goes: "It tasted terrible - and there wasn't enough."

Roche Bros.
The Kitchen's Rotisserie Chicken ($6.99)
Packaged in a domed plastic container.
One person was very enthusiastic and picked it as a favorite. "Most inviting, visually dark. The taste is very moist and balanced." Another echoed that. "Looked good and the breast is plump." "Dark and white meat tasty and moist." "Not too salty - good!" One liked the way it looked. "Color is good, looks appetizing." But two others thought it looked burnt. One person thought the bird "isn't easy to cut." And in spite of the chicken being carried home in the domed container, with moisture collecting inside, two tasters commented that "the skin is crispy" and "somewhat crispy."

Market Basket
Perdue Rotisserie Chicken ($3.99)
Packaged on a foam black tray wrapped with plastic wrap.
This bird received relatively good marks for appearance. "Very even color; darkest of the five." "Color is OK but looks dry." On looks and texture: "Dry, crisp outside. Moist inside." One found it to have "a mushy texture overall." But many found the "white meat dry and the dark moist." "It seems overcooked but whatever is on the coating makes it feel moist," said another. Taste drew these remarks: "It tastes good, enough salt." "The flavor is OK not spicy." "Missing a spice or two or three."

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Bowled Over

TASTE KITCHEN: TOASTED O'S CEREAL

Bowled over
By Debra Samuels
Globe Correspondent / January 7, 2009

In a supermarket, the breakfast cereal aisle is a football field-long corridor. Some of have morphed into many other brands. Recently, nine members of a food and nutrition-oriented 4-H club, ranging in age from 6 to 17, tasted five brands of toasted O's. The young group took our blind tests cereal-ously. (Couldn't resist!) First they nibbled on dry O's and then added milk. For a while, all you could hear was the sound of crunching. There were eyebrows raised pensively, requests for one more taste, and pleas for more time to finish. One thing was clear: These youngsters wanted their O's toasty and crunchy, even when submerged in milk.
All the brands are made with whole grains. Although this is typically not a sweet cereal (1 gram of sugar per 1 cup serving), sugar is the third item on the ingredient list in four of the five brands. Cascadian Farms Organic purely O's, the only cereal with no sugar, got seven pairs of thumbs down as the least favorite. Most of the cereals are similar in texture, but this one tastes like air. Trader Joe's brand, Joe's O's, was the favorite. Its first ingredient is whole grain oats, which you taste and which have an agreeable aroma. The brand Cheerios came in a close second.

Cascadian Farm Organic
purely O'sOrganic whole grain oat cereal
$4.69 for 9 ounces
This brand was often compared with an inert object: "Dry, it tasted like old paper, it tastes better with milk." "Smells like some kind of flower, sweet but appealing, but tastes like cardboard. Better after milk." One taster compared the smell to an attic. "Very pale compared to others. This egg-white looking cereal is smooth in your mouth and is awkward to chew. After adding milk the flavor is weak and gets soggy." But another thought it "maintained its crunchiness with the milk, but not the best taste." The final word: "Not sweet, tastes like cardboard. Not crunchy, horrible."

CheeriosToasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal
$3.19 for 8.9 ounces
A close second for best, three chose this as the favorite. Texture and smell were important factors for most: "Smells like toast, not very sweet, and more crunchy than the others." "Even crunchy with the milk. Also has a good after-taste." "Before milk, smells grainy, really has lots of flavor. With milk tastes good and has good texture." "Looks less hole-y and bumpy than the others. When chewing, the cereal is crunchy and tastes like freshly toasted bread." Another also said it "smelled like toast." One observer wrote this: "Different color than the others. Tastes good with milk. I think they might be Cheerios."

Food Club Original Toasted Oats
Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal
$2.50 for 15 ounces
We found this brand at Roche Bros. Not a lot of enthusiasm here but some liked the size: "O's bigger than other brands." As for the texture: "Feels kind of stale and tastes bland. Tastes the same with milk - like sawdust." "It almost looks as if it is made of Styrofoam. When I taste it, it is like Styrofoam with a very bland flavor." "The texture is crunchy and rough." Others liked the taste. "Has a nice sweetness to it, which makes it less bland. I smell honey." (There is no honey). "Not very sweet, not very sweet smelling, but very very crunchy!" "At first they are a bit stale, but as you progress the taste is OK." Another: "Blander with milk."

Stop & Shop Oats & O's
Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal
$2.69 for 15 ounces
Most of the kids commented on the texture before and after adding the milk: "Before milk, crunchy, just sort of doesn't have a taste. After milk, kind of soggy. Still no taste." "Has a sweet smell, but tastes bland. The texture is crunchy. With the milk it is still bland, but got soggy quickly." A "sweet smell" appeared on many comments. Another who chose it as a favorite wrote: "It looked bland at first. When I tasted it, it was crunchy and seemed to dissolve in my mouth. It reminds me of my own toasted O's that I eat at home." Several thought the milk helped. "Milk adds more flavor." Our youngest gestured with a thumbs up and his scribe (his mom) said he was all smiles after he finished it.

THE WINNER!
Trader Joe's Joe's O's
Toasted Whole Grain Oats
$2.29 for 15 ounces
Waxing eloquent, one wrote: "The golden brown cereal, smelling toasty and warm, tastes great and the texture is just right. The combination of milk and cereal is good but the flavor diminishes." "Before milk: smells nice and appealing and the color is golden and yellowish. Tastes very good and is quite easy to chew. After milk: Tastes even better. The milk complements the flavor of the O's." "Absolutely no smell, tastes really good and good with milk." "Very sweet and crunchy!" "Not too much of a smell. Is more oat-y, has small o's." "It has a very weak scent and looks pale. The taste is somewhat bolder and doesn't taste so much like paper." Two described it as having a bland taste: "When I have 8 in my mouth they taste like rice crackers. Very, very bland." And one was just not sure: "It tastes between good and bad."

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company

JELLY BEANS

Don't put all of these chewy, colorful sweets in one basket

The Easter bunny would have a very heavy basket if he filled it with all the brands of jelly beans out there. We tested beans from companies such as Life Savers, Starburst, and Jolly Rancher that tasted like their other-time-of-the-year products, and shockingly bright beans from Crayola - which thankfully didn't. There were two organic brands in the bunch that won no awards for beauty, but they tasted like real fruit and had no artificial coloring, as did most of the other brands. Our taste test also included jelly beans with added vitamins A, C, and E, and the immediately identifiable Jelly Belly, which comes in unconventional flavors such as coconut, mango, and chocolate pudding.
Eight people tasted 12 brands, and by the end of the session they were ping-ponging off the walls. Jelly beans are loaded with sugar and memories of Easters past, which affected the choices of the tasters - preferences were so personal that there was no clear winner. - DEBRA SAMUELS

Brach's Classic Jelly Bird Eggs
$2.49 for 19.5 ounces
Big, bright, and traditional. "Yum - not! Taste like colored olives and take too long to chew." "Hate the way these look! Too big - you can only eat one at a time. Looks like 99 cent candy from 7-Eleven." "I like these flavors - they feel familiar, traditional." "Good texture, lasting taste - possibly a little large." "Tastes sugary rather than fruity." "Flat, childish taste. Why do the big ones all seem less sophisticated?"

Brach’s Orchard Fruit Jelly Beans
$2.29 for 14 ounces
Made with real fruit juice, so the colors actually taste like cherry, grape, and so on. They contain vitamins A, C, and E. "Looks like they would be more at home in a bead store. Tasty though." "Strong colors, nice taste, and very candy-flavored." "Crispy crunch outside, way too gooey inside." "Each color has different flavor." "Grape flavor makes you feel bad swallowing it - it tastes like grape gum!"

Confectionery Lane Assorted Jelly Beans
99 cents for 9 ounces
This is your standard 99 cent brand, and people knew it. "Tough, very hard to chew, and flavorless." "Least favorite, crudest flavors." "Too hard. Too big. Too gloopy. Too nasty!" "More brilliant color, sugary - cotton candy style." "Waxy finish, low grade, and each tasted the same across the rainbow."

Crayola Jelly Beans
$1.49 for 12 ounces
Manufactured by Simply Smart from BlueberryHill, these also contain vitamins A, C and E, as well as real fruit juice. "These are so neon I need sunglasses. You taste the sugar, not the flavor - bad aftertaste." "Nice assortment of chewy colors. Easy to keep eating. Gentler flavor than the traditional kind." "Reminds me of Easter when I was a kid - very typical." "Flavor is very artificial, as is the color." "Best balance of texture, flavor, and aroma - the best." "Normal looking. Mushy consistency after initial crunch.

Budget bean."
Jelly Belly
$1.99 for 5 ounces
Calling itself "the original gourmet jelly bean," these come in 20 flavors. Most people could identify the beans in one bite. "Almost exotic, super-aesthetic, delicate but strong. My favorite." "The chocolate pudding was a surprise. Flavors all a tad too exotic." "Delicate, easy to eat, and modern flavors. Desire to taste each and every one." "Jelly Belly, right? My favorites but a little tough to chew." "Cute actual 'bean' shape." "Weak flavor, tastes like gelatin."

Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans
$2.49 for 14 ounces
If you like Jolly Ranchers, you'll like these tropical-colored beans. "Smallish, shiny, tropical flavors." "Glassy, pleasant balance between chews." "Good size and excellent flavor." "Great texture; each color is a distinctive flavor." "There is a weird chemical in this - icky." "Very candy-ish - but this is too sweet."

Life Savers Candy Jellybeans
$2.49 for 14 ounces
Life Savers lost the hole and molded its fruity candy into chewy beans. "Like Bubble Yum in a jelly bean." "Shiny. Back taste evokes herring - worst." "Favorite in terms of color. Nice and light - sort of transparent." "Light flavor. Not too harsh."
Russell Stover Candies Pectin Jelly Beans

$3.49 for 12 ounces
The venerable company includes pectin in its beans. "Glassy. Kerosene flavored." "Not a fan of fruity flavors, would prefer more cinnamon-y flavors." "Super duper shiny - too shiny, actually. Surprisingly good flavor, though." "Subtle flavor - this is a grown-up jelly bean." "Fragrance is not very good." "No difference between the colors, strange aftertaste."

Shaw's Jelly Beans
$1.50 for 15 ounces
An old-fashioned mix of big beans, with plenty of black and white. The ingredient list includes a roster of artificial colors. "Too big, dull shine, and shocking texture - dough-like." "Too grainy and gelatinous." "Strong flavors that corresponded to the color - yellow tasted like lemon." "I like these flavors - less fruity, more interesting. Marzipan flavored?" "Almond taste . . . a little unusual." "Not much flavor, chemical lime taste. Red tastes like cough drops."

Starburst Original Jellybeans
$2.19 for 14 ounces
Another candy company puts its stamp on the jelly bean - literally. Each one says "Starburst." "These stick to your teeth." "Better than average bean." "Sticks to teeth but great size and shine." "Sort of Life Savers flavors. I don't like Life Saver flavors." "Mm, delicious. Sharp, strong, very fruity and distinct."

Surf Sweets Organic
$1.69 for 2.7 ounces
The most expensive of the lot. We found these organic, vegetarian beans at Whole Foods Market. They also contain Vitamin C. "Wrinkly, unappetizing, and excessively sweet." "Transparent looking, matte finish. Organic flavor - very tasty." "Limited flavors, grainy feeling with sugar. Nice appearance." "Good flavor. Look like gems with dull-ish finish. Itty bitty and cute." "Kind of perfume-y. Lemon ones are yummy." "Rather anemic looking with a sugary texture." "Natural flavor, more subtle. An adult bean - good stuff."

SunRidge Farms Organic Jolly Beans
$6.99 for 1 poundFound in the bulk aisle at Whole Foods, these "jolly beans" come in muted colors and juicy flavors. "Nice texture, don't like the flavors. Too grapefruit-y but nice - if you like grapefruit." "Pretty colors, but grimy sugary feeling." "Awkward perfume-y flavor and grainy." "Great colors, more natural flavor, like juice." "Uuuu-gly! Barely congealed sugar cubes."

Dijon Mustard

Pardon me, do you have any good French condiments?

The area around the French region of Dijon is famous for its mustard bushes. But unlike Bordeaux and other wine growing regions, Dijon doesn't regulate use of the name. Now the word Dijon is all over the famous yellow condiment, on jars that are made in France, some that are made here by Frenchmen, and some that are made in California.
The mustard contains black or brown mustard seeds that have been husked, which gives them a soft color. The mixture can also include vinegar, water, and spices. At only five calories per teaspoon, mustard is an excellent condiment for those watching waistlines, and a great addition to leftover cold meats.
We tasted six brands. Among us, two are very familiar with Dijon mustard - one taster is a native French person and another had lived in France for several years. Mustards were served with plain crackers and club soda.
Unlike many other products tasted in this column, the mustards contain nothing artificial. Some brands are made with white wine, others with sugar. Thickeners such as fruit pectin, mustard flour, and guar gum are on some ingredient lists. Vinegar, not mustard seed, is the first ingredient on some jars, which could account for the puckered mouths in the group.
Two brands had won a top award at the annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival - Grey Poupon in 2005 and Maille in 2007. Our crew gave the nod to Maille; they didn't like Grey Poupon quite as much. Maille's label boasts "260 years of expertise." The winning texture was described as creamy, rich, smooth, and velvety. Grey Poupon, a company started by two men (named Grey and Poupon), is now owned by Kraft and manufactured in the United States.
All the labels except Annie's list "spices" as an ingredient, without getting specific. Annie's lists cloves, which was immediately detected (unwelcome, too).
When the tasting was over, our host brought out her favorite mustard, a jar of Dijon made by Amora (not readily available on retail shelves; go to amazon.com). The texture is mousse-like, the taste smooth but vinegary. As it happens, Amora bought Maille and then both were acquired by Unilever. Jean-Louis'

Dijon Mustard
$6.99 for 11.8 ounces
A local brand, the thinnest of the group, manufactured at the Nuestra Community Kitchen in Jamaica Plain by French native Jean-Louis Eck. It garnered three "least favorite" votes and one favorite. In small type on the bottom of the label, it says "with local honey." The sweetness was noted by tasters but not identified. It was the heat that several took notice of: "A potent very strong-flavored, smooth-textured mustard. Brings tears to the eye and a tickle-cough to the throat. Too intense to the taste buds." "The first taste is sweet and after, a very hot taste spreads around the mouth."

Maille Dijon Originale Traditional Dijon Mustard Winner
$3.79 for 7.5 ounces
Maille has been in the mustard business since 1747. What we tasted is a product of Canada manufactured for Maille, whose headquarters are in Dijon. It was chosen best or second-best by many. The texture was the big attraction, described as "smooth and comfortable." "Creamy, rich texture, velvety taste." "Smooth, salty, not too hot." "Predominant flavor is salt. Golden color." Others loved the color and the heat: "Great color, spicy taste."

Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
$2.99 for 8 ounces
This may be one of the first Dijon-style mustards Americans were introduced to. In an old commercial, you see a scene of a formal dinner party. One guest asks in a snooty tone, "Would someone please pass the Grey Poupon?" A butler appears with the jar on a silver platter. "Love the smell. Hits the nostrils and good color." "The taste is very hot but I like the mouth feel. It must be good for sausages." "A light pale yellow that packs a punch." One taster said it has a "light buttery look and no aroma." And this: "Strong enough but sweet after-taste - too bad."

Whole Foods 365 Organic Dijon Mustard
$1.59 for 8 ounces
This is another watery mustard; it could use a little color therapy. "Is this a mustard? The color is gross." "Has a grayer and more granular appearance and a bit of a vinegar smell. Milder taste. Not as biting." "Tan in color but the taste is not bland - it's quite spicy and would be welcomed on my sandwich." "Light taste and less character. A little hot, but comfortable." "Has a sweet, sour-pickle taste. Almost a [German-style] Dusseldorf." That taster voted it her least favorite.

Annie's Naturals Organic Dijon Mustard
$3.59 for 9 ounces
This brand is a very dull yellow - almost as though someone added a little black to the paint pot and didn't do a good job of mixing it up. Many tasters were very put off by the color. "Too dark to be appealing." "Bad color, bad taste, not a mustard!" "Looks green and beige. A darker gray granular appearance and milder pleasant flavor." "Brown and bold, but too much vinegar." And then there was the spice: "Am I hallucinating or is there clove in here?" (There is.) "Almost no smell. The taste is very salty and sour."

Roche Bros. Dijon Mustard
$1.59 for 12 ounces
This plastic bottle, which is larger than the others, is least expensive. It's also the most watery. Comments were all over the place. It was a favorite for one taster, but three found it bitter. "Pale in color." A smooth textured mustard that has a sharp, bitter bite to it." "I don't like the smell or the bitter taste, which sticks to the tongue." "Rather bland with a bitter under taste. Needs more texture." Another liked the "smell but not the taste." "Too sweet, too green, bad aft

CANNED CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Even Wolfgang Puck can't get the taste perfect



How many Jewish grandmothers does it take to dismiss canned chicken soup? Probably only one. But we had five, and one grandfather. These mavens tasted seven brands of ready-to-heat chicken noodle soup (no added water) and decided they all left a lot to be desired. It's not that they don't buy soup in cans, it is just that they never buy canned chicken soup. "Who makes better chicken soup than I do?" one asked. Only the others, it turns out.
Many sighs and many choruses of "oy vey" could be heard during the tasting. Before it even started, one announced, "They are all going to taste the same, there is just so much you can do with a chicken once you kill it."
Then came the questions. "Is there MSG in these soups? I can't have any," declared one bubbe. "I can't have any garlic," said another.
In fact, many companies make soup with garlic; five of these brands contained garlic powder.
The women shushed each other and finally got down to business, sipping soup and reminiscing. One octogenarian recalled carrying a live chicken in a brown paper bag to the kosher butcher every Friday before the Sabbath dinner when she was a child. It was also her job to pluck the feathers when she returned home.
As for a winner, "they all stink," said one reluctant taster. Bouquets to Wolfgang Puck. The celebrated Austrian-born TV chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author got three best votes for his brand. Picking a loser was less difficult. Whole Foods Market's 365 organic brand, said the tasters, was lackluster in every way. Campbell's had watery looking broth with a few globules of fat on top.
Besides garlic powder, most of these soups contain cornstarch and chicken fat, (fat gives flavor and the content - mostly 3 percent- was negligible).
"Hey, we do have a winner," one person pointed out, as he was reviewing the labels. "In the salt category." Stop & Shop brand contains a mega dose: a 1-cup serving has 44 percent of the recommended daily allowance of sodium. For comparison, Healthy Choice has 20 percent.
If you don't want salt, MSG, or garlic in your soup, get a chicken and set the pot to boil.

Wolfgang Puck Organic Chicken with Egg Noodles – WINNER
$2.50 for 14.5-ounce can
Whew. Finally a boy you can bring home to your mother - or grandmother - and he cooks no less. Wolfgang Puck garnered three favorite votes. The aroma did it. "Looks good. Smells good. Tastes good." "Very tasty, strong odor smells good." "Delish!! Excellent!" "Looks very appetizing, smells delicious." But it wasn't all kudos: "Salty, strong chicken flavor. Dark color."

Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup
$2 for 15-ounce container
Campbell's, the granddaddy of canned soups, was immediately identified by two tasters, who also chose it as their favorite. "Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup? Tastes great but not homemade." "Looks good, tastes very good," said another. The yellowish color (from beta carotene) gave some a sense that this was more like the chicken soup they knew. "Starting to look like chicken soup, but doesn't taste like chicken soup. Too thick." However the salt factor loomed large (it contains 36 percent of the RDA). "Much too salty."

Healthy Choice Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup
$2 for 15-ounce can
Very few salty comments, but the taste was overwhelming: "Very strong taste, too much seasoning!" "Too much onion. Too much garlic, and the noodles are too large. Definitely not chicken soup. Stinks." (The first ingredient listed is chicken broth and the second chicken breast.) "Not great, passable." Finally: "Slight off taste - medium salty and light color."

Muir Glen Organic Chicken Noodle Soup
$3.49 for 18.8-ounce can
One person chose this as a favorite: "Less salty, mild chicken flavor, and medium chicken color." (For the record, it contains 39 percent of the RDA, which is more than Campbell's.) Another said: "Looks good, very little smell, a bit salty but the taste is OK." "Smells great. Very light looking. I prefer this color - looks like Campbell's soup." One person found it dreadful: "Too thick, too salty, too much cornstarch, and too awful." Finally, "Not enough seasoning."

Progresso Soup Traditional Chicken Noodle
$2.39 for 19-ounce can
Vying for highest in the salt category (40 percent for the RDA); most comments reflected this: "Too much salt." "Salty, metallic flavor and color." One taster voted it best; here's what she wrote: "Maybe real chicken, awful carrots." One worst vote. Someone spotted green flakes floating in the soup. "What is it? I think it's parsley."

Stop & Shop Select Premium Ready to Serve Soup Chicken Noodle
$2.00 for 18.6-ounce can
First a little praise (very little): "Not bad." No garlic to complain about, but plenty of salt: "Some thickening can be noticed, a little salty." "Too salty." "I don't like the size of the noodles." "Off chicken flavor. Medium color." "Definitely not Jewish chicken soup: noodles too thick, too salty, too awful."

365 Organic Chicken Noodle Soup
$1.69 for 14.5-ounce can
The label reads: "A chicken noodle soup even your Grandmother will love." Not these grandmothers. "Tastes flat and watery, and I don't like the color." Others noted this: "A little watery, no smell, and a little peppery." "The soup has too much pepper." But there is no garlic. And a least favorite vote came with this comment: "Awful chicken, too thick, too much cornstarch."

Taste Kitchen / Smoked Atlantic salmon
Group's diversity spawns a variety of opinions
With the big celebration evening upon us, it's time to taste smoked salmon. For obvious reasons, we chose the Atlantic variety.
Smoked salmon begins with a liquid brine or dry cure of salt, sugar, and other spices. (If you stop the process here, you've made gravlax). Then for smoking, the salmon is put over wood chips, usually cold smoked at low temperatures that cure it without cooking it. Most packages labeled smoked Atlantic salmon contain farmed salmon. Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market, and Lascco Premium all state that on the label.
Farming affects color. Farmed salmon has a dark orange color, wild a lighter pink tone. The color has to do with what the salmon are eating; farmed salmon are fed pellets that include fish meal and in some cases synthetic carotenoids (found naturally in the food of wild salmon), which makes the flesh darker. Some vendors freeze the salmon after it's been smoked, which doesn't affect either color or taste.
Nine people from eight countries tasted five brands of salmon and chased it with club soda. After the tasting, they were rewarded with bagels and a "schmear" (cream cheese) for the leftovers. One taster had worked for a Norwegian company that imported smoked salmon and even without the wrapping, spotted the brand she always buys, Trader Joe's. She thinks it's "good quality for a good price."
No clear winners emerged from this school of fish. There was a three-way tie: two best votes each for Trader Joe's, Spence & Co., and Lascco Premium. As it happened, more people chose Lascco as their least favorite, with comments like, "What did they do to this fish?"
Contrary to what it tastes like, there is no oil added to smoked salmon. Our resident expert explained that the longer salmon is smoked, the more its natural oils come out - but they're the good Omega-3 fatty acids that are in certain fish.
On a shopping expedition at Whole Foods Market one day, a server explained that the more expensive the brand of salmon, the better the fish has been trimmed. It's all the same fish.

DuckTrap Prize Smoked Atlantic Salmon
DuckTrap River of Maine
$12.99 for 8 ounces
"Nicely veined, light in color and rich in flavor. Good balance between salt and fish," wrote one taster who chose this Maine brand a favorite. Some other comments: "Too salty with a heavy taste," "Clean cut pleasant pink color," "Nice thick pieces, the light color is not appealing." "It looks better than the others!" one said. Another: "Slightly too pale." Several said its "mild taste" is an asset and one dubbed it "easy for beginners."

Lascco Premium FancyOriginal Grade Atlantic Salmon
Alderwood Smoked
$15.99 for 1 pound
"Sickly and pale," said one, a comment echoed by several who chose this as their least favorite. "Rather mushy texture, salt was the dominant taste, poor smoked flavor." "Melts in your mouth - not a good thing." That taster thought it seemed like the most "natural" and decided it came from Whole Foods. (It didn't.) The brand has some additives on the ingredient list. "From the first look, I am not sure I want to eat this. It also smells strange." "Looks shredded, not appealing." Another person said it tastes like "smoked cardboard." Two chose it as a favorite and liked the "light texture, thin slices, and delicate feel."

Spence & Co. Classic Smoked Salmon
$12.99 for 8 ounces
Most people liked the deep orange hue in this brand. "Nice and bright," "full color." One said, "too orange." Another associated "the darker color with being oilier than the others - in a good sense." "Nicely salted and a rich texture." One taster found it "richer in fat," another called it "too slippery and slimy." Two people chose it as their least favorite. "It has a fishy smell, too strong odor, something my kids would not touch." "More rubbery than others. Heavy flavor." Sometimes you wonder if everyone is on the same page. This comment after tasting the same salmon: "Good taste but not chewy enough. Lightly salted, richer but dry."

Trader Joe's Atlantic Harvest Smoked Salmon Farm Raised
$4.99 for 6 ounces
The cheapest brand of the group. Many commented on the appearance: "Color is appealing." Texture, said one, is "a bit stiff." Others: "Slightly mushy texture." "Melty." "Very fleshy, not very distinctive poignant taste." "It's a bit too smooth, you don't need to chew it." "This has a long salty aftertaste." "Nice mild flavor, a little tangy, delicious on an empty stomach." Finally: "Smooth, balanced, tasty, and fresh, easy to please, lightly smoked, and nice color."

Whole Foods Market Whole Catch Atlantic Smoked Salmon
Scottish Style Cold Smoked
$12.99 for 8 ounces
Chosen best by two. "That looks really good. You can see the structure of the salmon flesh and it smells like a real salmon. You taste it after you finish eating it." "Looks appealing. Good balance between salt, chewiness, and aftertaste." Some liked the appearance but felt the taste didn't deliver. "Healthy vibrant looks and strong smell. But suddenly disappointing taste - too watery. There was a surprising gap between smell and taste." "Love the color and size. Slippery and oily." Others found the taste "salty and saturated, richer in fat, smoked longer."

CRINKLE-CUT FROZEN FRENCH FRIESFAST FOOD, THE HOME VERSION

Even the late Julia Child liked french fries. That would be the kind you got at McDonald's. Thin crisp strips emerged from a deep fryer and were blanketed in a storm of salt. All this, of course, before trans fats became dirty words.
You hardly have to wonder what Child would have thought of french fries displaying the virtuous "0 trans fat" claims, spilled onto a baking sheet from frozen packages and browned in the oven. But that's how many families eat fries, so we bought a bunch to see what's inside the packets.
Seven people tasted five brands of crinkle-cut frozen french fries - and the news is not all bad. The fries come coated with vegetable oil and salt. We baked them at 450 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. Some took longer to firm and crisp. First bites were naked (without ketchup). Second bites were dipped into everyone's favorite red condiment.
All crinkles are not created equal. McCain brand had the deepest ridges, which seemed to help them crisp up better than ones with rounder, more Marilyn Monroe-like, curves. And for once, the pictures on the packages looked like the products inside.
The potato kings of the west, OreIda, were the big winners. "You can taste the potato," exclaimed one in our group. On this brand, there were no claims of zero trans fat and indeed the company uses a mixture of vegetable oils, including the partially hydrogenated kind.
Do you have to be bad to be good?

Alexia Oven Crinkles
USDA Organic, no trans fat
$2 for 16 ounces
This brand has no artificial ingredients and won some accolades for taste, but had people crinkling their noses over the appearance: "These look like they crawled out of a sewer. Really soft and gooey, very potato-y, too. They seem the most natural and don't seem like they have too many chemicals." Looks affected others, too: "It doesn't look appetizing, looks old, not golden brown. Can't tell if black flakes are pepper or dirt; doesn't taste like potato at all." And yet another: "By appearance, I didn't think I would like them, but they are great. Good consistency and flavor." And this: "Best potato taste, but worst looks." Finally: "Taste is very good as well as the texture; the most realistic."

Goya French Fried Potatoes Crinkle Cut
$2.19 for 28 ounces
Seems that Goya knows something about beans but, according to this crew of tasters, they don't know beans about potatoes. This got voted the least favorite by five out of seven. "Oh man, these look really fat and greasy, like I need a napkin to dry them. Not quite as salty as others and actually taste like potatoes. Can't put my finger on it but there is some kind of weird aftertaste." Could that be the sodium acid pyrophosphate used to preserve the natural color? More on looks: "Not as appealing to the eye. Off-white and flopsy. Oddly enough it smells like Chinese food." Someone else had the same thought: "Too mushy and smells like Chinese food. Not crisp; tastes like compressed potatoes." The final slap: "It would take a lot of ketchup to make these good."

McCain Crinkle Cut French Fried Potatoes
0 grams trans fat, no cholesterol
$2.59 for 32 ounces
Beauty is skin deep in this case. These potatoes had deep-cut crinkles and were thinner than the other brands. "These look the prettiest in color and shape but when I picked it up it was limp and soggy. They don't smell like anything that resembles a french fry." Another took note of the oil: "Buttery, very attractive grease-catching crinkles." On the plus side: "It looks great! Really crinkly! Good size and not too fat. It made me want to pick them up and eat them right away." "Taste and texture good; perfect combination."

OreIda Golden Crinkles French Fried Potatoes Winner
$2.99 for 32 ounces
Four of seven tasters chose this popular brand as the favorite. "Potato-y crisp texture, buttery, smooth and good color of golden orange." "They smell like Tater Tots, but I guess that makes sense. Not too dry." One taster looked at her paper plate and said this: "It's pretty greasy so it looks kind of wet, and it's staining my plate. But it does taste good!" "Looks a little greasy, but overall they have a nice golden-brown color. Certainly tastes pre-frozen." "Good appearance, good consistency, too greasy."

Stop & Shop Crinkle Cuts French Fried Potatoes
0 grams trans fat
$1.99 for 32 ounces
These thick crinkles have soft curvaceous edges, not as angular as the others. One taster decided this: "Looks like a caterpillar. These are very dense and stick in my throat. I could not eat these without something to wash them down. They are not very salty." Another called for "water to wash them down, they were so dry." But one said: "Rough texture, more fibrous but surprisingly adds to the taste. Nice color. The flavor grows on you. Nice smell. Not greasy." Also this: "It did have a nice thick skin." "Very tasty, seem seasoned. Texture is a bit fluffy." "Like real fast food fries. Strong, not floppy, holds the ketchup well." Finally: "I can't tell that it was once a potato."

Macaroni and Cheese

A childhood staple, from disappointing to delectable

"This," said one of the tasters, "is going to be so easy. It was the only thing my mother could cook." Along with hot dogs and peanut butter, macaroni and cheese from a box is a childhood favorite and a staple in many households. Often, it's the first thing a kid learns to make. To do it, you have to cook macaroni in boiling water, drain it, and mix it with packets of dehydrated cheese sauce, low-fat milk, and butter or margarine.
After we assembled six brands, the tasters went to work. One was clearly enjoying herself as she licked her spoon between entries. (On one of the packages, there is a kid doing the same thing.) Most of the tasters were raised on this and happy to tuck into the cheesy spoonfuls. But as for finding a creamy texture, that was hard to come by. "Ew, this is clumping," said one. Flavors ranged from "none" to "pungent" to "metallic" and finally "delectable." Colors went from "crazy white," to a blush of orange to a neon glow - possibly due to food dye Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 (Shaw's and Kraft, respectively).
Shaw's Macaroni & Cheese Dinner was the winner. The group liked its texture, described as creamy, and taste, which earned the "delectable" compliment. It ties with Kraft in calories - on the high side at 410 for a 1 cup serving (other brands suggest serving sizes ranging from 1/3 to 2/3 cup).
Annie's Totally Natural Macaroni & Cheese in a blue and yellow box is evidently different than the macaroni and cheese in her purple box - and these tasters knew it because they grew up on the purple. "Maybe she wants it to look like Kraft and more people will buy it," one decided. It garnered no best votes and two least favorites.
Everyone had an opinion about then and now. When one woman was asked about what brand she favored, she replied: "Oh I don't eat this stuff anymore. I'm a vegan." - DEBRA SAMUELS

Annie's Macaroni & Cheese Classic mild cheese taste
100 percent real cheese and organic pasta
$1.79 for 6 ounces
The brand with "no artificial anything" and among the most expensive, it left the tasters cold and wondering why Annie would add this to her mac and cheese repertoire. "It's pretty bland; there could be a lot more flavor." "Macaroni tastes like rubber, with a cheesy aftertaste." Another also mentioned, "kinda weird aftertaste." "Pretty good, but I wish there was more cheese." "Orange! Dry. Taste's like Shaw's brand or something" (a dis?). "Tasted a bit dry. Cheese sauce wasn't as creamy as others." "Not bad but it's not very cheesy. Would have been better with more salt and flavor. 23 percent sodium per serving isn't enough?"

Back to Nature Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
Made with real natural cheddar cheese No artificial preservatives or flavor
$1.99 for 6.5 ounces
The package says "Total Taste Promise: Love it or your money back." The line is forming - someone scrunched up her nose when she took a whiff. Several noted the color or lack thereof: "Not orange! Amazing. White cheddar or something? I don't like white cheddar. Tastes old and bad." "It's a different color, weird taste. After eating enough of it, I started to like it, but the first taste was like, `ugh."' Several liked the creamy texture but the taste was another matter: "I don't like the taste of this one, even though it is creamy. It seems to be a different kind of cheese, because it is more white than yellow." "Creamy! But cheese had a pungent aftertaste." One likened the taste to "moss, soil, and plastic."

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
The Cheesiest Original Flavor
$1.19 for 7.25 ounces
The granddaddy of boxed mac and cheese; it is the brand that many of another generation grew up on. It is on the high end of the spectrum with 410 calories and 30 percent sodium per 1 cup serving. People liked its texture: "This tastes almost homemade to me. The cheese was nice and creamy." "Good flavor as well as consistency. It did not look appetizing though." Another says "It looks like it's going to have a lot of flavor but really lacks. Better visually; kind of tastes like paper and butter." Creamy? To some it was "so soggy you can almost drink it."

Winner
Shaw's Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
$.75 for 7.25 ounces
The hands-down winner, this brand got accolades for being creamier than others with the perfect balance of cheesy flavor: "Mmm ... this was creamy and cheesy. Just like I like it." "Very good, has a lot more flavor. You are tasting more than just pasta and butter. Cheesiness is at a good level." "The sauce was extra creamy. In the words of my best friend, it was quite delectable." Another noted the "noodles were shorter than others. Not dry, the most al dente macaroni. Probably Kraft brand." Close, very close. "Good consistency ... I want more."

Trader Joe's Macaroni & Cheese Wisconsin Cheddar
$.89 for 7 ounces
This brand has butter and buttermilk already in the cheese packet so all that is added is the low-fat milk, which partially accounts for the low calorie count, 270 calories per serving. The other part: One serving is 2/3 of a cup. But lackluster characterizes the comments: "Lacking in color and flavor. It looks unappetizing and is unappetizing. This brand should just be called "mac" because it tastes like there's no cheese at all." "This is bland and boring. It tastes like just noodles and no cheese." Is there an echo in here? Poor appearance came up in several comments. As for texture: "Looks dry! Tastes dry. Orange-ish. No milk or butter?" And finally on taste: "Metallic, I couldn't finish it."

Whole Foods Market 365 Macaroni & Cheese
Traditional Cheddar 100 percent Real Cheese
$.89 for 7.25 ounces
The calorie count is 265, sodium 16 percent - looks good, doesn't it? Look again - serving size is 1/3 of a cup. The tasters detected some seasoning in this and it wasn't one they liked. "This is kind of strange. It's basically like chewing garlic. It does have a flavor, though what I can't say." "There is a taste of some kind of liquid metal. Oh so bad! Can't finish my plate." "I don't like how the cheese tastes, like there might be other seasoning added." "Cheese had funky aftertaste." "Tastes like McDonald's cheeseburger." "The cheese tastes like nacho cheese, it has some sort of other flavor, more processed." Well, there is something that says "natural flavors" on the ingredient list. How curious.

Packaged cooked turkey breast

Any way you slice it, it comes down to flavor, color, and texture

Most turkey breast, both from the deli case and in packages, is made from chopped turkey breast muscle that has been pressed together, shaped into a round or oval, then steamed or roasted. When you buy turkey in sealed packages, it stays fairly moist and has a shelf life of 2 weeks or more.
Sliced turkey breast is one of the most popular deli meats for sandwiches. There has been an explosion in the number of packaged brands in the refrigerator cases, so we decided to taste them. Seven people tasted seven brands. Most thought they would be eating the long pieces that come from slicing a cooked breast in your own kitchen. Alas, these slices were all even; many felt the round shape made it "bologna-like" and some thought the meat was slimy inside the sealed packages.
Colors ranged from pale white to rosy. Oscar Mayer uses caramel color for browning. A few dark spots on the Healthy Choice brand prompted one taster to comment: "Dark (blood?) spots." Butterball brand has such thin slices that it was hard to tell what we were eating. "I will need 10 of these to fill up," someone said.
All in all, the lack of taste and good smells was disappointing. "I was excited by the looks and then it was nothing," said one. "The smell is the most delicious aspect of turkey breast," said another, and that was missing from these brands. Applegate Farms did pass the sniff test. Oscar Mayer has an easy-to-peel package, but once open, it gave off a strong Spam-like smell. It was also the thickest and greasiest.
There is plenty of sodium in these products. Serving sizes vary, so the sodium content can seem low in some and high in others.
As with many products, tasters now want nothing to do with packaged variety for a while. Said one: "I'm going home to roast my own turkey breast."

Applegate Farms Roasted Turkey Breast Winner
$3.69 for 7 ounces
Chosen top by 3 of the 7 participants (second best by another), this wasn't an overwhelming favorite, but did well. It looked the most like the deli counter variety, in that it wasn't pressed into a round. "Smells like turkey (good sign!), but looks like processed meat, tastes somewhat salty." "Light color looks pretty fresh, not pre-cut shape. Tastes good - like meat." However, "it has some visible fat that makes me think twice about eating it." And another: "It has a porky smell; did the turkey get some to eat? Slices could be a bit thicker, otherwise they break apart." One said, "salty, greasy, and pale."

Butterball Turkey Breast Oven Roasted
$2 for 6 ounces
We expected better from the famous turkey company. "Looks small. Tastes a little like tuna." Another: "Teeny tiny cutesy rounds. Odorless, extra chewy texture. Eh, leaves something to be desired." "Smells fresh, doesn't taste like turkey." "Salty, somewhat gamey flavor." "Did not taste like turkey - color unappealing." One person who chose it as a favorite said, "Less aroma, initially less chemical taste, slight aftertaste but altogether mild."

Healthy Choice Oven Roasted Turkey Breast & White Turkey
$2.49 for 6 ounces
This brand had slices that are so thin, they're almost transparent. Four slices equals one serving. "More of the itty bitty slices, good for easy sandwich making but looks super processed. Taste is yucky; it sure is gooey in my mouth." This comment was echoed by many: "Low to nonexistent aroma, unremarkable taste, blah." "No turkey taste and not much smell either." "Looks small and ugly" - referring to the brown spots.

Hormel Natural Choice Oven Roasted Deli Turkey
$3.29 for 9 ounces
This brand was chosen least favorite by 3 and got more comments on its looks and texture than any others: "Peach in color - it looks horrible! Slimy, like a child's play food. Tastes over-processed." "The consistency is a little like gum and I don't much like the flavor." Another: "I detect a touch of rosey-ness. This one is too sweet, as if honey was substituted for salt." Others used words like "plastic" and "artificial" to describe the taste.

Oscar Mayer Turkey Breast Oven Roasted
$2.49 for 6 ounces
Ah, the brand with the jingle of our childhood memories. Many found the looks promising and the taste lacking. "I like the thickness of the slices. Looks like it is delicious but kind of tasteless." Another, "I love the rosy looks (although it has a round pre-package look). Taste is disappointingly non-distinctive. It does have the right moisture, color - just not taste. Good-sized portion of slices!" "Ooh, it is so pink, smells tempting, but flavorless." "Very pink, smells like ham, tastes more like ham." "Thicker pinker slices than the others. The roundness of the slice is a bit scary." "Tastes better than it looks."

Trader Joe's Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
$3.29 for 7 ounces
Boasts no nitrates, nitrites, or MSG, but there is 26percent sodium per serving. Many thought the aroma was a plus. "Smells like turkey, but it has that round artificial shape and a very processed look. Tastes too salty." One person marked this her second best: "Cute rounds, nice and thick, color is white and pink, smells good, and wow it tastes good too." But another said, "Though it doesn't look delicious, it tastes good and normal. But it smells like chicken."

Trader Joe's no brand (distributed by Kayem)
$3.80 for about 8 ounces
This brand got lots of comments for its texture and in-the-mouth feel: "It smells good but I can't really focus on flavor because it is so slimy and gooey. What's with the chewy texture?" Another: "Too white, too thick, and too salty." "Looks were not appealing and I wasn't crazy about the taste. It looks glazed and slippery." The word salty appeared on most of the comments, and one asked, "Did they use any spices other than salt?"