June 26, 2008

Really - I am losing weight

I know from all the junk food posts it must seem that I do nothing but eat this crud. While I do try each of the items I write about here, it's not like I add them to my regular diet. I simply enjoy the exploration of flavors.

The science of little bits of 'flavoring' added to crunchy or chewy items is fascinating to me. Sometimes it amuses me - sometimes it totally creeps me out.

Andy Capp's Hot Chili Cheese Steak Fries are one of the ones that just blows me away. I am not talking about the flavor, which is top notch - I am referring to the uncanny similarity to the taste of real chili and cheese.

It appears we have actually reached what we have seen in science fiction movies all our lives - a tiny pill that tastes like a full course meal. This is a bag of corn and potato 'mush' formed into a shape and made to taste like something totally different. Now if they could just make broccoli taste like chocolate pudding.

Posted by CDogg at 09:28 AM | Comments (0)

May 30, 2008

More Dew to do

The junk food quest continues... once again it includes my favorite soft drink - Mountain Dew.

Three brand new flavors of the drink aimed at the counter-culture crowd hit the store shelves in my community today. All three of the flavors are part of a customer interaction campaign which saw Dew-drinkers submitting flavor combinations in an effort to have their creation make the cut as one of the three new products.

The new flavors - Voltage (raspberrry citrus flavor and ginseng,) Supernova (strawberry melon flavor and ginseng,) and Revolution (wild berry fruit flavor and ginseng) - will fight it out in the market to see which version sells the best. The top one will remain a part of the regular Mountain Dew lineup and the rest will be relegated to the 'history' heap.

I bought some of Voltage and Revolution, but the melon flavor of the Supernova brand didn't sound that appealing.

So far, I have tried Voltage and immediately felt as though I had tasted this before. I sorta tastes like a cross between Baja Blast and Game Fuel. Hmmm... then again, it could have a hint of Live Wire in it?

I am so confused.

EDIT: I just finished the Revolution flavor and it not only looks the same pale blue as Voltage, but tastes almost identical. Overall, I am under impressed with the new flavors.

Posted by CDogg at 07:02 PM | Comments (0)

May 22, 2008

Junk food tales

You know by now that my biggest addiction is trying out new and interesting flavors of what most people would consider junk food. I am the first to admit that soft drinks are horrible and that they are pretty much akin to death in a bottle... but darn, they sure taste good.

I am attempting to wean myself from them, but will still, from time to time, give a new flavor the ol' taste test. The newest flavor I have tried out is A&W Root Beer Float.

The first impression of this drink is great. It brings you back to the time of the A&W drive-ins, a frosty mug, and that mother of all sweet treats - the root beer float.

The exciting thing is that it indeed does taste just like a root beer float - ice cream and all. The problem is that before you are halfway through the bottle, the sweetness just overwhelms you. I literally was unable to finish the bottle.

I won't be buying another.

Posted by CDogg at 12:47 PM | Comments (3)

May 12, 2008

This is becoming the junk food blog

It seems that more and more I am writing about flavors of Mountain Dew, various chips, or, like in this case, M&Ms.

My quest for new and interesting flavors continues with the latest offerings from M&Ms.

The first one actually sounded better than it is. Wild Cherry M&Ms are great in small portions (ie one M) but when you try to down a few in a row, the tartness completely overwhelms the palette. (That will likely be the last time you will anyone refer to their palette in reference to M&Ms)

The other new flavor is quite possibly one of the best new candies in years. Mint Crisp M&Ms are part of the massive Indiana Jones movie tie-in marketing campaign. The flavor is great - we are talking little drops of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. Yes, they taste just like the guiltiest pleasure in the junk food world.

I am sure that both flavors will be in limited release, so if you see one, grab them fast. I know I will be tossing several bags of the Mint Crisps in my refrigerator for later consumption.

Wherever there are new snack food flavors to try, I will be there to assure you only kill yourself with the tastiest of junk.

Posted by CDogg at 07:55 PM | Comments (1)

May 10, 2008

Strange flavors

I am always intrigued when I see a new flavor of potato chip. 1) because the idea that you can add a bit of powder to a chip and get all these strange flavors blows me away, and 2) because I am addicted to the horrible little things.

You'll remember my recent post about the limited run of Cheetos Cheesy Enchilada (I soooo miss them.) I had occasion to try a couple of new ones in the past few weeks. First up was Burger King Fries & Ketchup.

The weird thing is that they actually DO taste like Burger King fries & ketchup. I just can't figure out the ketchup flavor... it just totally freaks me out.

The other one I tried recently was a "limited edition" release of Pringle's Cheeseburger chips. Yep, you guessed it... they taste just like a cheeseburger. In fact, it tastes like the old cheapo McDonald's cheeseburger that I would get as a kid for like 50 cents or something. That is not the weird part - you can actually taste a hint of mustard, and pickle as well as the meat and bun. ALL from a layer of spices.

I still haven't gotten up the courage to try Tim McGraw's Spicy Jalapeno Fritos (just not into that whole jalapeno flavor.) Fear not though, I, as your intrepid chip sampler, will continue to find all the greatest flavors guaranteed to advance your heart disease.

Posted by CDogg at 08:10 AM | Comments (3)

March 31, 2008

OH BOY!!!!

I left Buc-ees giggling like a schoolgirl! I went in to grab a bottle of water and what did I see? The ORIGINAL Dr. Pepper!

That's right... the original Dr. Pepper bottling company - Dublin Dr. Pepper is not only the oldest Dr. Pepper bottling plant in the world, but it is the only one still making the drink with pure cane sugar instead of the ubiquitous high-fructose corn syrup.

The bottles say they are packaged in Plano, so I am not sure if they are partnering with the Plano plant or if there is some licensing agreement, but the bottom line is that Buc-ees carries the pure cane sugar version now.

The taste is definitely different than what you are used to, but it is a good flavor. It has an almost fruit juice flavor, which is much better then the genetically-modified, chemically-injected, corn syrup taste. Who the heck wants corn in their drinks anyway?

Posted by CDogg at 04:03 PM | Comments (2)

March 21, 2008

Interesting

I found a bag of Cheesy Enchilada Cheetos at the HEB in San Marcos and thought "Cool... these could be good." Turns out they are pretty good. In fact, they remind me of a flavor they released back in mid-80's (I can't recall the flavor but there was green on bag so it must have been Ranch or something) but with a little bit of spice.

I looked for them at convenience stores and at my grocery store in Houston, but nothing. As it turns out San Marcos appears to be the only area I can find them. It got me to wondering if it was an attempt to market to the large Hispanic population in San Marcos? Most likely it is, but I think the Frito-Lay company is missing out on a large white population that loves Mexican food. They might sell more bags and thus prove the product idea a success.

Do you have Cheesy Enchilada flavored Cheetos in your neck of the woods? Hit me back.

Posted by CDogg at 04:22 PM | Comments (1)

March 18, 2008

More BBQ tales

The quest* continued last night in Lockhart. This place brags about being the home of the best BBQ in Texas and last night was an opportunity to try the second of the three Lockhart legends - Kreuz Market.

I have to say that the brisket at Kreuz's beats my all-time favorite meatery (City Market in Luling) but the jury is still out on the rest. I haven't tried the pork ribs so City Market still leads in that category. The area I am having a hard time deciding on is the sausage. City Market's links have more grease (which translates to flavor) and you are hit instantly with a rush of mouth-watering flavor. The Kreuz Market sausage is more lean but with the addition of more pepper, the flavor is still great. I'm afraid I am going to have to either eat them side-by-side or at least head back to City Market for another taste. :)

Aubrey and I at Krew's Market.

* The quest for the best BBQ in Texas

Posted by CDogg at 07:13 AM | Comments (0)

March 04, 2008

Still searching

In my eternal quest for the best barbecue in Texas, I found another very good candidate - Black's BBQ in Lockhart, Texas. The atmosphere was top-notch - just look at the photos on the wall... they show the Lockhart High School football teams from 1921 forward. We are talking leather helmets - way cool.

Black's claim to fame is being "the oldest major BBQ house in Texas continuously owned by the same family since 1932." I can't vouch for that, but I can vouch for the finger-lickin'-good food. I have to say though... I still think City Market in Luling is better.

Posted by CDogg at 10:07 PM | Comments (2)

February 28, 2008

Finally, some respect

It's about time someone gave me the respect I deserve.

Posted by CDogg at 12:02 PM | Comments (2)

January 08, 2008

Coca-Cola, your lawsuit is groundless

We've all seen the commercials - Coca-Cola is suing Coke Zero for copyright infringement based on the fact that CZ tastes just like the original. I have to call bullshit on that one.

I had my first taste of Coke Zero today and true, the "diet aftertaste" isn't nearly as strong as most diet drinks - but you are still left with that distinctly yecch flavor of a diet drink. I thought I would give it a shot since I got a coupon to try one for free. The coupon implied that my first hit was free and after that they would have me hooked. Swing and a miss.

Ever the curious one, I looked into the ingredients of Coke Zero versus their regular Diet Coke...

... the only thing I recognize there is water. What the heck are PHENYLKETONURICS or PHENYLALANINE? I'm not sure, but it definitely doesn't sound like anything I want in my body.

CRUD!! After a little research, I see its also in my favorite gum - EXTRA.

WHEW!! After a little more research, I see it (the second word) is an essential amino acid. The warning is there for people who suffer from PKU (the first word) who cannot metabolize it.

Okay, gum crisis averted.... but I still don't like Coke Zero

Posted by CDogg at 03:25 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2007

The Dark Side of Chocolate

I had to post about the brilliant new creation - conceived by me and created by Machel - I tried tonight. You have to understand that Machel totally rocks when it comes to cooking of any kind, and her desserts are normally the Pièce de résistance of each meal. That said, I just can't deal with her fudge.

Oh, its good. The problem is that it is just too sweet. I really can't describe the sweetness of her fudge other than to say that one bite will give you diabetes. While discussing the recipe, I suggested that it might be good to make a batch using dark chocolate since it isn't as sweet. WOW!!! I think we may have stumbled onto something amazing.

I think we'll use this recipe as the first entry in our new cookbook... "The Dark Side of Chocolate" ...it could be the beginning of a very tasty collaboration.

Posted by CDogg at 12:16 AM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2007

WOOT!!! Peter Pan is back!!

It has been nine months since stores pulled Peter Pan Peanut Butter from the shelves because of a salmonella scare. I have tried Jif. (Choosy mothers may choose it - but choosy peanut butter lovers give it a pass.) I have tried store brands. None of them were Peter Pan.

Every trip to the grocery store for the past nine months my heart has sunk when walking past the peanut butter aisle. I had almost given up entirely when I entered Kroger today and there was a little jar of my favorite crunchy peanut butter. I did a double take - doubting my own vision and reached for the jar. Sure enough, my Peter Pan is back!

I haven't opened the jar yet - right now it seems too valuable to actually use. Instead, I have walked around the house holding it, giggled between tasks when I glance over to the counter where it sits, and yes - taken numerous photographs. I will probably save the grand opening for tomorrow at lunch. I want to make sure everything is just right for our reunion. I sure hope it tastes as good without the salmonella.

Posted by CDogg at 02:57 PM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2007

More Dew!!

Kudos to PepsiCo... they certainly have me giving them a lot of press. I am not sure what my fascination with Mountain Dew is, but I just keep finding Dew-related items to blog. First was LiveWire, then the skinny bottles, then was the Baja Blast, now it's the limited edition run of Mountain Dew Game Fuel.

The product is supposed to be out for only twelve weeks starting on August 13th, but the Wal-Mart here in Lake Charles, Louisiana has stacks and stacks of the 12packs and the 2liter bottles. Billed as "an invigorating blast of citrus cherry flavor," it is actually pretty good. It has an almost-orange color with a tinge of red and a very good cherry flavor - good stuff.

The Halo 3 promotional label is pretty cool too and will no doubt find its way into the glasses of countless gamers. With 48mg of caffeine per 8 ounces, they should have no trouble gaming the night away. Crap, I probably shouldn't have had two glasses of this just before midnight.

Posted by CDogg at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)

August 09, 2007

Mmmmmmm

Red beans & rice with sausage for lunch.... (thanks Ron & Machel)

... I better grab a Mt. Dew to counteract the crash from all the carbohydrates or my afternoon will be lost.

Posted by CDogg at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)