Three new products worth trying | The Honolulu Advertiser

Comment, blog & share photos

Three new products worth trying | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Wednesday, February 19, 2003

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Three new products worth trying

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Lest my rather tepid appraisal of Betty Crocker's new Complete Meals product last week brand me as one who doesn't like anything new, here's a report on some new products that passed the test:

Upside-down ketchups. Heinz Easy Squeeze, Hunt's Perfect Squeeze and all their top-down cousins. Thank you. As much fun as that "Anticipation" ad was a million years ago, it's nice to be able to get the amount of ketchup you want where you want it without aid of a knife blade (unsanitary) or having to burp the bottle like a baby (dangerous).

Lipton Side Dishes. This line of products includes a pouch of starch (rice, pasta, potatoes) and another of flavoring ingredients. The Tomato Basil Risotto cooked up in less than 20 minutes on the stove (the microwave takes about the same amount of time) and had a creamy texture and a taste kinda like Grandma's "Spanish" rice. Nor was it too salty, although a serving — about 1 cup — contains 790 milligrams of sodium. This is the problem with most packaged products: Salt makes an excellent preservative and covers a multitude of flavor sins. You could duplicate this in the same amount of time with minced onion and basil, chicken broth, rice and tomato paste. But if you don't care to cook, this'll work.

I was already a guilty fan of their Lipton Alfredo: The noodles are luxuriously soft and the sauce subtly cheesy. Having tasted these at a condo potluck, I begged my neighbor for the recipe; she's German and I was convinced it was a family heirloom from her old Mutti. When she told me it was a boxed product, I didn't know whether to be amazed or embarrassed.

Rubbermaid Stain Shield. OK, so tomato sauce stains on the Tupperware aren't exactly a world-shaking problem. But they're annoying, right? Next time you're in the market for lunch containers, here's a solution. (We tried it with spaghetti; it worked despite repeated microwaving.) The containers are clear and a nice cross between rigid and flexible. Sizes range from 1.1 cups to 2.6 quarts with a suggested retail of $2.69 to $8.49. The lids fit several bases and they go from microwave to fridge to dishwasher.

Next week, back to cooking.

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos