Junk Food Blog

Haagen-Dazs Cranberry Blueberry Sorbet - Review

2009-07-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

I'm having this pint of Haagen-Dazs Cranberry Blueberry Sorbet.

I've been migrating over to the sorbets lately, mostly because it's fat-free. It seems I'm still a junk food junkie, but one that's put focus on slimming down.

Anyways, last month I said I was eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's "Berried Treasure" sorbet, which is comparable to this in that theirs has Blueberry & Blackberry swrils in a lemon-sorbet base.

This Haagen-Dazs, on the other hand, still uses lemon, and as a result has the same tanginess as the Ben & Jerry's. The difference is that the cranberry & blueberry are blended into the lemon, and not swirled. The result is an even taste all throughout the pint.

The verdict?

Well. I think I prefer the Ben & Jerry's. I mean, both brands effectively have the same lemon tanginess with the berry flavors, except the Ben & Jerry's, by using swirled berries, tends to provide some flavor variation. That is. sometimes you get mostly lemon, sometimes you get mostly berries, sometimes both.

The Haagen-Dazs is still yummy, but if I had to be stuck on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific, and could only choose between one brand, I'd go for the "Berried Treasure", and no pun intended.

Peanut Butter & Jerky Tortilla

2009-07-08T21:08:00.001-07:00

PB&J = Peanut butter & jerkey, originally uploaded by xcdave.

I found this photo on Flickr today, showing someone eating beef jerky with peanut butter, on a flour tortilla...

Famous Dave's Beef Jerky

2007-10-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

Famous Dave's, well known for his line of BBQ sauces and marinades, has apparently gotten into the beef jerky business.

The Eden Prarie, MN-based manufacturer offers up three varieties...

Original Recipe - seasoned with Famous Dave's steak and burger seasoning

Apricot and Bourbon - which I assume is based on the marinade of the same name (describned as a blend of sweet apricots with chipotle peppers for heat and finished with a hint of bourbon for an amazing flavor experience)

Pork Jerky Seasoned with Rib Rub - which is probably like eating tough pork ribs, but without the bones

Defintely going to have to try the Pork Jerky and the Apricot and Bourbon.

Read reviews of Famous Dave's Beef Jerky here...
http://www.bestbeefjerky.org/search/label/Famous-Daves

Visit Famous Dave's online at...
http://www.famousbbq.com/

Lucille's Onion Ring Quesadilla

2009-07-07T19:57:00.001-07:00

It seems lately the quesadilla has become my favorite method of consuming leftovers.

I'll take whatever leftovers we have in the fridge, and dump it into a cheese-filled tortilla, and then nuke it for 1 minute. It helps to dab some Cholula sauce in there too.

In this case, we had a box of onion rings from Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. It's a chain of restaurants in California, Arizona, and Nevada. They have these thinly sliced onion rings, made from red onions, as appetizers. It's comparable to the "Bloomin' Onion" that you get at Outback Steakhouse and other steak joints.

The photo below depicts what I created...

Except after I took the photo, I added another layer of cheese. Then I nuked it for 1 minute.

How did it taste?

It's "ok".

Truthfully, I really didn't know how this was going to taste. I think I put too much cheese on it, because I taste more of the cheese than anything else. And the Cholula sauce was "ok". It would have been better to use BBQ sauce.

This would have actually been better with some thin sliced steak.

So what do you junkfoodies think about the quesadilla as a vehicle for consuming leftovers?

Ben & Jerry's Berried Treasure Sorbet

2009-06-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

Eating this Ben & Jerry's "Berried Treasure" sorbet right now...

Overall it's tasty.

It's basically a lemon sorbet, and a tangy one at that. But it has swirls of blueberry and blackberry that provide some fruity contrast.

However, the tangy lemon sorbet still provides the more dominant flavor.

Haagen-Dazs Orchard Peach Sorbet

2009-06-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Eating right now...

Haagen-Dazs "Orchard Peach" sorbet.

Tastes very much like peaches. Kinda like the peaches you get from a can, in light syrup.

It's fat-free, but still with 33g of carbs, or 132g for the whole pint.

MaggieMoo's Launches New Flavors

2009-06-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

MaggieMoo's Ice Cream and Treatery has unveiled three new ice cream combinations and three new smoothie flavors that it will offer as part of its Destination Delicious summer promotion...

New Zoomers Fresh Smoothies

Iced Cream Coffee

Pineapple Coconut Colada

Peach Orange Blossom

New Ice Cream Combinations

June 3 - Blueberry Muffin in the Morning -- Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream, Blueberries, Teddy Grahams and Mallow Creme Topping

July 1 - Brownie Bliss -- Brownie Batter Ice Cream, Brownies, Chocolate Sprinkles and Fudge Topping

August 5 - Cravin' Rum Raisin -- Rum Raisin Ice Cream, Raisins, Coconut Flakes and Caramel Topping

MaggieMoo's was recently awarded four Ice Cream Retailer Association Awards, including two blue ribbons, for its ice cream based on color, texture, taste and other factors that determine the quality of the product.

The brand also claims to have invented the very first ice cream cupcake.

MaggieMoo's has some 200 locations across the USA. Find a location near you..

http://www.maggiemoos.com

Jamba Juice Now Selling Food

2009-06-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

Jamba Juice announced today that they're adding food "real food" to their menu.

The company is rolling out a line of "Grab and Go" food, consisting of salads, sandwiches and wraps...

Asian Style Chicken Wrap
Chimichurri Chicken
Greek Goodness (vegetarian)
Greens and Grains Wrap (vegan)
Gobble'licious Turkey Sandwich
Caesar the Day! (salad)
CousCous & Produce (salad)
Four Cheesy Flatbread Sandwich
Smokehouse Chicken Flatbread Sandwich
Tomo Artichoko Flatbread Sandwich
MediterraneYUM Flatbread Sandwich

Previously, the only food Jamba Juice offered was oatmeal, aside from snack bars and nut mixes in some locations.

The new food menu will open up Monday, June 15, 2009, throughout California locations, and eventually make its way across the USA over the summer.

Joe's Crab Shack New Coastal Steampots

2009-06-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

Joe's Crab Shack announced this week a line of menu items for the summer at all 113 locations nationwide.

The line focuses around four new "Coastal Steampots", offering buckets of crab, shrimp and lobster representing all the coastal regions and their celebrated flavors.

Coastal Steampots include:

Sunset Fire-grilled Steampot – Dungeness and Snow crab, shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes, beachside bar-b-que style.

The Orleans Steampot – Crawfish, shrimp, andouille sausage, corn and potatoes cooked in Joe's spicy boil.

Bean Town Bake – Two whole lobsters, clams, shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes.

Joe's Steampot – Tasty Dungeness and Snow crab, boiled shrimp, smoked sausage, potatoes and corn.

In addition to the Coastal Steampots, Joe's Crab Shack is adding new flavors to its Steampot collection and introducing a Go Green assortment of salads. New items from Joe's include:

Crab in a Bucket – Adding new flavors to a traditional favorite, the Crab in a Bucket selections now include Fire-grilled and Smoked Chile offerings.

Crab Cake Chipotle Caesar – As part of the Go Green line of salads, this yummy dish features Romaine lettuce, topped with one of Joe’s made-from-scratch lump crab cakes, black bean pico de gallo, tortilla strips and Chipotle Caesar dressing.

Old Bay Steampot – Alaskan Snow crab, clams, corn, potatoes and sausage, flavored all the way with Old Bay seasoning.

The Long Islander – Mussels, clams, shrimp, plus sausage, corn and potatoes.

Additionally, Joe's will be offering larger portions of its desserts, including the Crabby Apple Crumble, and the Coco Bread Pudding.

Find a Joe's Crab Shack location near you...
http://www.joescrabshack.com/

Jack in Box - Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

2009-06-10T16:21:00.001-07:00

Jack in the Box announced this week the launch of their Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwiches.

It's an expansion to their Mini Sirloin Burgers, which according to the company, has proven popular.

The new sandwiches come with homestyle chicken fillets topped with Frank’s RedHot sauce, ranch sauce and shredded lettuce on toasted mini buns.

The Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwiches are available now for the suggested price, excluding tax, of $3.89 for three sandwiches at all participating Jack in the Box restaurants.

Dairy Queen Tagalongs Peanut Butter Patties Blizzard

2009-06-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

Dairy Queen announced today the launch of a new Blizzard flavor, "Girl Scouts Tagalongs Peanut Butter Patties", and made it the Blizzard of the Month for July.

One of the most popular Girl Scout cookies, Tagalongs, also known as Peanut Butter Patties, are crispy cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolate coating. Dairy Queen breaks these into pieces and mixes it with creamy vanilla soft serve.

This marks the second year that Dairy Queen is partnering with Girl Scouts of the USA, which last year culminated with the debut of the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard, which I mentioned here on JFB.

Last summer, Dairy Queen served more than 10 million of those Thin Mint Blizzards, making it the most popular limited time Blizzard flavor ever.

Hence why DQ is riding the girl scouts for a second straight year.

The average price of the Girl Scouts Tagalongs Peanut Butter Patties Blizzard and the Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard is $3.09 for the 12 oz., $3.49 for the 16 oz. and $3.99 for the 21 oz.

Find a Dairy Queen location near you...
http://www.dairyqueen.com/

Schlotzsky’s New Bacon Smokecheezy Line

2009-06-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

Schlotzsky's, a deli chain of 220 locations worldwide, announced this week the launch of a new line of sandwiches called, "Bacon Smokecheezy", consisting of three offerings...

Turkey & Bacon Smokecheezy - smoked turkey breast, smoked cheddar cheese, crispy bacon strips and fresh lettuce, tomatoes and red onions, topped off with tangy chipotle mayonnaise on sourdough.
Ribeye Steak & Bacon Smokecheezy - strips of Angus ribeye steak, smoked cheddar cheese and crispy bacon strips, finished with tangy chipotle mayonnaise and roasted red bell peppers, on sourdough.
Chicken & Bacon Smokecheezy - shaved chicken breast, smoked cheddar cheese, crispy bacon strips, and fresh lettuce, tomatoes and red onions, blended with tangy chipotle mayonnaise and served on sourdough.

The sandwiches are available for a limited time beginning now until August 30.

Visit Schlotzsky's online for locations...
http://www.schlotzskys.com/

Pacifica Breeze Cafe, Del Mar, Review

2009-06-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

Pacifica Breeze Cafe is a trendy cafe in downtown Del Mar, CA, located right on the Coast Highway, with a great outdoor patio that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Last weekend on a Sunday, Lisa and I rode the motorcycle down to that area just to find some restaurant or cafe we never been to. And hence, we found Pacifica Breeze Cafe.

We got there around 11:15am, still technically the breakfast hour I suppose. I had the Sunday paper in hand, and looked forward to breakfast, coffee, and a read.

This place gets packed!

You'll want to sit in the outdoor patio, but it seems that locals have this all figured out. You task the wife with securing a table, while sending the husband in to order all the food. It's not a traditional restaurant where you get seated, and a waitress takes your order. Rather, you walk up to a counter, and order. But they do deliver the food to your table.

We made the mistake of both of us ordering at the window, and then discovering the two open tables we spotted earlier were snatched up as described above.

So we just ate inside.

The coffee is self-serve. They give you three different roasts to choose from, and these large sized cups.

I had the breakfast burrito, pictured below. It's packed with pinto beans, scrambled eggs, bacon and pepper jack cheese, swimming in a red tomato sauce, mildly spiced, with country style potatoes.

Lisa had the french toast, which comes with two slices of bread, but very thick slices.

Pacifica Breeze Cafe does lunch and dinner, and from the reviews I read, they churn out some pretty killer meals, quite posh from the looks of it. You wouldn't associate the words "junk food" with a place like this, but then again, we're still talking about breakfast burrito and french toast here.

A rose by any other name, smells just as sweet as they say.

Visit Pacifica Breeze Cafe online at...
http://www.pacificadelmar.com

Here are some photos of mine...

Mac the Chip Cookies

2009-06-05T13:23:00.001-07:00

Had one of these cookies today at California Tea & Coffee in Temecula, CA.

These are touted as vegan cookies. I guess that means it has no egg ingredient.

This has chocolate chips. So I suppose it's some kind of milk free chocolate.

It's good. It's very sweet and has a buttery body to it, even though it's all non-dairy. But it still has a funny taste in the background. I'll stick to "real" cookies, but these are pretty good.

They are made by Alternative Baking Company, Inc. Visit their website: http://www.alternativebaking.com

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Riteway Meat Company - Pepperoni Tid-Bits

2009-05-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

The cool thing about the Internet is that it lets us city-slicker geek types gain access to junk food found exclusively in the rural areas of America's back country.

That is, if someone in the rural area of America's back country is set up for e-commerce.

Riteway Meat Company is one such entity. Basically a butcher shop serving local ranchers and hunters in the small town of Dundee, OR. They sell beef jerky and other meat snacks though their website. Junk foodies like me living in the suburbia of Southern California can now enjoy processed meat munchies the way real, honest-to-God, down to earth folks make it, without having to drive a thousand miles to get there.

Actually, I didn't buy these Pepperoni Tid-Bits. They sent it to me for free, after I ordered a few packages of their beef jerky. I didn't tell them that I publish food blogs, so maybe they're just really hospitable, friendly, country folks. Anyways, I figured I had to return the favor by giving them some free pub here on JFB.

These do have the flavor of pepperoni, but a little more mild than what I'm accustomed to getting from atop of pizza or italian sub sandwich. They're quite flavorful, rather salty, and smoky. They don't have any of the papery chewing texture that a Slim Jim has, but rather quite sausage-like.

These "tid-bits" are named such because Riteway sells a longer variety, at 5 feet in length. You actually buy it that long.

So I'm guessing these tid-bits are like the ends they chop off after measuring out 5 feet of meat rope.

The size and shape of these Pepperoni Tid-Bits are quite comparable to a package of Little Smokies, except these are a little more stiff. I think they'd still do quite well simmering in a Crock Pot of BBQ sauce, or cooking in a pan of beans.

Riteway prices a package of tid-bits at $8.99 a pound. The package depicted above weighed 0.68 pounds, for a price of $6.11.

I recommend a lightly flavored pale ale, or a cream ale, to go with these.

Visit Riteway Meat Company online...

http://ritewaymeat.com

Jamba Juice's New Blackberry Smoothie

2009-05-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Jamba Juice announced today the national rollout of a limited time only seasonal smoothie, the "Blackberry Bliss".

The new flavor is part of Jamba Juice's summer promotion, "Summer Bliss". It's made with whole fruit including blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.

With the Summer Bliss promotion, customers can earn coupons and prizes by uploading a photo of their faces to Jamba Juice's new website, and paste the photos over action scenes.

Chick-fil-A Offers New Peach Milkshake

2009-05-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Chick-fil-A announced today that it is adding a new peach flavor to its line of Hand-Spun Milkshakes for the summer. The Peach Milkshake will be offered as a limited-time flavor from June 1 through Aug. 22 at the chain's mall and stand-alone restaurants nationwide.

The new peach flavor is made with real peaches and is hand-spun with Chick-fil-A's "Icedream", and topped with light whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

It's fitting enough the company come out with a peach flavored shake, being Chick-fil-A is based in Georgia, the "Peach State".

Coinciding with the Peach Milkshake rollout, Chick-fil-A will also introduce a smaller milkshake option that will remain on the menu permanently. Chick-fil-A Milkshakes will be offered in 14 oz. or 20 oz. cups and priced at $2.49 and $2.89, respectively (at most locations).

Since Chick-fil-A first introduced its line of Hand-Spun Milkshakes in May 2006, the desserts have proved to be one of the most popular products on the menu. Building upon its increasing milkshake momentum, the chain has added limited-time flavors to its milkshake menu annually. Chick-fil-A offered a Mint Cookies and Cream Milkshake in 2007, followed by a Coffee Caramel Milkshake last spring and a Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake during the holidays last year.

Quiznos Launches New Turkey Subs

2009-05-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

Quiznos, the chain of fast-food sandwich shops, announced today the introduction of two new turkey sub sandwiches to its menu, beginning June 1, 2009...

Cool Turkey Caesar: lettuce, diced tomatoes, peppercorn Caesar dressing and a blend of cheeses paired with oven-roasted turkey and creamy mozzarella cheese.

Crisp Turkey Bacon Swiss: lettuce, diced tomatoes and creamy ranch dressing paired with oven-roasted turkey, smoked bacon and creamy Swiss cheese.

The two new sandwiches are part of Quiznos' "SummerTastes" promotion, which are designed to offer cool, crisp, fresh, sandwiches to combat the hot, sweltering heat of the lunch hour.

The new subs start at $4.39 for a small, $5.39 for a regular and $6.89 for a large.

Jim Beam Red Stag - Black Cherry Bourbon

2009-05-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

The makers of Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon announced a new variant called "Red Stag", basically the same bourbon they've always made, except with a touch of black cherry flavor.

It's not a liqueur, it's not cough syrup, but actual straight 80 proof bourbon, just like what you might take a shot of, or mix with with Coke. Except it has some fruity flavor to it.

Through a unique infusion process, they introduce natural black cherry flavor to their four-year-old Jim Beam Bourbon. The tasting notes are said to be distinctively fruity, without disguising the familiar scent of Jim Beam Bourbon.

Red Stag is said to go on sale to the public in June 2009.

My best guess on why Jim Beam would market straight kentucky bourbon with a fruit flavor is to go after a younger consumer base, or better yet, women.

Women seem to love alcohol with some kind of fruitiness to it. In fact, the marketing materials that Jim Beam is developing for Red Stag depicts 20-something year old women, partying up. Next month they'll launch a media campaign with Kid Rock.

The bottle will continue to have the "Jim Beam" name, and will look very similar to a Jim Beam bottle, with its square shape, and familiar white logoed cap. Red Stag is a way to extent brand familiarity to a young hip consumer, until one day that consumer becomes old and fat and is ready for the real thing.

Read a taste review at Liquor Snob.

Hiyoko - Baby Chick Pastry

2009-05-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

Before there were marshmallow peeps, there was "hiyoko". It's a traditional japanese confection, usually presented in a pastry, such as this.

This is filled with a sweet lima bean paste, and surrounded in a pastry bun shaped like a baby chick. But they can also come in other types of confection, candy, cookie, chocolate, etc.

Hiyoko has been around for generations, invented by a pastry maker in 1912. It's a reflection of Japan's love affair with nature, finding grace in simplicity, and anything that's cute. That itself (minus the cute part) stems further from Japan's national religion, Shinto Buddhism.

The pastry bun itself has a sweet flavor, similar to that of King's Hawaiian Bread, but not as soft. This is a little more dry.

The sweet lima bean paste inside is eerily similar to that of an egg yolk, in terms of color and consistency, which is interesting considering the baby chick theme. It's just sweet tasting, and tastes nothing like an egg yolk. This paste, however, does include egg yolk as an ingredient.

I've had these before while growing up as a kid, but it's been years since the last time I've had one of these. I think these would actually be tastier with a cream filling, like custard or something.

I bought this at the Mitsuwa Market in San Diego, but I'm sure you can find these at any Mitsuwa Market, and at most Japanese food stores, if not this particular brand, but others too.

Let's Party with Dried Crabs!

2009-05-22T03:02:00.000-07:00

Found this package of dried, roasted baby crabs, with sesame seeds at a japanese grocery store in San Diego last Wednesday.

I thought it was cute with the "Let's Party" call-to action.

No, I didn't try it.

Cracker Barrel - A Review

2009-05-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, while my wife and I drove home from a trip to the Grand Canyon, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Kingman, AZ.

The Cracker Barrel is a chain of restaurants that serve the usual Americana fare of breakfasts, burgers, steaks, pretty much what you might expect to find at any family-style restaurant.

But they have a "country store" that sells candies, books, clothing, knick-knacks, toys, resembling something you might expect to find on an episode of the Andy Griffith show.

They're also known for selling wooden rocking chairs that sit on display outside the restaurant on the front patio.

But it's mostly their restaurant that attracts locals.

Cracker Barrel started in 1969 with a location in Tennessee, built around an "old country store" theme where travelers could get "home style" cooking, where kids could get some candy, and moms could shop for souvenirs. And then it just spread from there.

You typically find Cracker Barrel restaurants in towns where folks still hold on to "core values", where NASCAR is always on the front page, and where people still cling to their guns and their religion.

We don't have Cracker Barrel restaurants in California, but yet the chain claims to have locations in 41 states.

Awesome Pancakes!

Make a point to visit a Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and get one of their pancake breakfasts, which comes with three buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, and two sausage or bacon.

The pancakes have crispy edges. I think they fry them with lots of oil. In fact, I think they might fry them on the same griddle as with all the other food, because my wife's pancakes showed bits of burnt bacon. To a junk foodie, that only makes the pancakes better.

I've had pancakes at IHOP, and Denny's, and even at The Original Pancake House, and I'm sorry, but Cracker Barrel beats them out.

Here's photos...

Visit Cracker Barrel online for locations..

http://www.crackerbarrel.com

Mollicoolz Shakers - Perfecting the Milkshake

2009-05-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

MolliCoolz, a brand of frozen beaded ice cream, has a product line called "Shakers". It's found in the freezer aisle of grocery stores.

It's a cup filled with their pelletized ice cream beads. You pour milk into it, and then shake. You end up with a colorful, flavorful, milkshake.

Shakers are currently available in four flavors, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and cookies n cream.

You can find them in most grocery store chains, as well as Wal-mark Supercenters, priced around $2.00 per cup.

Check out the video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SbJP4u5HQk

Visit Mollicoolz online at:
http://www.mollicoolz.com/

Fazoli's Introduces New Menu

2009-05-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Fazoli's, the chain of fast-food italian fare, is introducing a new menu to better compete against the on-slaught of burger and mexican food joints.

Tortellini & Sun-Dried Tomato Rustico, pictured below, is made fresh with sun-dried tomato sauce, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with a basil pesto drizzle.

They also have a new Chicken Piccata, described as linguini with creamy marinara, sliced grilled chicken, capers, broccoli and a lemon wedge.

The new entrees start are priced at $5.49, and come with Fazoli's signature unlimited breadsticks.

Also in the new line up is their Fire-Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Submarinos, their Cranberry & Walnut Chicken Salad, and new dessert items, Chocolate Chip Cannolis, and Choco-Lato Mousse.

To encourage fast-foodies to try its new menu, Fazoli's is offering some money-saving deals at a special website, http://www.freespaghetti.com.

Carl's Jr. Portobello Mushroom Burger is Back

2009-05-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

Carl's Jr. announced today that it's bringing back the Portobello Mushroom Six Dollar Burger, permanently starting right now.

The fan-favorite burger was originally introduced in 2005 for a limited time, and then again in 2007.

The burger is just a standard Six Dollar Burger, but with slices of portobello mushroom sauteed in garlic-butter sauce, along with swiss cheese.

During its initial appearance on the Carl's Jr. menu in 2005, The Portobello Mushroom Six Dollar Burger won the product award for excellence from Produce Business Magazine, and was among a handful of menu items profiled by USA Today for a trend story on fast-food going gourmet.

Carl's Jr. is also offering a coupon for a free Portobello Mushroom Six Dollar Burger with the purchase of a $20 Carl's Jr. gift card. Gift cards can be purchased in restaurants or online at http://www.carlsjr.com/giftcards/.