I wonder, how different is the BV seasoning from the Maggi seasoning?

Taking of Maggi,

Geo wrote:Mae Ploy Sweet Chilli Sauce Roast chicken, left-over bbq, piggy of all sorts, this wonderful blend of hot and sweet and fruity is crucial to a whole range of eats.

I used to always have a bottle at hand - but I didn't replenish my last bottle because I wanted to try the Maggi Sweet Chili sauce I came across. This stuff is fantastic - I prefer it to the Mae Ploy. I'm tempted to say a little less sweet though I'm not sure (it's been a while since I had the Mae Ploy now). For sure though, the flavor of the chili with it is much better, more complex (to my taste). As Maggi adjusts formulations depending on the country/region, this is probably pertinent info: Product of Thailand.


Also pictured, the sprats I always have - product of Latvia (I'm not brand loyal, though this would be the tin I recognize and reach for)

i love chef earl's baba ganoush. he's a local guy who supplies bg and hummous at whole food and, i think, treasure island. it's as good as my homemade, which is my idea of high praise. unlike some of the commercial brands, his contains no chickpeas, which never belong in baba ganoush. i think they are used because they are cheaper than eggplant. i often eat it for breakfast on a warm greek style (no pocket) pita with a handful of kalamata olives.

I post this with great reservations...
You see, I am Italian.
I use my hands a lot when I talk.
I tend to be occasionally overemotional or hotheaded.
I take great pride in making a huge pot of red sauce, based on a recipe handed down and tweaked for about 3 generations.

However, we all have our weaknesses. And, sometimes I have better things to do than invest several hours in crafting a pot of sauce.

I've been known to, in a weak moment, buy (collective gasp) a jar of sauce at the grocery store, and doctor it up a bit.

I have finally found a jarred sauce that a) doesn't contain any HFCS because last time I checked that was not an ingredient in my Grandma's pantry b) actually tastes like something I might make myself, was I not such a lazy sack of bones (who happens to work a lot, and also has a husband and a puppy to deal with).

It's called Milazzo (which I believe is a town in Sicily) and comes in a few varieties, I bought the onion and garlic one--ingredients: tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, salt, herbs and spices.

That's it. Nothing weird or chemical and no HFCS or even sugar.

You can find it at Dominick's and I really recommend it for the time-crunched. I threw some chopped baby spinach in there as I was heating it up (word on the street is that vegetables are good for you) and tossed it with some bucatini and was quite pleased. I didn't add any garlic or basil or any of the other things I usually have to add to jarred sauce.

There's other varieties as well (a mushroom one and a sweet pepper one and maybe an arrabiata type thing if my memory serves me well)

After reading all the post on this subject four items leaped to mind, they are always in my pantry:

John McCann Steel Cut Oat Meal
Desert Pepper Trading Company Black Bean Dip
Rolands Filet of Anchovies
Ortalli Aceto Balsamico Modena (the least expenses, but quality aged balsamic vinegar available at a grrocery store)

Various mustards come and go Gray Poupon among them; white, red, sherry, & champaign vinegars always at least 6-8 dollars a bottle, but never more; red beet horseradish - in Chicago always a Polish brand, made my own in southern Maryland; and a minimus of three types of lettuce but never iceberg.

This is a great thread! I love finding something at the grocery store that I'm excited about. My husband is also on this huge organic / healthy kick right now, so I spend a lot of time doing "investigative" work to find items that not only fit into our diets, but that we like.

I'm really into yogurt right now, so, in order of favorites, here's my picks for yogurts I like:

1) Traders Point Raspberry Yogurt. This has several things going for it in my mind. a) It's organic. b) The cows are all grass-fed. This is something that I've found is almost impossible to find -- not only in a yogurt, but just about anywhere. c) It's "local." They're located in Zionsville, IN. (In other words, it's not trucked from the west coast like most decent yogurts.) On top of all of that, and most importantly, this yogurt tastes FANTASTIC! It's not overly sweet, and the second ingredient is "raspberry puree." It tastes like raspberries. Is that so much to ask? (Sometimes, I think so...)

2) Redwood Hill Farm Strawberry yogurt. This is a goat's milk yogurt, and so far, the only goat's milk yogurt I've seen on the market. It's very hard to come by in the winter (because that's their "off season") but for the most part, you can find it abundantly during the other three seasons. My husband was the one to get me into goat's milk products, and in the beginning, the taste was different than what I was used to. If you've ever had goat's cheese, you'd know what I mean -- it's that distinct 'tang' that most goat's dairy has in it. Once you recognize that, however, you realize this is an excellent, creamy, tasty yogurt. I like the fact that they don't use sugar in this yogurt, but rather honey and fruit juice as a sweetener. My only caveat about them is their use of "natural flavors," but I'm willing to turn a blind eye for a very good and unique product! Definitely give this a try if you've never had this before.

3.) Cascade Fresh Boysenberry Yogurt. I like this yogurt for two main reasons. a) Because they offer a lot of different 'berry' flavors, like the aforementioned Boysenberry (which is my personal favorite), to Marionberry, to Raspberry and Blueberry, etc. And, b) because, again, they don't sweeten the yogurt with sugar, but use fruit juice. This keeps the yogurt from tasting overly "sweet." I also liked this kind because it was easier to find (they carry it at my local Jewel, but, inexplicably, next to the soy yogurt and rice milk --??) Incidentally, they also have a Lemon Chiffon and Key Lime variety that really emulate these desserts well, and make a healthy, tasty dessert or snack!

All of these varieties can be found at Whole Foods, Wild Oats or your local health-food shop (i.e., Sunrise Foods in the southland).

Other things that have been indispensable to me lately:

- No Pudge Brownie Mix. I am extremely lazy, and therefore, love food solutions in a box. These are ridiculously easy to make because all you have to add is either vanilla yogurt, or plain yogurt & vanilla extract. They're really rich and chewy, and when I brought them into work, they disappeared in a matter of hours!

- Mesquite Foods Organic Grass-Fed Burgers. I've had trouble finding these actual pre-made patties lately, so have had to settle with buying the ground beef, thawing it out, and making the burgers myself (oh, the torture, right?) I have to say, though. By-passing the fact that this hits two favorites on my husband's hit list (organic & grass fed), this beef just tastes good! Granted, I'd love to be able to hit the Fox & Obel and find myself some decent, fresh, grass-fed beef, but we live in the 'burbs. I don't have that kind of selection. This is a wonderful substitute. I'm picky about my homemade burgers, too, and I have to say that these were probably the best burgers I've had, next to a Chuck's burger, which I can't make at home.

- Sunshine Burger, Southwest variety. Since we've been trying to just cut back on meat to a certain degree, I've been in search of a decent veggie burger. We tried Dr. Praeger's veggie burgers, which, indeed, had a "recognizable" ingredient list (as their marketing advertises), but really came out pretty tasteless. I ended up having to add a bunch of condiments to make it palatable. However, a couple weeks ago, we tried these Sunshine Burgers, and I figured it'd be good to try a "flavored" variety so we wouldn't run into the same problem. Much better results. The other thing I really like about these, unlike the Boca Burgers or Gardenburgers, is that they don't use any soy products. In fact, if you look at their ingredient list, you can pretty much understand and not take offense to anything on it. I like that! I usually pair these with a nice, fresh set of wheat hamburger buns, some jack cheese, hot sauce, sprouts, and if we're feeling ambitious that day, some fresh guacamole or avocado.

The No-Pudge mix can be found virtually anywhere, and the other two items I found at Wild Oats.

Sorry about the long post -- obviously, I love talking about groceries!

Two new products have succeeded in impressing me almost to the level of obsession. I could do a commercial for this stuff.

Lindt "Intense Mint" Dark Chocolate: If you're like me and crazy about the combination of mint and chocolate, then this is the chocolate bar for you. It isn't made with a layer of mint cream (like an Andes), but rather has mint oil mixed directly in with the chocolate. It reminds me of a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie, except with high quality chocolate and no cookie. I'm crazy about this stuff. Available pretty much anywhere they sell Lindt chocolate (Marketplace on Oakton, Family Produce on Cicero) and they also have "Intense Pear with Almond" and "Intense Orange".

Kettle Bakes, Low Salt: I'm not a big eater of salty snacks. I like my corn chips to taste like toasted corn and my potato chips to taste like a real potato. Kettle Chips has a "Baked" line which are very crisp, not at all greasy, and the low salt variety tastes like a really good roasted potato. Just a few of them are very satisfying. Available at Whole Foods (also in a cheese or BBQ variety).

Best,
Michael

Eaton's Jamaican Jerk Tomato Ketchup.

Cane Sugar, Cane vinegar, great flavor, and a nice adder to many items. Grabbed on e bottle up in The Dells and should have got more. Our daughter who is a Heinz freak now has a new favorite: