Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Couple of Pseudo-Cheeses

      Last week I revisited some gluten-free products, in that case cookies, and today I'll be revisiting some dairy-less cheeses.  Sort of.  One of the products I'll be discussing isn't technically, 100% dairy free, but it's close.  But more about that in a bit.  For the record, I tried two kinds from the Almond line--their mozzarella and cheddar flavors, and one from the Daiya brand--their jalapeno Havarti style.  (And a previous post about some non-dairy cheeses, and vegan meats, was on September 14, 2014.)

     Almond "cheese" is made by Lisanatti Foods.  This company started back in 1976, in Oregon, as P.J. Lisac & Associates, Inc., founded by Phil and Norma Lisac.  It began as a brokerage business, but changed into a processing and manufacturing firm after only a short time.  Their products are cheese substitutes.  The first two "cheese" bases were soy, and then almond.  A rice-based substitute came about in the late 1990's.  The company also changed its name to its current moniker in the late 1990's.  The current name is a combination of Lisac and Simonatti, which was Norma Lisac's maiden name.  However, strict vegans can't enjoy Lisanatti products, alas, as they contain casein, a product derived from milk sources.  (Because of this, I kind of wonder who they're marketing to, since vegans can't eat their stuff, and regular vegetarians can eat normal, real cheese.  But the company has survived for 44 years, so somebody (besides me!) is buying, obviously.)  The official company website also notes that Lisanatti is not made from 100% organic sources as well, they "use as many organic ingredients as are affordably available on the commercial market."  So those who insist on completely organic products may have reason to reject them, too.  Other almond cheese flavors include a garlic herb  and a jalapeno one, and they have several kinds in their SoyStation and rice cheese lines.

     Daiya Foods Inc. comes to us from the U.S.'s friendly neighbor to the north, Canada.  In 2008 Andre Kroecher and Greg Blake started making non-dairy approximations, usually using cassava (see my post on April 10, 2014) and arrowroot as the bases.  Food scientist Paul Wong joined soon after, and Frankensteined their products together.  Unlike Lisanatti, Daiya is more straight edge, as it were, avoiding all animal products, including milk and eggs, as well as soy, wheat, barley, gluten in general, and nuts.  They have many alternate flavors, including cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, provolone, gouda, and Monterrey Jack.  Daiya also makes pizza, burritos, desserts, yoghurts, and dressings, some by themselves, others in collaborations with other companies, like Amy's, Gardein, and Tofurkey (see my post on September 14, 2014).  In 2017 Daiya was bought up by the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, a Japanese firm.  Which started way back in 1921, although its name has changed over the years.  Unfortunately, some strict vegans have felt honor-bound to boycott Daiya after this acquisition, since Otsuka uses animal testing for their pharmaceuticals.  So, if this is a sticking point for you, be forewarned.

Lisanatti Foods, Almond cheese, cheddar flavor:  Orange color.  Texture is good, very cheese-like.  However, the taste is not like cheddar, or like any other cheese, for that matter.  It's not terrible, but it's bland, and kind of plastic-y.  I had this plain, and then on microwaved Lean Cuisine classic macaroni and beef with tomato sauce.  Both ways tasted about the same, disappointing.

Lisanatti Foods, Almond cheese, mozzarella flavor:  As with the previous, I had this plain and on that kind of Lean Cuisine meal.  This one was a white color.  And the taste was very similar to the cheddar kind--bland, plastic-y, with something missing.  Not a good cheese substitute.  Not horrific, but kind of boring.  This one was slightly better plain, but not significantly.  It also melted better than the cheddar kind when microwaved.

Daiya Foods, Inc., jalapeno Havarti flavor:  Color was white, with visible green pepper pieces in it.  Once again, I had it plain and then with the Lean Cuisine mac and beef with tomato meal.  Much better than the Almond kinds.  Taste was pretty good, a nice simulation of real cheese.  I think the jalapeno really helped.  Good both plain and on the microwaved meal.  This one melted in a more natural cheese way, too.  I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

     Therefore, since I gave the Almond cheeses a fair trial, and found them wanting, I won't be buying these again.  (I should say, though, that my mother tried and really liked both of these.)  I would consider sampling Lisanatti's soy and rice cheese flavors, though, if I get the opportunity.  But, conversely, as I mentioned, I really enjoyed the Daiya kind, and I will both try alternate flavors, and probably the jalapeno Havarti one again.  Obviously, additional flavors of either company will be added to this post if/when they occur, so stay tuned.  

   

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Some Gluten-Free Cookies

      Readers with very good memories may recall that I did a post about gluten-free beers way back on December 10, 2012.  Well, recently while at the grocery store I realized that it's started to stock more gluten-free items, in the cookie and cracker categories.  So I picked up four kinds of the cookies to give them a try.  I don't have celiac disease, or a gluten allergy, as folks no doubt realize from the topics of my other posts, but I thought I'd sample them just the same.  Specifically I tried Pepperidge Farm's thin and crispy milk chocolate chip cookies, Smashmallow's Smash crispy cinnamon churros, Kinnikinnick's Kinnitoos, and Mi-del's Swedish style ginger snaps.  And for the benefit of some European readers, once again, "cookies" are equivalent to what you call "biscuits"--small, sweet, usually crunchy pastries, usually eaten as a dessert.

     Pepperidge Farm is a colossus in the cookie world, at least in the U.S.  The founder was Margaret Rudkin (nee Fogarty), who was born in New York City in 1897.  Reportedly her son had severe allergies and asthma, and a specialist recommended that he eat more fruit and vegetables, and avoid highly processed foods.  Therefore, Margaret started baking her own bread and pastries, and quickly grew quite good at it.  Oddly, the official website doesn't reveal the exact company founding date, but by 1939 it was flourishing, and the first factory bakery was opened in 1940, in Connecticut.  A visit to Belgium in the 1950's prompted Margaret to get the rights to produce some Delacre Company cookie brands in the U.S.  Similarly, Pepperidge Farm started selling the Swiss Goldfish crackers in the U.S. in the 1960's.  In 1961 Mrs. Rudkin sold her business to the Campbell's Soup company.  Americans probably most associate Pepperidge Farm with its ubiquitous cookie commercials, with a kindly old gent who assured us that, "Pepperidge Farm remembers."  Also, their wares obviously impressed NASA, as their baked goods were on the astronaut's menus of the Apollo 13, Apollo 14, and  1988 Space Shuttle Discovery missions.  Aside from cookies, Pepperidge Farm also markets rolls, pastries, and crackers.  Furthermore, I found it a refreshing change to read about a company that uses GMOs in their products, is proud of it, and defends it.

     In contrast, Smashmallow is a quite new and fledging company, beginning only in 2016, out of California.  It's actually a line of Sonoma Brands, which is only a year older.  Sonoma also owns such brands as Krave jerky, Medlie drinks, Guayaki yerba mate (see November 29, 2014 post), along with others that make dietary supplements, wine, and cleanses.  Unlike Pepperidge Farm, Smashmallow eschews GMOs, as well as avoiding soy, corn, dairy, eggs, and nuts (except for one product).  (Although for people with unusally sensitive allergies, the Smallmallow products are made in a facility that processes some of these substances.)  Aside from the marshmallow-based cookies, the company also makes a type of gummy candy, called, of course, Smashgummies.

     Kinnikinnick is a Canadian firm which dates back to 1991.  Aside from cookies the company also makes bread, buns, bagels, donuts, muffins, mixes, and pizza and pie crusts.  As far as allergens go, they make Smashmallow look like poseurs.  In their wares you will not find dairy, nuts, peanuts, soy, eggs (with some exceptions), sesame, mustard, shellfish, GMOs, artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, and latex.  (Some of these came as a surprise to me--I didn't realize that mustard allergies were a thing, and also, do some baked goods contain latex?!  Apparently so.)  Ted Wolff and Gudrun Von Selzam started the company after moving to Canada from their native Germany.  Basically, they were into avoiding gluten before it was cool, before most of the general public knew much about celiac and gluten allergies, back in the early 1990s.  Lynne Bigam and her husband Jerry bought into the company in 1997, and then took total control in 2005.  The name "kinnikinnick" is an Algonquin word which means both "bearberry" and "mixture."  The latter definition is evidently based on the berry's inclusion in the traveling food pemmican.  The website noted that the company name is difficult to spell, but that everybody remembers it, since it's rather unusual.

     Finally, ala Pepperidge Farm, Mi-del's origins are older, but a little vague.  The bag and company website note that the business was started by a Samuel Midel in the 1940's, in Chicago, but neither reveal the exact company founding date.  Mi-del also proudly notes that it was a pioneer in the making of gluten-free cookies, but again, a precise date is lacking.  The company is in turn owned by Panos Brands, whose name is an acronym for Premium Authentic Natural Organic Specialty foods.  (It's also reportedly the ancient Greek word for "torch.")  Since Panos has only existed since 2009, their purchasing of Mi-del must have been relatively recently.  Other brands owned by Panos include an Asian food line, a hormone-free cheese brand, an Italian food line, vegan drinks, and the calorie-free Walden Farm brand (see my post on January 2, 2014).  Also, I get why the brand name is what it is, since it's the founder's surname, but I couldn't learn why they hyphenated it.  I was further amused by two of the recent recipes included on the website, which had a Halloween theme.  One was a spooky mummy chocolate peanut butter pie with "cobwebs," and another was a caramel apple spider pie with "cobwebs" again, and "spiders" made from cookies and pretzels.

Pepperidge Farm gluten-free thin and crispy milk chocolate chip cookies:  These were round cookies with a light brown color, visible chocolate chips, and a diameter of about 2.5 inches (about 6.5 cm.).  They were decent.  I like thicker, chewier, soft cookies in general, but these were okay.  They tasted very similar to cookies of the same flavor with gluten.

Smashmallow Smash crispy cinnamon churros: These looked like rice crispy marshmallow squares, about 7 cm (about 2.75 inches) to a side, with a yellowish brown color.  And they tasted like rice crispy squares with some cinnamon bite.  Again, they were okay.  Maybe a bit drier than typical rice crispy marshmallow squares, but they were pre-packaged, obviously.  Still solid overall.

Kinnikinnick Kinnitoos:  These looked identical to Oreos or Hydroxes--round, dark brown sandwich cookies with a white cream filling, about 4.5 cm. (about 1.75 inches) in diameter.  The taste was about the same as an Oreo, or good.  They were moist enough, and tasty.  Like Oreos, though, they were a bit messy to eat, as the cookie parts tend to stick to your teeth.

Mi-del Swedish style ginger snaps:  Shape was round, with a diameter of about 1.75 inches (about 4.5 cm.), and the color was brownish-yellow.  The texture was rather dense, and moist.  Almost like a good cake's texture.  Pleasant ginger bite.  I really enjoyed these.  The after taste was nice, too.  The best of the bunch, very good.

     So, in closing, all of these were at least alright, and two of them were well above average.  Those with a gluten allergy or celiac disease will probably appreciate these, if they can locate them in their area (or order online, I guess).  And even those who do eat gluten, like me, might like these cookies as a change of pace.  I might try some of the other gluten-free products at my store, too.  It seems like bakers have learned how to make better tasting gluten-free cookies in the past decade or so.  I might not have been able to tell some of these apart from their counterparts with gluten, which is clearly a compliment. 

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Adult Popsicles (Freeze Pops With Booze in Them)

      This was another random find as I walked around my local Canal's liquor store.  I was amazed when I saw these.  I recall making Jello with alcohol in it back in college, but other than that, I can't think of too many other edible boozes.  I know that some foods, like rum cake, or beer battered shrimp, technically have alcohol in them, but I mean ones that have a significant amount.  All of these came from the Cooloo company, and I tried three kinds--the mai tai, the cosmo, and the paloma.

     Cooloo is one of those companies with an almost nonexistent online presence.  The official company website only has a brief product list, a list of places that stock their wares (stores in New York and New Jersey only), a contact page, and a very brief and undetailed company history.  I wasn't even able to find out the founder(s) name, when the company started, or other very basic information.  Cooloo's Twitter account, as far as I could see, only has two posts, both from July 2019, and they're only promotions about their products.  The label on the pops does mention they're based in Lakewood, NJ, but that's about all the further data I know.  I did learn, though, that evidently popsicles with alcohol is a growing market.  I read a Huffington Post article rating some of them.  Alternate companies include Buzz Pop, Claffey's, Skinny Freezer, and Frutapop.  Also, aside from the three I tried, Cooloo also make a pina colada kind and a gin and tonic one.

     Therefore, to flesh this out a little, I'll discuss the featured cocktails a bit.  The paloma is made from tequila, lime juice, and either grapefruit-flavored soda or actual grapefruit juice.  Sometimes a lime wedge is stuck on the side of the glass, along with a dusting of salt on the rim, like a margarita.  The origin of this drink is quite mysterious.  Some credit the famous cantina owner and bartender Don Javier Delgado Corona (about 1923-2020) as having invented it at his beloved establishment in Tequila, Mexico.  However, according to an online source I read, Corona himself denied this.  I also read a long, exhaustively detailed explanation of the drink's possible origins on alcademic.com.  It's a long back and forth article, looking for the first reference to the paloma cocktail in books, menus, etc.  Most agree that it's probably a Mexican invention, but grapefruit wasn't really grown much in Mexico until the 1960's, and the first major grapefruit soda, Squirt, wasn't sold in Mexico until 1955.  The first definite reference to the exact drink appears to be even in the 21st century.  So no one really knows for sure.  The name "paloma" means "dove" in Spanish, and is believed to reference an 1860's Mexican folk song "La Paloma."

     The cosmo, or the cosmopolitan, if you're not into the whole brevity thing, to quote another cocktail lover The Dude, also has a nebulous and disputed history.  A possible precursor, which contained gin and Cointreau, dates back to the 1930's.  Some credit Neal Murray with developing the drink, in Minneapolis in 1975.  Others say Cheryl Cook made it first in South Beach, Florida, in 1985 or 1986. But the consensus leading candidate seems to be Toby Cecchino and Melissa Huffsmith-Roth, in 1989, in the Manhattan bar called The Odeon.  Regardless who invented it, the gay community in Provincetown, Massachusetts, certainly helped popularize the beverage.  And the popular HBO show "Sex and the City" in the late 1990's/early 2000's did so as well.  In fact, the cosmo may have become too popular for its own good, and now there's a bit of a backlash against it.  Some bars even refuse to serve it.  Anyway, a cosmo is usually made with vodka, triple sec, lime juice, and cranberry juice.

     Finally, there's the mai tai, the drink which usually consists of rum, lime juice, curacao liqueur, and orgeat syrup (which is made with almonds, sugar and either rose water or orange flavor).  There is a controversy about who invented it, but unlike the other two the dispute is much more simple.  Basically, most credit Victor J. Bergeron with creating it in 1944, in his South Pacific-themed tiki bar "Trader Vic's," near Oakland, California.  A few say competing tiki bar owner Donn Beach first made it in 1933, in his California restaurant "The Beachcomber."  But still others claim that Beach didn't take credit for the mai tai, and just noted that it was similar to a drink he started making back in 1933, called the QB Cooler.  Beach did invent several drinks, most notably the zombie, so he clearly did have potent mixology skills.  Also, it appears that Beach started the whole tiki bar idea in the U.S., so it appears that Bergeron was inspired by (or put more harshly, ripped off) the theme for his later place.  Anyway, alternate versions of a mai tai sometimes involve adding amaretto, grenadine, orange and grapefruit juice, and something called falernum.  Bergeron claimed the name was the reaction by early consumers who were Tahitian.  "Good" in the Tahitian language is "maita'i."  (An online English to Tahitian dictionary confirmed this.)

Cooloo freeze pops, mai tai flavor:  These had an orange color.  They were pretty good.  Not too strong an alcohol taste.  Decent--pleasant fruity flavor.  Liked overall.

Cooloo freeze pops, cosmo flavor:  Had a pinkish color.  Also very fruity.  Okay.  Maybe not as good as the mai tai, but alright.  I was surprised that it didn't have a more detectable cranberry taste.

Cooloo freeze pops, paloma flavor:  Color was a dull pinkish-white.  Once again, decent fruity taste, was okay.  As with the others, the pop hid the alcohol well.  I usually hate grapefruit juice/grapefruit flavor, so I was kind of shocked that I didn't hate this one.  The grapefruit flavor obviously wasn't strong at all.

     So, all in all, I liked all three of these, but didn't love any of them.  I didn't have any problem finishing them or anything.  Although I did find it odd that all three of them tasted so similar to each each other.  I don't know if I could have told them apart from a blind taste test.  Folks who like the liquid versions of them will probably like these frozen, I would think.  So I guess I would recommend them to people looking for a different take on consuming booze.  They were undeniably a rather fun, whimsical way of getting some liquor into you.  Also, each one was 5% alcohol, and cost about $1.79 before tax, so they were relatively cheap.  And if I see any of the competing alcohol-infused popsicle brands for sale, I'll of course buy them and report back on them on my blog, possibly as an addendum to this post.

Very Difficult Trivia about John Carpenter's "The Thing" (1982)

      I realize that the Halloween season is over, but screw it.  I recently re-watched "The Thing" (the John Carpenter 1982 version), and noticed some new details.  After another more focused viewing, and some research, I've decided to put together a quiz.  Be forewarned, most of these questions are very obscure, and are completely trivial, and are mostly unrelated to the movie's plot and overall point.  I'll put the answers below, so folks can play along and try to answer the questions if they want.  Also, all of these are based on the movie alone, and not from the novelization, comic books, video games, prequel, etc.  Oh, and obviously there are some spoilers to the film.

1) J & B scotch whisky is featured very prominently in the film, both as a beverage, and its bottles being used as Molotov cocktail containers.  What two other types of alcohol are seen?

2) What type of chess game is MacReady playing? (Hint, it's a game for the computer, and he's using an Apple II.)

3) Staying on that, what move by the computer beats him, causing him to react very poorly?

4) What is the name of the American Antarctic research camp, according to the wooden sign shown at the beginning of the movie.  (Hint, it's a mistake by the filmmakers, as another name is mentioned by the characters later.)

5) We see an oil drum briefly as the Norwegian helicopter approaches the American camp.  What oil company is it from?

6) How long had the Norwegians been at their camp?

7) And how many Norwegians made up their research camp?

8) Childs and Palmer are seen watching a taped television show on their VCR.  What is it?  (They switch to an unseen show or movie later, but it is unidentified.)

9) Even more detailed, what peoples' names are mentioned on the show?

10) Ardent fans surely recall that Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" is played in the movie.  But what other famous song is heard briefly, from the jukebox?  (I'm not counting background music created for the movie, clearly.)

11) According to the map shown briefly, where was the crashed alien ship recovered, roughly?  (And I don't mean 5-6 miles northeast of their camp, I mean where on the Antarctica continent.)

12) Fuchs asks to speak with MacReady in private, in one of the vehicles outside.  What is the vehicle's name and number?  (Hint, Fuchs misspeaks, and refers to it as a Thiokol.)

13) Aside from the Thing, of course, only one character is shown eating something.  Who is it?

14) When the Thing first reveals itself, a character is briefly shown full frontally naked, in the hallway.  Who is it?

15) According to Norris, how long, at least, has the alien ship been in the ice?

16) What is the name of the pinball machine shown in the rec room?

17) Most of the men's occupations are pretty obvious, with one exception, I think.  What is Palmer's occupation?  (Hint, it's actually two things.)

18) All of the characters are referred to only by their (presumed) surnames.  (We do see that MacReady's initials are "R.J.," but don't see or hear the actual names.) With one exception--who is it, and what is his first name?

19) What two other screenplays did writer Bill Lancaster pen? 

20) Child's earring is rather noticeable, and figures into several theories about whether he's human or not at the end.  However, one other character has a visible piercing.  Who is it?

21) What specific kind of handgun did Garry carry?

22) Staying on this topic, before he picks up Garry's handgun, what specific firearm does MacReady use?

23) There are no female characters in the movie.  However, a woman does voice the chess game.  Who is it? 

24) How long does Garry say he knew Bennings?

25) A poster is seen prominently in the rec room, which has a drawing of a woman on it.  What does it say?

26) How many stitches does it take to close Benning's gunshot wound?

27) The character of the Norwegian passenger with the rifle in the opening scene is played by someone who also had jobs on the crew.  Who is he, and what were these other jobs? 

28) Why does a scientific research station need several flamethrowers?  (Just kidding, there is no good reason for this, other than the filmmakers wanted them in the movie to serve the plot!)

Answers:

1) Smirnoff vodka, usually with Blair, and Budweiser beer, seen quickly as the Thing first makes its presence known, and MacReady pulls the fire alarm while holding the can.

2) The Sargon II chess game.

3) Rook to knight 6.

4) United States National Science Institute Station 4.  Windows and MacReady refer to the camp as Outpost 31, though, and this is apparently the actual name.

5) Chevron.

6) 8 weeks.

7) 10 men.  (The 2011 Thing prequel changes this, but I'm just going by what's in the 1982 "The Thing."

8) "Let's Make a Deal," the game show that was most notably hosted by Monty Hall.

9) Contestant Dawn Screen, and her friend Anna.

10) "Don't Explain," performed by Billie Holiday.

11) Southeast of Dronning Maud Land (aka Queen Maud Land), west of Kemp Land, and west-southwest of Enderby Land, near the meridian 40 degrees East.

12) It's a Bombadier Skidozer 301.

13) Blair is seen eating out of a can while confined to the storeroom.

14) Copper.  Enjoy this treat, heterosexual women and gay guys!

15) 100,000 years.

16) The ironically named "Heat Wave."

17) He's the assistant mechanic, to Childs, and the helicopter pilot trainee.

18) MacReady calls Bennings "George" right after Bennings is shot.

19) "The Bad News Bears" (1976), and "The Bad News Bears Go to Japan" (1978).

20) Copper, of all people, has a nose piercing, in his right nostril.

21) A .357 Magnum Colt Trooper Mark III revolver.

22) A 12 gauge Ithaca 37 shotgun.

23) Actress Adrienne Barbeau provides the voice.  She was in a couple of Carpenter's other movies, and was married to him at the time.

24) 10 years.

25) "They Aren't Labeled, Chum," and in smaller letters, "I Have VD."  It's a warning poster about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases from the World War II era.

26) 4.

27) Larry Franco, who was also an associate producer and the first assistant director.

     Hope you enjoyed this.  And if it makes people feel better, I didn't know most of these answers until I re-studied the movie myself.