Peanut Butter & Co: The Heat Is On Peanut Butter

One of the upsides of having a food review blog is that friends will often come up with items that they want to see me review. And one of the downsides of having a food review blog is that friends will often come up with items that they want to see me review. No, that's not a typo: that is the double-edged sword that is my life.

Seriously! Sometimes my friends come up with stuff that makes me wonder if they are trying to turn me into their own personal Andrew Zimmern (even the ones who have no idea who Andrew Zimmern is). I believe they see some outrageous items and think to themselves, "Oho, there is just no way Gigi would ever turn down the chance to review a choice delicacy like dill pickle flavored, chocolate covered, durian stuffed Madagascar hissing cockroaches!" (OK, to be fair, I made that up...and if such a product exists, I am happy in my ignorance of it and ask only that it A: Not be brought to my attention, and B: That I not be offered samples.) My whole point is that sometimes I feel like people give me things based on an elementary school gross-out dare.

My sister-from-another-mother, however, is an exception to that rule. Net and I are so physically similar that you could in fact mistake us for sisters -- well, first cousins at the very least -- and she always finds the greatest snack stuff for me to try. (She is completely to blame for my obsession with Herr's Puff'n Corn.) So when she said she had something new for me I was very excited.

And she did not disappoint!

I have been wanting to go to the Peanut Butter & Co shop since I saw them on the Food Network at least ten years ago. Really, how could a peanut butter lover not want to go to a shop that completely revolves around peanut butter? Well, despite many visits to my beloved New York City I have not made it to the shop once. Then, like magic, the company's peanut butter started turning up in stores...and I still somehow never got my hands on any. Net, however, did -- and when she saw a jar of The Heat Is On flavor she picked it up for me. (For the record, she swears by their Dark Chocolate Dream.)

The Heat Is On, as you may have guessed, is a spicy peanut butter -- and lest you doubt that it's spicy, the monkey on the label is holding a little pitchfork. Monkeys would not lie to us.

Even before opening the jar, you can tell that there is going to be a lot going on flavorwise, just by looking at the peanut butter. It's darker than your normal peanut butter; the color being more of a burnt orange than a tan. The butter is also studded with various dots and flecks of spices.

When you open the jar the scent is that of strongly roasted peanuts. You can tell there's an extra something going on, but it's hard to pin down exactly what else it is that you're smelling besides the nuts.



According to the label you don't have to stir the peanut butter, but I did notice some oily buildup on the top -- and I thought that the texture was a bit better for giving it a swirl. The texture is smooth but very thick, though not thick in the sticky manner of any of the mass market brands of choice. There is a slight graininess (though it is not chunky) that I think comes from a combination of the spices and the actual peanuts themselves. I really liked the texture.

The taste -- forgetting the spices for just a second and concentrating on the base -- reminded me of super fresh, just-roasted peanuts. Slightly salty and completely missing the sweetness that my favorite mass market brand has.

Now for the spices! It's going to be hard to go back to plain peanut butter after having spicy (and I may not, actually). The heat is just enough to give you a kick and warm your mouth up, but not enough to have people who aren't as big a fan of heat as I am searching for something to cool off with. On a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of heat for people who are not chiliheads, I would put it at about a 5 or 6 if you are really sensitive.

The spicing is a mix of chili powder, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper and paprika. (And while it's not listed on the label, I have to wonder if there's not a pinch of garlic in there as well.) To be really lazy, the easiest way I can describe the flavor is to tell you to imagine a peanut butter made with a bag of those "hot" flavored peanuts found at gas stations and mini marts. As someone who has been known to snarf those bags down embarrassingly fast, it stands to reason that I'd love a peanut butter version.

What can I say? I just loved this peanut butter. I have been eating it straight from the jar, but I know it would make great sandwiches or sauces/dressings. Heck, I want to try to make cookies with it! No, I'm not kidding. It's really that damned good.

Thank you, Netters!



PURCHASED FROM:
Gift from my friend

PRICE:
$6.00 on the company website

CALORIES:
190 calories per 2 tbsp

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Gluten free, certified vegan, HFCS free. Contains peanuts (duh)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
ilovepeanutbutter.com

Natural Vines Licorice: Strawberry

I have actually had this package of Natural Vines Strawberry Licorice on deck for review since December. The company was nice enough to send samples my way, and unfortunately they arrived the very day I was leaving for Atlanta for the holidays. Then, after my month-long stay there, when I got home...well, things have happened, and I have sadly been slacking on doing reviews since. So my apologies all around. I am trying my best to get back on track.

And really -- what could possibly be better to start my reviews again with than licorice? We all know how much I love it (and if you don't, let's just say I would pick licorice over pretty much all other candy first).



Natural Vines are actually the healthier, more natural sibling of everyone's favorite movie theater licorice twist: the venerable and ever-popular Red Vine. Natural Vines contain no HFCS, soy, cholesterol, or trans-fats. They're suitable for vegans and they're even made at a tree nut-free facility. I highly suspect that they may even wear tiny Birkenstocks and listen to NPR.

This licorice comes in a soft, resealable pouch rather than the flat box of its movie-loving brother. And I like that for my licorice. (Although, to be honest, if I really like it, there's no way it'll last long enough to need resealing.)

Opening the pouch, there's not much in the way of scent. If anything, it smells vaguely like a strawberry candle. But the aroma is nowhere near as intense as that of a regular Red Vine.

Each of the little twists is about one inch long and is roughly a third of an inch in diameter. Unlike the standard Red Vine, which is a hollow tube, these are solid all the way through. The twists have a somewhat translucent red color. And I think Cybele said it best in her review when she said it reminds her (to paraphrase) of strawberry jam in solid form.



But how do they taste?

The strawberry is pleasantly tart -- which I appreciate, as I hate when strawberry flavored items are super-sweet (which is all too common, sadly). At the same time, it won't cause any puckering. In a lot of ways it actually does remind me of a solid version of strawberry jam. Wheat based licorice always has a distinct taste to me; I am unsure how to describe it other than "pasty," and that is definitely present. It's not a bad taste; it's just there.

The texture is chewy but not sticky. If you like to let the licorice dissolve on your tongue, you will get a satisfyingly long-lasting treat -- although it will eventually break up into smaller pieces on its own (but I kind of like that myself, so no complaints).

Oddly enough, I think my favorite part was the aftertaste. It's all semi-sweet strawberry, and it lingers for several minutes.

Truthfully, when it comes to fruit flavored licorice, my heart still belongs to another -- but this is solid entry in the field, and I am looking forward to trying the black licorice version.



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company.

CALORIES:
150 calories per 9 piece serving.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains wheat. Does not contain HFCS. Cholesterol free, soy free, vegan, made at a tree nut free facility, trans-fat free.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
americanlicorice.com

Panda Licorice: Raspberry

All right, everyone salute the great nation of Finland! Any country that can produce something as wonderful as Panda Licorice can only be a force of good in the world. (Yes, I know that we can also thank Finland for Nokia, Linux, Marimekko, Finlandia cheese, and several tasty adult beverages. And yes, all of those things have their merits. I am fully aware of that. But we're talking about Panda Licorice here, people! Panda Licorice!!)

Anyway, I think my love of all things Panda Licorice has been well documented. But I am beginning to feel rather like Bill on Big Love...because much like Bill, I am torn between three loves. I love the regular black licorice (which I guess would be the Barb), and as much as I loved the Cherry (the Nicki), we now have flavor number three: Raspberry! (the Margene). Is it right or even possible to love all three the way I do?



In any event, I do!

The raspberry flavor is sweet and just a little tart. It has a juiciness to it and it tastes very natural. Lying just below the raspberry is the smooth molasses taste I love from classic black Panda. Part of what makes it so good is that it is just the fruit that shines through, since there are no artificial colors used there is no bitter "red" taste.

The texture is soft and just a little chewy (like all Panda licorice). This is one of those products that I love so much, I can't say enough good things about it. Just go get a pouch and thank me afterward.



And because this has become my other obsession -- while you're getting ready to go buy your own pouch, watch this video from Big Love's Bill Paxton's "rock star" days when he was part of a duo called "Martini Ranch." Video should be safe for work (just bikini babes), and was directed by James Cameron! Odd how neither Paxton nor Cameron brags about this...? Hmmmmmn...



(Yes, I know all songs featured on my Panda Licorice reviews are supposed to be in Finnish. But apparently no one has done a Finnish cover of "Reach" yet. C'mon, Finnish musicians, y'all need to step up to the plate!)



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company

CALORIES:
130 per 15 pieces (I would like to tell you I have that much self control).

ADDITIONAL INFO:
All natural, kosher, suitable for vegetarians and vegans, fat free. Awesome.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
InterNatural Foods.com for Panda's American importers. (Or panda.fi for the manufacturer -- it's only in Finnish, but it has some really cute Panda Flash animations.)

Panda Licorice: Cherry

Aah, yes...from the far northern splendor of Finland comes a new candy that is as luscious and yummy as a tropical sunset!

One item on the list of treats not often kept in my house is Panda Licorice. Here's an embarrassing but true fact: I have been known to finish an entire box...all by myself...in one day. Yes, I know how shameful that is. And guess what? I DO NOT CARE! It's totally worth it! Anyway, the makers of Panda were kind enough to ask me if I would like to review their new Cherry Panda. As if there was any chance I was going to say no?

Cherry Panda, along with my beloved classic black Panda, now comes in some new packaging. You can get it in boxes, in resealable pouches, and in individual bars. (We used the box for this review because it photographed the best.)



Each little chew is an extruded tube whose cross section vaguely resembles a dried lotus flower. The shape of Panda always reminds me of something that might have come out of a Play-Doh Fun Factory. (Hey, back in the day you were the coolest if you had a Fun Factory.)

The smell is vaguely spicy. I almost wouldn't call it cherry -- but it is definitely fruity. The texture is the soft, yet slightly sticky chew that I love about Panda.

But it's really all about the cherry flavor. I was wondering how the cherry was going to be pulled off. I feared that it would be either akin to cheap cherry cough medicine, or maybe like one of those cherry flavored "juices" that are mass-marketed for kids. Or worse yet, some unholy six-fingered, cyclops love child of the two.

But somehow, magically, Panda manages to avoid either. Have you ever had a black cherry that, while ripe, was just this close to being a little too bitter? That's the flavor that Panda has harnessed. It's juicy and sweet, but there is just enough tartness to keep it interesting.



Once the cherry taste wanes a bit, you start to notice the molasses flavor of classic Panda. I absolutely love this flavor. True fact (again): I ate half the box over the course of the night. Not only that, but the Significant Other had some and liked it -- and he hates licorice. It is just that good.

If you need any incentive beyond just taste, the chews are also:

- Fat Free
- Preservative Free
- Artificial Flavor Free
- Kosher

And it has that adorable panda as a mascot. What's not to love? You need to get some of this as quickly as possible, lean back in your favorite comfy chair, and munch out while listening to some classic Ramones songs...in Finnish, of course.



Hyvää ruokahalua! (That's Finnish for "bon appétit," because, y'know, I'm like all sophisticated 'n' stuff.)



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company

Matt's Muchies Island Mango

I wasn't sure I was the right person to review this flavor, Island Mango is a mango and coconut leather
I have a well documented hatred of coconut- well let's check that- I hate untoasted coconut. It's a texture thing, I like the flavor of coconut just fine. It's that moist, mushy yet oddly crunchy, stringy texture I really hate. Now toasted coconut manages not to have any of those problems. Luckily for me the good folks at Matt's Munchies thought of this (clearly they did it just for me because DUH! the world does in fact revolve around ME!) while I am not sure if the coconut is actually toasted or if it somehow seems to become toasted during the "leathering" process, but either why it has that great slightly crunchy, toasty taste and texture.

The Mango leather base is incredable! It's like someone took the most perfectly ripe slice of mango ever and dried that. It's sweet but it had that piney sour notes to it. Combined with the coconut it almost picks up a papayaesque flavor. .
I knew I would like the mango it's self but I am surprised at how much I liked the coconut with it.

For those of you who aren't coconut fans or can't eat coconut Matt's also makes a "plain" mango leather- there's nothing plain about it, it's the same fantastic mango base that's in the Island Mango.

By the way both leather's are under 100 calories (70 for the Island Mango and 50 for the Mango) and they are Organic and free of gluten, nuts, eggs & dairy. They are also certified both vegan and Kosher.


PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company
You can purchase directly from them by visiting their website HERE or by phone at (516)319-3135

Matt's Munchies Apple Pie Fruit Leather

I love fruit leather, when I am smart enough to think ahead when it comes to lunch I try to always have one.
So when the good folks over at Matt's Munchies asked if I would like some of their leathers to try I jumped at the chance.

Matt's fruit leathers are all natural, organic. The are also gluten, nut, dairy, soy and egg free. They are also certified Vegan and Kosher Parve. AND they are less then 100 calories a serving. The sheets are roughly 4 inch strips of nori-like fruit.

I was in an apple mood so I decided to start with the Apple Pie flavor. the first interesting thing I noticed is that the apple pie flavor is in fact made with no apples but with banana's instead. With that in mind the first thing I had to do was the smell check, the smell is very, very cinnamony. It actually reminded me of those cinnamon scented brooms they sell around Halloween (which I happen to love them).

So did the banana end up tasting like apple?
Actually, yeah it does. It reminded me alot of the flavor of apple sauce. There's almost a floral quality to it, I couldn't tell if that is from the banana or the cinnamon. The cinnamon is just slightly fiery- which is for this leather works out well. I think if the cinnamon was the really "hot" variety it would just be too much.

Where the fact that it's actually made with banana rather then apple stands out is the texture. It starts out with that chewy yet firm texture fruit leather has but as it's in your mouth it sort of melts in that thickish, kinda creamy, kinda not way that banana's do (well frozen banana's) I think if you didn't know that the banana is there you most likely couldn't tell that it was not in fact made with apples.

I love the fact that these leather's are a snack I can have without screwing up my diet. And one package is a very generous serving. I am not sure if this will end up being my favorite flavor of the bunch (I have a feeling that is going to be the Mango) but I am excited to try the rest.

PURCHASED FROM:
Sample From Company
You can purchase directly from them by visiting their website HERE or by phone at (516)319-3135