446721 Mon Oct 01 18:16:25 -0700 2007 23 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 2994523 Today the Richmond Costco had pre-cooked vacuum packed Fra'Mani Spicy Italian Sausage 3 lbs. for $12.99. Bought some. Other goodies I have not noticed before included whole Prosciutto di Parma from Citterio for $8.59 per lb. and vacuum packed sliced Serrano Ham from Campofrio 10.5 oz. for $11.49. Passed on these. Mexican Coke is in stock at the moment as well. Bough some. Mon Oct 01 18:16:25 -0700 2007 17723 lexdevil 1 2994758 Nice find. I wonder how that came about. How were they? Mon Oct 01 19:44:52 -0700 2007 2994523 103671 Hachimachi 1 2994848 I saw the sausages at the SF store too, but passed on account of the all-too pedestrian fat and sodium content. It was odd seeing them in the same price range and quantities as Amy's and Aidell's. There must be quite a few busy little mani at work making them. The SF Costco also has had the P di P and Serrano ham products for some time now. Mon Oct 01 20:25:14 -0700 2007 2994523 131118 Xiao Yang 2 2994906 Richmond has had the sliced Prosciutto di Parma in the past, but this is the first I've seen the uncut whole. p.s. What's sausage w/out fat and salt? Mon Oct 01 20:55:02 -0700 2007 2994848 17723 lexdevil 2 2996612 What do you mean "pedestrian fat and sodium content"? Traditional? Fra'Mani was built with the intent of national distribution. Tue Oct 02 11:01:46 -0700 2007 2994848 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 2998633 I just recall the hoopla that seemed to leave the impression on exited foodies that it would be something special and artisanal, not something in the Aidell's/Amy's class (well, forget Amy's as she only does chicken, it seems). Aidell's though, manages to make tasty products with considerably less fat than the Fra'Mani label indicated. Fra'Mani's seemed at the Evergood level. Tue Oct 02 20:12:37 -0700 2007 2996612 131118 Xiao Yang 4 2998652 Hmm, when I am looking for sausage, the level of fat isn't something that I've ever considered when thinking about its quality. Tue Oct 02 20:19:40 -0700 2007 2998633 13525 JasmineG 4 2998736 Aidells has long focused on turkey and chicken sausages, while Fra'Mani has been about the pig from day one. The fat comparison is really apples to oranges. Additionally, I don't think a lower fat or sodium content has ever been a goal of the artisan salumi/charcuterie folks I like best. There are no labels to divulge the ugly truth, but I doubt that many of the sausages in the Fatted Calf line are lower in fat than Fra'Mani. It's just a fact of life that pork sausages are going to be fatty unless they're dry and nasty or are doing something non-traditional (like Dibrova's use of potato and pumpkin). Here's a decent comparison. A Fra'Mani link lists at 220 calories, 150 from fat (68%). Aidells' andouille (one of the few pork sausages in the line) is 170 calories, 110 from fat (65%). The Fra'Mani link has 700 has miligrams salt, the Aidells 620. A Fra'Mani link weighs 4 ounces, but the Aidells link weighs only 3 ounces. Controlling for size, the Fra'Mani sausage has less sodium than the Aidells sausage. The calories are in a virtual dead heat per ounce. The difference in fat is negligible. Some of the other Aidells pork items appear even worse (240/170/720), but I think they may be larger (they're only sold at farmers markets, so I couldn't tell based on information on the website). Tue Oct 02 20:47:15 -0700 2007 2998633 17723 lexdevil 5 2998778 In any event, lower fat and salt content is a goal of ME ;-) I don't want to get it from McDonalds, or from Fra'Mani.... Tue Oct 02 21:04:47 -0700 2007 2998736 131118 Xiao Yang 6 2998811 An admirable goal. Sadly, I dig on the swine too much to join you. Tue Oct 02 21:16:35 -0700 2007 2998778 17723 lexdevil 7 2998914 I love pork too, probably next to lamb among all meats. I'm looking forward to trying Fra'Mani, but not eager to buy it in 3-lb. quantities. Tue Oct 02 22:07:10 -0700 2007 2998811 131118 Xiao Yang 8 2998942 Thankfully the 3 lbs. is split into two bags of 6 links each. Still a lot unless you've got family. Tue Oct 02 22:24:26 -0700 2007 2998914 17723 lexdevil 8 2998953 I've bought both the hot and mild Fra Mani sausages as well as the breakfast ones (mattinate). All were verrrry good. They've had them at BerkBowl for several months now. And what's the problem with 3 lbs....I always have sausages in the freezer for use in sausage and broc. rabe over pasta. Yuck, though, I just noticed the "precooked" part of the message. I dunno if I could go with that. Tue Oct 02 22:32:21 -0700 2007 2998914 10245 oakjoan 9 2998958 Yup, I still need to see how they are. The Costco pack is definitely pre-cooked like much of the other supermarket stuff. I doubt it can match fresh, but if it's close at all, the price cannot be beat. Tue Oct 02 22:37:01 -0700 2007 2998953 17723 lexdevil 6 2999058 Then you probably shouldn't even look at sausage, no matter whose it is. Tue Oct 02 23:55:16 -0700 2007 2998778 10133 wally 5 2999916 Aidells was a lot more fat-friendly before Bruce Aidells sold the company. The new owners stopped making his great smoked duck sausages and reformulated / ruined his once-great chorizo. The andouille's still good but that's by its nature a lower-fat sausage. Wed Oct 03 09:08:13 -0700 2007 2998736 11369 Robert Lauriston 6 3000300 Maybe his wife should have taught him what can be done with lean pork. Wed Oct 03 10:48:00 -0700 2007 2999916 131118 Xiao Yang 6 3064746 Amen. The sausage marketers have displaced the sausage makers. Now we get pineapple teriyaki meatballs. Wed Oct 24 17:56:33 -0700 2007 2999916 27732 santoku45 1 2994941 Mexican coke also in stock at the Costco in SJ, there was plenty on Saturday. Mon Oct 01 21:10:26 -0700 2007 2994523 16828 Judith 1 2998830 Yikes! Avoid the Campofrio Jamon Serrano at all cost. You can get better jamon from The Spanish Table at about the same cost. Tue Oct 02 21:25:39 -0700 2007 2994523 15647 FireSheep 2 2998866 Thank you for the warning. I thought it looked pricy. Tue Oct 02 21:37:44 -0700 2007 2998830 17723 lexdevil 2 2998954 Are we still talking Costco here? El Cer/Richmond branch? Tue Oct 02 22:33:05 -0700 2007 2998830 10245 oakjoan 3 2998961 Yup. Tue Oct 02 22:37:26 -0700 2007 2998954 17723 lexdevil 4 2998974 Everything that's been said applies to the SF Branch, too. Tue Oct 02 22:44:35 -0700 2007 2998961 131118 Xiao Yang