President's Choice Insiders Report

[wontonfm]

Hi all --

Just curious to see what new President's Choice products people have tried. Every year I get kind of excited for the new Insiders Report!

So far I've tried their new vodka pasta sauce, the new fettucine, their chips, the black currant sparkling soda, the fudge and the new cookies. All have been hits thus far.

Anything else worth trying??

WON
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http://whatsonmyplate.wordpress.com

[Calipoutine]

I saw a few new products today. Frozen herbs( basil, dill, cilantro) and garlic and ginger that you shake out of the new container. I also saw( for the total rip off price of 4.49), bowls of steel cut oats( frozen) with or without wild blueberries.

[julesrules]

So I doubt this was an Insider's Report item but I have to bitch about it somewhere. I sometimes eat at the Supercentre because it is close to work. They had these new 'PC Nan grillers" or some such name, Nan bread sandwiches they put on a press (never for long enough, but that is a known issue). I chose a whole wheat nan with "butter chicken". I couldn't see the filling, but I was expecting chunks of chicken in a butter chicken sauce. It turned out the chicken was chopped fine, and mixed with some weird cheesy gloop. The combined texture effect was as if eating raw chopped chicken. The flavour was bland. Yuck!

[crazyfoodie]

Their teas are amazing, the ones that come in a tin can. Memories of China - green tea with jasmine flowers as well the english, chai, roiboos are also awesome! I'm a completely devoted pc brand shopper. The Spanish jamon serrano is also great and their chorizo. The lemon tart is amazing. I haven't found a product I haven't liked yet...oh actually...wasn't too pleased with their nan bread. It was more like pita bread...outside of this awesome products!

[BamiaWruz]

Don't like their naan at ALL.. So overpriced too, nothing like the real thing, don't know why so many people love it.

[Calipoutine]

Has anyone tried the new "bake it yourself" frozen rolls?

[burlgurl]

I really like the huge new york style square pizza..the pepperoni/ricotta cheese one is so good!
Tried the best ever meat lasagna and it is very good. However, it should be considering it's twice the price as the regular lasagna.

[Bigtigger]

Burlgurl, while the new lasagne is definitely better than the highly-over-rated regular PC lasagne, I found it gloppy and underseasoned, and the meat sauce over-processed. Add some salt, other seasonings and sharper cheese and it would be ok - but still not up to the standard of, say, a Camarra or Romagna Mia - to name two very different types of lasagne served at Toronto restaurants.

[philly cheeze]

Chicago Style Pizza
Red or Yellow Thai curry is as good as any thai take out
Pizza pretzels are amazing better than pizza-riffic Pringles (Honey mustard is good too)
New York Cheesecake

[Calipoutine]

I bought those pizza pretzels last year and didnt really like them.

[Ginsugirl]

The lingonberry sauce is lovely. Has definitely replaced Cranberry this holiday. Also good on cream-cheese bagels. Also the Dulche de Leche. One of my new go-to snacks for my son is apple slices with a little dish of this stuff. Another one, not really all that new, except to me, is the Blue Menu Barley risotto. I don't normally go for the packaged meals, but I liked this one much better than most.

[Calipoutine]

Anyone try any of the new products? I tried the sea salt caramels( good, but the salt grains were a bit too big). The fresh pastas/ravioli's are excellent. I love the Dulce De Leche( although its not a new products). Its made in Argentina.

I'm curious about the ligonberry sauce. Anyone try that?

[hautecocoa]

I'm in love with the lingonberry sauce. I use it to top cheesecakes with and it's just the right amount of sweet/tart. It was good on turkey sandwiches, too.

[jayt90]

PC has had lingonberry sauce since the Dave Nichol days, and it is good.

Currently, I really like PC Organics clover honey, from Peace River, Alberta. It is $6.49/lb, water white grade, and a real treat.

[BamiaWruz]

The clover honey is good, I buy it all the time.

Took the plunge and bought a jar of organics Primavera sauce today, made a quick lasagna, it was good! Will be buying it again.

[BamiaWruz]

Didn't like the salt caramel at all, too much salt and like you said too big and crunchy, mind you I LOVE salt and salty things and I think a little salt with chocolate really makes it wonderful but I didn't like the product at all.

[julesrules]

Love the salt caramels. At first I found them a little too salty (not so much the size of the grains as the overall quantity) but I seemed to get used to them. I brought a box to a party and everyone seemed to like them.

[Montreal_eater]

I'm eating my way through the lemon tart. Pleasantlly surprised, it's absolutely delicious!! Filling very rich and delicious, although the pastry is a bit undercooked. I think it's better than the lemon tarte at Premiere Moisson bakery. (even though this is a toronto site:-)

[goodmom8]

I love the lemon tart too! ... then I read the nutrition label and stopped denying that it could be 'low cal' because it wasn't sweet. Still, I'm enjoying it very much.

[Megan2]

I did a search on the President's Choice Insider's Report (re: new products) and I can't find their vodka pasta sauce. Was it one of their "Memories of Italy" pasta sauces you might have tried instead?

[wontonfm]

Hi there --

It's called Memories of Roma. Here's a link:

http://www.presidentschoice.ca/FoodAn...

[foodiemommy]

I thought the cookies were just okay. I disliked the "Take-In" frozen Indian food. Am looking forward to trying the lemon tart and the dulce de leche, but am afraid to because of the high expectations set here!

[embee]

I haven't tried the dulce de leche, which is something I don't like. As to the lemon, remember that you are paying much less than it would cost to make it yourself. The crust is a bit stodgy, but definitely tastes of butter. I think the lemon curd filling is great. You can get the Dufflet version (possibly in the same freezer), for twice the price, and compare them. I find that Dufflet has a better crust; PC a better filling.

[wontonfm]

I was at Fortino' today and totally forgot to pick up the lemon tart... a trip to Loblaws is in order for tomorrow!

I also tried their new pasta sauce with Mushrooms... it may be the Napoli one but I'm not sure. It was OK. Better than a lot of other pasta sauces on the shelf but doesn't have a huge WOW factor. I would probably buy it again if I wanted a prepared sauce (which is rare... I make from scratch).

[oohlala]

dulce de leche, $2.99/jar, a steal IMHO!

chips are sort of a letdown. Szechuan wasn't spicy and smokin' stamped tasted like regular BBQ.

[To Market To Market]

I've had the PC Lombardia Gorgonzola And Walnut Ravioli, the PC Trentino-Alto-Adige Porcini Mushroom Tortelloni and the PC Memories Of Calabria Fusilli Corti Bucati. I was really impressed with the prices of them and the quality. The ravioli and tortelloni are flavourful, cook quickly and need only a very simple sauce. I bought the fusilli because it was 99 cents and it looked like the more expensive pasta I often buy. It was okay, but a bit too dense...I imagine I will buy it from time to time at that price, though.

[tj2007]

I loved the Poricini mushroom tortellini! I went back to pick up some for those nights we don't feel like cooking and Loblaws was completely sold out! Not surprising...looking forward to trying the memories of Roma sauce as well.

[Snarf]

The Chicken Tikka is quite respectable. Good heat, decent flavours.

Tried the chips as well, and agree that the buffalo/blue ones are interesting. The other three flavours are almost indistinguishable, and a bit bland.

Good to see them making the effort.

[burlgurl]

I really liked the Fig and Goat Cheese apps..I liked the dim sum too, but I have to confess I've never had dim sum before, so I can't compare to restaurant quality!

[kawarthagirl]

Oh, it's not restaurant quality, but up here in the Peter-Patch, I haven't found a dim sum restaurant and I can't always run to TO for a craving fix! :) So it's what I would call 'not bad' but if I could go have the real thing, I would... :)

[DurhamPark]

"I really liked the Fig and Goat Cheese apps"

I second that. Not out of this world good or anything but a very decent easy frozen appetizer.

[stephen]

The lemon tart is quite good, but the dim sum I found to be not worthy.

[caitlink]

I like the Buffalo Wing/Blue Cheese potato chips. More spicy than most. Plus the blackcurrant soda.

Will try the butter chicken next.

[millygirl]

I agree, the lemon tart is pretty good. Just don't leave it around more than a day or so. It starts to get a funny color around the edges. Theres a reason it states on the box it must be consumed within 48 hours :) I don't want to know why.

[TorontoJo]

I thought the lemon tart was quite good as well. I just keep it in the freezer and cut slices as I want them. They thaw in no time. Plus I must admit to liking them semi-frozen. :)

[hotsauce28]

The flat burger buns!
Finally, you can enjoy a burger without all the bread.
also make sandwiches with them and just a few days ago, i put a few in the oven with some olive oil, salt, thyme and parmesean. It was so friggin good!

[Full tummy]

I use those for everything! Grilled sandwiches, toast, whatever. I second the flat "burger buns", though I think they're much more like pita than bun.

The dim sum was alright; don't think I'll buy it again, though.

Vanilla cake not so good; baking soda taste and lacking vanilla flavour.

"Gourmet" style cookies too sweet and fake tasting, especially for the price.

Have a few other things in the freezer to try and am ever hopeful.

[julesrules]

Check out previous thread too
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/460129

[wontonfm]

thanks i completely missed this thread... I only searched the Ontario board.

Thanks!

[kawarthagirl]

We enjoyed the Dim Sum and the Tarte au Citron - it's only half way to being like meringue pie yack. My husband like the Chocolate Tart too but I found it TOO MUCH! However that's my personal bent towards lighter desserts...