What Are Your Favorite Grocery Store Items?

[Jeff C.]

Okay, there are only three rules here:
1. Food products only.
2. Items need to be the best of their kind.
3. Items need to be widely available.

My faves:
1. Colavita olive oil--as good as brands costing twice as much
2. Fage Total 0% yogurt--richer than other brand's full-fat yogurts; perfect with honey, fruit and/or chopped walnuts
3. Kashi Heart-to-Heart Oatmeal--the only instant oatmeal with the taste and texture of slow-cooked oats. (I esp. like the Golden Maple flavor.)
4. Dickinson Purely Fruit strawberry preserves--the name says it all

[alkapal]

don't recall if i've mentioned the "simply apple" juice and the other "simply" juices -- not from concentrate. the apple is fantastic. and i just saw an add for a new orange-mango. yeah!

[rHairing]

For me..

Triple ginger ginger snaps Trader Joes
That chicken salad they make from the rotisserie chicken at Costco.
Barilla black and gren olive pasta sauce

And can I get a shout out for big bag o unpopped popcorn at any grocery store that you can stick in a pan with canola oil and pop?

[silvergirl]

Haagen Dazs Fleur de Sel

[bushy]

Any REAL Mayonaise as it is all the same!
La Costena Refried beans! (were made in MX. now being made in AZ. no good now)
Can still find the MX. made in stores. Look at back of can. GREAT, gonna miss them.
Woody's Cooking Sauce- BBQ Concentrate (smokey)
Kozlowski Farms Mango Appricot Roasted Chipotle & or Rasberry Chipolte Grill sauce.
Most other Kozlowski products, vinegars etc.
Most pasta sauces by Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro, great value too & gourmet.
Most Mezzetta products such as roasted red peppers, olives etc. etc.
Greatest hot sauce is Hellfire and Damnation. Really chunky, hot and flavorfull enough to use as a dip if you can handle it!
Twist and Shout Haberano sauce from Mezzetta, very cheap and great too!
Most all of the Briannas salad dressings! quality ingredients, no Krafty crapy.
Hatch chilis from N.M. All good, sauces too.
Incredibly good E.V.O.O from Safeway, yes Safeway is Tony Tantillo's It is like $11 for 750ml and is frequently 2-4-1 so only $5.50! Stock up. Did you know that in Greece the average person uses 26 Litres of Olive Oil a year? Try this Oil and you may too.
Maranatha Peanut butter. Organic & no stir too. Fantastic. Also have Almond butter, but is really expensive unless you find it at Costco.
Speaking of Costco they have this Albacore Tuna, I think an 8 pack for like $10 or so. Best Albacore yet. Also great rain forest coffee, cheap. Not to mention the Salmon Burgers, wild and frozen for you.
I better stop as I must go eat!

[laliz]

I just love reading these lists; you know who has the same tastes as yourself just by reading. And I NEVER needed to learn about that white chocolate chip/dried cranberry idea. Can't wait to try that.

Knorr Chicken with Tomato Broth Bouillon (caldo de pollo con tomate)
Best Foods Mayonnaise
Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce (original)
La Costena Black Beans and Black Refried Beans
Honey Crisp Apples
Anderson's Split Pea Soup
Diet Coke

[choctastic]

Hershey's Cacao Reserve 35% milk chocolate bars, especially the little mini bars. Absolutely my favorite milk chocolate right now. I like them more than my Sharffenberger milk chocolate bars.

[teacat38]

1. /lambda/ extra virgin olive oil
2. saporina balsamic jelly
3. zabar's goose foie gras with truffles
4. taylor's of harrogate assam tea
5. mcevoy lemon curd
6. barilla linguini
7. kikkoman soy sauce

[Caroline1]

From my local supermarkets...

Morton's Coarse Kosher Salt
Maldon Sea Salt
Inglehoffer's Original Stone Ground Mustard
Maille Old Style Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
Shirakiku Shiro Miso
Kikkoman Soy Sauce
LouAna Peanut Oil
Colavita Olive Oil
Horizon Organic yogurt, milk, eggs
Taco Bell Fat Free Refried Beans
Hatch Chopped Green Chiles
Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce
Tobasco Green Pepper
Herdez Salsa Casera (makes great huevos rancheros)
Kadoya Sesame Oil
Cock brand Special Fish Sauce
Starkist Water Pack Solid White Albacore Tuna
Kellog's All Bran
Kellog's Special K
Quaker Instant Oats (individual packs)
Wassa Light Rye
Marie Callender's Garlic and Butter Croutons (for snacking!)
Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter
Noni's Original Biscotti
Orvil Reddenbacker's Smart Pop popcorn
Lawler's (frozen) Cheesecake Miniatures
Nonesuch Mincemeat (great ice cream topping!)
Great Value Frozen Asparagus Spears (in the steamer tray)
Athens Phyllo
Bisquick
Spam

...among other things...

Edit: Where I shop: Walmart, Sam's, Central Market, Albertson's, and a supermarket I don't know the name of because it's written in Vietnamese

[girlwonder88]

*Carr's Ginger Lemon Cookies
*Crunchy Jif
*Carr's Water Crackers with Black Pepper
*Dubliner Cheese
*Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar
*Tillamook Extra Sharp Vintage White cheddar
*Ben and Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie
*Kerrygold butter
(Hey, I like my dairy)
*Jujubes...even though I pulled out a filling with 'em once
*Red rope licorice
*Fage yogurt
*TJ's mint chocolate cookie joys, edamame beans (which they don't carry any more), greek yogurt (a lot cheaper than Fage and almost as good), dried fruits and nuts
*TLC crackers, by Kashi
*Kashi Go LEan Crunch cereal

[poptart]

Oh yes, Dubliner cheese is good stuff!

[marthasway]

Wolf Brand Chili needs no improvement, just Fritos and shredded cheddar or Nabisco Premium Saltines on the side.

[Lori SF]

Kozy Shack Rice Pudding, I can eat an entire tub..at least its less fat than ice cream.

[ArikaDawn]

The tapioca is good as well.

[Lori SF]

and the banana pudding too, just harder to find. I like the tapioca with a sprinklle of cinnamon.

[Emme]

Yes it is... but Trader Joe's tapioca is even better...

I like the Kozy Shack regular rice pudding and the European style... both yummy comfort foods.

Some others...
Stacey's Pita Chips
La Tortilla Factory Tortillas
All Bran Extra Fiber
Heinz Vegetarian Beans
Double Rainbow Vanilla, Blueberry, Pumpkin Ice Creams
Vienna Fingers
Total Yogurt
Skippy
Milton's Extra Fiber Bread
Michael Angelo's Manicotti
MorningStar Vegetarian Riblets (they're really sweet, but there's something about them I really like)
BocaBurgers
Haagen-Dazs Sticky Toffee Ice Cream
Entenmann's Popems

[Lori SF]

I also find Loacker Lemon Cookies Wafer addicting.

I make my own salad dressings depending on the salad but I just LOVE Brianna's The New American for chopped salads or crunchy romaine lettus with hearts of palm, celery and chopped turkey or tuna with chopped red cabbage and carrots. This is the dressing for the classic and other chopped salads.

[TomDel]

Here are some of my favorites – some local, some not. I’ve tried not to repeat products mentioned by other posters. Sorry if I bent the rules a bit.

• National Products
o McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning (I use it on everything)
o McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal
o Dunkin Donuts Coffee
o Tomolives (any brand) – pickled small green cherry tomatoes (great in a martini)
o Locatelli Romano cheese
o Jif peanut butter on Ritz crackers
o Entenmann baked goods
o Bauchant brandy and orange liqueur (better than Grand Marnier)

• Local (Central NJ / Eastern PA)
o Landis frozen shaved sirloin steak (they make a great Philly style cheese steak)
o Loffler’s kielbasa, bologna, natural casing hot dogs and summer sausage
o Case’s mild pork roll
o Hatfield Country Links breakfast sausage
o Habbersett Scrapple
o Tastykakes’ Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes (with a glass of cold milk)
o Flying Fish brewery’s Belgian Abbey Dubbel style beer
o Turkey Hill decaffeinated diet iced tea
o Hoboken bread (ideally from Marie's bakery in Hoboken, NJ)

[Nuray]

Liberte - Plain yoghurt - 2.5% i think - my absolute favourite yogurt in this country
Kashi Go Lean Cereal
Vermonth Butter & Co Creme Fraiche
Nutella
D L Jardine's Jalapeno Mustard (I used to get it when I travelled to Texas, can't find it in NYC)
Applegate Farms Herbed or Black Pepper Turkey Breast

[chocchipcookie]

Heinz Ketchup-Why do other companies even bother?
Ritz Crackers
Jiff PB
Stouffers French Bread pizzas-A guilty pleasure
Hellmans Mayo- I Like the chunkiness of it-tried Dukes once and went back
Pomi tomatoes for homemade pizza sauce
McCormick season-all-love it sprinkled on barley cooked ground beef!
Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes
Hagaan Daz Mayan Chocolate Icecream-I keep it hidden

I haven't tried those Chocolatier chips yet-they will be on the next grocery list!

[madgreek]

Haagen Dazs Mayan Chocolate? I've never seen it, and it's not shown on their website. What gives? I've been looking for a chocolate ice cream with some spice...

[chocchipcookie]

I just looked at mine in the freezer and it is labled as a "feature flavor".Whatever that means. We have had it here in SC for at least a year. I hope they don't discontinue it. I will go mad-it has a nice subtle cinnamoney- deep chocolate taste.

[alkapal]

kashi go lean honey almond and flax cereal is outstandingly good!

[goodhealthgourmet]

i've never had the kashi, but if you want an outstanding, healthy cold cereal with flax, try nature's path pumpkin flax plus granola. it's terrific.

man i miss cereal. it's the biggest gluten-free sacrifice for me.

[alkapal]

kashi go lean crunch honey almond and flax cereal:
http://www.kashi.com/products/golean_crunch_honey_almond_flax

Kashi Seven Whole Grain and Sesame® Blend (Whole: Hard Red Winter Wheat, Long Grain Brown Rice, Oats, Triticale, Barley, Rye, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals, Soy Protein Concentrate, Brown Rice Syrup, Chicory Root Fiber, Almonds, Whole Oats, Whole Flaxseed, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Honey, Salt, Natural Flavor, Mixed Tocopherols (Natural Vitamin E) for Freshness.

Nature's Path Pumpkin FlaxPlus Granola:
http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/nc...

Organic oats, organic evaporated cane juice, organic Crispy Rice (Organic brown rice flour, organic evaporated cane juice, organic molasses, sea salt), organic canola oil, organic pumpkin seeds, organic flax seeds, organic oat syrup solids, organic ground cinnamon.

[lgss]

We like the Nature's Path Mesa Sunrise (it's made in a facility with wheat so not for you if you're extremely sensitive, but is marketed as gf).
http://www.naturespath.com/products/c...

[goodhealthgourmet]

lgss, i have no idea if you'll ever see this because it's such an old thread, but i just had to say THANK YOU for the recommendation! i *finally* got around to picking up a box of the cereal last week, and it's terrific. i've eaten it for breakfast every day. the fact that i can actually enjoy cold cereal [besides my homemade granola] again is HUGE for me. i owe you for this! :)

[choctastic]

I love eating the Nestle Chocolatier chips out of the bag. Best chocolate chips for eating out of the bag that I've ever had.

[ArikaDawn]

This is why I love CH. Not only are there people who don't hesitate to admit to eating chocolate chips out of the bag, but they do it enough to have a basis for comparison =)
When in need of a sugar shock I have been known to snack on a 50/50 mix of dried cranberries and Ghiradelli white chocolate chips. Thank goodnes baking season is over and I no longer have these on hand.

[choctastic]

I like the Ghiradelli chips, but man, those Chocolatier ones are so creamy and good they blow everything else in the supermarket out of the water for me. Guittard used to be my favorite before I discovered the Chocolatier ones.

[choctastic]

Just noticed I am eating the 53% Chocolatier chips. Haven't tried the other one (35%?). FYI

[burritobelle]

Yes on the Ak Maks! They are the best crackers.

[Daisy L]

Great fun reading the lists.

Stadium Mustard -- http://www.stadiummustard.com/
Cholula hot sauce -- http://www.cholula.com/
Heinz Chili Sauce
Rotel - Diced Tomatos and green chilis
Quaker Oats
Fage Yogurt
Kozy Shack rice pudding
Gourmet Gardens Basil - relatively new item, not sure if it is a fad or not... but it will maintained stocked for now.

[Jeff C.]

Just tried Hunt's new fire-roasted diced tomatoes--they must be feeling the heat from Muir Glen and others. Def. better than their regular ones, but still taste tinny to me.

Oh, and before I forget again: Give it up for plain old Cheerios, everybody. (Best and most versatile cold cereal ever.)

[ArikaDawn]

I have lots of favorite things I get nearly everytime I go to the grocery, but currently I am obsessing over a few in particular.
- Pacific Foods Curried Red Lentil Soup; organic, low-fat, low-cal, and is a great base for doctoring. I often add to it chicken, roasted red peppers, corn, and most recently a handful of spinach. Super easy, healthy, and tasty.
- Soy Delicious Peppermint Carob non-dairy frozen dessert
- Stoneyfield Farms Non-fat frozen vanilla yogurt ( a scoop of this w/a scoop peppermint carob = Divine!)
- Mr. Krispers Rice Chips in any flavor; gluten free, low-fat, low-cal
- Country Bob's
- Kraft Light Italian Dressing; a perfect marinade for meat
- Reduced Fat Jif creamy PB
- Mt. Olive Sweet and Hot Salad Pepper Rings
- Simply Apple apple juice

[goodhealthgourmet]

Mr. Krispers are ridiculous...so deliciously addictive!

[alkapal]

i just tried simply apple. simply fan-tastic!

[Marsha]

Ak-mak whole wheat crackers with sesame seeds. Good stuff. I get mine at Trader Joe's, but it's available elsewhere.

[amyzan]

I love them! They have a nice mild flavor, a little sweet, and also suited to savory items because of the sesame seeds. Ak-mak aren't totally bland the way a lot of crackers taste. I've even eaten 'em plain with a little good butter when I'm low on snack items. Unfortunately, Whole Foods jacked the price up, and there's no TJs around here.

[Jeff C.]

Just finished my first box of Ak-Maks. Good with cheddar. Great with peanut butter. What other combinations should I try?

[amyzan]

Hmm, lately it's been radishes with sweet butter or cream cheese and a little sea salt. I also like avocado slices with sea salt and pepper, or pears with blue cheese and spiced walnuts.

[Jeff C.]

I'm not a big fan of radishes, but everything else sounds delicious.

[amyzan]

Radishes are better when it's mild where they're grown, less likely to be bitter. So, this is a good time of year for them, but yeah, they're an acquired taste. I slice them thinly and pair them with something creamy to round out the flavor.

[anchovy]

Rienzi - canned tomato products - love the richer red color and fresh flavor

[acme]

8th Continent Vanilla Soy Milk, and not the low fat one.
Nutella - but only from the ethnic store because it seems to taste better. Oops, I don't think this one counts...
T. Marzetti Classic Ranch Salad Dressing.

[foodiemommy]

Eagle Brand Condensed Milk. Great in recipes, coffee, or right from the can.
Hellman's.
Activia yogurt, especially the vanilla and raspberry flavours. Great mouth feel. I guess that's because there's cream in it!

[val ann c]

Teddy peanut butter
Muir Glen canned tomatoes - all varieties!
King Oscar brisling sardines in olive oil
Ling Ling frozen spring rolls -- tasty and convenient, made in usa and all natural. http://www.ling-ling.com/all_natural/...
Sunshine Burgers (veggie-rice burgers)

[susancinsf]

The Dickinson blackberry Purely Fruit is pretty good too!

and yes, ditto on Fage.

[burritobelle]

-Tapatio
-Sriracha
-Tillamook Sour Cream (The BEST! Even the "light" is super thick and creamy)
-Safeway brand raviolis - portabella or asparagus (the best frozen ravioli Ive found)
-Trader Joe's paparadelle (not many brands make this -- the pasta is silky and delicious)
-organic milk (don't have a cow -- must have the milk)
-Snyder's sourdough pretzels (the big, fat, hard ones - that was kind of dirty!)
-tortillas

[chefschickie]

haha, funny..... sorry got my mind way in the gutter......

[PDeveaux]

I totally did not know that Tillamook also makes sour cream.

[mpalmer6c]

Twp products I tried only fairly recently: Oscar Mayer shaved smoked (not honey) ham, and Pillsbury Golden Layers buttermilk biscuits. Amazingly good.

[Sam Fujisaka]

I live in Cali,Colombia, where my grocery store items are good and safe fruits, vegetbles, grains, meats, and diary. I make everything from scratch, don't eat processed or fast foods. I'm not some self-rightous food freak: we just don't have tempting fast or processed foods (no Campbell's cream of mushroom no Taco Hell no Cheese Cake Factory). The junk foods are so junk they make US junk foods look like a trip to the health food store.

Now and then I briefly work in the US and try to stay in suite hotels. In that case its off to Safeway to buy: cheddar and Monterey jack (at home I have a stash of Oaxaca, pec-reg from Italy, others), cheap corn and flour tortillas (have to make em at home), sauerkraut, cranapple juice, frozen orange juice, CalRose rice, Tabasco, bagels, English muffins, cheap instant ramen, inexpensive keilbasa and sausages, peanut butter, inexpensive but good wines, a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli, and a bottle of Jim Beam.

Before I return home, the trip to the grocery store is for: nori, aburage, corn husks (for tamales), Maseca, dried Mexican chilis, Koda Brothers or Kokuho rice, Japanese pickled vegetables, dried mushrooms, Hondashi, wasabi powder, couscous, canned waterchestnuts and bamboo shoots, anchovies, canned eel, different Japanese and Chineese dried noodles, white peppercorns, ...

[churchka]

Heinz Ketchup!!!

If not organic local dairy, then Land O' Lakes

Or tofutti dairy free sour cream from the hubby.

McCormick's Taco Seasoning

Kashi Pizzas

And Heinz Ketchup!!!

[dolores]

Yes, Heinz ketchup -- there 'is' no other major brand, right???

And Jif peanut butter!!! -- it 'can' be the sole source of protein in one's diet, right???

[fara]

and if you don't want HCFS, Heinz organic is really good. tastes better to me even.

[KevinB]

Malcolm Gladwell of the New Yorker (one of my favourite writers, BTW), did a piece on the unique taste of Heinz ketchup, and how, though other companies try hard, they can't match the taste and texture. I quite agree; most other attempts are pretty watery.

Of course, that reminds me of a famous commercial: a dollop of Heinz and a competitor are put on a board, which is then tilted up for "The Great Ketchup Race". After 20 seconds of silence, during which the competitor's ketchup separates, and sickly pink water starts to run the down the board, the voice-over announces "Heinz loses". Cracked me up every time I saw it.

[mollyomormon]

I don't see that anyone has yet mentioned the Wasa flatbread. I'm a big fan.

[lynnlato]

Unequivocally, Jiffy peanutbutter. It IS the perfect food product.

Hellman's (Duke's is gnarly)
Nature's Own 100% whole wheat
Bone Suckin' Sauce bbq sauce (hot)
Heintz Ketchup
Brianna's Homestyle poppyseed dressing
Trader Joe's whole wheat pasta
Lydia's tomato sauce
Daisy sour cream
Land O' Lakes butter (unsalted)
Coke Zero

[crt]

Sometimes rules are made to be broken. So my favorite item is whatever is the last item I choose. Because, of course, it means I'll soon be out of the grocery store and on my way home to enjoy one or more of the items I purchased while there.

I hate your rule number two as I hate all the 'best of' questionaires here at CH as everybody's idea of what that will be will vary and differ. My view there is no 'best of' there's only what I/you prefer.

[Gio]

"I hate your rule number two as I hate all the 'best of' questionaires here at CH as everybody's idea of what that will be will vary and differ. My view there is no 'best of' there's only what I/you prefer"

While I don't exactly *hate* rule #2.. I understand that everyone's taste is different, and everyone's "best" will be different than other people's. Vive le difference.

[MysticYoYo]

Kraft Real Mayo - much smoother than Hellman's, which tastes very "eggy" to me. I was vegan for awhile and after I went back to vegetarianism I tasted some Hellman's and it was like eating egg salad. Still, those are the only two brands I will eat.
Kimlan soy sauce
Most Knorr mixes (avoids thinking about the sodium)

edited to add:
Lousiana Brand Hot Sauce
Morningstar Farm Burgers
Fantastic Foods Tabouli Mix
Fantastic Foods Tofu Scramble
Fantastic Foods Falafel Mix

[revsharkie]

Kitchen Bouquet seasoning sauce and Lawry's Seasoned Salt.
Blue Bunny light "superfruit" yogurt, especially the blackcurrant variety. (My local grocery stopped carrying it; I suspect I'm one of only two or three people in town who knows what blackcurrants even are.)
Cookie's Bar "B" "Q" Sauce, made right here in Sac County.
Beaver cream style horseradish--although one of those little round jars doesn't last very long at my house.

[monalisawoman]

casa mia marinated artichoke hearts
100% whole wheat Wheat Thins
Utz potato chips
St. Dalfour Thick apricot (or peach) Preserves
Peanut butter bumpers

[Cinnamom]

I love those artichokes!!! All the other marinated ones out there are just gross. But these are the best.

[Gio]

Ohhhhyeeesss.... The St. Dalfour Preserves are delicious.. Apricot and Peach are what we love too. I've used both for glazes, as a base for chutney, and as a sauce for ice cream.

[KevinB]

Well, since no one else has said it: HP Sauce. I can't envision eating eggs without it, and it dresses up so many other dishes. I think I use it more often that I use salt!

[PDeveaux]

Kraft Real Mayo
Simply Orange orange juice
Guldens Spicy Brown Mustard
Pepperidge Farm cookies

[bnemes3343]

Empire kosher chicken

[Jeff C.]

Blue Diamond Jalapeno Smokehouse almonds--best (and healthiest) snack food ever!

[Isabella]

Blue Diamond Wasabi Soy Almonds-- add those to the list!

Good Lawd, JC, your Haagen Daaz creation may just make me fall in love! Wowza!

[Jeff C.]

Iz so good...and a helluva lot more festive than fruitcake.

[Jeff C.]

Just tried the Wasibi Soy almonds, Isabella. They are way fine! (Just the right amount of wasabi "kick," too.)

[chocolatstiletto]

they are seriously addicting- have you tried the thai chili and lime ones yet? or the maui onion? (not AS huge a fan of the latter, but the tins of wasabi and thai are getting a too little rattly and empty sounding...)

[Jeff C.]

Haven't tried the Maui Onion almonds yet. Thought the chili-lime ones were chalky and bland. I like the Jalapeno Smokehouse variety the best and the Wasabi-Soy second. Both are positively addictive-not to mention much better for you than a bag of potato chips!

[chocolatstiletto]

Like I said, I'm not as fond of the maui onion ones or the chili lime ones, although perhaps that's because I'm also addicted to the Trader Joe's cashews and peanuts with the same (except sublime) flavoring, and wish that TJ made an almond version...I'll need to look for the jalapeno ones, thanks!

[Isabella]

I have no problem eating stinky foods, but the Maui Onion just stayed with me too long. I could smell it the rest of the day. I figured my massage clients probably didn't appreciate that! And it had a bit of artificial flavor or chemical flavor.

Yeah, JeffC, looks like we both enjoy the same kinda zing! Often these nuts were all I ate in school. Great protein & great zing . . . just what I needed!
Interestingly enough, I just found a secret stash of them . . . about 10 tubes!

I had to hide them from my SO, because he was eating 2 packs a day.
A pack a day was my lunch!

[chefschickie]

oh, just realized isabella just posted them also, the soy wasabi ones are sooo good!
and jeff, the ice cream dessert sounds soooo good, def gonna try that one!

[chocolatstiletto]

have to admit I finally tried them and while they're still pretty decent, I thought the smoky flavor tasted the same chemical flavor as pretentious fake meat. and I say that as a chick who hasn't eaten bacon in over a year. More jalapeno, less flaky coating?

[jeanmarieok]

Chipotle Tabasco - I put it on EVERYTHING
pappadew peppers - they are delicious - sweet and spicy
Kerrygold butter
Boar's Head imported swiss cheese

[mollyomormon]

I looove that Chipotle tabasco!

[chefschickie]

Definitely the Sriracha or Sambal oelek
Coconut milk
Pataks Curry Paste (like mild & Vindaloo best, but like them all)
KerryGold Butter
Fage 0%
Daisy Sour Cream
Newmans Own Whole Wheat
Kikkoman Soy Sauce
Jack Daniels Mustard
Bulls Eye BBQ Sauce
Claussens Kosher Pickles
Tostitos Medium Picante Salsa
Ritter Sport / Milka Chocolate
Twinings Lady Grey Tea
Bon Maman Cherry and Black Berry
Skippy Natural
Louisiana Gold Hot Sauce
Tabasco Chipotle
Aidells Andouille Sausage
Italbrand / Scalfani San Marzano Tomatoes
Pomi Strained Tomatoes
Athenos Humus (spicy 3 pepper & Eggplant are my faves)
Feta
Mozzarella
Kashi Bars
Frantoia Olive Oil
Barilla Plus Pasta
Mimi's Ravioli

Think that's it for now, haha!! Probably forgot some stuff..... like Chocolate Haagen Dazs...... haha

[Jeff C.]

Like Haagen Daza MAYAN Chocolate, by chance??? I sautee ripe banana slices in equal parts butter and brown sugar and add a splash of dark rum at the end. Then serve over a nice big scoop of the above. (Whipped cream optional.)

It is one SEX-Y dessert! (Trust me.)

[dolores]

Oh yes, bananas foster over Haagen Daz, yum. I like vanilla, though.

Jif peanut butter. I did my own taste test with Jif, Skippy, and Peter Pan -- Jif won, and then I had to eat all the peanut butter!

Cafe Bustelo dried coffee -- the best to use in baking, the coffee is super strong.

Oh, and McVitie's Chocolate Hob Nob cookies. I used to order them online, now they're available in the international food section of the supermarket. They are addictive.

[chefschickie]

Oh I forgot!!! McVities Digestive cookies, made with whole meal, sooooo good!!!!

[kobetobiko]

Cheetos!
Haagen Dazs and Ciao Bella Ice Cream
Heniz Ketcup
Sriracha or Sambal Omlek
Nathan's Beef Frank
Kikkoman Soy Sauce ( i usually a very specific type, but can do with the normal one for cooking)
I will still buy Kraft's Chedder Cheese if I have a sudden crave for good old American grilled cheese sandwich

[poptart]

Friendship cottage cheese (I love it...and can't stomach any other brand of cc, not sure why!)
Fage yogurt
Hellman's
Italian tuna canned in olive oil (Pastene)

[jfood]

Jfood is very disappointed that you have no relatives on your list Pop Tart. :-))

[poptart]

Ah, I guess I forgot something didn't I? I always joke with my co-workers because I try to eat healthy (don't really like pre-fab food) but for some reason, I still like Poptarts to bring to work when I haven't had b'fast. I like the taste of the "natural" or "organic" ones best, I am sure that must make them MUCH more healthy than regular ones, haha! All that organic white flour and sugar. :-)

[monalisawoman]

i love pop-tarts, & wish that the whole grain wave would catch-up with them... so many other breakfast items are whole grain now, why not them?

[poptart]

Amen! A good whole grain poptart could be quite something, with a better fruit filling, all the better! I'd definitely eat them more often if there were such a thing.

[smarsh]

ask and you shall receive: http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/Prod...

[poptart]

Whoa! That's amazing.
Too bad they still have all the other crap in them (artificial color, etc etc). I've been getting the "organic" brands at Trader Joes and Whole Foods which are not bad, but not sure how "whole grain" they are.

Still.....I am going to try these, dyes, preservatives etc and all! Thanks for the heads up!

[vballgal]

how could i forget friendship cottage cheese?! totally agree with you...definitely a staple and the only cottage cheese i buy!

[poptart]

Friendship definitely is great. I have never found anything that compares...and also, I am not too crazy about their lowfat version.

Have you tried their other type, I think it's a spread or something? I was curious as to whether it was any good or not.

[vballgal]

i haven't tried anything but their cottage cheese...i didn't even know they made other products. i'll definitely keep my eye out, though...it's like a spread for bread, bagels, etc?

[poptart]

This stuff is called "whipped" cottage cheese, a friend told me she spreads it on a bagel. I haven't tried it yet but I plan to. Unfortunately right now I am planning to go off dairy if I can in the new year for a couple of weeks to see if it helps with my allergies. Their cottage cheese is one of the things I will miss most!

[jeni1002]

Poptart - did you have their farmer's cheese in mind? I buy it pretty often and I am definitely pleased with it - it has a creamy consistency, and not as much liquid as the cottage cheese. I use it as a crepe filling, in lasagnas, and a few other recipes. The farmer's cheese where I come from is a lot more sour and creamier (fewer curds), but this has been an acceptable alternative. BTW, does anyone know of any other farmer's cheese brand? (even WF uses Friendship.....)

Looking at their Web site, I am not sure if they produce any kind of spreadable cheese, just cottage cheese, sour cream, farmer's cheese, yogurt and buttermilk. I haven't tried their yogurt, but I would be curious to find out more....

[poptart]

Actually, their "whipped" cottage cheese is labeled that way, and in the same kind of cottage cheese containers. I have only seen it at Whole Foods, not the other grocery stores that sell Friendship.

Thanks for mentioning the farmer's cheese....it's been years since I've tried it and that would be nice on a bagel I am sure! Going to get some soon!
:-)

[vballgal]

just went to whole foods for the first time in a while and i saw the friendship whipped cottage cheese so i gave it a try and i liked it a lot! i've eaten it spread on half of a bagel as well as just on it's own....it seems just like very very small curd cottage cheese without much liquid, a texture that i liked. anyway, i reccommend giving it a try! thanks for heads up :-)

[Cinnamom]

Stonyfield Farm lowfat vanilla yogurt
tj's natural peanut butter (creamy, salted)
DeCecco pasta
Grape Nuts (mix with the yogurt!)
Add me to the Bonne Maman list
Brownberry 100% whole wheat bread
Hellman's mayo
any generic plastic wrap, but never Reynold's- it never sticks!

[vballgal]

teddy's peanutbutter - super crunchy
fage total 0% yogurt
kashi whole wheat puffs cereal
frey poupon dijon mustard
sargento light string cheese

[BobB]

Hero preserves, especially apricot
Spectrum canola mayonnaise, available at Whole Foods - and all you Hellman's fans really need to try this to find out what you're missing!
Fig Newmans
Pepperidge Farms mini Brussels cookies
Barilla pasta
Kerrygold butter
Melinda's hot sauces

[jfood]

This was pretty easy since jfood wrote a computer shopping list program with his favorites:

Olde Cape Cod Honey French Lite dressing
Guldens mustard
Skippy PB (creamy)
IMUS Salsa (mild)
Wasabiyaki
Oreos
BB Low Sodium Tuna (white meat)
Rao's Marinara
Tropicana No Pulp OJ
HN Hot Dogs
Kate's Butter
Hellman's
Frosted Flakes
Heinz ketchup
Bonne Something Strawberry jam (Jfood knows the label)

[Gio]

Bonne Maman. It's on my list too!

[jfood]

Correct. Thx. love the strawberry and cherry and have just begun the blueberry.

[Gio]

They're all good as far as I'm concerned. When a jar is finished it's a perfect container for storing my own seasoning blends: Cajun, Creole, Chili powder, etc.

[jfood]

Have patience Gio. jfood needs to work his way through lots of peanut butter to make that statement. He'll get there for all except Apricot. Just ain't happening.

[Jeff C.]

Try the Orange marmalade. Excellent.

[jfood]

jfood is a street kid from NJ. so help please. what do you do with orange maralade. It was the jar at IHOP growing up that was always full.

He can;t see it with PB, salted butter and a english muffin just does not feel right. Maybe a corn muffin, halfed, with butter and quick in a skillet, then the marmalade on top? A scone?

[Gio]

All of the above. Gee, jfood.....no mustard, no apricots, now no orange marmalade. What next?

[jfood]

- Number 2 on the list is gulden's. Mustard goes on hot dogs, not hamburgers. In fact he just had some mustard on his grilled chicken sandwich. :-))
- Apricot marmalade is for Ruggelah. Which reminds jfood to have mrs jfood make a batch this weekend. thx
3 - jfood has a half a dozen wonderful Florida Navels (red and orange) in the fridge for the next few nights. The season has officially begun. Orange marmalade just seems too sweet and goopy-ish (that's a technical term).

[maria lorraine]

I make an extremely tasty sauce with orange marmalade that I use on pork tenderloin and chicken especially...however, I have been known to dunk pieces into leftover sauce at the bottom of the pan after dinner:

ORANGE MARMALADE-CHIPOTLE SAUCE

3-2/3 c. beef stock
3-2/3 c. chicken stock

3 T. olive oil
¼ c. finely chopped shallots
½ cup orange marmalade
1 T. chipotle sauce (from canned chipotles)
1 T. water
2 t. cornstarch

Reduce stock to 2½ cups. (7-1/3 c. to 2 ½ c. – reduced to 1/3 of former volume).

Heat olive oil, add shallots and sauté till soft, about 4 minutes. Add reduced stock, marmalade and chipotles. Simmer till reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Whisk water and cornstarch together, then add to stock mixture. Stir until sauce boils and thickens, about 5 minutes.

I've made half this recipe many times.
Paraphrased recipe from Velvet Restaurant, NYC.

[jfood]

Thanks ML that looks great. Was nervous about the portion size until jfood saw the 1/2 comment at the end. jfood is looking for a good pork tenderloin recipe to expand mrs jfood's horizons and this one, with the chipotles looks great.

[Jeff C.]

Bonne Maman orange marmalade is awesome with scones. Whole wheat toast will do in pinch, too. (Serve with soft scrambled eggs.)

[torty]

Along the eggy rheme I like sourdough baguette toasted, the orange marmalade and soft boiled egg

[SweetPea914]

I'm not the biggest fan of marmalade, but have enjoyed it on occasion with scones, or on an english muffin, but always with tea. For some reason I think the orange flavor brings out the flavor of certain dark teas.

[Sourise]

Popsecret "homestyle" popcorn
Newman's Own Orange Mango Tango
Health valley chicken nuggets
Brianna's Honey mustard salad dressing
Braeburn Apples... (does produce count?)
Annie's refried beans (as a side dish served with lots of fresh tomatoes tossed into it... perfect for lazy-night)

I'm always sad I can never find good baked goods at the supermarket. I've pretty much given up on ever eating bread again...

[Jeff C.]

Is Orange Mango Tango a juice blend or what? I don't think I've seen it here.

[Sourise]

It's not a blended drink or a smoothie or anything- it's pulp-free orange juice consistency, but with more exotic, sweet citrus flavors. For some reason, I only see it in Stop and Shop (and only on rare occasions- they seem to sell out fast).

[Jeff C.]

Checked the website--not available in the south. Sounds delish, though.

[janetofreno]

I LOVE Popsecret "homestyle" popcorn. For awhile it was really hard to find, but fortunately it seems to be making a comeback.....

There is a certain fruitcake that Raley's (regional chain) carries at Christmas time. So sue me, but I love fruitcake. Especially that one. Its sold as "Fruit and Nut Cake" under the Raley's brand. Today I followed my annual tradition of going to the store and buying several at the post-Christmas "1/2 off" price.......

[tastycakes]

popsecret homestyle is the BOMB!! tastes like the popcorn mom used to make with the air popper that has the little melting tray on top where you put the butter - so good.

O organics plain popcorn is delicious too, liked it more than the butter version.

[ipsedixit]

Heinz Ketchup
Sriracha
Fudgiscles

[fara]

colavita
pomi boxed strained and chopped tomatoes
hellman's
edensoy original
imported parmigiano reggiano
whole foods ciabatta bread
applegate farms havarti cheese
celtic sea salt
annie's mac n'cheese
cafe goya and cafe bustelo
organic frozen whie corn
packaged baby spinach(for cooking) and packaged mache
le provence(?) unsalted butter
lest not to forget, stouffer's french bread pizza

[BBQ101]

Knorr Pesto is great for a packaged sauce.

[othervoice]

Knorr Bernaise Sauce is another great packaged sauce mix. Add fresh mushrooms and a thinck steak and it's heaven.

[piccola]

I'm a big fan of the President's Choice brand - the Loblaws store brand in Canada. So far, I've only found a handful of products (out of hundreds) that I don't like. Hint: stay away from the ketchup.

I also like:

Astro's BioBest plain yogurt
Gardenburger's original veggie burger (tastes like veggies, not fake meat)
Newman's Own Light Sesame Ginger dressing
Vitasoy Light Original soymilk
Thomas's high-fibre English muffins
McCann's quick-cooking oats (much thicker and creamier than other brands)
Knorr's veggie stock powder

I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

The President's Choice Butter First oatmeal cookie is so good that I bring at least one bag home to Massachusetts every time I visit Toronto.

[piccola]

Have you ever tried their Decadent chocolate chip cookies? (Yes, that is the name, not a randomly capitalized adjective.)

I haven't had them in a while, but I remember them being absolutely droolworthy. Huge chocolate chunks.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

They're definitely tasty! Actually, the other things I always bring back from Toronto are Fudgee-Os, ketchup chips (very hard to find in Boston) and Shreddies.

[SeaSide Tomato]

Is it possible that this President's Choice brand used to be the house brand at the old Star Market (pre-Albertson's days)? I remember their products (like cookies ) and liked them alot! Are they available in US at all?

[piccola]

I've heard they're available at some groceries in the N/E US. But I've never seen them.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

One and the same, but there is a much wider selection of PC products available in Canada than I ever saw at Star market back in the day.

[Caitlin McGrath]

It seems some local grocery chains in the Northeastern US used to carry PC as their house brand (I know D'Agostino's in NYC did around 8-10 years ago), but I have a feeling whoever distributes the brand isn't doing so in the US anymore. There are hounds dying for PC products on this side of the border, so if they were available here, I think the news would out.

[SeaSide Tomato]

Thanks folks!

[revsharkie]

I thought it was store brand at Fred Meyer.

[jeni1002]

Friendship cottage cheese

[Kajikit]

Dannon naturals yoghurts (the little four pack... sweetened with real sugar instead of HFCS)
Hellmans mayo
French's spicy brown mustard
Flatout Light Italian wraps
Daisy light sour cream (no gunky vegetable gums...)
Florida's Natural Orange Juice with pulp (tastes much nicer than Tropicana)
Sunbutter crunchy
Kozy Shack puddings (all flavours are good but the chocolate is ESPECIALLY nice)
Edys slow-churned icecream

[Gio]

OK I'll Play... here's a partial list::
Ditto the Hellman's
Gulden Spicy Brown Mustard
Jack Daniels mustard - all styles
Lee & Perrin Worcestershire
McIlhenney Tabasco (sorry Eat Nopal)
Golden Boy Cholula
Green Mountain Gringo Medium Salsa
Green Mountain Gringo Tortilla Strips
Stoneybrook Plain No-fat Yogurt
Cabot Ceddars - all styles, esp. extra sharp
Cabot sweet and salted butter
Kate's of Maine sweet butter
Pastene Kitchen Ready Tomatoes
Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Colavita Red Wine Vunegar
Barilla Macaroni products
Dragone Ricotta - in a pinch
Swanson All Natural Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Quaker Oats
King Arthur All Purpose Flour
Bonne Maman preserves
Trader Joe's Katsup

[Pia]

Tillamook cheddar
Annie's Organic red wine vinaigrette
Kashi Heart to Heart (cereal)
Quaker Oatmeal Squares (cereal)
Nature Valley Roasted Almond Crunch bars
Pepperidge Farm oatmeal bread

[PDeveaux]

Tillamook cheddar is wonderful but I have to get my son and daughter-in-law in Portland, Oregon to ship it to me in Florida. None in the grocery stores.

[coney with everything]

Check Costco. Tillamook used to be one of the items we always brought back when visiting my family in Washington state, but now Costco has several varieties of it.

LOL, Starbucks/Seattle's Best Coffee used to be on that list too!

[revsharkie]

I can get Tillamook extra sharp cheddar in the fancy cheese section at Hy-Vee out here in the Middle of Nowhere, Iowa.

[amyzan]

Yeah, it's also available at Dillon's in the KC area. In fact, it's on sale for $3.99 per pound package at present, but the sharpest the Dillon's nearest me had was sharp. Still, at that price, I bought a pound.

[Vexorg]

Ditto on the Tillamook Cheddar. Fortunately, up here in the Pacific Northwest you can find it pretty much anywhere, but it sounds like it's not all that difficult to find elsewhere if you know where to look. Now if only I could find a steady source of New Mexico green chile...

[salmonfiend]

My Trader Joe's here in Indianapolis, IN has Tillamook cheddar. As a born and raised oregonian, I agree that Tillamook cheddar is a necessity!

[ccbweb]

Daisy Light Sour Cream

[Jeff C.]

I like Daisy sour cream as well, and another dairy fave is Land o' Lakes Fat Free Half & Half.

[Kajikit]

I like Daisy Light because it doesn't have vegetable gum in it - just skim milk! It tastes just like their regular stuff...

[ccbweb]

Exactly. We're continually blown away at everything that isn't in it. It's become as important in our fridge as Silk Soy Creamer and half and half for our coffee in the morning. (Ok, interesting sentence construction there....we don't put the sour cream in the coffee...)

And, oh yeah, Silk Soy Creamer is another item.

[adventuresinbaking]

Especially the hazelnut creamer, it's great.

[poppy1]

Best refried (pinto) beans: La Costena
Supremo Chihuahua cheese - but sliced from the deli, not prepackaged
And ditto on Eight O'Clock coffee.

[shaebones]

I third the Roland brand jarred red peppers. There isn't a better brand out there.

[kare_raisu]

BIG second on La Costena - Eat Nopal got me hooked on these. The black refritos are excellent too!

[jmckee]

DaVinci Brand Extra Virgin Olive Oil
All the Brianna's brand salad dressings

[sophia519]

Good topic, here's my list:
1. I'm a big fan of the "Roland" brand products, so I have a bunch of those: albacore tuna. They have both water and oil varieties. All of the Roland products are fairly priced and seem better quality.
2. Roland nicoise olives, as well as other varieties
3. Roland jarred red peppers
4. Roland arborio rice
5. Roland capers, and anchovies
6. Muir Glen canned tomatoes, especially the fire roasted. LOVE these!
7. Dunkin Donuts coffee (for a very mild cup of coffee)
8. Melitta coffee
9. Barilla pasta and their new (I think) dried tortellini. I like Barilla's dried better than most other brands fresh, at half the price.
10. Steamfresh frozen vegetables (the kind you cook in the bag, in the microwave), all varieties. If you need to use frozen vegetables, these are noticeably better.
11. Herdez salsa
12. Orville Redenbacker "Tender White" microwave popcorn
13. Thomas Sourdough English Muffins. I usually hate the sourdough taste, but these are quite good.
14. Progresso Tomato Rotini, and Macaroni and Bean soups
15. Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream
16. Hebrew National beef hot dogs
17. Western French dressing, nostalgic for me
18. Mezzetti's (?) banana peppers
19. Georgia Peach juice (I forgot the brand, but I know it's in the organic section)
20. 15 bean soup packet (don't know the brand)

[Jeff C.]

Great list. Love the Roland red peppers. Do they make pesto, by chance? (I've never seen it, if so.)

Oh, and Eight O'Clock brand coffee is my favorite--costs half as much as Starbucks, Peet's, etc., and tastes better.

[pesto]

Eight O'Clock is one of the best coffees! I absolutely agree. I am always complimented on my coffee and people are surprised when they hear what brand it is.

[sophia519]

I am not sure if they make pesto. I'll take a look the next time I am there. They should have all of the Roland stuff together, so I could simply fill up the cart in one place!

[coll]

Yes they do, here is what it looks like
http://www.amazon.com/Roland-Pesto-23...

By the way, they don't make anything, they are importers.

They also sell quail eggs, cornichons, every Oriental sauce you every heard of, escargot, blue-green etc cherries for cocktails, lingonberries, truffles, pate; too bad their website is down. I go to a local small grocery just because they have extensive Roland products, although they keep moving them around!

\

[jim1126]

Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes have replaced San Marzano in my kitchen. They're that good.

One recent discovery of my own... Sabrett spicy brown mustard. Heaven. Not too spicy; will never go back to yellow French's after using this.

[Jeff C.]

I'm sure glad I posted this. You guys are reminding me of soooo many things I forgot to put on my original list. Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes, for instance. Used the diced ones to make shrimp creole the other night. 'Twas dee-VINE. (They're great in chili, too.) (And ANY pasta dish, naturally.)

[madgreek]

I just made a chicken paella with these yesterday. Played nice with the saffron, paprika and red/yellow bell peppers.

[SweetPea914]

I love their fire roasted tomatoes...I end up eating some straight from the can whenever I cook with them!

[amyzan]

Sophia, is the peach juice After the Fall brand? Curious.

[eartha]

sophia, I'm not familiar with Roland brand. I'm on the west coast and I don't know that name. Where do you live? Where are Roland brands located or what store carries them?

[torty]

In So Cal I see them at Smart & Final

[sophia519]

I am afraid that I don't know which stores carry them. I live in WI and shop at a grocery store called "Woodman's." I've never looked for the brand in other states. You might check their website to see if there's any info.

[coll]

Their website is back up
http://www.rolandfood.com/

[jayt90]

Trio (Nestle) gravy mix. I add 2T to my usual sauce thickener for its browning, and slight spiciness.
Anchovies, and a bottle of thick Vietnamese fish sauce: one or the other for stew or soup, tho' a little goes a long way.
Dijon mustard.
Lea and Perrins Worcestershire.
Herdez chipotle
Arctic Surf canned clams
Niblets corn
Heinz tomato soup
Campbells mushroom soup
Frank's hot sauce
Sardines or Sprats from EU
Kikkoman soy sauce

[sirregular]

Agreed on the Lea and Perrins... There is no other! :) I have to add Tone's Italian Seasoning. While it may be cheap, there's just no substitute for the way it tastes, with its addition of a few tiny pieces of rosemary mixed throughout. It's generally the base for any Italian meat seasoning that I make at home.

Recipes, Restaurants, Reviews and More - My Blog: http://www.epicureforum.com

[jnk]

Hellman's Mayonaise. I've had homemade and most other brands, and nothing beats it for straight unadulterated mayo

[bitsubeats]

here here....that and kewpie mayo. I only use it for one thing: as a dipping condiment for dried squid

I tried kraft mayo once and I coudn't stand it. In a taste test, hellman's wins hands down

[Jeff C.]

Hellman's IS the best, IMO. Although southerners are sweet on Duke's.

[jim1126]

Southerner here... Duke's doesn't even come close to Hellman's IMO.

[Jeff C.]

Me, too. And I agree

[laliz]

I agree, although it is Best Foods here

[bushy]

Funny how we respond so well to the marketing. If you buy such cheap mayo as Banquet and Safeway store brand and other non-famous real mayo made with Saffola oil as is Hellmans etc. and do a blind taste test you will be amazed. Nobody ever can pick out the Best Foods or Hellmans! Why? because they really are the same stuff with different lables. Most of them are, just try it!

[coll]

I totally do not agree, just try cooking with it and you will see the difference. My husband can even tell the difference between regular Hellmanns and low fat, which most people say taste the same (yeah I tried to trick him a few times). Some people are just more sensitive to flavors. But Hellmanns is definitely not the same stuff as different labels!

[alkapal]

def can tell difference between low fat and regular hellman's. "just say no" to guar gum!

[FoodChic]

Clearly you are speak ing for yourself, bushy. I can taste the difference in all mayo, light, canola, Kraft, etc...Hellman's definitely is the best mayo period.