A compliment for Loblaw's new lasagne and other products; BUT Galen goes green = grade D

[Bigtigger]

Well I am not a big fan of Loblaw's' but when they get it right they deserve kudos. From the latest Insider's Report:

a) The lasagne with bechamel, ground veal, two cheeses and rapini is the best lasagne they or any grocery chain have done in a long time. Loblaw's seems to have learned from the previous bland or "loose" iterations of this toothsome dish. At $15 it aint cheap; but the quantity is generous (1.5 k serves 4-5 not 6 as claimed, but I suppose that depends on appetites) you could plate this (with a tad more salt added imho) at home or in a restaurant without shame and probably please most tastes.

b) That bacon marmalade is superb and at $4.99 not a bad price

c) The 8-yr aged cheddar is outstanding. Crumbly and flavoursome. Outrageous price but so is all cheese in the great Canadian Nanny State lol

BTW people love the PC hors d'oeuvre recipe combining b) and c) with a pear slice on toast - I omit the bacon as gilding the lily.

BUT

Has anyone noticed the effect of Loblaw's trumpeting their greenness by removing the waxing from most packaging? I am all for conservation but not at the price of collapsing boxes which both feel moist and unsturdy the second they're out of the cooler or freezer and can't be stacked. Surely the science moguls can come up with sturdier material if indeed the wax is so bad for the environment (which is news to me). I bought 8 of the lasagnes today - couldnt have been 20 mins from freezer case to home - and they were fallen in and wet. The contents were still frozen, but I am referring to the problems above.

OH and I have to add - one morning last week Loblaw's Dupont & Christie had NO sugar except one of the expensive fine grain in a bucket - the shelf was literally empty. I asked the manager and he immediately sent a clerk to find some "in the back." When I asked if this was part of ongoing supply chain problems, this very pleasant lady apologized profusely and said it was not; but "the night crew" had "hidden the skid." Hmmm....

[hal2010]

Re: 8 year old cheddar
Many Loblaws carry Maple Dale's 5 or 7 year old cheddar which at about $13-15 for 650g is the best cheese deal in the city.

[julesrules]

I can't keep track of their many and constantly changing lasagnas. There was one with bechamel and rapini that I liked, but the last version had arugula and these awful little sausage turds. Both of these were labelled 'best ever' I believe. Does this new veal version have little balls of sausage that fall out of the lasagna?

[Bigtigger]

No, Jules, it has a bottom layer of veal which, if you leave the lasagne to set for 15-20 mins after cooking (as the unwaxed package instructions mandate), seems perfectly integrated into each slice.

[julesrules]

It sounds good, thanks.

[justsayn]

Great report BT!! Thanks. I don't get the problem with the sugar episode as typed, but I do want to run out for some lasagne : P

[Bigtigger]

Ty Justsayn - the "sugar episode" was that there was no "regular" white sugar but rather an empty shelf at Loblaw's Dupont and Christie. This astonished me. The explanation was that the night crew had hidden the skid (the wooden platform containing whatever the sugar is shipped in - probably covered in heavy duty plastic) so that it was invisible to the morning crew which stocks the shelves. Sorry if it was unclear as written.