Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• Buitoni frozen meals earn compliments

  May 26, 2010 in Features on Page C5 Dinner is getting easier and easier. No one will think “freezer meal” when you bust out the Buitoni shrimp and lobster ravioli with garlic butter sauce, or grilled chicken and …

• McCormick’s pre-packaged spices inspire a few tasters

  April 14, 2010 in Food on Page C5 The Spokesman-Review’s Reader Food Panel tasters are never sure what they’ll find on their plates. When we serve baked chicken with potatoes or a piece of tortilla casserole, we don’t …

• Not a whole lot of love for Freschetta’s PizzAmoré

  February 3, 2010 in Food on Page C7 It can be hard to keep up with the ever-changing array in the frozen pizza aisle. Crusts, once simply thick or thin, can now be naturally rising, fire-baked, brick oven, …

• Campbell’s Chunky Soups please testers tastebuds

  January 13, 2010 in Food on Page C3 January brings plenty of soup weather. Two new offerings from Campbell’s Chunky Soups will help fill any hankering for a “soup that eats like a meal.”

• Cream cheese spreads could use more flavor

  November 25, 2009 in Food on Page C3 You’ll be busy with the bird, the mashed potatoes and the gravy, so it might be nice to pop one of Philadelphia’s new cream cheese spreads out of the fridge …

• Yoplait Smoothies are ‘cool snack’

  November 4, 2009 in Food on Page C5 If you’ve got a blender, you’ve run out of excuses for missing that morning serving of fruit. Yoplait has combined the yogurt and fruit for two smoothies in a handy …

• Smartfood sweet snacks less than satisfying

  October 21, 2009 in Food on Page C5 Smartfood, known for its scrumptious white cheddar popcorn, has branched out. The brand, now owned by Frito Lay Inc., has released a new line of sweet treats. The snacks are …

• Steamed meals from Birds Eye suit most tastes

  September 30, 2009 in Food on Page C5 For many families, the reality of back to school means quick dinners are back on the menu. Birds Eye Steamfresh Meals for Two seemed like a simple solution for kids …

• Crackers fall flat

  September 16, 2009 in Food on Page C3 Tossing one of the new Ritz Crackerfuls into a lunch box might seem like a sure winner, but young tasters at our back-to-school reader food panel meeting wouldn’t recommend it. …

• Believe it: Cookies without butter earn four-star rating

  July 29, 2009 in Food on Page C5 They may have been distracted by the chocolate chips, but food panel members couldn’t believe the cookies in a recent taste test were baked without butter. We made two batches … 1

• Great barbecue from Jack Daniel’s

  July 8, 2009 in Food on Page C5 Nice work, Jack. The food panel tasters are suckers for good, rib-sticking fare, and they were licking their fingers after tasting of two heat-and-eat entrees made with Jack Daniel’s glaze …

• Healthy Choice entrees earn mixed reviews

  June 10, 2009 in Food on Page C5 Be choosy when choosing among the new Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers Entrees. Food panel members loved one, were lukewarm on another and hated the final dish during a recent tasting …

• Newtons Fruit Crisps declared dry, flavorless

  May 27, 2009 in Food on Page C5 Fig Newtons they are not. The new Newtons Fruit Crisps eked out two and a half stars on our five-star scale, but tasters on The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel didn’t …

• Artichoke dip outshines its pesto counterpart

  May 13, 2009 in Food on Page C3 Sometimes there’s a sleeper on the menu. Food panel tasters liked the crunchy focaccia sticks served at a recent meeting, but they really loved one of the dips we threw …

• Warm Delights Morning treats not a breakfast hit

  March 18, 2009 in Food on Page C5 Save your breakfast money for doughnuts or bananas. The Spokesman-Review reader food panel members agreed it would be a shame to waste it on Betty Crocker Warm Delights Morning treats. …

• For some, TrueNorth is true love

  March 4, 2009 in Food on Page C5 If you’ve taken to whipping past the endless varieties of mixed nuts, popcorn flavors and snacks in the grocery store, there’s a new product that might make you slow the …

• Tasters enjoy light treats from Almond Roca folks

  February 18, 2009 in Food on Page C5 There’s something new to love about Brown & Haley. The makers of the much-imitated Almond Roca have a new line of slim treats that had many food panel members clamoring …

• Wishbone’s salad toppers meet with approval

  February 4, 2009 in Food on Page C4 Wishbone first introduced spritz bottles of dressing. Now, it has a new line of salad toppers that would never work as a spray. Bountifuls dressings are packed with chunks of …

• Pizza Hut Tuscani Pastas receive ‘good’ rating

  January 7, 2009 in Food on Page D5 Sorry, Pizza Hut. No one on The Spokesman-Review’s volunteer food panel was fooled by the Tuscani Pastas. No one asked whether they were from a high-end Italian restaurant. No one …

• Pillbury’s new pastries offer greasy, bland filling

  December 10, 2008 in Food on Page D3 There are plenty of party nibbles in the freezer section that can help in a pinch. But Pillsbury Savorings should be a last resort for your holiday spread, food panel …

• Ore-Ida’s mashed potatoes worth a try

  September 24, 2008 in Food on Page D5 Everybody’s busy. So, shortcuts that can produce tasty just-like-homemade side dishes in a hurry are welcome in many kitchens. Ore-Ida’s latest time-saving dish is worth a try, members of The …

• Teens give Eggo Swirlz three stars

  September 10, 2008 in Food on Page D4 Back-to-school season for some families means back to breakfast on the run. Eggo’s new breakfast pastries might be worth adding to the freezer – but only for emergencies. The Eggo …

• FlipSides good combo of cracker and pretzel

  June 11, 2008 in Food on Page D5 It’s a cracker with a secret identity. Flip over the new Townhouse crackers and you’ll find a pretzel. Townhouse FlipSides Pretzel Crackers got a hearty welcome from many of our …

• Chinese dinner kits please panel’s palate

  April 16, 2008 in Food on Page D5 Forget take out. Take home Wanchai Ferry. The Spokesman-Review reader food panel members really liked the two Chinese dinner kits we served at a recent meeting.

• Rhodes sticky buns gooey and delicious

  March 5, 2008 in Food on Page D7 You don’t even have to remember to preheat the oven for Rhodes Anytime Sticky Bun Pull-Aparts. Arrange the frozen rolls in the aluminum pan, squeeze the topping packet over the …

• PizzAmoré breadsticks are a winner

  February 6, 2008 in Food on Page D8 Want take-out style breadsticks without the hassle of, well, take-out? Freschetta is hoping to help. The pizza makers’ latest PizzAmoré line is designed to bring restaurant-quality food to homes and …

• Idahoan scores high with new tater flavors

  November 14, 2007 in Food on Page D7 We know you probably can’t pass off instant mashed potatoes as homemade on Thanksgiving. But Idahoan makes some pretty tasty taters, according to The Spokesman-Review Reader Food Panel. Idahoan has …

• SnackWell’s Cookie Cakes texture better than flavor

  August 8, 2007 in Food on Page D3 Cookie or cake? It didn’t matter to Spokesman-Review reader food panel tasters. The pillowy texture of SnackWell’s new “cookie cakes” won over most people on the panel. But a few …

• Oscar Mayer scores with Deli Creations

  April 11, 2007 in Food on Page D3 You might think of them as Lunchables for adults. Oscar Mayer’s new Deli Creations Hot Sandwich Melts are grown-up versions of the convenient pre-made lunches that kids love. It turns …