Hot Test Takes Off Chill
With temperatures plummeting, we knew we’d better serve The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel something to warm their weather-beaten bones.
And after their previous session - featuring an assortment of health foods for the New Year, capped by a rousing round of nondairy milks - we knew we’d better come up with something reasonably tasty to keep them coming back.
So we cooked up a Mexican menu: salsas, refried beans and frozen enchiladas, to be precise.
As usual, after all the stomachs were stuffed and the ballots were counted, there were some surprises.
La Victoria’s unexpectedly spicy (for a “medium”) salsa picante out of a jar finished in a dead heat with Reser’s fresh offering from the refrigerator case, and at a noticeably better price.
The third entry, a thick, tepid, tomatoey canned salsa from S&W, prompted several panel members to suggest it might be best served over pasta.
There was an even bigger upset in the beans, with Rosarita’s nonfat and Old El Paso’s vegetarian (oil, not lard) versions easily topping the blander, regular recipe from Western Family (although that might say as much about store brands as it does about preparation methods).
True to form, a few panel members commented on the pleasant ham taste to the veggie beans before finding out what they were.
As for the entrees, none of them was too hot, literally or figuratively. Let’s just say we couldn’t blame anyone for not wanting the whole enchilada.
La Victoria Salsa Picante, Medium
Price: $1.69 for 16 ounces.
Nutrition: 10 calories (no fat); 150 milligrams sodium in 2 tablespoons.
Taste: ****
Value: ****
Comments: “Slow burn, not much flavor other than HOT! Good texture, plenty of chunks.” - Helen Span.
“The heat grabs your attention … Nice fresh chunks of tomato, chilies and onion. Not runny - stays on the chip!” - Kathy Kelly.
Reser’s Original Salsa
Price: $1.89 for 14 ounces.
Nutrition: 10 calories (no fat); 230 milligrams sodium in 2 tablespoons.
Taste: ****
Value: ***
Comments: “Nice and chunky, good spice blend, salty, warm but not hot. Would be good for a Mexican-style meal, but I prefer the La Victoria for chips.” - Madilyn Hutchison Foco.
“Chunkier and thinner - more like salsa should be. Heavy chili powder flavor. Fresher taste and better aroma than the others.” - Sandy Davidson.
S&W Salsa with Cilantro
Price: 93 cents for 14.5 ounces.
Nutrition: 16 calories (no fat); 170 milligrams sodium in 4 tablespoons.
Taste: **
Value: **
Comments: “Too ketchupy. No kick, not enough taste. They forgot the cilantro in mine.” - Sandi Kessler.
“Looks gross! Tastes bland! No heat - no way! ” - Jim McGinty.
Rosarita No Fat Traditional Refried Beans
Price: 59 cents for 16 ounces.
Nutrition: 120 calories (no fat); 570 milligrams sodium in 1/2 cup.
Taste: ****
Value: ****
Comments: “Traditional homemade taste, excellent consistency. Could fool people that I made it!” - Cheryl Caudill.
“Creamy with right amount of beans.” - Jarretta Manning.
Old El Paso Vegetarian Refried Beans
Price: 87 cents for 16 ounces.
Nutrition: 100 calories (9 percent fat calories); 490 milligrams sodium in 1/2 cup.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments: “Good flavor, maybe too much salt. Good consistency. Good for spreading on chips.” - Ken Peters.
“I don’t see any whole beans. Needs some kick to it. Tastes more like navy bean soup.” - Meagan Coffey.
Western Family Traditional Refried Beans
Price: 69 cents for 16 ounces.
Nutrition: 110 calories (12 percent fat calories); 450 milligrams sodium in 1/2 cup.
Taste: **
Value: ***
Comments: “Not too salty … kind of a tinny flavor, like it’s been in a can for quite some time. Tastes like beans, and only beans.” - Madilyn Hutchison Foco.
“Thicker, sticks to the roof of your mouth. Lacks flavor.” - Bob Bates.
La Restaurante Authentic Cheese Enchiladas
Price: $5.59 for 45 ounces.
Nutrition: 310 calories (45 percent fat calories); 980 milligrams sodium per serving (212 grams).
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments: “This is NICE! First class! Extra cheesy. Appealing, appetizing presentation. Almost looks like a chili relleno - more like a layered casserole.” - Kathy Kelly.
“Cheese would be good substitute for library paste. Spices more Italian than what they should be.” - Cheryl Caudill.
El Monterey Beef Enchiladas with Sauce
Price: $4.39 for 24 ounces.
Nutrition: 65 calories (62 percent fat calories); 315 milligrams sodium in two enchiladas (113 grams).
Taste: ***
Value: **
Comments: “Nice color, good sauce and flavor, looks like it’s fresh from a restaurant!” - Jan Robison.
“Tortillas a little grainy, indistinguishable insides! Sort of OK spice-wise but not very good.” - Sandi Kessler.
Ruiz Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce
Price: $7.99 for 48 ounces.
Nutrition: 170 calories (59 percent fat calories); 480 milligrams sodium in two enchiladas (113 grams).
Taste: **
Value: **
Comments: “Not that bad for packaged. Meat not very appetizing. Somewhat dry. Could use more white sauce.” - Susi Faville.
“Meat of questionable origin, tortillas are mushy, sauce is disgusting.” - Jim Eggers.
, DataTimes MEMO: Products sampled by The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel are prepared in a test kitchen according to package directions. Panelists are not aware of a product’s brand name or price until after they have tasted it. Products are rated for taste and for value, based on quality compared to price.
This sidebar appeared with the story: WELCOME TO THE READER FOOD PANEL A warm welcome to the new members of The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel for 1996: Bob Bates, a retired sales representative who manages to make a half-gallon of ice cream last for three nights. Cheryl Caudill, whose taste buds were tempered in Detroit, Atlanta, Florida and Denver before arriving in Spokane. Sandy Davidson, a retirement community administrator who’s clearly overqualified with his degrees in culinary arts, education, business and performing fine arts. Madilyn Hutchison Foco, a Fairchild Air Force Base airplane mechanic whose world travels have exposed her to “only a few items that were unpleasant to eat,” which she’s “confident won’t be appearing on the food panel agenda.” (Just wait.) Sandi Kessler, a nurse who thought the food panel sounded fun and promised to make it that way if it wasn’t. Ken Peters, a mortgage loan officer and home brewer and winemaker nominated by his co-workers under the pseudonym “Ken P. Eaters.” Helen Span, a bookstore worker who subsists on the likes of pickled herring, peanut butter with watermelon and “any sort of munchies that come in a bag big enough to last through a whole episode of ‘The X-Files.”’
The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, RECIPE - Reader Food Panel
This sidebar appeared with the story: WELCOME TO THE READER FOOD PANEL A warm welcome to the new members of The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel for 1996: Bob Bates, a retired sales representative who manages to make a half-gallon of ice cream last for three nights. Cheryl Caudill, whose taste buds were tempered in Detroit, Atlanta, Florida and Denver before arriving in Spokane. Sandy Davidson, a retirement community administrator who’s clearly overqualified with his degrees in culinary arts, education, business and performing fine arts. Madilyn Hutchison Foco, a Fairchild Air Force Base airplane mechanic whose world travels have exposed her to “only a few items that were unpleasant to eat,” which she’s “confident won’t be appearing on the food panel agenda.” (Just wait.) Sandi Kessler, a nurse who thought the food panel sounded fun and promised to make it that way if it wasn’t. Ken Peters, a mortgage loan officer and home brewer and winemaker nominated by his co-workers under the pseudonym “Ken P. Eaters.” Helen Span, a bookstore worker who subsists on the likes of pickled herring, peanut butter with watermelon and “any sort of munchies that come in a bag big enough to last through a whole episode of ‘The X-Files.”’
The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, RECIPE - Reader Food Panel