Treats of the week: The New Hostess line

While the push of this blog was to try and enjoy new fruits, cheeses and libations, once in a while I like to kick back and try some processed junk food.  When Hostess closed down all of their factories in November of 2012, I was pretty devastated.  These gas station regulars were ever-present and always tasty.  Sure, between the sugar high and the fat bomb, they would have eventually killed me.  But what's better, dying of "old" or dying of enjoying Ho-Hos?

A new corporation, Apollo Global Management, bought the rights to produce Hostess products.  Last month they unveiled the new line, which included many of the old favorites.  Some products were smaller in size.  More products were being sold in multipack boxes, rather than single-serving.  The company also created a new recipe with a longer shelf-life, in order to get retailers to jump on board the Hostess train, right away.

How does one increase shelf life anyway?  Let's find out...

 

Cherry Pie: This treat looked smaller than I remember, but the weight on the packaging was the same.  Perhaps the old pies were flatter, and these pies are a bit rounder?  The taste was pretty bad.  The crust was grainy and reminiscent of cardboard (in flavor).  The filling was the right texture, but there were very few cherries.  This was definitely not a "best foot forward."  It's only been since November since I have had the original formula, so I am not romanticizing here.

Twinkies (yes, I had to buy a whole box):  These look the same, but in actuality are a bit smaller (38.5g versus 44g).  The mouth feel and texture were spot on.  There was less filling than I recall, but it tasted and felt right.  The initial flavor was perfect, but there was a weird chemical aftertaste.  It also left an obvious film in my mouth, that I literally had to rinse out.  The aftertaste lasted for at least 5-minutes.  Since these cakes have a 45-day shelf life, versus the 26-day shelf life of Twinkies Classic, one could deduce where the chemical aftertaste comes from...

Ho-Ho's:  This breaks my heart.  The crown jewel of Hostess treats.  All other swiss rolls pale in comparison, and I have tried them all.  This new cake has a weird salty front-flavor and the same chemical aftertaste as Twinkies.  The chocolate coating, cake and filling had the right textures, and the middle flavor was approximately as it should be.  But, it isn't the same.  It's not as bad as Little Debbies yet, but that preservative flavor really turns me off.

Cupcakes:  The closest of the bunch in matching flavor and texture.  While the cupcakes still have a weird salty flavor in the first bite, after that they are what you would expect from Hostess cupcakes.  A nice waxy frosting.  Delicious, soapy filling.  Moist, chocolate-flavored cake.  Yum.


 

BOTTOM LINE:  The new increased preservative content creates a weird foretaste or aftertaste in all of these products.  You might not think "quality snacks" when it comes to the Hostess line, but these treats are pretty awful.  If you're going to eat something bad for you, it may as well taste decent and not contain so many chemical additives.  Head over to your local bakery and get something better.
  

Cheese of the Week: Quadrello di Bufala

Name: Quadrello di Bufala

Brand: None listed

Place of Purchase: Wegman's in Clay, NY

Country of Origin: Italy

Price in New York: $11.99/lb.

Milk: pasteurized water buffalo

Processing: Washed rind and cave-aged for about 2 months

Texture: semi-soft

Color: cream white

Rind: Bloom

Aroma: strong dairy; very bloomy

Taste: Mild diary.  Salty.  Tart.  Mushroomy notes in the background.  Cream.

Mouth-feel: Buttery and rich.

Notes:  I was hoping for something similar to Casatica di Bufalo, which is a much milder, buttery cheese.  The Quadrello is pungent, but not overwhelming.  This aroma makes it into the flavor of the paste, but it is not the primary flavor.  The sweet dairy notes are in the foreground, which some interesting mushroom/woody flavors playing backup.  This is a rich cheese, thanks to the buffalo milk.  If you're looking for a richer cheese with some depth, this cheese would make a nice solo cheese plate.  I would suggest a crisp accompaniment, like fresh grapes or green apples.

Libation of the week: Hawthorn Berry Drink

Name: Hawthorn Berry Drink

 

Brand:  Asian Taste

Place of Purchase: Asian Supermarket in Syracuse, NY

Country/Region of Origin: China

Tasting Conditions: Chilled in a glass 

Price in New York: $1.99 for 500mL

Description: Hawthorn berry drink is pretty much the only English on the can besides the Nutritional information sticker.

Flavor:  Slightly smokey, tangy, reminiscent of sweet orange and plum
 

Mouth-feel: Like a nectar, thick but without pulp

Aroma: Smokey, like barbeque or huitlacoche

Notes: This can sat in my fridge for a while.  I wasn't sure what to expect, so I was hesitant.  When I finally opened the can and got my first waft of the smokey aroma, I was taken aback.  Still, I poured and sipped.  The smokey flavor is not as strong as the aroma, but it is still present in the juice.  The fruity flavors in the juice are a citrus tang and a warm plum or peach.  Overall, it's a nice drink, once you get past the aroma.

Considering that hawthorn berries are considered very heart-healthy and may help to alleviate ulcers, there may be other reasons to seek out this drink beyond the flavor.

Libation of the Week: Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger

Name: Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger

 

Brand: Fentiman's

Place of Purchase: Wegmans in Syracuse, NY

Country/Region of Origin: Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

Tasting Conditions: Chilled in a glass 

Price in New York: $1.99 for 275mL

Description: Botanically brewed fermented orange drink with ginger and herbal extracts

Flavor:  Like a mimosa with added ginger
 

Mouth-feel: Crisp and clean

Aroma: Citrus and effervescence

Notes: I like the Fentiman's products.  I sought out their Ginger Beer because it had been banned in the next state.  The ginger beer had 0.5% alcohol, hence the ban.  The amusing thing is that most soft drinks have some fermentation involved in every batch.  So, 0.5% in a sparkling beverage is not really a big deal.

Since then, Fentiman's has added steps to remove any residual alcohol after the fermentation process.  This particular drink is refreshing and uniquely flavored.  The crisp orange flavor is is the foreground, along with ginger.  There are herbal notes and the slight shock of fermented compounds, like a mild kombacha.  This isn't a hot summer day soda, however.  Be prepared to drink it very chilled, and very slowly.  It's the only way to enjoy the bouquet.

Cheese of the week: Miti Cana de Oveja

Name: Miti Cana de Oveja

Brand: None listed

Place of Purchase: Wegman's in Clay, NY

Country of Origin: Spain

Price in New York: $14.99/lb.

Milk: sheep

Processing: Similar process as Bucheron.  Ripened sheep cheese pressed into logs and covered with cultures.  Sliced into rounds when mature (aged 3 weeks).

Texture: soft to semi-firm

Color: cream white to bone white

Rind: Bloom

Aroma: strong dairy; sweaty feet

Taste: mild diary.  Tart.  buttery

Mouth-feel: Silky near the rind, crumbly towards the center

Notes:  This is a completely different cheese than the Bucheron.  Even though the only major difference is milk and region of production, the Miti Cana is a much stinkier cheese.  You get used to the aroma once you taste the tart, buttery paste, but when you first open the round is smells like an old gym bag.  The round is more mature on the outside, near the rind.  The closer you get to the center, the more it becomes a mellow, sheep's milk cheese.  The exterior is tart, almost piquant, and silky.  The Bucheron had a looser, more creamy paste in the outside ring.  The Miti Cana is firmer, but obvious has a higher milkfat content.  If It had to choose one over the other, for myself, the Miti Cana is my favorite.  However, if I was going to serve one, I'd go with the milder smelling Bucheron for my guests.

Libation of the Week: Natural Cabana Premium Tropical Mango Lemonade

Name: Premium Tropical Mango Lemonade

 

Brand: Natural Cabana

Place of Purchase: Namaste in Rochester, NY

Country/Region of Origin: Colorado

Tasting Conditions: Chilled in a glass bottle

Price in New York: $1.99 for 591mL

Description:  Fruit-infused lemonade

Flavor:  Real mango and sweet lemonade
 

Mouth-feel: Clean and light

Aroma: Citrus and mango

Notes: This is an excellent product.  All natural, flavored with actual fruits, and lower in calories and sugar.  Pulse beverages makes this product and they take care to create healthy and refreshing drinks.  These lemonades have lower calories/carb count than similar beverages, using real can sugar and stevia.  The mango variety, sold at one of my favorite Indian grocers, is a personal favorite.

Cheese of the week: Bucheron

Name: Bucheron

Brand: None listed

Place of Purchase: Wegman's in Clay, NY

Country of Origin: France

Price in New York: $12.99/lb.

Milk: Goat

Processing: Ripened goat cheese pressed into logs and covered with cultures.  Sliced into rounds when mature (between 5 to 10 weeks).

Texture: soft to semi-firm

Color: cream white to bone white

Rind: Bloom

Aroma: mild dairy

Taste: mild goat.  Tart.  buttery

Mouth-feel: Creamy near the rind, crumbly towards the center

Notes: Bucheron is named after the the lumberjack, since it is pressed into logs and cut into rounds.  This is another nice cheese that everyone in Europe knows about, but I have never tried.  This cheese combines the crumbly texture and flavors of a goat cheese, with the silky paste of a double-cream cheese.  Towards the center of the round, there is a mild goat cheese similar to chevre.  However, around the edges near the rind the cheese becomes more fluid.  The flavor of this cheese is also mild, but the mouth-feel is downright decadent.  The round that I got was fairly young, so I only had a thin layer of the creamy cheese.  Try and select a round that has a thicker section of cream-colored cheese near the rind.