Tag Archives: food and drink

Cook’s California Champagne Brut – 187ml bottle 4 pack

Posted on 14th February 2020 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

First off, let’s just address the French elephant in the room. Cook’s isn’t really champagne. That honorific is reserved for sparkling wines made in the Champagne region of France. But as time goes ever forward, many non-Champagne sparklers have adopted … Continue reading →

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Nestlé’s Kumamon Ikinari Dango KitKat

Posted on 29th January 2020 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Who doesn’t love it when someone brings strange flavors of KitKats to a party? NO I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE. Friends either coming back from Japan, or hitting up the local cool Asian market on just the right day; it’s … Continue reading →

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Yuengling’s Hershey’s Chocolate Porter

Posted on 24th January 2020 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

What do you get when two great Pennsylvania tastes decide to mix it up? You get a fantastic porter that’s well worth searching out. Yuengling knew what they were doing when they collaborated with Hershey’s. And the brewery definitely let … Continue reading →

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Oliver Brewing Co.’s Creator Destroyer

Posted on 17th January 2020 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I love Baltimore. So many great breweries so close together. But you never forget your first. For me it’s Oliver Brewing Co., which used to brew right in Pratt Street Ale House, but now has its own digs. This ale … Continue reading →

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Village Bakery’s Mini Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Posted on 30th October 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

So you thought all the pumpkin things went away after Halloween? Oh my sweet summer child. Have you forgotten that Fall is decorative gourd season? And with gourds come…wait for it…pumpkin. We’re not even close to maximum ‘kin y’all. Buckle … Continue reading →

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Cadbury Screme Egg

Posted on 21st October 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Holidays with candy as a focus are fantastic. Even though I’m an adult (going by trips around the sun; mental maturity is a separate matter) I can gorge myself on all sorts of candy. Sure I regret it later (I … Continue reading →

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Reese’s Wasabi Horseradish

Posted on 9th October 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

No. No no no no no. NO. This isn’t wasabi, it’s an abomination. And yes, I’m angry because I was hoping wasabi in a tube would be wonderful. It’d be nice to be able to put just a touch of … Continue reading →

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Bissinger’s Coffee Toffee 75% Dark Chocolate, Almond Toffee & Rich Roasted Coffee Bar

Posted on 30th September 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Sometimes I feel as though I’m not cool enough for some of these uber-fancy chocolate bars. Such was the case with this one; made in Italy, sustainable trade, single-origin chocolate…I’m way out of my league here. And I’m not telling … Continue reading →

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Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.’s Cookie O’Puss Limited Edition Stout

Posted on 30th September 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Growing up in the DC area, Carvel ice cream stores were a staple. What’s best known from this ice cream chain is their ice cream cakes; two layers of ice cream with chocolate cookie crumbles in between. Sure, Fudgy the … Continue reading →

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Specially Selected Mango Chili Flavored Tortilla Strips with Chia Seeds

Posted on 13th September 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Aldi is quickly becoming my go-to place for finding new things to try. They have a knack for creating items that make me do a double-take, and then put said things into my cart. Like these chips. Mango and chili … Continue reading →

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Crunchy tacos: my madeleines?

Posted on 7th August 2019 by Gary Whitehouse

We had crunchy tacos the other night. They’ve become a regular fixture on our home menu in the past year or so, especially since I’ve discovered several brands of taco shells that are quite low in sodium. Now, I know … Continue reading →

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Noble Jerky – Chipotle

Posted on 11th July 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Vegan…jerky? Of course! Now that we’re all lusting over vegan burgers, jerky is a no-brainer for companies wanting to lure vegans (and vegan-adjacents like myself) into the land of tastiness. And this jerky just may fool your more carnivorous friends.  … Continue reading →

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Wyndridge Farm Crafty Cider

Posted on 11th July 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I often buy cans of alcoholic beverages based on the can art. I’m not ashamed. It’s led me down some pretty cool rabbit holes. So when I saw this can with a foxy Robin Hood-nik balancing an arrow-ed apple on … Continue reading →

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Marabou’s Schweizer Nöt

Posted on 4th July 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Or “milk chocolate with hazelnuts”. As you like. This bar has been called Sweden’s favorite chocolate bar, and I can see why. Smooth chocolate that’s just the right amount of sweet, studded with lots of chunks of hazelnuts.  Yep, you … Continue reading →

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Lakritsfabriken’s Swedish Premium Sweet Liquorice

Posted on 4th July 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Tiny bits of heaven is what this is. It’s no secret that I love licorice, but this candy is gonna go into my Licorice Hall of Fame. This isn’t a sweet-sweet licorice, ala Good ‘n Plenty, but a lovely umami … Continue reading →

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Ghirardelli Intense Dark – Hazlenut Heaven

Posted on 27th June 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I’m always game for dark chocolate. Plus, I’m a sucker for hazelnuts (aka filbert, a name I absolutely love) in any form. So hello, combination of the two! Ghirardelli blends their premium chocolate with nicely minced nuts to create a … Continue reading →

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Samuel Adams Seasonal Summer Ale

Posted on 13th June 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Sam Adams has changed up their Summer Ale for the first time in 23 years. If you think I’m passing up a chance to give it a sip-see, you’re crazy. And you’re not crazy. Okay, you’re the right kind of … Continue reading →

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Victory Brewing Company’s Storm King Imperial Stout

Posted on 1st May 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Stout, stout, stout, stout. I love stouts. So when I found a bottle of one I’d been wanting to try for a while – this very brew, as it happens – I grabbed it up immediately. I’d heard great things … Continue reading →

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McKeever & Danlee Confectionery Co.’s Liquorice Allsorts

Posted on 1st May 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Licorice (though the company spells it with a “qu”, I’m used to the “c”, so I’ma go with that) allsorts are so darn pretty. All the colors, shapes and styles, all in one bag. Who can resist? Not me. And … Continue reading →

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Orchard Valley Harvest’s Sweetened Cherries in Dark Chocolate

Posted on 1st May 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Dried cherries and dark chocolate. Two great tastes y’all. I’m not a chocolate covered berry kinda gal; the berry ends up mushy and the chocolate ends up damp. It’s a downer no matter how you look at it. But dried … Continue reading →

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Specially Selected’s Chocolate Truffle Eggs

Posted on 18th April 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Easter chocolates can typically be found in two forms: the egg, and the bunny. Eggs tend to get a classier treatment, because they’re filled, so they can be called truffles. Truffles are classy y’all. Aldi’s foray into classy Easter isn’t … Continue reading →

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Choceur’s Dark Chocolate Marzipan Mini Eggs

Posted on 18th April 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I used to avoid almond flavor like the plague. As a matter of fact, I had been accosted by marzipan when I was a small child, thank you for asking. Those syrup-oozing “strawberries” fooled me one too many times. I … Continue reading →

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Reese’s Outrageous! Pieces bar

Posted on 27th March 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I love peanut butter, I love chocolate, I love caramel. And I really dig Reese’s Pieces. But Outrageous is less the sum of its parts. And that’s a real shame. The bar has a nice weight to it, and the … Continue reading →

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Anthony Bourdain’s “The Nasty Bits”

Posted on 20th February 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

(To keep things on the up-n-up, I must confess this is a re-print of the piece I wrote back in ’06. I could change tenses, and/or mention Bourdain’s passing, but I’m still in denial. So here ’tis, unsullied by the … Continue reading →

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Heavy Seas Brewery’s Blackbeard’s Breakfast Salted Caramel Porter

Posted on 9th February 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I’m not one of the cool kids. I typically can’t handle bourbon-barrel aged brews. Too much like actual liquor; if I wanted a shot of booze, I’d grab tequila or vodka. When I want a beer, I want a beer, … Continue reading →

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Oskar Blues Brewery’s Death By Coconut Irish Style Porter

Posted on 25th January 2019 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Oskar Blues is a brewery that can’t do wrong in my eyes, ever since I stumbled upon their Old Chub Scotch Ale. So I’d been dying to try their seasonal coconut extravaganza for quite some time. And Death is right … Continue reading →

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C.R. Maguire‘s A Whovian Feast: A Doctor Who Inspired Cookbook for Discriminating Fans and Chris-Rachael Oseland’s Dining with The Doctor

Posted on 4th January 2019 by Cat

This review is really an acknowledgement that there’s a nearly inifinite number of writings about Doctor Who done by the fans of the show over the past fifty years. Yes there’s fanfic where they’ve created their own stories, some using … Continue reading →

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Carletti’s Jakobsen Coffee Time chocolate collection

Posted on 28th December 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Danish chocolates? Don’t mind if I do!  Especially when the package itself gives me a great excuse to indulge. Coffee time? Yes please! And while these chocolates  would go great with coffee, I had mine with a stout, and then … Continue reading →

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DeLallo Flat Fillets of Anchovies

Posted on 28th December 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I don’t like pineapple on pizza. I think it’s an abomination, and a waste of perfectly good pineapple. But what do I know, I like anchovies. So for part of my Feast of the Seven Fishes, here comes some ‘chovie … Continue reading →

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Specially Selected Cold Smoked Salmon Deli Sliced

Posted on 21st December 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Smoked salmon seems to be a mainstay around here, especially during the holiday season. But while it’s a great treat, it often becomes cost prohibitive to really get your salmon on. Cue Aldi! Farm raised in Chile, their smoked salmon … Continue reading →

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Specially Selected’s Cajun Flavored Hot Smoked Salmon

Posted on 21st December 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Hot smoked salmon? I’ve never heard of this. Or maybe it’s just that I tend to focus on the better known cold smoked salmon that typically graces bagels and brunch plates. But hot smoked is just that; a piece of … Continue reading →

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Smashmallow’s Cinnamon Churro marshmallows

Posted on 7th December 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

‘Tis the season for warm festive beverages! And for all the things to top ’em. Nutmeg for nog, a cinnamon stick for mulled goodness, and for folk who partake of animal products (ex: gelatin), marshmallows for coffee and chocolate-centric libations. … Continue reading →

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Bar Harbor All Natural Smoked Wild Kippers

Posted on 28th November 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Tis the season to be fishy! While Christmas is almost a month away, I love planning a Fest of the Seven Fishes. Yes, at this house that includes Goldfish crackers and Swedish Fish, but I won’t judge you if you … Continue reading →

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Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkin – Snack Size

Posted on 26th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Milk chocolate and peanut butter. What a great combination. Even I, a dark chocolate fan, can appreciate it. Especially the tangy salty bite of a Reese’s cup’s peanut butter. Reese’s makes their usual cups, but sometimes they shape them for … Continue reading →

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Treat Street’s Zombie Hand Gummy Lollipop

Posted on 26th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Gummy candy feels like cheating. All the fun of candy, but without the fat and cholesterol of chocolate. That means I can eat more, right? For Treat Street’s gummy lollie, I think I’ll stick to one. Not because they’re not … Continue reading →

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Jelly Belly’s The Original Gourmet Candy Corn

Posted on 26th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

JB started as Goelitz candy back in the mid-1800s, but Jelly Bellys wouldn’t come around ’til 1976. And thank goodness; I don’t know how I’d get along without their Buttered Popcorn, Margarita (from their Cocktail Classics® line), Toasted Marshmallow and…well, … Continue reading →

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Wonka’s Halloween Fright-Tins: Vampire, Mummy and Ghost

Posted on 26th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I love Wonka candies. Everlasting Gobstoppers, Fun Dip, Spree, Bottle Caps…they’re all the stuff my childhood summers were made of. And of course Nerds and SweeTarts, which tended to bleed over into Halloween, thank goodness. (I realize we can all … Continue reading →

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Sour Patch Kids’ Sour Patch Kids’ Zombie candy

Posted on 26th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Sour Patch Kids are a candy I tend to like, but only sometimes. And by “sometimes”, I mean “I only eat the red, blue and pink flavors.” Because let’s face it, these candies aren’t fruit flavored more than they’re flavored … Continue reading →

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Flying Cauldron’s Butterscotch Beer

Posted on 18th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

For the past twenty years, with Halloween comes Harry Potter. And Hermione, Ron, Tonks, Sirius, and the crew. I’ll admit to donning my own version of a Slytherin costume (well, as a Hufflepuff why not go as my polar opposite?) … Continue reading →

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Cheetos’ Bag of Bones*

Posted on 18th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Like Eric Cartman, I love cheesy poofs. The crunchy ones are good too, but there’s something special about letting a savory, cheesy bit of air and corn melt onto your tongue. Weird, yes. But damn it’s good. During this, the … Continue reading →

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Halva Licorice Bars – Sweet and Salty

Posted on 12th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Everyone around here knows I love black licorice. Wasn’t always so; I absolutely hated the stuff when I was a kid. But my dad would grab it gleefully, so after a while I decided to give a mini-box of Good … Continue reading →

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Stork’s Toffifay

Posted on 5th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I remember being a kid and seeing Toffifay. It looked so elegant, so grown-up. Now this was a classy candy, obviously made for ADULTS, thought Little Me. Naturally, I had to try it. And I loved it. But I seldom … Continue reading →

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Taza Chocolate’s Guajillo Chili Discs

Posted on 5th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

There are lots of tastes that taste great together. Peanut butter and jelly. Buttered popcorn and champagne. (Seriously, try it.) And, of course, chocolate and licorice. But there’s one that doesn’t get enough love here in the States, and that’s … Continue reading →

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Greenbriar’s Halloween Candy Bracelets

Posted on 5th October 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

These strange, Fruit-Loops looking candies strung on a bit of elastic string, with or without a “pendant” or “charm” made of the same kind of candy were a must when I was a kid. They were fun, they were cheap … Continue reading →

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Golden Island’s Sriracha Pork Jerky

Posted on 26th September 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Pork jerky! I’ve had beef and bison, but never pork. So I dug into this bag, curious…and hungry. The first piece out of the bag, and I got something that was stringy and thinly sliced. This is a jerky you’re … Continue reading →

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Chef’s Cut Real Jerky Co.’s Smoked Beef Chipotle Cracked Pepper Jerky

Posted on 21st September 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I get a carnivorous hankering every now and then. And when I’m too lazy to throw a hunk of animal muscle on the barbie, I grab some jerky. I love dried meat; it’s got a lot of flavor, a lot … Continue reading →

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Trader Joe’s Boneless Skinless Mackerel in Sunflower Oil

Posted on 7th September 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Omega-3 is good for you. That’s what “everybody” says. And by everybody, I mean doctors and other health professionals.  But if you’re like me, you enjoy fish but are too damn lazy to cook it most days of the week. … Continue reading →

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RJ’s Licorice Choc Twists

Posted on 30th August 2018 by Gary Whitehouse

On a recent vacation (or “holiday”) trip in New Zealand’s South Island, we were doing some grocery shopping before hitting the road for our next destination. We’d already picked up a couple of bags of Cadbury Jaffas to take home … Continue reading →

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Russell Stover’s Fine Assorted 2 ounce pack

Posted on 19th July 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

Little boxes of chocolates.  They look so lovely. And with only four pieces per pack, hiding the evidence of a binge is easy-peasy.  So when I received a wee box of Russell Stover, I couldn’t wait to dig in. Sadly, … Continue reading →

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Butterfinger Dark

Posted on 7th July 2018 by Denise Kitashima Dutton

I love dark chocolate. It’s something everyone knows, because I don’t mind saying so. But I think I’ve found something that has me thinking that perhaps dark chocolate has its limits. Because with Butterfinger Dark, these two great tastes don’t … Continue reading →

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