As the search for the perfect snack continues, this week we review treats from two different companies with ingredient in common: cheese.
Cheese itself happens to be a great snack. It comes in a wide variety of colors, flavors and sizes and can be eaten alone or with bread and fruit. However, when you add some basic ingredients like bread and sauce, it becomes part of a wonderful treat.
Macabee Kosher Foods (OU parve or cholov yisroel) has a line of products which includes their famous pizza lines, eggplant cutlets, eggplant sticks and now, mozzarella sticks. In our home we like them all, but the eggplant and mozzarella sticks are our favorites. The eggplant sticks take only a few minutes in the oven and are great substitutes for french fries. They are crunchy and so full of flavor ? even if you usually don't eat eggplant, try them. You will be surprised at how much you like the taste. The mozzarella sticks are so good that my kids went through two boxes before I even noticed they were gone. The box says you can microwave them, but our recommendation is to put them in the oven and then lightly dip in ketchup or sauce. They make a quick and easy snack the kids will ask for again and again.
Grandstand and Boardwalk (manufactured by Capri Bagel and Pizza, OU dairy with New Square cholov yisroel hechsher on certain products) are two lines with great products. The Grandstand pizza bagels come in four flavors including cheese and pepper. Their bagels are slightly larger then the average pizza bagel (3 oz to the normal 2oz) and are packaged very well. The bagel is crisp and not soggy, and got great reviews from all of our tasters. Under the Boardwalk line they have a unique product found exclusively at Costco. These gourmet pizza bagels give the impression of being run-of-the-mill until your first bite ? then the taste overwhelms your mouth. Their secret ? the bagel itself is flavored. All of our tasters said the same thing: “I am not sure what they did, but this tastes better then a regular pizza bagel.” They come in packs of 24 and are OU dairy.
If you are looking for a quick snack or easy dinner for the kids are you begin the arduous task of getting the house ready for Pesach, either one of these companies has something both you and your family will enjoy.
Coming in two weeks: Pesach snacks. And after the chag look for reviews on potato poppers, soy snacks and gourmet cookies.
