Gentle readers, this is a cautionary tale…

I spotted some unusual garlic at Trader Joe’s the other day. I think it was called “Whole Cloves of Elephant Garlicâ€? or something like that…

It was packaged in an irresistibly adorable fashion. Six round and purple cloves were nestled in a cute wicker tray (that I just have to find a use for afterwards – any suggestions?)
It was covered in a white mesh bag with a mauve label draped across its middle (from memory), indicating it was a Trader Joe’s product.

Monster garlic – wow!

That night I slow baked (10 mins at 400 degrees, then 20 mins per lb at 325 degrees) a de-boned leg of lamb (also from TJs). Our home came with two ovens in our kitchen, which is so convenient in a case like this; in the other oven I had the potatoes roasting at 400 degrees.

Now, previously I have just thrown in, along with my potatoes, whole cloves of garlic; unpeeled and separated from the head. The heat causes the skins to split and slough off easily. The less prep work I have, the better.

So, I threw in three of my elephant garlic cloves and drizzled them, and the halved potatoes, with a bit of olive oil and salt.

About 20 or so minutes later, I peeked.

Disaster! One of the monster cloves had exploded. There were bits of garlic innards all over the inside of my oven, baking away at 400 degrees into nasty, crusty bits. Ugh!

I guess the skins of the garlic were too thick and tough to gently split of their own accord.

BIG MISTAKE in not inserting my knife through the skins, but I just wasn’t expecting it to go that way…

I suppose I am not alone here, but the thing I dislike the most about a mishap is having to clean it up afterwards.

Needless to say I was not happy.

I pulled out the pan and tried to avert further disaster by puncturing the other cloves. I stood side on and as far away as possible, reaching out with my knife and hoping for the best.
The first one was fine. My sharp paring knife made a few slits in the skin.

Then, the second the tip of my knife met the other time bomb – yep, that’s right KA-BOOM!

Garlic everywhere.
All over the clean clothes I’d just put on (I showered mid-prep). All through my hair. All over my face. All over my kitchen! EVERYWHERE!

Luckily the stuff did not scald, burn or scar me. It actually wasn’t as hot as you’d expect.

Final note – the damn stuff turned to mush and I didn’t even eat any of them.
The bits of garlic mush I did taste were surprisingly weak in flavour and off-putting in texture.
Needless to say, I don’t think baking these guys is advisable.

So, gentle readers, have you had better experiences with this novel form of garlic?
Can you recommend any methods or recipes for my three remaining cloves?

Let’s start with a basic salad, the Country Italian:

The first step in making things fancy, let’s not even eat it out of the plastic container! A quick clip of the plastic tie downs and the laborious task of dumping out the greens and we have a properly served salad:

Now, the first time you attempt this task, you will find that you may need to shimmy the goods around to avoid unsightly clumping of ingredients.

So how do we take this from premade to pretentious? Using the simple, incredible, edible egg:

When I poach eggs, I always crack them into little bowls and bring them out of the refrigerator. I use metal bowls only now after having a glass bowl shatter in my hands one time when I was putting an egg in the water. The real secret to poaching eggs and the one tip that will put your eggs over the top is a splash or two of white vinegar in the water. This keeps the egg whites WHITE and also seems to keep the egg from spreading out too much in the water.

After the vinegared water has come to a simmer, dip the egg bowl into the bath and let the egg slide out. Use the bowl to essentially pour any egg left on top of what is in the water so that the egg stay together as much as possible.

The magic time to poach an egg is three minutes. But there’s a little more to that. I set my timer for three minutes and after it beeps, I turn off the heat. I let the egg sit for another 20-43 seconds to set the yolk slightly so that it will hopefully be just creamy.

So what do eggs have to do with salad? Well, they go on top. Using a slotted spoon and draining off as much water as possible, move the eggs on top of your nicely arranged greens.

When the eggs look comfortable, dress them up with, well, dressing (comes with the salad) and get cracking with a little pepper. I like it to be a little coarse and perhaps add some chunky kosher salt for texture and flavor:

And for the real test, dip your fork into an egg and let the yolk spill out:

The creamy yellowy goodness slowly oozes out (in a good way) and I like to mix the egg whites in while also getting some mixed into the rest of the salad.

So there you have it. For a very little bit of $$, a splash of vinegar and a trip to TJs you too can have a pretentious salad. Also, most salads will do just fine with a single poached egg, but I like to make mine a double.

Yu Shan had made a comment on my post, mentioning that these tasty morsels had been around for about four years, in different packaging.

I skipped over to the chips aisle and there they were – Snapea’s little Japanese sister – Saya!

The pack is about an ounce smaller and though it was priced at $1.29, it actually turned out to cost 98c. At Trader Joe’s Snapea Crisps cost $1.39 for 3.3oz.

But what’s this?
The ingredient list on the back of Saya was way-hey longer than that of Snapea Crisps. Wait a minute – Soy Sauce, Monosodium Glutamate… What gives?

These guys look exactly the same.

I was all set to declare “Snapea Shenanigans� when I tasted them. Hmnmmnn, Saya do taste different; a little sweeter and you can detect the soy sauce flavor.

I decided to get to the bottom of this and wrote to the company.

Here’s their reply:

Dear Max,

Thank you for sending us your question.
The major difference between Saya and Snapea Crisps are their seasoning and flavoring.

Saya products, which were developed for Asian customers, contains various seasonings
and flavorings which appeal to Asian consumers more. Saya product is mostly sold
in Asian Markets.

Snapea Crisp was born from new and unique technologies created for Saya. Unlike Saya, Snapea Crisps, especially Original Flavor, contains a minimum of seasonings, and very simple ingredients. Snapea Crisps does not contain either soy sauce or Monosodium glutamate.

This product was carefully developed for the many US customers who wish to eat fruit and
vegetables more, but in a unique, convenient and delicious form. Owing to its unique and healthy appearance, Snapea Crisps are sold alongside fresh produce rather than in the grocery aisles in most stores.

I hope that this answers your question.

Again, thank you so much for communicating with us.
I hope that you will continue to be a fan of Snapea Crisps.

Sincerely yours,

Koko Fields
Snack Salad Marketing & Technologies Inc.
21250 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 700
Torrance, CA 90503

Well, that solves that mystery.

Bottom line?

I prefer Snapea Crisps over Saya. They’re priced just right, so you get more bang for your buck. Even though Saya are tastier, I tend to get twitchy — even headachey — when I consume the excitotoxin known as monosodium glutamate.

I think I’ll stick with Snapea Crisps. But overall, I am impressed by this snack’s magnificent pea-ness.

Ranch 99
Van Nuys Store
6450 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91411
(818) 988-7899
Hours: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
(7 days)

I was offered these tastly little delights at my good friends John and Marianne’s place recently and I just couldn’t get enough of them! Light and crispy, with just the right amount of salt, these slender snacks have a distinctly nutty (legume-y) flavour and are irresistible. There’s a slight greasiness to them, too, but that’s fine. It just makes them even more appealing.

Over all, I am impressed by this snack’s magnificent pea-ness.

I hunted down a couple of bags of Snapea Crisps at my local Trader Joe’s store. They say there’s 3.3 servings per bag, but it’s really more like two at the most. I can certainly see myself devouring a whole 3.3 oz bag in one sitting if I’m not too careful. Actually, consuming a whole packet would give me the same fibre that a single slice of wholewheat bread offers (which is typically only 2 grams).

Snapea Crisps are affordably priced at $1.39.

Here’s the thing — everyone seems to think they’re just dried pea pods that have been magically rendered utterly delicious. I am convinced they are pureed peas mixed with rice, then shaped and baked.

How else would they all be uniform in size?

Has anyone else tried these crunchy morsels? What’s your take on how they’re made?

POST SCRIPTUM

Okay, so I went to their website for some answers (what a concept!)

Here’s what they say about how their product came about:

“…the SnackSalad brand was born in California, U.S.A. In the latter part of the 1990s, the company was started by two Americans and a Japanese who met by chance. When we look back at this encounter, we can see that this was also a meeting between the abundant agricultural products and fundamental techniques of the United States and the ingredient culture and application techniques of Japan.â€?

Also, in California you purportedly can find them at –
Albertson’s; Andronico’s; Bristol Farms; Cost Plus; Gelson’s; Ralph’s; Safeway; Scolaris; Trader Joe’s; Von’s / Pavilions; Whole Foods and Wild Oats stores.

I still reckon they’re fried, not baked, though they’re probably doused in plenty of oil and run through a hot conveyor belt until they puff up.

Unfortunately, they remain elusive. Pictured above are the two closest specimens I have been able to find: from a friend’s true free-range hens (left) and Lily’s ‘free range’ eggs from the Hollywood farmer’s market (right). Even in this small comparison you can see the difference between them; the ones on the left are more richly-colored and plump, while the ones on the right are paler and more petite.

So why all this fuss over eggs? Some would probably call it an obsession, or that an egg is an egg is an egg. I just want to know where they come from.

As an avid home cook and baker, I use a lot of eggs. It goes in my pastas, sauces, pie crusts, custards, and souffles. However, like most other Angeleno foodies, I am also concerned about the environment in which the eggs are laid. What are the hens fed? How old are they? Do they roam around the fields freely, or do they merely have ‘access’ to the outside? All these factors directly affect the quality of the egg, from its size and shape to its color and behavior when being cooked. The details of this association are pretty well-documented in books like Edward Behr’s The Artful Eater and Joel Salatin’s myriad books on pastured farming, so I won’t go much further into the details. Suffice it to say, a good egg comes from a hen with a healthy, balanced diet and lots of room to exercise.

In the kitchen, I’ve found that with the better eggs, you don’t need as many to get the job done. Take, for instance, a custard — egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and cream — where eggs are the sole thickening agent: if a recipe calls for six yolks, I’ll usually only need four of my best eggs to get the same texture as a custard I would make with other eggs. This, in many cases, justifies the added cost, as the price premium for ethical peace of mind turns out not to be so steep.

Take it up a notch, using as many eggs as the recipe calls for, and my egg white-only souffles never fall — even if I hit them with a spoon.

Still, I am on the hunt for those fleeting eggs of legend. Does anybody know of a good farmer in the area? Here’s a list of what I’ve found commercially so far, my favorites listed first:

1. Lily’s Eggs, $4.50/dozen. Raised in Santa Barbara County, sold at the Hollywood farmer’s market, and marketed as ‘true’ free range eggs. Usually packed the day before market. Small, but nice, dense, and richly yellow. Grade AA.
2. Eggs at the South Pasadena farmer’s market, $2.50/dozen. Raised in Riverside and marketed as free range. Large, generally firm and yellow, but a bit inconsistent in quality. Still, a good bang for your buck. Grade A.
3. Mike & Sons Eggs, $2.50+/dozen. Raised in Ontario and sold at the Pasadena Victory Park farmer’s market. They are grain-fed and not marketed as free range, but they are large and fresh. Yolks are a bit on the small side. Grade AA.
4. Trader Joe’s Organic Jumbo Free Range Eggs, $3.29/dozen. Origin unknown. Although these are marked as jumbo eggs, they are mostly whites, with the yolks about the same size as the ones found in Lily’s Eggs. Also, the yolks look about the same color as those found in Mike & Sons eggs. Grade A.

As for my friend’s eggs, I can’t disclose where they are raised, but the girls eat what they want and have unlimited freedom to roam. If I could get these all the time, I would.

I haven’t bought carne asada from the local carnicerias before, so I’m not sure how good of a deal the TJ’s meat is.

I have had some local carne that others have picked up, it’s charming how the meat comes sealed in a plastic bag with all of the delicious marinade.

When I took the meat out of the pouch, there was one larger piece and a couple smaller ones, with a few nuggets trailing behind. I would say that the pieces were about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, actually a bit thicker than I thought they would be.

The juices spilled out and the aroma hit my nostrils, I knew that I was in for a treat.

I heated up the grill and used my tongs to lay the meat across the grates. It sizzled, but next time I am going to up the heat and go more for a charring effect.

Right next to the meat, I cooked up some veggies: onions and red bell peppers (also from Trader Joe’s). I like my grill top pan, it lets me cook the veggies over direct heat without having them fall through the grate.

As a side dish, I also grilled up some artichokes (yes, from TJ’s). I steam them first for about 25-30 minutes, then toss them in some olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. I finish them on the grill, about 10-15 minutes on each side with a few flips.

Back to the carne. It cooked for maybe 20 minutes? I’m really not exactly sure, but it was in that neighborhood. It cooked all the way through, and the marinade kept it incredibly moist. I sliced it up in strips, instead of small cubes. I like a little bit bigger pieces. Like I said before, it didn’t char and I think it was because the heat wasn’t high enough.

All in all, the meat came out great. We were surprised at how much citrus we could taste. There is some lime in the mix and the flavor was front and center. The chili pepper was evident too, giving the meat a nice spice.

We ate the carne asada on top of some TJ’s whole wheat/corn tortillas with the veggies, guac, salsa and a little plain yogurt in lieu of sour cream.

How does it look? It tasted better. The meal was really filling too and we ended up with left overs.

It’s a spot on the web where users can share their opinions and ratings on Trader Joe’s merchandise, both the big brand stuff and the house brand. The site is based in Boston and has only been up for a few weeks, but they’re already building a database.

In addition to the product database, there’s also a forum. I’ve been a big fan of Tracking Trader Joe’s, but they haven’t posted in ages and have been strangely silent on the hot topic of the first Manhattan Trader Joe’s opening soon.

You don’t even have to join the site (but you’ll be eligible to win gift baskets and gift certificates) to browse and you can even add you ratings on common products. You can be sure I’m going to be putting in my thoughts about my tried and true favorites and of course some of Trader Joe’s blunders. It’ll also be interesting to see the regional differences with the products.

I suppose it’s only fair.

Hollywood gets a Beard Papa’s and so Union Square gets a Trader Joe’s. The New York Times’ Florence Fabricant writes:

Specialty grocer Trader Joe’s will open a store near Union Square in about three months, a spokeswoman said yesterday, confirming a year’s worth of reports that the national chain would join a growing list of food stores along 14th Street.

When do we get a Dean & Deluca?

Following a four month debate with the Humane Society, Trader Joe’s has consented to purchase only cage-free eggs for the company’s own brand of eggs.

The switch is expected to take effect by February 1, 2006. This includes by definition eggs certified as organic, and eggs from free-range hens.

The new policy could benefit an estimated 380,000 hens.

More details on TrackingTraderJoes.