An occasional series of tips and tricks by Janet Keeler, Times Food Editor See the lastest video

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April 18, 2007
Flavor flows from favorite olive oils
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Wading through the olive oil options at grocery stores these days is as confusing as navigating a maze of olive trees.
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April 11, 2007
Judges are sweet on a taste of honey
By Kathy Saunders
Last year we had a problem with bees in the batting cages at the baseball field where I am on the board.
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April 4, 2007
Easter candy every bunny's hopping for
By Kathy Saunders
Malted milk balls are so popular that Hershey Foods Corp. provides the candy's evolutionary time line on its Web site.
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March 28, 2007
Great feta? It's close to home
By Kathy Saunders, Times Correspondent
Rarely do I order salad in a restaurant without indulging in a little crumbled blue cheese on top.
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March 21, 2007
Fish sticks worth catching
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Until I married a fisherman, I didn't know how good fresh fish tasted.
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March 14, 2007
These olives are a top pick
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Forget cookies and chips, one of our panelists has to share a jar of olives with her children to manage a long trip through the grocery store.
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March 7, 2007
Peanuts are winners at the old ball game
By KATHY SAUNDERS
I always tell friends that I expect to spend my time in purgatory emptying the dishwasher. But now that my son's spring baseball season is in full swing, I think I might be spending eternity sitting on a bleacher instead. The saving grace: peanuts.
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February 28, 2007
A golden butter slides into first
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Rarely does a food make the Hall of Fame for Taster's Choice. The exclusive club is reserved for foods that score 90 or more points in our surveys. Believe it or not, butter made the list.
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February 21, 2007
Baked onion snacks take center ring
By KATHY SAUNDERS
We ate plenty of fried foods when I was growing up, but even my mom would draw the line at frying onion rings. That guilty pleasure was reserved for restaurant dinners. These days, fried onion rings come in many shapes and forms. Some are blooming, some are stringy and some are just enormous.
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February 14, 2007
Pungent buds win great sampling caper
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Just as dozens of rose buds brighten today's desktops and coffee tables, the tiny buds of the Capparis spinosa bush probably will add flavor to many sweetheart meals this week.
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February 7, 2007
A brand new cookie favorite
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Brand names ruled my generation. If we wanted soda, we asked for a Coke. And all chocolate sandwich cookies were, of course, called Oreos.
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January 31, 2007
Cheese sticks melt panelists' hearts
By Kathy Saunders
For an instant party, Taster's Choice panelists will be popping fried cheese sticks from the freezer to the frying pan.
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January 24, 2007
Healthy snacks raise the bar on good flavor
By KATHY SAUNDERS
At my local grocery store, nearly an entire aisle is filled with supplement bars.
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January 17, 2007
For taste buds as happy as clams
By KATHY SAUNDERS
A friend from Rhode Island confessed that even she, a native New Englander and chowder connoisseur, will sometimes open a can of clam chowder for dinner.
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January 10, 2007
Grocery store slaws will do in a pinch
By KATHY SAUNDERS
A Taster's Choice reader who recently moved to the bay area said she was having trouble finding a tasty coleslaw at the grocery store.
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December 27, 2006
Store brands rate high with taste testers again this year
By JANET K. KEELER
Wow. Our Taster's Choice judges must have cast-iron stomachs.
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December 20, 2006
Bring on the salsa and sangria
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Bold flavor is what sets apart a good tortilla chip from another, our panelists say.
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December 13, 2006
Winning pepperoni is a cut above
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Pepperoni, according to our panelists, should taste like fireworks in your mouth.
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December 6, 2006
A healthful twist on holiday snacking
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Eat before you get to the holiday parties, and choose vegetables and pretzels over desserts and chips.
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November 19, 2006
Marshmallows: tiny puffs of sweet joy
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Marshmallows have been a year-round treat in our family because they are sweet, fat-free and very portable.
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November 15, 2006
Sweet potatoes need extras
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Yams and sweet potatoes may be interchangeable on most Thanksgiving tables - but when they come from a can they need a lot of help.
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November 8, 2006
Just the thing for a BLT
By KATHY SAUNDERS
From a dozen possibilities, our tasters said they would have no problem identifying their favorite mayonnaise. They were right.
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November 1, 2006
Three ladies vie for the best pumpkin pie
By KATHY SAUNDERS

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October 25, 2006
Savoring the subtleties of a favorite treat: candy corn
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Apparently candy corn hasn't changed much in the 100 years since it was invented. The treat, made mostly of sugar and corn syrup, has a strong following too.
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October 18, 2006
Fall feasts call for the top corn dog
By KATHY SAUNDERS
In keeping with the season of fall festivals and fairs, Taster's Choice judges decided to put corn dogs to the test.
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October 11, 2006
Cookies prove that organic can be yummy
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Just days after I told a girlfriend that organic foods have rarely received high marks from Taster's Choice panelists, she gave me the last two organic vanilla sandwich cookies in her pantry.
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October 4, 2006
Color, texture, taste distinguish barbecue sauces
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Television chef Rachael Ray recently made her own barbecue sauce for chicken, saying it's as easy as store-bought. Taster's Choice panelists said they are more likely to buy a bottle of ready-made sauce.
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September 27, 2006
Crown the bisque with a gem of a cracker
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Oyster crackers represent a list of culinary possibilities. They can float atop chowder, soup or bisque. They can hold together a seafood stuffing.
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September 20, 2006
Duncan Hines bests brownie competitors
By KATHY SAUNDERS
There's nothing like a chocolate fudge brownie. And some of the desserts we sampled were nothing like chocolate fudge brownies.
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September 6, 2006
Tomato juice test yields ripe rewards
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Reaction to tomato juice was split among our panelists.
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August 30, 2006
It's hardly worth reaching for the can opener
By KATHY SAUNDERS
When it comes to yellow corn, I always reach for the Green Giant in the freezer section.
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August 23, 2006
Grape expectations turn sour
By KATHY SAUNDERS
One of my favorite commentators says people who want flavored water should drink soda instead. Taster's Choice judges think he's right.
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August 16, 2006
Catch of the day: store-brand tuna
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Floridians who braved the hurricanes of the past two seasons have a box full of supplies ready these days. And who among us doesn't have a few cans or packets of tuna alongside those Cheerios and water bottles?
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August 9, 2006
Seventh-graders give Hershey's pudding an A
By KATHY SAUNDERS
One of my favorite school-age memories was coming home and finding my mother's chocolate pudding chilling in the fridge.
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August 2, 2006
Variety makes Dole fruit cup the favorite
By KATHY SAUNDERS
One of my least favorite tasks is packing school lunch boxes.
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July 26, 2006
If it's bagels you want, satisfactory taste is in store
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Taster's Choice panelists claimed to be open-minded about store-bought bagels. They prefer the morning offering at the local bagel shop, as do I, but they will reach for a substitute in a pinch. The only rule: Bagels have to be really fresh to be good.
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July 12, 2006
Root beer that's worthy of a frosty mug
By KATHY SAUNDERS
We had to make a grocery run for a recent house guest who wanted root beer, an item I don't usually stock.
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Main dish recipes as easy as pie
By ELLEN FOLKMAN

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July 5, 2006
Drum roll, please, for Blue Bell vanilla cones
By KATHY SAUNDERS
When the ice cream truck jingled down our Shreveport, La., street where I lived as a child, the driver always had frozen Drumsticks ready for my dad and me.
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June 21, 2006
Looks may fool, but taste doesn't
By KATHY SAUNDERS
To our panelists, veggie burgers are one of those foods that sound better than they taste.
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June 14, 2006
Love 'em or hate 'em, Bahlsen ranks best
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Taste is definitely subjective. One man's cookie is another's cardboard. Taster's Choice panelists were divided on their love for the sugar wafer. Half of the panel loved the cream-filled treats while the others were appalled that they are even stocked at local grocery stores.
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June 7, 2006
It's hard to go wrong with chocolate syrups
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Growing up, my parents had two cures for any ailment: a hot bath or a dessert smothered in chocolate syrup.
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May 31, 2006
Popcorn's better with cheddar
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Warning: If you serve cheddar-flavored popcorn to your guests they may never leave. That's what happened when the Taster's Choice panelists sampled six brands of the ready-popped snack on a recent morning. I had to send the leftovers home with them.
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May 24, 2006
These coffees instantly disappointed
By KATHY SAUNDERS
One of my neighbors drinks a cup of black, instant coffee every morning - and she admits it.
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May 17, 2006
The best of the common bries
By KATHY SAUNDERS
One of the best things I learned in cooking school was how to prepare brie in puff pastry.
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May 3, 2006
Thumbs up to black beans full of flavor
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Black beans are an ideal food for weight- and health-conscious consumers. They are high in fiber and low in fat and calories.
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April 26, 2006
Candy patties are in mint condition
By KATHY SAUNDERS
When the first-graders at my daughter's school were taking standardized tests, the teacher asked parents to donate peppermint patties. She said they have "brain boosting" ingredients.
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April 19, 2006
Frozen lasagnas get a chilly reception
By KATHY SAUNDERS

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April 5, 2006
Easter's iconic candy comes in many flavors
By KATHY SAUNDERS
They aren't beans and they are more sugar than jelly, but the jelly bean reigns supreme when it comes to Easter candy.
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March 29, 2006
Best muffins are berry good
By KATHY SAUNDERS
From the registered dietitian on our panel: Blueberry muffins may be high in fat, but they do have a few healthy benefits.
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March 22, 2006
Panel's selection is one honey of a ham
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Ham is usually the centerpiece of Easter brunch at our house.
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March 15, 2006
Which bran has the brawn?
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Bran flakes get a bad rap. Even as our panelists were complaining about bran, I was munching on plain flakes of it right from a cereal box. Before I knew it, a third of the cereal was gone.
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March 8, 2006
Is there such a thing as bad chocolate?
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Researchers and nutrition expert are singing the praises of the cancer-fighting properties of dark chocolate. Some are even comparing its health benefits to those of apples.
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March 1, 2006
Wheat pasta wholly unpopular
By KATHY SAUNDERS
See what our tasters have to say.
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February 22, 2006
Quick oatmeals warm tasters' tummies
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfasts - especially when it's cold outside. The longer it's left on the stove, the better. Taster's Choice panelists weren't as enthusiastic, and I had to replace one judge midway through the tasting.
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February 15, 2006
Lance wins cheese cracker battle
By KATHY SAUNDERS
When my children complain that I haven't been to the grocery store, it's usually code for "we are out of Ritz Bits cheese crackers."
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February 1, 2006
A syrup by any other source is not as sweet
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Natural foods usually cost more than their processed or preserved counterparts. I guess that's why my mother always served fake pancake syrup instead of the stuff tapped from a maple tree.
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January 25, 2006
Get homemade flavor from your freezer
By KATHY SAUNDERS
I visited several grocery stores in search of coffee ice creams. But, after wading through shelves of mint-chocolate chip containers, I decided to change course.
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January 18, 2006
It's time to talk presliced deli turkey
By KATHY SAUNDERS
It's true, if you don't order ahead at the deli counter at my local grocery store you could die waiting.
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January 11, 2006
Frozen chicken entrees: sensible and bland
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Only one foodie on our panel would admit to buying frozen low-calorie, low-cholesterol dinners. But my neighborhood grocer said the entrees fill the carts of shoppers this time of year.
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January 4, 2006
Taster's Choice will resume
By TIMES STAFF
NOTE TO READERS
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December 28, 2005
Putting groceries to the test
By JANET K. KEELER
Looking back over a year's worth of Taster's Choice columns, I have nothing but admiration - and pity - for chief taster Kathy Saunders and her merry band of guinea pigs.
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December 21, 2005
Seconds on potatoes, but hold the gravy
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Why is it we have no problem shoving a couple of Twinkies into our mouths, but we feel guilty when we serve premade mashed potatoes?
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December 14, 2005
Don't turn up your nose at cookies by the tray
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Picking up a tray of cookies to take to a party? No need to travel farther than the local Publix. At least that's what our Taster's Choice panelists decided after sampling holiday cookies from six local groceries.
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December 7, 2005
Under cover, meatballs pass muster
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Meatballs turn up on buffet tables all through the holidays. But if you try to save time by buying them already made, you will need to spend time making a delicious sauce in which to hide them.
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November 30, 2005
Store brands top big-name yogurts
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Ever since Snackwell's stopped selling chocolate cheesecake yogurt seven years ago, I haven't put a spoon of yogurt in my mouth. I can't stand the sourness. But everyone else in my family loves the stuff. My husband even eats yogurt as dessert - the unflavored plain kind.
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November 16, 2005
Frozen biscuits take the gold medal
By KATHY SAUNDERS
No question, biscuits hot from the oven are delicious. That's true, even when the biscuits come from a freezer bag.
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November 9, 2005
Canned chili sways a few taste buds
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Only one of our four Taster's Choice panelists would admit to buying canned chili. She serves it to her family regularly. The other three tasters were making pretty disgusted faces throughout the process.
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November 4, 2005
Canned green beans fail to captivate
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Sometimes it's good to be the writer and not the taster. That was definitely the case when Taster's Choice sampled canned, cut green beans.
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November 2, 2005
Canned green beans fail to captivate
By KATHY SAUNDERS
GREEN BEANS RANKINGS
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October 28, 2005
Seasoned rices are a mixed bag
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Do we save time but sacrifice quality with seasoned rice? That was the issue panelists considered when sampling chicken-flavored rice mixes. The reaction was mixed.
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October 26, 2005
Seasoned rices are a mixed bag
By KATHY SAUNDERS
SEASONED RICE RANKINGS
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October 19, 2005
Animal crackers? How about SpongeBob?
By KATHY SAUNDERS
When I was 5, my brother and sister and I visited the Barksdale Air Force Base clinic in Louisiana regularly to get the shots we needed to join our father at his future assignment in Germany. One thing made those dreadful visits bearable: animal crackers. Today, whenever my children visit the doctor, I always pack a box of animal crackers - even if they don't need shots.
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October 12, 2005
Precooked no way to bring home bacon
By KATHY SAUNDERS
When my son wouldn't eat any meat, he would eat bacon. That is, if it was served at a restaurant.
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October 5, 2005
Not all raisins are pleasingly plump
By KATHY SAUNDERS
When a friend overheard me talking about tasting raisins, she said, "That's easy, the Dole raisins in the blue container are unbeatable."
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September 28, 2005
Croutons that are tops for your salad
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Salads are one of those dishes that I love to eat, but hate to make. Everything about them in tiresome: the washing, the tearing, the chopping and the tossing. So you can imagine how I feel about making croutons.
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September 21, 2005
Get taste of Tuscany from canned tomato sauce
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Spaghetti sauce was the first family recipe that I mastered. We added lots of meat and spices to canned tomato sauce and, ideally, it simmered all day on the stove. I've always used the same sauce my mother bought. Until the Taster's Choice panel suggested it tasted more like the can than tomatoes. Sorry, Mom.
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September 14, 2005
Graham crackers a tasty, stand-alone treat
By KATHY SAUNDERS
There's no question that graham crackers are best when wrapped around marshmallows and milk chocolate. But they stand alone as a solid, crunchy and sweet snack.
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September 7, 2005
Upstarts dethrone the majority whip
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Anyone who has ever been on a diet knows the value of Cool Whip. It is low-calorie, sweet and comes in a fat-free variety. It makes Jell-O taste like a real dessert and it turns fat-free chocolate pudding into decent mousse.
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August 31, 2005
Just the right-sized bite in brownies
By KATHY SAUNDERS
The idea of brownie bites never appealed to me because one or two bites didn't seem enough.
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August 24, 2005
Publix is first in quenching thirst
By KATHY SAUNDERS

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August 3, 2005
In some cases, no substitute for sugar
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Television commercials with actors pouring sugar substitutes directly on their cereal inspired Taster's Choice panelists to put sugar alternatives to the test.
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July 27, 2005
Popular brands not their cup of tea
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Iced tea is my drink. The upside is I am always available to be the designated driver. The downside is most restaurants serve better wine than tea. For starters, tasty tea takes a strong tea bag.
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July 20, 2005
Spanakopita is the tastiest tidbit
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Taster's Choice tried something different this month, sampling a range of appetizers before a dinner party.
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July 13, 2005
Rotisserie chickens vary in size, taste, cost
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Taster's Choice called ahead to order rotisserie chickens from local grocery stores and the Bayway Country Store & Butcher Shoppe in St. Petersburg. All locations, except the country store, said ordering ahead was not necessary. The chickens are prepared throughout the day.
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July 6, 2005
Bland canned chicken ruffles feathers
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Canned chicken would come in handy for a pot pie or a chicken salad sandwich, but it didn't stand alone for our panelists.
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June 29, 2005
It's a rough job, sampling birthday cake
By KATHY SAUNDERS
I live for birthday cake. I like layers of sweet buttercream icing slathered so thick it becomes crusty. I was always the child at the party begging for the corner piece or the one with flowers.
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June 22, 2005
With frozen cooked shrimp, good looks only go so far
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Taster's Choice panelists would buy frozen cooked shrimp from Publix - but only in a pinch. And, even then, they would bury it in a recipe or doctor it up a lot.
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June 15, 2005
These honeys cut the mustard
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Honey mustard had to be sweet and tart to get high marks from the Taster's Choice panel. Those criteria put some mustards on the back shelf as far as the judges were concerned.
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June 8, 2005
Publix cream cheese whips the competition
By KATHY SAUNDERS
"All whipped cream cheeses are created equal," according to Taster's Choice panelists who recently sampled six brands.
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