REVIEW: Trader Joe's Condensed Cream of Portabella Mushroom Soup
Mark Thorson
The ingredient list looked okay, a little high on the sodium.
I fixed it per the instructions on the carton. Despite
the sodium number on the box, it tasted like it was a
low-sodium product.
I've had some excellent cream of mushroom soup in my
life. The best was in the cafeteria at IBM Almaden,
which despite being an employee cafeteria serves food
worthy of a decent restaurant. That's what I think of
when I think of cream of mushroom soup. I just mention
that to show I don't hate mushrooms or mushroom soup.
Properly made mushroom soup is wonderful.
The Trader Joe's soup is the exact opposite of that.
Horrible soup. Very strong mushroom flavor, but an
unpleasant flavor. I suspect it was due to the use
of "natural mushroom flavor base" and "natural
mushroom concentrate", ingredients 3 and 4 after
water and mushrooms.
It reminds me of their truffle and black mushroom
flatbread frozen product. That's a flatbread covered
with cheese and fungus pieces. I reviewed that some
time ago, and it was horrible in the same way.
I haven't looked at the ingredients on that product
recently, but I wouldn't be surprised if it had
the same awful mushroom flavorings. Even though I've
eaten some bread washed down with non-alcoholic beer,
I can still taste the aftertaste from the soup.
Awful, awful soup.
Chemo the Clown
You could've regurgitated it and taken it back and demanded your money
back.
ImStillMags
I have my own recipe for Mushroom Bisque that I served in the
restaurant. Always a big favorite. If you are interested.
Lou Decruss
I'd like to see it if you don't mind!
Lou
ImStillMags
> On Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:58:19 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
>
> >On Apr 27, 12:19 pm, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> wrote:
> >> Awful, awful soup.
>
> >I have my own recipe for Mushroom Bisque that I served in the
> >restaurant. Always a big favorite. If you are interested.
>
> I'd like to see it if you don't mind!
>
> Lou
http://www.hizzoners.com/recipes/soups/107-mushroom-bisque
I always added wild mushrooms when I could get my hands on fresh ones
in season.
Terry Pulliam Burd
arranged random neurons and said:
<snip>
>The Trader Joe's soup is the exact opposite of that.
>Horrible soup.
<snip>
TJ's doesn't get everything right, but when it does get something
right it can be pretty darned good. Their chicken pot pie is a go-to
ain't-cookin' meal Bill really likes. He is a big fan of pot pies and
says TJs makes the best commercial pot pies he's ever had. And their
individual pepperoni pizzas are pretty good, if you roll that way
(which my homeschooled granddaughter does).
Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
--
To reply, remove "spambot" and replace it with "cox"
Bryan
I bought some and I didn't find it to be bad at all. IIRC, I added
extra sliced mushrooms, heavy cream and salt.
It was very mushroomy tasting, and I can see someone finding that
overwhelming, but I didn't find the taste unpleasant, though my
standards for a canned or aseptic carton soup are not super high.
Still, it couldn't be worse than "non-alcoholic beer."
--Bryan
Mark Thorson
>
> Still, it couldn't be worse than "non-alcoholic beer."
Nobody drinks non-alcoholic beer because they
think it's good beer. There are no good
non-alcoholic beers. I think there's an
opportunity for someone to create the first
good non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beer.
Bryan
But until then I'd rather have no beer.
--Bryan
David Harmon
Pulliam Burd <ntpu...@spambot.net> wrote,
>TJ's doesn't get everything right, but when it does get something
>right it can be pretty darned good. Their chicken pot pie is a go-to
>ain't-cookin' meal Bill really likes.
Do they have both top and bottom crust?
How much do they cost?
Jim Elbrecht
wrote:
Actually, Miller had a na beer, Sharps, that I really liked. It had
just a hint of a citrus taste to it. I preferred it to beer. [but
I'll take a gin & grapefruit juice for a thirst quencher.]
I thought they quit making it, but web searches seem to indicate that
it is available in some parts of the country. I haven't seen it in
NY in years.
Jim
Chemo the Clown
Becks makes a good NA beer if you like the taste of German beers.
sf
wrote:
> The Trader Joe's soup is the exact opposite of that.
> Horrible soup. Very strong mushroom flavor, but an
> unpleasant flavor. I suspect it was due to the use
> of "natural mushroom flavor base" and "natural
> mushroom concentrate", ingredients 3 and 4 after
> water and mushrooms.
>
> It reminds me of their truffle and black mushroom
> flatbread frozen product. That's a flatbread covered
> with cheese and fungus pieces. I reviewed that some
> time ago, and it was horrible in the same way.
> I haven't looked at the ingredients on that product
> recently, but I wouldn't be surprised if it had
> the same awful mushroom flavorings. Even though I've
> eaten some bread washed down with non-alcoholic beer,
> I can still taste the aftertaste from the soup.
> Awful, awful soup.
Too bad. A previous thread had me convinced I should buy it and
pretend it's mushroom stock. Horrible pretty much covers what I think
of 90% of prepared items anyway, so I'm not surprised - just
disappointed. After finding TJ's stock to be lower sodium than others
I've bought and tasty to boot and absolutely *loving* their "Toscano"
tomato sauce, I thought maybe I'd like the mushroom too. You just
saved me some money, thanks.
--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.
sf
<ntpu...@spambot.net> wrote:
> TJ's doesn't get everything right, but when it does get something
> right it can be pretty darned good. Their chicken pot pie is a go-to
> ain't-cookin' meal Bill really likes. He is a big fan of pot pies and
> says TJs makes the best commercial pot pies he's ever had.
Really? Thanks for the recommendation. I ate too many awful
Swanson's pot pies as a kid to ever want to try anybody else's.
Although I personally don't mind making pot pies myself, it'll be good
for lunch or when hubby is home alone.
Jerry Avins
...
> http://www.hizzoners.com/recipes/soups/107-mushroom-bisque
>
> I always added wild mushrooms when I could get my hands on fresh ones
> in season.
That's a keeper. Thanks!
Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can
get.
sf
wrote:
> Actually, Miller had a na beer, Sharps, that I really liked. It had
> just a hint of a citrus taste to it. I preferred it to beer.
I think wheat beer would make a good nonalcoholic beer, because I like
that flavor.
Golden One
That is almost the same recipe that I use. I also add some sauteed
Enoki mushrooms, before serving, for texture and visual appeal.
JB
David Harmon
<s...@geemail.com> wrote,
>Really? Thanks for the recommendation. I ate too many awful
>Swanson's pot pies as a kid to ever want to try anybody else's.
I got thoroughly disgusted with Swanson and cheap-ass pot pies in
general. Lately I found out, due to a tip from someone here, that
Marie Calendar's are good. But my cheap-ass microwave oven is
barely up to the job of cooking them; 1000 watts or better is
recommended. I'm hoping that TJ's will suit me better. I'll have
to wait until next time I'm in TJ's unless Squeaks replies with more
details.
notbob
> general. Lately I found out, due to a tip from someone here, that
> Marie Calendar's are good.
They have good meat ration, but also have waaaay more crust than any other
brand. Be prepared to eat flour! The best is actually cheapo Gourmet
brand pot pies. I recommend beef. Not a lotta veg's, but good meat
ratio. Bottom line, there is no best frozen pot pie.
Like me, and everyone else on rfc, you need to learn to make yer own.
Oooh!... whatta concept on a newsgroup named rec.food.cooking!!
nb
Ophelia
"notbob" <not...@notbob.invalid> wrote in message
news:91te1p...@mid.individual.net...
> On 2011-04-28, David Harmon <sou...@netcom.com> wrote:
>
>> general. Lately I found out, due to a tip from someone here, that
>> Marie Calendar's are good.
>
> They have good meat ration, but also have waaaay more crust than any
> other
> brand. Be prepared to eat flour! The best is actually cheapo Gourmet
> brand pot pies. I recommend beef. Not a lotta veg's, but good meat
> ratio. Bottom line, there is no best frozen pot pie.
>
> Like me, and everyone else on rfc, you need to learn to make yer own.
> Oooh!... whatta concept on a newsgroup named rec.food.cooking!!
lol... do you have a recipe for pot pie, because I don't really know what it
is:)
--
--
Lou Decruss
wrote:
My favorite vessel to use is a ramekin but you can use a pie pan or a
baking dish. Here's detailed instructions for a baking dish that can
be adapted. There's also tips in the following comments.
http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/42/Traditional-Chicken-Pot-Pie
Lou
Lou Decruss
Thanks. Saved for next time.
Lou
Terry Pulliam Burd
arranged random neurons and said:
No, just a top crust. And AFAICS, bottom crusts don't work - they're
always too doughy.
>
>How much do they cost?
>
IIRC, they're roughly $3.50, but they are *loaded* with chicken and
the veggies are crispish and the gravy light and flavorful (quoting
Bill here).
Terry Pulliam Burd
random neurons and said:
>On Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:18:41 -0700, Terry Pulliam Burd
><ntpu...@spambot.net> wrote:
>
>> TJ's doesn't get everything right, but when it does get something
>> right it can be pretty darned good. Their chicken pot pie is a go-to
>> ain't-cookin' meal Bill really likes. He is a big fan of pot pies and
>> says TJs makes the best commercial pot pies he's ever had.
>
>Really? Thanks for the recommendation. I ate too many awful
>Swanson's pot pies as a kid to ever want to try anybody else's.
>Although I personally don't mind making pot pies myself, it'll be good
>for lunch or when hubby is home alone.
I'd love to hear your take on TJ's pot pies. Bill swears by 'em. I
keep a couple in the freezer for when he takes a notion for a pot pie.
I just wish they also made beef pot pies. Once upon a time they made
turkey pot pies, but there wasn't enough of a call for them, so they
were discontinued. I guess that makes some sort of sense, as turkey
and chicken are so similar, but a beef pot pie...think I'll drop a
note to TJ's. I understand that they're pretty responsive.
Terry Pulliam Burd
arranged random neurons and said:
>I got thoroughly disgusted with Swanson and cheap-ass pot pies in
>general. Lately I found out, due to a tip from someone here, that
>Marie Calendar's are good. But my cheap-ass microwave oven is
>barely up to the job of cooking them; 1000 watts or better is
>recommended. I'm hoping that TJ's will suit me better. I'll have
>to wait until next time I'm in TJ's unless Squeaks replies with more
>details.
Do NOT touch Marie Calendar's. Bill tried them prior to trying TJ's
and pronounced them awful. I just asked him why and he said, "I don't
remember. I just remember that I didn't f*cking like them." Ooooo-kay!
I guess that answers the question :)
Terry Pulliam Burd
>lol... do you have a recipe for pot pie, because I don't really know what it
>is:)
>
This is a recipe I cobbled together from a couple of others and then
through trial and error. Most commercial, frozen pot pies have a
bottom crust that I don't think anyone (even home cooks) have ever
gotten right. The following is a beef pot pie, but you can likely
figure out how to translate it to chicken or turkey:
@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format
Beef And Guinness Pie
meats and poultry
4 ounces lean bacon
2 lb boneless beef chuck; cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 carrots; chopped
1 large onion; coarsly chopped
2 stalks celery; minced
2 garlic cloves; chopped
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1 cup guinness or other irish stout
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons drained brined green peppercorns; coarsly chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs
puff pastry
1 large egg; lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
Special equipment: 4 (14-oz) deep bowls or ramekins (4 to 5 inches
wide)
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook bacon in large pot until crisp. Remove and set aside.
Pat beef dry. Stir together flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.
Add beef, turning to coat, then shake off excess and transfer to a
plate. Add oil to pot over moderately high heat until just smoking,
then brown meat in batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per
batch, transferring to a bowl.
Add carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and water to pot and cook,
scraping up ny brown bits from bottom of pot and stirring frequently,
until onion is oftened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook,
stirring, 1 minute. stir in bacon and beef with any juices accumulated
in bowl, broth, beer, Worcestershire sauce, peppercorns, and thyme and
bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven. Braise until beef
is very tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
Discard thyme and cool stew completely, uncovered, about 30 minutes.
(If stew is warm while assembling pies, it will melt uncooked pastry
top.)
Put a shallow baking pan on middle rack of oven and increase oven
temperature to 425°F.
Divide cooled stew among bowls (they won't be completely full). Roll
out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured
rolling into a 13-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Trim edges and
cut dough into quarters. Stir together egg and water and brush a
1-inch border of egg wash around each square. Invert 1 square over
each bowl and drape, pressing sides lightly to help adhere. Brush
pastry tops with some of remaining egg wash and freeze 15 minutes to
thoroughly chill dough. Bake pies in preheated shallow baking pan
until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 400°F and bake 5 minutes more to fully cook
dough.
Cooks' note: Stew (without pastry) can be made 2 days ahead, cooled
completely, and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before
using.
Notes: Tweaked from Gourmet and Food Network
Yield: 4 main-course
Bryan
> On Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:57:29 -0700, David Harmon <sou...@netcom.com>
> arranged random neurons and said:
>
> >On Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:18:41 -0700 in rec.food.cooking, Terry
> >>TJ's doesn't get everything right, but when it does get something
> >>right it can be pretty darned good. Their chicken pot pie is a go-to
> >>ain't-cookin' meal Bill really likes.
>
> >Do they have both top and bottom crust?
>
> No, just a top crust. And AFAICS, bottom crusts don't work - they're
> always too doughy.
>
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
>
--Bryan
Marcella Peek
Terry Pulliam Burd <ntpu...@spambot.net> wrote:
Everyones tastes are different.
My husband will eat a Marie Callendar's pot pie but hates the Trader
Joe's one. Trader Joes are big slices of chicken and some people like
big pieces. He thinks pot pies should be composed of smaller chunks or
meat and veggies because "no one should have to use a knife to eat a pot
pie."
marcella
sf
I'll follow the directions for cooking in a conventional oven, thanks.
Microwaving will just turn the pastry soggy, IMO.
sf
<ntpu...@spambot.net> wrote:
> I'd love to hear your take on TJ's pot pies. Bill swears by 'em. I
> keep a couple in the freezer for when he takes a notion for a pot pie.
That's exactly why I'd have one or two in the freezer. Hubby is
always hungry, so they would make a good lunch or afternoon "snack".
> I just wish they also made beef pot pies. Once upon a time they made
> turkey pot pies, but there wasn't enough of a call for them, so they
> were discontinued. I guess that makes some sort of sense, as turkey
> and chicken are so similar, but a beef pot pie...think I'll drop a
> note to TJ's. I understand that they're pretty responsive.
I don't get tired of eating my own chicken pot pie, but I should try
making beef sometime anyway. I guess I'd need to make beef stew
first?
sf
> lol... do you have a recipe for pot pie, because I don't really know what it
> is:)
Oh, come one O. Sure you do. Think of all the British meat pies you
know, then fill it with creamed chicken and lots of vegetables. I've
started making my pie crust with grated cheese (usually parmesan) and
it's a delicious alternative.
sf
<ntpu...@spambot.net> wrote:
> Most commercial, frozen pot pies have a
> bottom crust that I don't think anyone (even home cooks) have ever
> gotten right.
When I make it, pot pie is a top crust only and I use deep individual
dishes.
sf
<marc...@extra.peek.org> wrote:
> He thinks pot pies should be composed of smaller chunks or
> meat and veggies because "no one should have to use a knife to eat a pot
> pie."
He has a point!
David Harmon
<s...@geemail.com> wrote,
>
>I'll follow the directions for cooking in a conventional oven, thanks.
>Microwaving will just turn the pastry soggy, IMO.
Marie Calendar's uses resistive coated paper that gets hot in the
microwave to avoid the soggy crust issue. It works quite well, but
it would not surprise me if the conventional oven was still better.
The oven really takes a lot longer, though. If I wanted to wait, I
would probably be cooking something else anyway, so it goes in the
microwave for me.