PRODUCTS: Favorites From Recent Grocery Tastings

[1] Tasty snacks from a French company that has set down roots in the U.S. (photo courtesy Bakerly).

[2] Perfectly flavored rice sides are now a cinch (photo courtesy Royal Basmati).

[3] The Thin Mint cookie finds a new expression in yogurt from Yoplait.

We buy lots of products to try, and we are sent samples as well.

As with aything, some of these are nice but not newsworthy; others become part of our weekly shopping list.

Here’s our latest collection of winners.
 
 
1. BAKERLY: BRIOCHE BREAD & BREAKFAST BREADS

We discovered the Bakerly line at a natural foods store. A brand from France, the products are now also made in the U.S.

We first took home a loaf of brioche—our favorite bread.

We enjoyed the loaf so much, we went back for the rest of the products on that shelf (photo #1): regular and chocolate chip croissants, jam-filled crepes and petite cakes (little sponges filled with chocolate or strawberry).

There are also item on the website we haven’t yet tried, including brioche rolls and burger buns.

For those who enjoy a breakfast pastry, or something sweet with a coffee break, look out for Bakerly.

You can use the store locator at Bakerly.com.

Food Trivia: The expression, “If they have no bread, let them eat cake,” commonly misattributed to Queen Marie-Antoinette, is a translation of the phrase, “S’ils n’ont plus de pain, qu’ils mangent de la brioche.”

But was the insensitive (to say the least) remark actually said by the over-indulged queen?

Perhaps not. The quotation was attributed by Jean-Jacques Rousseau to “a great princess,” possibly Maria Theresa of Spain.
 
 
2. ROYAL BASMATI: GLOBAL RICE MIXES

All of this company’s rices are premium:

 
Now, Royal Basmati has created a line seasoned basmati rices in global flavors: Argentinian, French, Greek, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Moroccan (photo #2) and Thai.

You can cook them on the stovetop or in the microwave. The result: aromatic, well-seasoned sides to serve with anything from plain grilled chicken to Moroccan lamb stew to a Thai-inspired feast.

Here’s more information.

Discover more at AuthenticRoyal.com.

Beginning this month, Girl Scout Cookie fans can enjoy Yoplait yogurt flavors inspired by their favorite cookie flavors:

 
The flavors are produced under a license from Girl Scouts Of The USA.

We received samples of all three, and were thrilled with Thin Mints: a mousse of minty chocolate. We could eat a case of it.

Yoplait products are both naturally and artificially flavored. The other two flavors will have their fans, but we were sensitive to the artificial taste peeking through.

Learn more at Yoplait.com.

What’s next? Stay tuned.