Regular Reader Crim Shares Cevapi From Arthur Avenue, New York City

From regular reader Crim: Here is an article i came up with for some food that comes from the Balkans. We buy this at a specialty butcher in New York City, straight from the famous Arthur Ave. Cevapi - Pronounced Che-va-pi Straight from the famous Arthur Ave in the Bronx comes a Mediterranean specialty. These are sausages that are made from a combination of ground veal, beef and lamb. They are seasoned with secret spices that give them an extra kick, perfect for that extra push needed by Balkan barbarians. They are usually usually with some type of yogurt, pita bread, chopped onions, etc. But this Fat Prider took the American route and went with ketchup. And to wash them down, the great American lager, Budweiser.

Pace Four Cheese Salsa con Queso - The New King of Queso?

Regular reader and contributor Etathed - the East Coast Queso specialist has announced his crowning of "The King of Quesos": The New King of Queso? Queso dips are one of life's great pleasures. Until now the best store bought, readily available queso in my opinion has been the Tostitos Salsa con Queso. In fact that was just about the only queso out there. Well about a yeah ago they released a Monterey jack queso that definatly stood up to the classic queso. I have been nothing but faithful to Tostitos quesos, until now. Im not sure if this is new, or a product i have just been overlooking, which is possible as it is in the isle buy the taco fixings, NOT the chip isle. Pace Four Cheese Salsa con Queso. Thats right four cheese. Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Asadero, and Queso Blanco all in one jar. People, this offering tops all others i have found on the queso market. The label reads: "Two of these cheeses are pretty hard to find. But that didn't stop us. Asadero and Queso Blanco are both mild creations originating in mexico. The unsung heroes of this dip, they let the jalapenos, onions, and sweet red peppers make a little noise." Its true. It is a fantastic flavor and tastes much more "authentic" than Tostinos' offerings. My only complaint is the tall jar, once the queso level falls below 50 percent, its tough to get to. For those who like to pour their queso over chips or into a bowl for heating, this dip is more pour friendly than those from Tostitos. Despite Tostitos having a better designed jar for dippings, Pace's offering comes with a full ounce more of queso. 16oz compared to Tostitos 15 oz. Trust me if you like queso you will love this dip. I suggest you get at least 2 jars next time you go to the store, as upon first having this dip it is likely you may slip into a queso bender. Hail to the New Queso King!

The New Prider Size Bisquick Shake N' Pour Big Jug O' Pancake Batter

Regular reader Chris Norton sent in these photos which show us the new Bisquick pre-mixed and ready to pour pancake batter. The staff here was unaware of this new offering - but we have heard of an aerosol like whipped cream can of pancake batter. Norton only sent the photos - with no commentary attached. We are thinking he passed out after eating many servings and did not get to his review yet. This probably means these are good pancakes. Update to follow.

Andy Capp's Cheddar Fries Bag

When one of our staff shoppers spotted this at a local convenience store - she knew we would want to sample them in our test kitchens. These are not chips - they are corn and potato 'fries' - kinda like thin straight cheetos or something. Andy Capp is a thin man and we should have known that being he is loaded all the time he wouldn't know a good fry snack from a nasty one. He should have sobered up before he put his mug on this line of bagged snacks made by Con-Agra. Bland, stale and just plain boring was the consensus of those here who took place in the sampling. They were thin and full of air in the middle. Also, it was another one of those products that has 99 cents printed on the bag, but the store has them stickered at 1.29. As mentioned before, we here at the FPT believe in the honor the printed price policy. Disappointing.

Snickers Charged Bars - Limited Edition

We found these limited time flavor Snickers bar on sale at 3 for 99 cents and wisely purchased 12 at that price. Upon returning back to the FPT test kitchens, Donny (long time staffer) ate 3 of these guys, then layed out on the couch and passed out for 2 hours. He said they tasted a little different than normal Snickers - but where was the 'kick' they advertise?

New Charbroiled Steak Sandwich at Carl's Jr. - The FPT Staff Review

One of our staffers was at Carl's Jr. the other morning getting us a bag of the Big Country breakfast burritos when she noticed this new offering. Knowing full well we would want to try this, she asked the counter person if it was available - as it was 10:00 am - the answer was yes. For the price of 4.99 ala carte - this sandwich is a winner. The photos above speak for themselves. This was a nice cut of meat - no chewy spots or toughness - on nice bread with the onion ring toppers. An excellent idea to offer up an affordable and decent cut of beef in a take-out/drive-thru restaurant. We fully endorse this new menu item at Carl's Jr.

Frodo in Florida Steps Up With Spaghetti

Our friend Frodo from Florida has once again emailed in a media blitz showcasing his recent adventures cooking spaghetti: "used contadina tomato products since it has an italian lady on it so it must be more authentic. also i added ground beef to the recipe because meat sauce is king. even though i like to cook, funny enough this is my first time making the sauce from scratch (well, it's not really from scratch). it was a fine sauce" He followed this recipe here: cookeatshare.com recipe link

Tai Pei Frozen Chinese Food Micro Boxes

Our purchasing staff had noticed this item before - as it comes in the unique packaging of a to-go box from a chinese restaurant. The box is rather clever, however....this is not a FPT pick of the week. As you can see in the photos the portion is tiny and it was just plain bland. Purchased on-sale for 1.99 - even more frustrating if you paid the full price of around 3.99. The staff here has chosen to stay away from the "Tai Pei".

The Bird Is The Word: Magnum's Huge Thanksgiving Smoked Turkey

Picture speaks for itself here.

Coming Soon: True Story Behind The Unusual Food Photos Found Below

Soon, one of our regular readers/writers will be explaining in depth the meaning of and the intense preperation process of this culturally important foodstuff icon. Please check back here soon. BONUS MIDDLE O' THE NIGHT CONTEST FIRST PERSON TO POST A COMMENT HERE SAYING ANYTHING THEN SEND AN EMAIL TO FATPRIDER@YAHOO.COM INCLUDING YOUR SHIPPING ADDRESS WILL NEED FOR SENDING PRIZE: 2 FREE 'PREMIUM' DRIVE-THRU MENU ITEM COUPONS GOOD LUCK WHOEVER GETS HERE AND GETS IT DONE FIRST!

Canadian Supreme Court Rules That Obese Get Second Seat Free As-Needed

The high court of our neighbors up north has mafe a landmark decision that could have effects worldwide. "One-person-One-fare" is the policy that will allow for those in need of extra space be provided such space at no extra cost to them. This policy allready exists in Canada for public transportation and the staff here is pleased to see it reach the airlines industry in Canada.

A So-Called Chicken Strip From KFC

On a recent visit to the Kentucky Fried Chicken near the FPT test kitchens one of our staffers purchased a chicken strips combo box. None of the so-called strips were anywhere near what we consider to be a 'strip' in size and shape. One of the 'chicken pieces' was very unusual as photos show. This thinng measures in at app. 3" tall and the shape is most unusual as the photo shows. Nuff Said.

"Breakfast As Big As Our Burgers"-The Big Country Breakfast Burrito From Carl's Jr.

Carl's Jr. has introduced a mighty big breakfast burrito to their menu. The 'Big Country Breakfast Burrito' is a stand alone full meal. This burrito delivers on their new ad campaign "Breakfast As Big As Our Burgers" The Big Country Breakfast Burrito has eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, hash brown nuggets, shredded jack & cheddar cheeses with sausage gravy in a warm, flour tortilla. If you look closely at the photos above, you can see they even folded the tortilla properly so that the fillings do not out as you eat it. Something other places seem to always overlook. The staff here loved the generous amount of gravy inside - excellent compliment to the other fillings. Basically, this burrito is like an entire breakfast plate rolled up nicely inside a tortilla. The FPT staff here usually purchases food items on the premise "always buy two" if you wanna get full, this is an exception.

Reader Chris Norton's Hard Boiled Egg Parade Continues Its March

Thanks from the FPT staff to regular Chris Norton. He sent us another nice picture of his egg platters. We especially like the presentation on this one as well as the fancy countertops.

Beaver Brand Horseradish Sauce: Extra Hot Means Extra Hot

The staff recently opened up a bottle of Beaver brand horseradish here in the FPT test kitchens labeled as "extra hot". We were looking not only for overall quality but how they define extra hot as well. Beaver brand nailed their claim. This sauce is not only of great quality but actually extra hot as well. You can also get this in a normal hot variety as well. Upon further research we found this company makes a whole bunch of sauces - which we plan on trying one by one. If anyone is familair with any of these please email us with your experience/review:

• Coney Island Hot Dog Mustard
• Cranberry Mustard
• Cream Horseradish
• Deli Horseradish
• Deli Mustard
• Dijon Mustard
• Honey Mustard
• Honey Mustard Mayonnaise
• Jalepeno Mustard
• Seafood Cocktail Sauce
• Seafood Tartar Sauce
• Spicy Stone Ground Mustard
• Sweet Hot Mustard
• Wasabi Horseradish
• Yellow - American Picnic Mustard
• Chinese Hot Mustard
• Dijon Garlic Mustard
• Dusseldorf Mustard
• Extra Hot Horseradish
• Ground Garlic Cloves*
• Hawaiian Pineapple Mustard
• Horseradish Dijon Mustard
• Kosher Beet Horseradish*
• Kosher Hot Horseradish
• Maui Onion Mustard
• Olde English Hot Mustard
• Russian Mustard
• Wasabi Mustard
• Wasabi Powder
• Whipped Horseradish

From The Eastern U.S.: Etathed Reviews Hardee's New Little Thick Burgers

Since our FPT test kitchens are located on the west coast of the USA, we asked one of our regular contributors to try out Hardee's new "Little Thick Burgers". Don't let the name fool you - these 'little' burgers are 1/4 pounders. His report: I ordered the 1/4 little thick burger as it comes, no extra fixins or anything like that. I wanted to test this burger in its original form, (minus tomato mind you, as i never touch those things). This is indeed a quality fast food burger. In comparison to other fast food 1/4 lb offerings this burger seemed to be much thicker than the rest on the market. I think this is what sets this burger apart, its true to its name, this is a THICK burger. It also had a very good flavor that i can only described as "Just Grilled." I believe this burger costs $1.99 and i would say it is worth it. But more important, 2 are well worth $3.98.

Foodstuff Alert: Crunchy Mozzarella Cheetos - Limited Time Only!

By dumb luck one of our staffers noticed these new Mozzarella Chrunchy Cheetos - and we could not be more pleased. These crunchy style Cheetos are excellent with a bold taste and go well with most flavors of Powerade. However, these are a limited time only offering as stated on the top of the bag so get a bag while they are still around.

Our Reader Chris Norton's Special Hard Boiled Peppered Egg Coins Platter

Chris sent along thse photo taken of the cooking and presentation of his hard-boiled peppered egg coins. With not much information from him on this platter - we asked him to say a few blurbs to which he replied: "Its the right thing to do, and a delicious way to do it" "sometimes i put them on salad but i've gotten so lethargic these days as i wither away" "feeds me. 2 eggs"

The FPT Tries: Frozen Dwight Yoakam's Chickin' Lickin's Chicken Fries

On a recent shopping excursion we came across these unique frozen chicken fries endorsed by Dwight Yoakam and made by Bakersfield Biscuits. There were two other items in this line - macaroni and cheese stuffed somethings and something else unusual - thats all we remember. Not a large portion here - but they were easy to microwave and while they easily passed our basic standards test, we would not give them a 5-star foodstuff rating. These scored a 3.5 out of 5. We include the price in this grading scale and at 99 cents as marked on the packaging - its a decent spent dollar. On a sidenote - we actually paid $1.29 for these from Walgreen's. We did not notice this until we had allready purchased them or we would have protested. One thing that really gets under the skin of the Fat Pride Times is truth in packaging. We will be doing an official complaint to the location these were purchased from.

Foodstuff Flashback: A 1940's Era Carl's Jr. Drive-Thru Hot Dog Stand In Los Angeles

FOODSTUFFS FLASHBACKS POST #9 IN A 7 PART SERIES One of our staffers was inside a Carl's Junior picking up lunch for our meeting when he spotted this snapshot in time framed by the restroom doors. This drive-thru hot dog stand was at the corner of Florence & Western in Los Angeles and at the time was considered 'modernized'. Named Carl's at this time - the same organization would eventually run the Carl's Jr. locations you see today.