Snack Review: Kozy Shack Frozen Chocolate Truffle Rolls

Kozy Shack is one of the most mysterious snack brand names around. How could anyone have thought this was a good idea? A shack is not the kind of place that sounds appealing to go to for great snack food. And the spelling does nothing to assure me that they’ll get anything else right, either.

The history on their web site does nothing to clear it up: the business started as a New York deli called Cozy Shack. I’m not sure how that succeeded either – you’ve got plenty of choices of delis in New York, and I think I would cross the street to another place rather than buy my pastrami sandwich at a Cozy Shack.

But, you know, it’s actually kind of nice that not every brand name around is the product of a room full of consultants and MBAs poring over statistics from focus groups. And, what’s more, they make good pudding.

Still, when I saw Kozy Shack Tiramisu in the freezer case, I had to laugh. It was so incongruous that it was actually intriguing.

I almost bought the tiramisu, but then I saw the chocolate truffle rolls next to them. The truffle rolls had better-sounding ingredients – I don’t think the Italians use corn syrup in their tiramisu – and then I noticed, they are actually made in Holland. Sold. I can’t resist those European baked goods, even if they’re made in a factory and deep frozen for who knows how long and sold at the crummy neighborhood Safeway.

Read more

Snack Review: Durian Cream Roll Soft Cake

So there I was, treasure-hunting in the Vietnamese Market, seeking more little-known snacks to introduce to the world. Okay, so I’ll admit an ulterior motive: ever since Alissa found the guts to try Van Holton’s uber-sickening Pickle-in-a-bag, I’ve harbored a secret yen to try something equally disgusting - or more so! I’ve chosen to undertake this mission with full knowledge that it’s likely to prove, in the best case, fruitless, and at worst, life-threatening.

I found plenty of “different” and “uniquely Southeast Asian” snacks at the market - coconut cookies and such - but nothing to rival the puke-inviting loveliness of a single cucumber mummified for god-knows-how-long in brine and plastic. Resigned to a life of snack experiences running the too-narrow gamut from “really good” to “pretty bad,” I took my place in line. But, lo and behold - amid a mess of pastries and sticky rice balls from local Asian bakeries rested my potential salvation. Standing there like a golden, oozing shrine to the Saint of Stench was a simple roll cake starring the durian.

Read more