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Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn. ~Garrison Keillor

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Amy’s Kitchen Cheese Pizza

May 7, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi

Price: $5.99
Serving: 1/3 pizza, 4.33 oz.
Calories: 310
Fat: 19%, 12g
Cholesterol: 5%, 15mg
Sodium: 25%, 590mg
Protein: 12g
Carbs: 13%, 38g
Fiber: 7%, 2g

Amy’s Kitchen says: The classic favorite, made with our savory pizza sauce and grated part skim mozzarella cheese.

Abi says: Amy’s Cheese Pizza is 73% organic. It is also 73% delicious. Why not 100% delicious? Well, it is incredibly boring. Sure, the crust is light and crisp, the tomato sauce tastes like it was plucked from a vine, and the cheese has the perfect stringiness one expects from mozzarella, but where were the Italian herbs and spices? In my entire life I have never met a less exciting pizza.

Fortunately, I am not afraid of using a skillet or chopping things with my super-sweet santoku knives. After the first ultra-boring Amy’s Cheese Pizza experience, I decided that a topping-fest was in order. With the aid of a sweet yellow onion and some artichoke heart and garlic chicken sausage, this pizza went from staid to stunning. I used two sausages and one small onion, but for those of you thinking about trying this at home, I suggest using only one sausage. I know, you’d think with two people there should be two sausages, but that is just wrong.

Amy’s Cheese Pizza is not something I would ever eat without toppings. However, when loaded with the deliciousness that is onion and Aidell’s sausage, this pizza became something of a miracle.

Disclaimer: One of the test pizzas was purchased by Abi Jones and the other one was sent to HeatEatReview.com by the fine folks (Hi Debby!) at Amy’s Kitchen’s PR firm.

Contacting HeatEatReview.com

May 4, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi Jones

This isn’t a review, sorry. Instead, it is a request. If your name is Val and you send a contact form email about becoming a reviewer, please write back. The email address you included in the form is incorrect.

Thanks,
Abi

Bob Evans Original Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

May 3, 2007 | Reviewer: Nicole

Price: $3.59
Serving: 1/2 package, 6.75 oz.
Calories: 340
Fat:27%, 18g
Cholesterol: 6%, 15mg
Sodium: 45%, 1090mg
Protein: 9g
Carbs: 12%, 37g
Fiber: 5%, 1g
WW Points: 8 Points for one serving

Bob Evans says: White Gravy with Pork Sausage & 2 Biscuits

Nicole says: Bob gives separate cooking directions for the gravy and biscuits, which come in separate packages out of the box. Really, they can still cook together - cook the gravy for 4 minutes, then throw the biscuits in for the last 1 minute (add ten seconds - they
are warmer and softer that way).

The biscuits are pretty amazing and didn’t become hard from the microwave heating process. They could have had a bit more crumb, but absolutely avoided being rubbery. Soft, warm biscuits. Ahhhh. These are tasty enough, but really they are just a delivery vehicle for the gravy.

The tray for the gravy reminds of a shelf stable meat and potatoes meal I once ate, which wasn’t terrible, but I’d take Banquet over that crazy thing any day. Luckily, the gravy is not shelf stable. It is frozen, which means you should consider giving it a quick stir to get the ice crystals out of the center before the final minute of cooking. The gravy turns out creamy and chunky, with a generous share of spicy sausage bits and black pepper. It’s just below diner quality, but still savory and hearty. I’m more accustomed to gravies a bit heavier in fat and salt, but this is still quite good, and those who don’t prefer a sodium-heavy diet would probably like this.

Bob is fooling himself when he says that this is two servings. It is, however, a reasonably satisfying breakfast, especially for a workday morning when you’re accustomed to tea and a pecan twirl. I would recommend this to hungry people and hungover people. People who didn’t eat dinner last night, or ate dinner too early. If you’ve never experienced biscuits and gravy before, this would be by no means the worst introduction ever.

Bonus Instant Message conversation about star ratings, sodium, and Alton Brown:

All Next Week: Amy’s Pizza

May 3, 2007 | Reviewer: Abi Jones

When I heard that Amy’s Kitchen was coming out with a line of individual (a.k.a. personal) pizzas, I knew that HeatEatReview.com had to get in on that action. So, I filled out the comment form on the Amy’s website and waited for a negative response to my request for free pizzas. Sure, the folks at Amy’s Kitchen read HeatEatReview.com (hello, Amy’s Kitchen people!), but could I really expect them to ship me some pizzas? It turned out that I certainly could expect some free pizza.

14 pizzas, to be exact. FOURTEEN!

I suddenly had nine regular sized pizzas and five mini pizzas on my hands. My first course of action was to determine which friend/reviewer had enough freezer space to accomodate several full size pizzas. The second step? Plan a party where I could serve multiple pizzas and convince numerous friends to write reviews of each of the pizzas served. The third step was to look for a freezer on Craigslist.

Next week, you’ll get five straight days of reviews on Amy’s pizzas. And if you’re a meat lover, don’t worry, there’s even a pizza in it for you. And if you’re one of those people who goes crazy when they see an announcement rather than a review, check back later for Nicole’s take on Bob Evans Original Sausage Gravy and Biscuits.