NEAROF

You thought they were dead? Pfft. You can’t kill the Twinkie! Millions – well, maybe thousands – of Canadians were relieved when they learned the impending demise of American food giant Hostess wouldn’t affect their Twinkie fix. Turns out the brand is owned by Saputo in Canada, so we can keep cramming snack cakes into [...]

I genuinely don’t understand Peeps. I get that they’re made of marshmallow and that they’re meant to look like fluffy yellow chicks. But I don’t get why people would want to eat them by the 10-pack, which is how I bought my Peeps at my local Calgary Co-op. Comic Book Guy’s fondness for Peeps has [...]

Goodie! It’s that time of year again when a few hundred square feet of every grocery store becomes a temporary enclave of Christmas snacks, full of icy squares, Turtles and Toblerone bars the size of fence posts. I can’t say I’ve ever tried to find peanut brittle outside of the holiday season, so I’m not [...]

I adore macarons, but what about macaroons? Compared to the dainty French treat, macaroons are much more down-home, red-state fare. There’s no fancy flair, no colourful pretensions, no curious flavours. (Rose? Lavender? Salted caramel brulée? Yummy, yes, but decidedly more Holt Renfrew than Sears Factory Outlet.) It’s enough to make a guy wish macaroons were [...]

When Starbucks first released Via, their instant coffee product, I tried the free samples offered by staffers at the store, who foolishly dared customers to tell the difference between a freshly brewed coffee and a cup of instant. While Via was easily the best instant coffee I’ve tasted to date, even four-year-old me could have [...]

Like most humans, I like shiny things. While diamond-encrusted teeth and flashy gold chains don’t do anything for me, a pretty, shiny package in the grocery store – especially for a product I’ve never seen before – draws me in like the stupid ape-man I clearly am. No amount of formal education or summer afternoons [...]

While I’m not a fan of any of the “alternate” Skittles flavours I’ve tried, this pack of “Skittles Riddles” combined newness and mystery in a way that made me want to take a chance. Could these be as good as original Skittles? Of course not. That’s just crazy talk. All I wanted was to try [...]

They’re an Easter season staple in Canada and in many other parts of the world, yet they’re banned in America. While the Kinder Surprise menace is apparently clear and present, I’d venture there are at least a handful of greater threats to U.S. national security than chocolate eggs with toys inside them. And so, as [...]