NEAROF

Why am I drawn to Ikea’s Swedish Food Store? Hard to say. Maybe because the prices are generally crazy cheap. Maybe because they have so many curious products that seem vaguely familiar, yet different. And maybe it’s because, unlike trips to some other oddball/curious food shops in town, there’s usually at least a bit of [...]

While NEAROF! often leans towards the sweet side of things, we’re not averse to an occasional detour into savoury country. And French onion soup? Well, that’s nice and savoury, if by savoury you mean full of salty goodness. This boxed cylinder of frozen soup, complete with cheese and croutons on top, comes from M&M Meat [...]

Growing up, I was very familiar with perogies. My next door neighbour in Winnipeg was an kind, elderly woman of Ukrainian descent, and she would regularly bring over Safeway bags full of homemade perogies. The fillings of choice in these yummy, starchy dumplings were usually (if I remember correctly) potato, cheese and cottage cheese. When [...]

If the Maui onions used to flavour Maui-style potato chips like riding the waves and hanging out on the beach, what about sweet onions? Do they bake scones for elderly veterans? Do they hold the elevator door for you as you sprint through the lobby? When you cut them, do they make you laugh, not [...]

The Look: Palm trees, a big wave and a surfing Maui onion are printed on the foil bag. Inside, the chips themselves are all curly and thick. They’re what I’d call a golden yellow colour, not much different from the regular salted potato chips I’m used to. They look more gnarled than standard potato chips [...]