A Valentine To ALDI

So this isn't a review of any ALDI food product, it's a review of my local ALDI store. I feel like I beat up on ALDI a lot and I want to say a few nice things about them, because they do do a lot of things pretty well. So, Ladies and Gentlemen I give you...ALDI, How Do I love Thee?

Be Mine?

Okay, we all know how tough I am on ALDI. But there's a lot to love too. What follows after the jump, a list of things I think you do right, ALDI.

What The Hell Is Arancini? - Arancini Bites

So I'm strolling out of ALDI the other night and the last thing you pass at our ALDI is the horizontal freezer with the special frozen foods. The stuff that was in the ad that week that you'll probably never see again. Although, the Mac and Cheese Bites have had some amazing staying power.  Anyway, I see this box with a word on it I've never seen before so today, Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you - Specially Selected Arancini Bites?

What the...?

First things first, there's no way this is a real thing. I'm Googling this stuff. Well I'll be damned - Arancini or arancine are fried rice balls coated with breadcrumbs, said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century. Arancini are usually filled with meat sauce, tomato sauce, cheese and/or peas. Please accept my humble apologies, ALDI. 

Cooking With ALDI - Greek Stuffed Tomatoes

Hey, this new segment has made it to a second post. Queue the celebratory fireworks! Yay!!! So onto this weeks ALDI recipe. I tried to find something easy with just a few ingredients 'cause even after last time's amazing bean dip I'm still skeptical that this is going to work out. With that in mind, this week's adventure in ALDI cooking is Greek Stuffed Tomatoes!

 The Goods

As a reminder, we got some rules.

1. Use the specific ALDI products listed in the recipe whenever available.
2. If the product in the recipe is not available, substitute with a suitable ALDI product.
3. If rules 1 and 2 can not be followed, purchase item from another grocer OR if the item is deemed not integral to the recipe, leave out altogether.

Beans, Beans, Good For Your Heart - Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

I love a good cup of coffee in morning. But, like you my loyal readers, I don't have time to be grinding and blending and brewing and stopping at McDonalds for a cup. Luckily, ALDI has taken care of that by making coffee edible! Ladies and Gentlemen, today I give you Specially Selected Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Roasted Coffee Beans!

Suck It, Starbucks!

Man, the Specially Selected products have been hitting it out of the ballpark lately. I almost think they're just slapping a "Specially Selected" label on Trader Joe's products and reselling them. So let's see how this baby did.

Buy Me Some Peanuts... Roasted Peanuts

Being from Georgia, there's two things I like - Jimmy Carter and peanuts. I was going to bring you Jimmy Carter but my Secret Service friend advised me against it. So in the name of not getting arrested I bring you...

Both!

Awwww, not really, today I bring you...Southern Grove Salted and Roasted Jumbo Peanuts!

Just Peanuts, Sorry.

So guess what country produces the most peanuts in the world. China! Like 13 million metric tons of the things. That's a LOT of Kung Pao Chicken. The good ole U.S. of A. is a distant third with 2 million metric tons and from what I can tell from my 30 second search on the internet, Georgia is carrying the water for the rest of the country producing about half of that. What's that? You want to just jump into the review? You don't think you need to learn anything? Well take a look at what I found on the bag - apparently some of us are morons.

 How can there be peanuts in peanuts?