Review: New Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chili Milano Cookies & Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich? (Plus a Whole Lotta NBA Talk!)
Junk Food Nation, the other day I was driving around and there was a debate going on on the radio: “is a hamburger a sandwich?” When asked this question, it might strike you that there’s an immediate obvious answer. But apparently not to these two radio talkers. On one side: “A sandwich is something you make with sliced bread or a split sub roll, a hamburger is…a hamburger!!!” On the other side, “The bun is two pieces of bread and a hamburger is a disc of meat you put between them! How is that any different!?”
Me? I fall squarely on the hamburger=sandwich side of things, and if you wanna fight about that, IT’S GO TIME IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. But BESIDES that argument, it got me thinking. I recently read this AWESOME article in the NYTimes that was a Field Guide to the American Sandwich, based on type of bread. It’s a great read, and the pictures are delightful. Anyways, hamburger isn’t listed there, but the author acknowledges that it IS one, and mainly states that hamburgers themselves are deserving of a separate article.
But the metric the article uses is interesting: “Open-faced sandwiches are not sandwiches. Gyros and shawarmas are not sandwiches. The bread that encases them is neither split nor hinged, but wrapped.”
So split or hinged bread, it seems, is what makes a sandwich. So it got me thinking – is a hot dog a sandwich? It uses split bread, is (I think) some form of tubed meat in between these split layers, and you can have them with tomato, condiments, chili, etc. Should be a sandwich, right? But….
I DO NOT THINK A HOT DOG IS A SANDWICH.
Well, I should clarify. I can see how it fits the parameters of a sandwich. Also, I fully acknowledge that when you make it bigger (like a half smoke or Italian sausage) and crush it between two halves of a crusty hoagie roll with peppers and onions, THEN it’s a sandwich. But for some reason, I CANNOT fully accept that a tiny hot dog in a hot dog bun is a sandwich. Well, Eric, if it’s not a sandwich, what is it? IT’S A GODDAMN HOT DOG. I dunno. I can’t explain it. There’s no room in a hot dog bun for any other crap that would normally go on a sandwich. I DUNNO! It’s my fatal flaw.
Help me out in the comments below: is a hot dog a sandwich? Yes or no?
Plus, if you wanna engage in some NBA talk, keep reading AFTER the review. Speaking of…
Today’s junk food: New Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chili Milano Cookies!!
New Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chili Milano Cookies: The Money Shot
New Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chili Milano Cookies were spotted a while back, and after reading The Impulsive Buy’s review, I was like, ok, I don’t have to buy these. But then the Junk Food Gal pointed straight at them in the grocery store, uttering, “WANT.” And here we are.
New Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chili Milano Cookies claim to have spicy chili flavor. I like the combo of spice and chocolate, so if they can pull it off, I’ll bow down to Pepperidge Farm. Generally, I like Milanos, and have reviewed plenty on this site, but I always get stuck whether I’m just saying I like a new Milano flavor just because Milanos inherently are great? Unsure.
I SEE NO CHILIS LISTED HERE! WHAT THE
When I opened these New Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chili Milano Cookies and sniffed, the aroma I got immediately was of Mexican Hot Chocolate. Mexican Hot ChocolateMexican Hot ChocolateMexican Hot ChocolateMexican Hot ChocolateMexican Hot ChocolateMexican Hot Chocolate. If you don’t know what Mexican Hot Chocolate is, it’s basically regular hot chocolate with a clear infusion of cinnamon and spice and a bit of vanilla. Personally, I LOVE IT. And these cookies smelled spot on.
I bit into one of these New Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chili Milano Cookies and chewed, and THESE ARE GREAT. Basically, to me, they weren’t spicy at all. Well, I’ll qualify that – these were spicy in that cinnamon-spicy sort of way, like when you eat Hot Tamales candy – but even not THAT spicy. The chili pepper on the front of the package was a bit of a tease. These weren’t SPICY spicy. These tasted like milk chocolate Milano cookies with a punch of cinnamon. And to me, they were HEAVENLY.
Like I mentioned before, I REALLY enjoy Mexican hot chocolate. It’s a bit sweeter and more flavorful than regular hot chocolate because of the spices and the vanilla. To me, the flavor is pretty distinct, and Pepperidge Farm nailed it here. The typical Milano cookie components are excellent as usual – the firmness, texture, butteriness of the oval cookie. But the flavor of the chocolate is sweet, cinnamon-y, and creamy.
That’s all I can say. If you love Mexican hot chocolate, you’ll love this. If you’re looking for sweat beads to drip off your forehead, this is NOT for you. The chili pepper image – I’ll say it’s MISLEADING. But FLAVOR-WISE, these were pretty frickin’ awesome. I liked them. You’ll like them. Eat them.
PURCHASED AT: Giant Food, Van Ness, DC
COST: $3.00 on sale
—
Oh you’re still here, Junk Food Nation who loves sports and basketball? THEN LET’S TALK NBA PLAYOFFS.
First, I wanted to take a look back at my NBA Predictions. Back in October, I predicted, for the East:
1. Chicago. First place in the Central Division.
2. Cleveland. Second place in the Central Division.
3. WASHINGTON.First place in the Southeast Division.
4. Toronto. First place in the Atlantic Division.
5. Atlanta. Second place in the Southeast Division.
6. Charlotte. Third place in the Southeast Division.
7. Boston. Second place in the Atlantic Division.
8. Brooklyn. Third place Atlantic Division.
So how’d I do? Well, I nailed 7 out of the 8 teams in the playoffs, and got the seeds for Cleveland, Toronto, Boston and Brooklyn spot-on. My standings for the Atlantic Division (Toronto, Boston, Brooklyn) were correct. And Cleveland/Chicago, Atlanta/Washington were just flip flopped. I’d say, overall, it was a good year for Eastern Conference predictions. My main misstep was not putting Milwaukee in instead of Charlotte, but who could’ve predicted that? I STILL have no idea who is on the Bucks! Sorry, Milwaukee.
Now, the West:
1. Clippers. First place in the Pacific Division.
2. San Antonio. First place in the Southwest Division.
3. Portland. First place in the Northwest Division.
4. Golden State. Second place in the Pacific Division.
5. OKC. Second place in the Northwest Division.
6. Dallas. Second place Southwest Division.
7. Memphis.
8. New Orleans.
The West was definitely more variable, but I still managed to score on 7 out of 8 teams here too. Did anyone expect ALL FIVE TEAMS in the Southwest Division to make it? I did not. Plus, I was REALLY down on Houston, and all they did was have an MVP-candidate lead them to the second seed. I still hate you, Dwight Howard.
I’m not going to bother getting into Divisional records, because those were all over the place. Seed-wise, I got all of them wrong except for the Pelicans at the 8 spot. I say this was a decent, but not great, year for Western Conference predictions.
SO THE PLAYOFF MATCHUPS ARE SET! Time for ROUND 1 PREDICTIONS:
HAWKS VS NETS: Atlanta has really been struggling lately, as I think the toll of the season finally caught up to them. Still, Brooklyn hasn’t been much better, and they almost didn’t make it. I’ll take the HAWKS IN 6.
CAVS VS CELTICS: Well lookee lookee – Lebron in the playoffs. Again. Yawn. Meanwhile, the upstart Celtics and their amazing coach will DEFINITELY challenge the Cavs. I think they can steal one. CAVS IN 5.
BULLS VS BUCKS: I’M SORRY, IF I DON’T KNOW WHO IS ON YOUR TEAM I CANNOT VOTE FOR YOU. I’m calling a Bulls Swee*….wait, the Bucks are coached by Jason Kidd? ….ok, I’ll give one. BULLS IN 5.
RAPTORS VS WIZARDS: Otherwise known as the series I’ll be watching closely as well as the series most likely to give me a stroke. As the 4-5 game, this is the closest matchup. It’ll be a 7-gamer, and I HAVE to say the Wizards win in 7 because I’ll cry if I don;t. WIZARDS IN 7.
WARRIORS VS PELICANS: Yeah I know the Warriors have been crushing people, but who plays big for them up front? Bogut? Speights? The Pelicans have ANTHONY EFFING DAVIS, a beast among humans. They will give the Warriors fits, more than people think. Maybe the most fun matchup in the West to watch. WARRIORS IN 6.
ROCKETS VS MAVERICKS: Upset special! And it’s not just because I don’t like Houston. It’s mainly because Houston’s bench is entirely depleted with injuries and because Dallas is BUILT to just wear teams down, especially with Persons back to face his old team. Lots of punches. MAVERICKS IN 7.
CLIPPERS VS SPURS: OH, the Spurs, WILL YOU NEVER DIE. No, you won’t. Tim Duncan is ageless. The Clips have the same problem as last year – all they have coming off the bench is Jamal Crawford. I see no other threats. When the Spurs are running their second team, they will crush LA. The only reason LA wins a couple is because Blake Griffin and Chris Pal will have one great game apiece. SPURS IN SIX.
TRAILBLAZERS VS GRIZZLIES: I actually think the Blazers might have more overall talent, but why is everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, banged up in Portland? Plus, Memphis is one of those tough teams that will just keep body checking you until your game is affected. Zach Randolph weighs 500 lbs. Mike Conley, if healthy, is highly underrated. You know what? Eff it – I say Memphis actually dominates. GRIZZLIES IN 5.
Well, there you go. Enjoy the first round, starting tomorrow, people! And share with me YOUR Round 1 Predictions in the comments below!
—
Thoughts? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. I also have Google+!! Let’s hang out.
Sincerely,
Junk Food Guy
Discuss - 31 Comments
They could had added a little chili powder in there to make it real authentic.
I think a hot dog is a sandwich.
@Anne: heh heh – EXPLAIN!
I’m can’t consider a hot dog or a hamburger a sandwich. When you say either those two things, instantly an picture of what they are pops in my head. Yet with sandwich, that’s way to many to consider and my brain looks like a jacked up google image search. A hot dog is a hot dog, a hamburger is a hamburger.
Now these cookies were pretty good. I had them a week ago and I have to agree they are not spicy but have more of a spice taste that works well with the chocolate.
@jaime – Wait, how is a HAMBURGER not a sandwich? 😛
I know. Technically it is a sandwich but, in my view a hamburger is a food all on it’s own. Like to the level that it’s almost it’s own food group.
1. A DiPietro’s sandwich is a sandwich.
2. Blazers in 7 in one of the least watchable series of the opening round (Memphis is more beat up than Portland).
@Steve Schrader:
1. LIES!
2. It’s an interesting question – if two teams are beat up and it makes the series/teams closer than usual (if both were healthy), is it less or more watchable? And followup – so then what’s your take on the watchability of the other 4-5, Wiz-Raptors?
Shrader is out of his mind if he thinks DiPietro’s serves sandwiches. If basic gravitational laws ensure that the meat inside a “sandwich” will fall out, then said “sandwich” is no sandwich at all. At best it is a geometrically-challenged flatbread.
I think a hamburger is a sandwich and a hotdog is a wrap.
@Brent: a hot dog is a wrap….hmmmmmmmmmmm. Can I get on board with that? *Mind spinning*
If you look closely on the combo board menus at McDonalds and Burger King, you’ll see the word “sandwich” and the price for that burger beneath that combo meal.
I agree, hot dogs aren’t sandwiches!
Hot dogs are SO sandwiches! They’re just narrow ones!
They’re their own separate things. Otherwise we could start all sorts of dumb debates like..
In mexico they call burritos ‘tacos de harina”. So…Is a burrito really a taco? Why isn’t a wrap called a burrito? If a burrito is a taco, and a wrap is a burrito, is a wrap a taco? How about a quesadilla? If you roll up a quesadilla does it become a cheese burrito?
I normally think regular Milanos are just “meh,” but I may have to try the chocolate chili version. Mexican hot chocolate is always a winner. As for the hot dog debate, I feel like a hot dog is technically a sandwich, but not REALLY a sandwich. Kind of like how a tomato is technically a fruit, but not in the traditional sense we all think of. With a hot dog, I think the problem lies in the weenie itself. I’ve often used hot dog buns to make hoagies with deli meat and cheese. Those are definitely sandwiches so I guess the weenie is indeed the culprit. 🙂
@Heather: The weenie is DEFINITELY the deciding factor.
To me, hot dogs and hamburgers are sandwiches, but not every sandwich is a hot dog or a hamburger. It’s like a squre can also be a rectangle but not every rectangle can be a hot dog or a hamburger.
@Dave: I have the word “rhombus” echoing in my head! lol
Of course a hamburger is a sandwich. What, just because it has a name it’s no longer a sandwich? What about a Reuben, or a BLT, Monte Christo, Sloppy Joe?
A Hot Dog is also a sandwich. If what Subway makes are sandwiches (and they did call themselves ‘sandwich artists’) then so is a hot dog.
As for the NBA, don’t care enough to make a long prediction, so I’ll just say this
Hawks in 4
Cavs in 4
Bucks in 7 (I guess that Jason Kidd guy can coach a little)
Raptors in 6
Warriors in 5
Rockets in 5
Spurs in 4
Grizz in 7
Sloppy Joes is basically a wet loose meat burger, yet it’s called a sandwich (which by the way I’ve always eaten it openfaced & with a fork). I think burger is a nicer unique term that fits well. Do I think a gyro is a sandwich? You bet your ass I do. Is sausage on a roll a sandwich? Yup. Sausage is generic while “hot dog” is its own category like a burger and a hot dog is a sandwich because it’s meat/food sandwiched between two buns. Doesn’t matter to me if the bread/roll is connected or not. Shit, my parents always call it a “tube steak sandwich” (they’re old). What makes it any different if I rolled deli turkey slices like a hot dog & stuck it in a hot dog bun? Nothing, that’s what. What if you put a chocolate bar with a fire heated marshmallow & put graham cracker around it, is it a sandwich? Yup. Is a wrap a sandwich? “The tortilla sandwiches in the food”. But it’s a specific term of a sandwich. Are tacos a sandwich? Yes. OH HELL YES. If I spit on a Ritz cracker & put another cracker on it, is it a sandwich? It’s a spit sandwich.
Notice how we always call it “cheeseburger” & not “cheesehamburger” or do we? I think the ham part is pointless.
“There’s no room in a hot dog bun for any other crap that would normally go on a sandwich.”
Counter: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Chicago+dog&FORM=HDRSC2
The only thing that doesn’t belong on a hot dog is ketchup.
I’m with you JFG, I love Mexican hot chocolate! I always keep some Ibarra tablets in the cupboard, they’re awesome.
Yep. Mexican Hot Chocolate all the way, and damned good.
You need to try the Cotton Candy Oreos! I think they’re a Target exclusive.
While I can certainly see the point some have made about a hot dog being meat between bread and thus qualifying as a sandwich, I do not consider it to be a sandwich on the basis of the bread distribution. When I think of a sandwich, I think of bread encompassing the fillings in a ratio to where you have a layer of bread-fillings-bread in most bites. For hot dogs with a hinged bun and open-faced top, you do not have this ratio, and that is why I do not consider it a sandwich. I would be more likely to consider it a sandwich if the bun was torn in half and placed on both sides, like a sub roll.
Not that any of those statements are based on sound logic, but that is how my mind pictures it when I regard a sandwich vs. a hot dog in a bun.
@Deanna: Amazingly…I followed your logic the entire way!
By all this “logic”, peanut butter spread on a piece of bread & folded over is not a sandwich. A hot dog is a sandwich. The end.
wrap anything in a flour or corn based wrapper and it’s a sandwich. In my mind the basis for a ‘sandwich’ is using a wrapper to get the tasty bits into my mouth while keeping my hands partially clean. A ‘wrapper’ can be a tortilla, bun, slice of bread, etc.
So…is pizza really a pie?
This is a very useful review! I’d avoided these on the basis of not liking spicy things, but “spices”, as in cinnamon, I love. May have to give them a try after all!
I really wish PF would bring back Amaretto Milanos, though. Those were to die for.
@Eve: Oh good! Glad to be of help – let me know what you think when you try them!