Costco-ooh yeah » Review of everything on the Costco food court menu Jessica Berget Editor-in-Chief Core. the Motherland. It has everything you could possibly need or want—and in bulk! Asa long-time fan of the food chain and a Costco card member (humble brag), I realized I had never tried the entirety of the enticing deep-fried cuisine their food court has to offer. So, I decided to try everything on the menu— and I got to say, it did not disappoint. The first thing I tried was the classic quarter of a pound (plus!) hot dog and a large pop. I opted for the pork bratwurst and some gamer fuel (Mountain Dew) for my breakfast, and it was only about $1.60 with tax. Let me say that again: a hot dog and a large pop for one dollar and sixty cents! What a time to be alive. The hot dog was a great starter for my Costco quest and really set the tone for the delicious feast I was about to have. It was actually too big for me and I had to throw away the last little bit because of how filling it was. The pop was also larger than | expected, so I couldn't finish it—as this was my first meal of the day—but it will definitely come in handy during the summer months. $1.60 well spent! After my appetizer came the second course—the poutine, which was just like everything else on the Costco food court menu: hearty and affordable. A little greasy yes, but isn’t that exactly what you look for in such food? The fries had a nice classic oily coating and taste, plus a satisfying crunch. The gravy and cheese pool over it like a beautiful mozzarella duvet. All together, it was everything you could ever want ina poutine. Plus, when I reheated it later, it was just as delicious. It was honestly better than most actual poutine restaurants you'll find in the city. 10 / 10 would buy again. For my third course I had the chicken strips and fries—which were heavenly, amazing, ethereal—it embodies all those good words. The chicken has a nice crunchy breading on it which gave it a nice mouth feel with the savoury chicken flesh inside. Pro-tip: If you're a fan of relish, I highly recommend dipping your strips and fries in it—you won't regret it. The fries were delightfully crunchy as expected and, Have an idea for a story? Mlifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca as before, the perfect consistent amount of oily. Honestly, I would come back just for this dish alone. Next on the menu was the pizza by the slice—which was more like pizza by the slices. The pizza slice they give you is easily the size of two large slices... a steal at less than $3 per piece. I got the classic pepperoni which, along with the melty cheese and the oily sheen that sat on top, looked like a piece of art. The dough was soft which made it a great base for the cheese and meats. It may not be the best slice of pizza I ever had, but at its price point and portion size, I’d say it’s well worth it. Finally, I tried the turkey and provolone baked sandwich—which I guess is their somewhat “healthy” option. At first, I didn’t expect much—I’ve had sandwiches like this many times before. But as soon as I life & style // no. 9 ¢ ‘Bucha Basics: Welcome to Flavour Town ¢ What's Happening ¢ Why winter semesters finish fast ..and more Photos by Jessica Berget opened the sandwich and all the provolone cheese stretched, I knew I was in for a treat. It had a nice pesto base with red onion, giving it a nice tanginess. They absolutely do not skimp out on the turkey either, so one of these could easily fill you up fora while. The bread was also perfectly toasted and had a nice crispness to it, which made it a great vehicle for a sandwich as loaded as this one is. To finish off my brunch, I got the berry ice cream sundae. The soft serve was creamy and delicious as expected, but the real treat was the amount of berry sauce they put in the sundae to balance out the ice cream. All in all, | was very impressed by what the Costco food court had to offer, and I will eat there again. It’s the perfect stop for filling and greasy food if you ever have a hankering for such reasonable prices and delicious treats. ‘Bucha Basics: Welcome to Flavour Town >» Kombucha flavours to savour Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager Welcome to ‘Bucha Basics, where we cover everything there is to know about homebrewing kombucha L233 week, we did a victory lap after finishing your first batch of kombucha. I briefly covered the secondary fermentation phase, aka where you add any flavouring agents, but it’s worth covering in its own article since there's a lot of ground to cover. Technically, your kombucha is good to go after the first fermentation period. However, I find unflavoured kombucha to be somewhat bland, so I’m a strong advocate for taking a few extra steps, adding fruit, and leaving it for a few days. Your taste buds will thank you. For its sheer convenience, I recommend keeping a few bags of frozen fruit in the freezer to have on hand. Kombucha already has a few steps, so you can at least cut down on the prep time. In terms of cost, frozen fruit is also comparable to fresh fruit, with No Name brand’s costing about $4. On the opposite side of the spectrum, if you have an abundance of fresh fruit and a dwindling time window to consume it in, feel free to use fresh fruit. Once I had diced pineapple leftover from a party, and I just tossed it into a fermenting batch, and the results were delish. As if the wealth of fruit options wasn’t paralyzing enough, you can even add fresh herbs to give new variations. I’ve used lavender, rosemary, and mint, but there are some even wackier combinations online. It all comes down to your preferences, so just have fun with it. Here are a few fruits/combinations that get the ol’ Gibb stamp of approval: Mango: possibly my favourite. Light and fruity, but also mild enough to combine for kombucha cocktails—more on that ina future article, though. Strawberries: very sweet, and it transforms the kombucha into a bright, ruby colour. Blueberries: use slightly fewer blueberries than you would any other fruit; otherwise, the kombucha will come out overly tart. Blueberry kombucha ends up a deep, dark purple. Ginger: blame my parents for feeding me Canada Dry anytime I felt sick, but there’s something about the taste of ginger that feels medicinal. Ginger pairs really well with other fruits, but add in smaller doses, so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavours. It’s worth mentioning: every step along the way of kombucha brewing is an experiment. It’s entirely possible to have a great batch, and follow the steps exactly for the following brew—yet have things turn out completely different. Keep track of your process (how much fruit you've added; how many days youre leaving it to ferment) and learn from any mistakes. A ‘buchmaster’s job is never finished.