Aldi... what do you recommend?

Alun

I've never tried canoli, but as an avid fan of the Inspector Montalbano series I've always wanted to try one. For those who have never watched it, there's a rather stroppy and obese pathologist called Dr. Pasquano who seemingly needs constant bribing with gifts of canoli by Montalbano to do anything.

McMurphy

Alun wrote: »

I've never tried canoli, but as an avid fan of the Inspector Montalbano series I've always wanted to try one. For those who have never watched it, there's a rather stroppy and obese pathologist called Dr. Pasquano who seemingly needs constant bribing with gifts of canoli by Montalbano to do anything.

Any fans of the sopranos (guilty as charged here) will be familiar with the boys sending for, buying, or eating cannoli. That's where I first heard of them anyway.

Alun

McMurphy wrote: »

Any fans of the sopranos (guilty as charged here) will be familiar with the boys sending for, buying, or eating cannoli. That's where I first heard of them anyway.

Just bought some and they're tiny. Compared to the ones on Inspector Montalbano anyway. They were the size of toilet roll tubes!!

scotchy

McMurphy wrote: »

Any fans of the sopranos (guilty as charged here) will be familiar with the boys sending for, buying, or eating cannoli. That's where I first heard of them anyway.

Think there's a scene in one of the God father movies too.

Beanstalk

They really are lovely cannoli, worth stocking up on as they have a long we BBE date but whether or not you can manage to not eat them is another thing!

igCorcaigh

Did not see the cannoli in Cork, Elysian

What aisle are they sold in?

Mervyn Skidmore

Anyone buy the pre cooked christmas hams before? I've had 2 people tell me that the pre cooked sliced ham is great. Might be an option for an easier Christmas day cook.

Cheshire Cat

Mervyn Skidmore wrote: »

Anyone buy the pre cooked christmas hams before? I've had 2 people tell me that the pre cooked sliced ham is great. Might be an option for an easier Christmas day cook.

I've bought pre cooked the last few years. Not the spiral-cut (we like thicker slices) but this one: https://www.aldi.ie/irish-cooked-traditional-ham/p/047050440134702

It's lovely!

Alun

Can I ask a question about the Saturday pizzas? I bought one for the first time the other day, found it in the freezer section, so popped it in the freezer and went to cook it last night. Looked at the cooking instructions and it said to cook it at 220C for 5 minutes. I thought that was a bit on the short side so kept an eye on it and after 5 minutes it didn't look cooked so left for another 5 minutes, so 10 minutes in all. Looked ok'ish but soon discovered after biting into it that parts were still frozen. Ended up blasting it in the microwave for a minute.

Anyway, took another look at the box and it states "Suitable for home freezing" which isn't something you usually see on something that's already frozen, do I'm wondering what the story is here. Are they supposed to be in the freezer section or in the chilled section?

Alun

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Did not see the cannoli in Cork, Elysian

What aisle are they sold in?

In my Aldi they were in the middle aisle on the left side up near the tills, with the other food specials.

RocketRaccoon

Alun wrote: »

Can I ask a question about the Saturday pizzas? I bought one for the first time the other day, found it in the freezer section, so popped it in the freezer and went to cook it last night. Looked at the cooking instructions and it said to cook it at 220C for 5 minutes. I thought that was a bit on the short side so kept an eye on it and after 5 minutes it didn't look cooked so left for another 5 minutes, so 10 minutes in all. Looked ok'ish but soon discovered after biting into it that parts were still frozen. Ended up blasting it in the microwave for a minute.

Anyway, took another look at the box and it states "Suitable for home freezing" which isn't something you usually see on something that's already frozen, do I'm wondering what the story is here. Are they supposed to be in the freezer section or in the chilled section?

5 minutes??? Surely that can't be correct.

Alun

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

5 minutes??? Surely that can't be correct.

That's what I thought, but could be right if it wasn't frozen. They appear to be at least partly cooked, and are quite thin. The box is on the recycling bin, so can't check, but I'm sure I didn't misread it.

HeidiHeidi

Alun wrote: »

Can I ask a question about the Saturday pizzas? I bought one for the first time the other day, found it in the freezer section, so popped it in the freezer and went to cook it last night. Looked at the cooking instructions and it said to cook it at 220C for 5 minutes. I thought that was a bit on the short side so kept an eye on it and after 5 minutes it didn't look cooked so left for another 5 minutes, so 10 minutes in all. Looked ok'ish but soon discovered after biting into it that parts were still frozen. Ended up blasting it in the microwave for a minute.

Anyway, took another look at the box and it states "Suitable for home freezing" which isn't something you usually see on something that's already frozen, do I'm wondering what the story is here. Are they supposed to be in the freezer section or in the chilled section?

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

5 minutes??? Surely that can't be correct.

It would be if they were meant to be sold fresh.



Had one a while back, and wasn't overly impressed with it (can't remember why now, but I've never been tempted to buy another one)

Alun wrote: »

In my Aldi they were in the middle aisle on the left side up near the tills, with the other food specials.

Damn, I'm just back from Aldi and never thought to have a look for these. Probably just as well, saved me from myself in the long run! :pac:

Suckit

I have found 5 minutes to be perfect unless left in freezer. Then they are a bit soggy and probably need a longer cooking time.

gooner99

Freezer in our local Aldi. 220c for 5 mins.

Suckit

gooner99 wrote: »

Freezer in our local Aldi. 220c for 5 mins.

Same as that, but must be a different setting than my home freezer, as I like them, but not after they have been in my freezer at home and then cooked.

Alun

Suckit wrote: »

Same as that, but must be a different setting than my home freezer, as I like them, but not after they have been in my freezer at home and then cooked.

That's weird. I assumed the freezers in shops were at the same temperature as domestic ones, i.e. around -18C.

Muahahaha

5 minutes cooking time from frozen definitely sounds very low. The Milano pizzas I get the odd time say 12 minutes if they are being cooked from frozen and they're a pretty thin pizza.

anewme

Muahahaha wrote: »

5 minutes cooking time from frozen definitely sounds very low. The Milano pizzas I get the odd time say 12 minutes if they are being cooked from frozen and they're a pretty thin pizza.

From their website.

By cooking them in your conventional electric oven at a higher temperature and for less time than other frozen pizzas, you achieve a superior result - the next best thing to our brick oven, wood-fired pizzas!

I always cook mine very high in pre heated oven and for only 5-6 mins and comes out fab.

Suckit

Alun wrote: »

That's weird. I assumed the freezers in shops were at the same temperature as domestic ones, i.e. around -18C.

Could just be that I need a new freezer :pac:

Alun

anewme wrote: »

From their website.

By cooking them in your conventional electric oven at a higher temperature and for less time than other frozen pizzas, you achieve a superior result - the next best thing to our brick oven, wood-fired pizzas!

I had a look on their website and couldn't find anything like that, very little information at all in fact.

Maybe my oven is banjaxed?

rubadub

Alun wrote: »

I had a look on their website and couldn't find anything like that, very little information at all in fact.

the website shows them putting a floppy/unfrozen pizza into an oven and watching a timer on his phone set to 5mins.

Not to say that is correct, some of these video makers go and do their own thing. The packaging and blurbs sound like they are meant to be sold frozen.

I find supermarket freezers to be less cold.

HeidiHeidi

rubadub wrote: »

I find supermarket freezers to be less cold.

Supermarket freezers spend half of their time open if the doors aren't spring- loaded, which aldi ones aren't.

bassy

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Supermarket freezers spend half of their time open if the doors aren't spring- loaded, which aldi ones aren't.

i,ve often been in aldi and lazy ppl leave the sliding freezers tops open,talk about stupid...............................

anewme

Alun wrote: »

I had a look on their website and couldn't find anything like that, very little information at all in fact.

Maybe my oven is banjaxed?[/

It might have been in some interview and not in their website.

I will say my Oven is good, it’s one of those Neff air circulator things and cooks very evenly.

Leg End Reject

I had one of those pizzas, from memory I think you're supposed to take them out of the freezer 10 minutes before you cook them. They're very light and thin, so the 10 minutes at room temperature, then into a preheated oven might explain the discrepancy.

rubadub

Leg End Reject wrote: »

I had one of those pizzas, from memory I think you're supposed to take them out of the freezer 10 minutes before you cook them. They're very light and thin, so the 10 minutes at room temperature, then into a preheated oven might explain the discrepancy.

That makes sense. I was trying to find a photo of the back of the pack and found nothing, I really hate these companies and their crappy marketing, thousands of euros squandered on fancy videos and you cannot even find a image of the back of the pack or cooking instructions. Or nutritional info or ingredients lists.

I very often let my frozen pizzas defrost in the fridge or on a counter. But some of the more recent "takeaway" ones really do have raw dough so become a right mess.

Mervyn Skidmore

The Saturdays pizzas are really nice but I picked up a Gino D'acampo pizza in iceland a while back and I thought it was nicer. Cheaper too.

Alun

Leg End Reject wrote: »

I had one of those pizzas, from memory I think you're supposed to take them out of the freezer 10 minutes before you cook them. They're very light and thin, so the 10 minutes at room temperature, then into a preheated oven might explain the discrepancy.

I had a look in Aldi yesterday. Nothing on the packaging about taking it out of the freezer first.

Debub

We cook the Saturday pizza straight from the freezer to a hot pre-heated oven for around 7/8 minutes at 220/225 and it’s perfect ... watch it from 6 odd minutes onwards for the char marks ... also depends what you place the pizza on, a good cordite pizza ‘stone’ works best but can place on a rack as well for the hot air to circulate and heat the base