Relish the possibilities

It's Giardiniera! It's relish! No, it's both!

Dell Alpe Mild Giardiniera Relish

Where purchased: Meijer

Price: $2.69 on sale (regular $3.09)

Overall rating: 4.5/5

So it's the start of the grilling season, and a hot dog, brat, or sausage of some sort (including turkey and chicken varieties, of course) all taste fantastic. A little mustard, maybe some ketchup, some pickles or relish, and you're good to go. A month or two later... it's just another meal. You can only eat so many meats on buns with ketchup, mustard, and pickle relish before it starts getting a little old.

Enter giardiniera relish. It really is a cross between the two, as it spreads and looks like relish, but has the taste of a mild giardiniera mix. Because of this variety's mild spice level, it doesn't overtake a sandwich like a lot of regular giardiniera does. It adds a little bit of heat, a lot of flavor, and complements almost anything from a chicken sausage to a roast beef sandwich. In fact, the label even suggests you put it in salads (oooh potato salad anyone?), soups, or re-heated leftovers. It even brought some taste to the otherwise flavorless turkey hot dog I ate tonight!

This relish will set you back a little more in fat and calories than you might expect from the otherwise simple list of natural ingredients because of the oil. With 37 calories and 3.5 grams of fat per tablespoon, it's not quite the same as just using mustard, pickles, or hot sauce which have virtually no caloric value. But, in my opinion, the flavor is definitely worth it. This product receives a 4.5 out of 5 rating, with its main flaw being its secret location in the grocery store. Meijer is the only place I have seen it, and it is hidden in the international food aisle mixed in with the fancy pestos and other overpriced condiments.

Search for it at your local grocery store, and post a comment if you can direct others on where to find it!