A couple weeks ago, Ellen wrote about the HeaterMeal® she picked up at the National Association of Counties meeting in Chicago. They're pre-cooked, self-heating meals ready-to-eat -- MREs -- that can be distributed in crisis situations (to disaster victims, first responders, etc).
Well, we finally had a taste test on the 13th Floor. ("Finally" is a relative term, I guess, since the things have a shelf life of, like, two years.)
You'll be happy to know that MREs are not only filling and easy to make, they're delicious!
Culinary ruminations -- and another pic -- after the jump.
First of all, the prep. All you do is put the meal pack in a special sack and add water (which is even provided in its own little bag). The water reacts with a chemical strip in the sack, and begins boiling almost instantly, heating the meal in about 10 minutes.
Then, the tasting. The meal we tried was Chicken Pasta Italiana. It was a mix of tomatoes, pasta, chicken, kidney beans, celery and carrots.
It was delicious! It was thick, almost like a stew. But the beans and chicken and vegetables all maintained their individual consistency and taste.
360 calories, 10 grams of fat, and awfully tasty -- can't be beat. By the way, here are some reviews of a bunch of other HeaterMeals®.
Oh and, lest you think we're shilling for HeaterMeals® over here, we'd be thrilled -- THRILLED -- to review any other food products you'd like to send our way.
Ellen steams the HeaterMeal® while Elizabeth looks on. Exciting!!
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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