The award winner's delicious roasted vegetables gave that sandwich (inexplicably no longer available) its wide appeal. The brown rice, wheat wrap and tofu that dominate the flavor (such as it is) on this one limits its audience to serious natural foodies.

Uncle Ben's Ready Rice. Jasmine, and Basmati. $2.29 per 8.5-ounce bag.

Bonnie: Jasmine and basmati rice are what's known as aromatic rice. That means they have a fragrant corn or nutlike aroma and a flavor that comes from a high concentration of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, a compound naturally found in all rice as well as in corn and nuts.

I anticipated that aroma as I put the bag of Jasmine Ready Rice into the microwave. But I didn't get it, either from the Jasmine or the Ready Rice Basmati. As such, I'd suggest buying less expensive plain jasmine and basmati rice and cooking it the regular way.

If you're in a hurry, reach for Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice or sister-company Seeds of Change's mixed-grain Uyuni, both more nutritious and sold in ready-in-90-seconds cooking pouches.

Carolyn: What's one key to the recent growth of Indian restaurants in the U.S.? I think it's their basmati rice, featuring a popcorn-like aroma and flavor. It costs more than regular white rice, but like fresh-roasted whole bean coffee, non-store brand peanut butter and Pepperidge Farm cookies, it is worth the extra money.

These ready-in-90-seconds Uncle Ben's Ready Rice Basmati and Ready Rice Jasmine taste and smell as good as regular basmati and jasmine, but because they're precooked, are even more expensive.

Since regular basmati and jasmine rice cook in only about 20 minutes, I would buy and store these Ready Rice versions as backup for nights when I don't have time to make it from scratch (and not for everyday use).

Bonnie Tandy Leblang is a registered dietitian and professional speaker. She has an interactive site (www.biteofthebest.com) about products she recommends. Follow her on Twitter: BonnieBOTB. Carolyn Wyman is a junk-food fanatic and author of "Better Than Homemade: Amazing Foods That Changed the Way We Eat" (Quirk). Each week they critique three new food items.

© Universal Press Syndicate