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Trader Joe's Products (2012–2015)


Katie Meadow

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I get the spreadable goat cheese now and then, it's a nice change from cream cheese on a bagel, plus the petite package works for me since DH doesn't like it.

 

Toots buys it frequently.  I like it, as well, but don't eat it very often - too fatty for my delicate arteries <LOL>

 ... Shel


 

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Two items I've tried recently and liked them both:

Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Multigrain Pita Chips with Sesame Seeds (couldn't find a link on their web site)

I got tired of their regular drab pita chips (always bought the garlic flavor and it always disappointed me as not being garlicky enough) and tried this flavor with my hummus. They're not as stiffly crisp as the regular pita chips. They have a nice crunch but it's not enough to break a tooth on. Their sesame seed flavor is really nice, too. I give them a thumbs up.

Trader Joe's Cheddar and Horseradish Potato Chips (click)

Wowy Zing Zowy! :cool:

These should really be named Horseradish and Cheddar Potato Chips because the horseradish flavor is very prominent...so prominent they have a heckuva horseradish "heat" kick to them. These are not chips for a wimp. The cheddar flavoring was okay. If you eat too many of these chips then the cheddar flavoring seems to lean towards the "what the hell am I tasting?" direction. They're ridged/rippled chips which is also nice. It gives them a nice crispiness. A very addictive potato chip.

It's funny that Trader Joe's recommends their Caramelized Onion Dip with the chips which I find too sweet of a dip. I'm envisioning more of a pot roast dip or a meatloaf dip for these chips. Quick! Someone invent the recipes!  :laugh:

 

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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OK, the pane guttiau (which I suspect is not a real name. Some google informs me the Sardinian term is pane carasu) is like crack. Paper thin and very fresh, unlike other thin crispy crackers/breads, with just the right amount of salt and olive oil to make you want more more more without feeling gross or oversalted.  I wish they came more to the pack!

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Yes to the Pane Guttiau, very addictive. They are very salty, in my opinion, but that's part of the attraction. I love salt but I've cut back in the last few years. Anyone watching their salt intake should be careful to read the label before scarfing them down with abandon. I don't leave TJs without them these days, along with my Valrhona, Bulleit Rye and Puffins.

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they do in CA.  must have something to do w individual states graft and corruption outlays.

they do in the Princeton, NJ store also...but not all locations in NJ have liquor (of any type)

"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" - Oscar Wilde

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While trying to decide on a chocolate chip for a brownie recipe I'm working on, I came across this article rating TJ's chips very highly.  Because of the article, I bought a bag, and they are pretty good.  On Monday they'll go into the next batch of brownies and I'll see how they melt or hold their shape, and how they taste in this particular recipe.  They are definitely better than Nestlé's Toll House Morsels, and I like them better than a package of Guitard that I purchased for a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

 

http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2010/06/what-are-the-best-chocolate-chips-brands-for-baking-cookies.html

 ... Shel


 

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they do in the Princeton, NJ store also...but not all locations in NJ have liquor (of any type)

 

NJ liquor laws limit licenses to 3 stores per grocery chain. The 3 with alcohol in NJ are Westfield, apparently Princeton, and I think Cherry Hill or Florham Park/Morristown. I know the Matawan (? Monmouth County) one does not carry alcohol.

 

Currently eating a lazy lunch of "parmesan pastry puffs" and mac & cheese bites, both from TJs, and both staples for lazy days around here.

Joanna G. Hurley

"Civilization means food and literature all round." -Aldous Huxley

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Just got back from TJ's, hit it pretty hard for $70. New item - Assorted macaron, 12 per box for $4.99 two each fig, salted caramel, pistachio, coconut, lemon, apricot. The fruit flavors were pretty vibrant, the coconut was 'meh'. I would buy these again.

"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" - Oscar Wilde

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Just got back from TJ's, hit it pretty hard for $70. New item - Assorted macaron, 12 per box for $4.99 two each fig, salted caramel, pistachio, coconut, lemon, apricot. The fruit flavors were pretty vibrant, the coconut was 'meh'. I would buy these again.

 

That sounds like a nice luxury item, BeeZee.  I doubt they'd last long around my house.   :laugh:

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
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Smithy, on 04 Apr 2014 - 3:13 PM, said:

That sounds like a nice luxury item, BeeZee.  I doubt they'd last long around my house.   :laugh:

Well, I ate one of each flavor (ie, 6 of them) with a cup of tea...and hid the box in the back of the freezer. Actually, because of the sweetness, I was OK with "only" eating half of the box!

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"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" - Oscar Wilde

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I wish I could get out of TJs for $70.00.  All the folks in the store know me by name and seem to delight in pointing out new and interesting products.

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"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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I wish I could get out of TJs for $70.00.  All the folks in the store know me by name and seem to delight in pointing out new and interesting products.

I can totally picture that Andie!  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Is there a particular TJ's frozen pizza that you like?  I want to buy a couple-three pies to keep in the freezer for those times when a quick, easy meal is wanted.

 ... Shel


 

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Trader Joe's Cheddar and Horseradish Potato Chips (click)

Wowy Zing Zowy! :cool:

These should really be named Horseradish and Cheddar Potato Chips because the horseradish flavor is very prominent...so prominent they have a heckuva horseradish "heat" kick to them. These are not chips for a wimp. The cheddar flavoring was okay. If you eat too many of these chips then the cheddar flavoring seems to lean towards the "what the hell am I tasting?" direction. They're ridged/rippled chips which is also nice. It gives them a nice crispiness. A very addictive potato chip.

It's funny that Trader Joe's recommends their Caramelized Onion Dip with the chips which I find too sweet of a dip. I'm envisioning more of a pot roast dip or a meatloaf dip for these chips. Quick! Someone invent the recipes!  :laugh:

I bought these chips again and they're not the same as before. They don't have the same heat. Not even close. My only guess is that when I originally bought them I must have either bought a rogue batch that was heavy-handed on the horseradish and/or the horseradish heat/flavor fades over time (just like the hotness of real horseradish fades over time). So when I bought the chips this second time, they could have been sitting on the shelf awhile and the heat just faded away.

It's disappointing to say the least.

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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I love the Tarte d'Alsace with ham and gruyere. That and a nice salad make a great supper.

 

I bought one of those yesterday along with http://www.traderjoes.com/images/fearless-flyer/uploads/article-1584/tarte450.png and a package of two frozen organic pizza crusts (to make my own pie)  I should be OK for a while.  Thanks!

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 ... Shel


 

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  • 5 weeks later...

Mmmm... just had the Tom Yam soup, with ingredients I added, such as broccoli and a carrot, green onions, and sambal oelek. (The frozen soup is good to go after 5 minutes in the microwave.) Have shopped at TJ's for decades now, in several states. In fact, one of the first things I look for when I travel is any Trader Joe's locations! Couldn't live without TJ's, I'm sure! 

 

I rely on the glass jar of red salsa... and enjoy the reactions of skeptical friends when I introduce them to its amazing goodness, especially the ones who make their own salsas. Oh, and I concur with the person (was it Shel_B?) who recommended the rice medley. Fantastic stuff, really!

 

Many folks don't care for tofu... but I bet it's because you haven't had it by way of Trader Joe's High Protein Organic Super Firm Tofu, available in a 16 oz. block from the refrigerated section. I generally do freeze it first, as I believe that that makes it even firmer, but then when it's thawed, I press it using a flat-bottomed colander that sits atop a saucepan, the tofu weighted down with a square glass container on top, and a weight on top of that. Once drained as much as it can be, it's ready for marinating or cooking with a variety of flavors. I love tofu's blandness for that reason. And although I've tried tofu from many different sources, and different kinds of tofu, nothing compares to the TJ one-pound blocks!

 

Try cubes of this tofu in your next Asian Stir-Fry... super firm and tasty nuggets, I assure you! :-)

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TJ's just opened where I live, so I can once again participate in this thread instead of reading it enviously. Best recent find: Aloo Chaat Kati Pouches. They're sort of like Hot Pockets, except they're filled with delicious spicy potatoes and chick peas, instead of processed cheese and despair.

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"There is nothing like a good tomato sandwich now and then."

-Harriet M. Welsch

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Many folks don't care for tofu... but I bet it's because you haven't had it by way of Trader Joe's High Protein Organic Super Firm Tofu, available in a 16 oz. block from the refrigerated section.

 

I'll have to give it a try.  Usually when buying tofu, I purchase from Hodo Soy at the local farmers market http://hodosoy.com/ They make some great soy products, but are a bit spendy.

 ... Shel


 

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Best recent find: Aloo Chaat Kati Pouches. They're sort of like Hot Pockets, except they're filled with delicious spicy potatoes and chick peas, instead of processed cheese and despair.

 

Based on your comment, I bought a box today and popped it into my freezer to try when I return home.  How are they cooked?  Don't have the pkg here to check. 

 ... Shel


 

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