Trader Joe's Products (2017–)

[ElsieD]

@Thanks for the Crepes  i agree with you about the Campari and Kumto tomatoes, we can get both of them here and they are usually the ones I buy as they at least have some semblance of tomato flavour.  I love tomatoes so I keep trying different ones but except for these two, i'm always disappointed.  I'm looking forward to the local tomatoes although they are still a couple of months away.

[BeeZee]

stopped at the local TJ's on the way to a meeting the other evening, so I couldn't buy any perishables...restocking cheap vinho verde...bought mango tomatillo salsa (not opened yet). Coconut cranberry snacking crackers (I believe that's the name)...firm textured cracker, not too sweet, I think they would be nice with goat cheese. Just finished a bag of the baby dried bananas, it took me a while. I found them cloyingly sweet, not likely to re-purchase unless using (chopped up) as an ingredient in baked goods (which I can totally see).

[ElsieD]

Very, very chocolatey pudding.

[Toliver]

27 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Very, very chocolatey pudding.

When I make the Death by Chocolate Trifle, this is the pudding I use in it. It's wonderful.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@Toliver,

 

I can also testify to the fact that T.J.'s Cinnamon Swirl Bread keeps very well in the freezer. I guess because of the higher fat, moisture and sugar it stays good much longer than leaner bread. I separate out a slice or two and pop into the toaster frozen. I love it toasted with butter. Just watch it closely in the toaster, as the high sugar content will cause it to burn before you know it.

[rotuts]

got the 

 

 

today  4 of these puppies /box :

 

 

I haven't had anything so good in a long time , based on my tastes ;

 

good coffee labor through out.

 

the wafer is a bit bitter  ( nice ! ) w chocolate chips imbedded  

 

 a keeper for me

 

N.B. :  One box per person Id say

 

Im sure this is Soooooo  Goooooood

 

they will D/C it when I go back to buy 10 more boxes

 

[blue_dolphin]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

I haven't had anything so good in a long time , based on my tastes

 

They are pretty good, aren't they?  I'm afraid they could become a dangerous habit!

[HungryChris]

I tried the TJ cioppino yesterday and was not at all impressed. The sauce was the highlight, but the bag of poorly handled frozen seafood that they have you add once the sauce is simmering, brings the whole thing down to an unacceptable level. I am planning on bringing the one pkg I have left back, as I have no desire to repeat the disappointment of eating it.

HC

[rotuts]

@HungryChris 

 

don't be shy

 

take both back if you have the originals wraper

[lindag]

I'm so envious of those of you who have a TJ nearby.

My closest is a 3-½ hour drive each way.  Just to have access to the wine selection would be great.

When I lived in Portland, I'd drive my SUV up to the door and get a load of eight cases of various wines.

That'd hold us for a good long time.  Each trip was an adventure, and I really miss that.

[ElsieD]

Had some of these for lunch today.  They are very good and pair well with the mango ginger chutney.

[rotuts]

ElsieD

 

how did you crisp them up ?

[Alex]

Has anyone tried the Cauliflower Pizza Crust (cauli + corn and potato starches + olive oil + sea salt)? I will if no one else has.

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

ElsieD

 

how did you crisp them up ?

 

They were baked for 16 minutes  in a 400F oven.  Crispy outside, moist inside.  Yum.

[Maison Rustique]

19 hours ago, Alex said:

Has anyone tried the Cauliflower Pizza Crust (cauli + corn and potato starches + olive oil + sea salt)? I will if no one else has.

 

I just bought one this week, but have not had it yet. Will report on it when I do, though that may not be very soon. Have a lot of dining out/events over the next week.

[Maison Rustique]

I have to tell you about our "adventure" yesterday, as it does pertain to Trader Joe's. I took Mom to lunch, then we went to Trader Joe's. When we came out, there was a car angled in back of my car and the one next to it. Emergency flashers were on and no one in it. I glanced around and didn't see anyone, but proceeded to put my groceries (including frozen/refrigerated items) in the trunk. Still no one. Cars were fighting to get around the car. I told Mom to get in the car and stay there (She has dementia and isn't terribly steady on her feet--wanted to keep her out of harm's way.). I took the cart and went back toward the stores. Saw a woman unloading or loading kids and stuff into her van. I asked if she had seen anyone that looked like the car belonged to them. No, but she suggested I ask in TJ's or Maurice's next door. I went into TJ's and told the guys in the management cubicle. One said he'd call Mall Security, but they take so long to show up that it would likely be gone before they got there. Another one said he'd come out with me and see if he could figure out what to do, so that I didn't lose all my food I'd just bought--it was 93 degrees.

 

As we walked out, the woman in the car next to mine (also blocked) was just walking up and went ballistic. The TJ guy walked up to the car and was starting to open the door when a little old man (with all sort of medical equipment attached to him) came tottering out from somewhere and said he couldn't get the car to move. (Where was he and why didn't he come out when I was wandering around trying to find the owner?) The other woman started yelling that he shouldn't be driving and she was right. She was not young either, but there are just way too many elderly people who are convinced they can still drive, but can't drive well and in the case of an emergency do not know how to handle it. I hope he has family who will take care of him and take away his car keys.

 

The TJ's guy said he'd be back. He went in, got 3 other guys and they came out, popped the car into neutral and pushed it into a parking space. My heroes!! I sent kudos to TJ's corporate for hiring great people and next time I go, will try to think of a special treat to take for them. I also got a call from the "Captain" at this particular TJ's thanking me for letting corporate know about their great employees.

 

OK, back to talking about food...

 

 

[ElsieD]

Sadly, I only bought one package of these.  

[Toliver]

Trader Joe's has issued a multi-state recall on their "Grainless Granola" (click for more info).

I will double post this in the "Food Recalls" discussion, as well.

[FrogPrincesse]

Cannelé from the frozen section. Four in a box, and they already cooked. I warmed it for about 20 min in a warming drawer. It could have used another 5-10 min but was delicious otherwise!

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

On 6/14/2017 at 0:32 PM, Alex said:

Has anyone tried the Cauliflower Pizza Crust (cauli + corn and potato starches + olive oil + sea salt)? I will if no one else has.

 

I was at TJ's this afternoon and decided to pick one up.  It's OK.  If I need a gluten-free option for guests, I might use it again but not for myself. It has quite a lot of sodium - 220 mg/serving of 1/6 of the crust. Since it's a very thin crust, it would be certainly be possible for a hungry person to eat 1/2 (660 mg) or even the whole thing (1320 mg).  if one chooses salty toppings (like my pesto and feta), and chows down on a whole pie, that's a lot!

 

I read some discouraging reviews of this item and TJ's has significantly revised the baking recommendations. Here's the original, with a baking time of 8-10 min:

 

The revised instructions that calls for 2 separate 10-12 min bakes, followed by 4-5 min of broiling before applying toppings and another 4-5 min broil after topping

 

 

Following those directions, I cut short both the pre-and post-topping broils as the edges were getting over done.  I was using a toaster oven (CSO) and suspect a full sized oven would cook more evenly.

Here it is after topping with pesto, red bell peppers, red onion and feta cheese.  I would have preferred a longer bake to get a bit of char on the toppings but I was afraid the edges would be incinerated.

 

Here, you can see that it's relatively thin.  The underside was firm, a little chewy, not soggy at all. The edges varied from crisp to hard. 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Thanks for taking one for the team @blue_dolphin. Especially at $3.99 for only the cauliflower crust, the TJ's pizzas imported from Italy with toppings and seem like a much better deal. TJ's frozen pizzas are the only ones I like, although I do sometimes freeze my own or good delivery pizza now that I'm a single person household. 

[pastrygirl]

Tried TJ's Oven-Baked Cheese Bites today.  Dammit, Joe!  Why do you have to take cheese, one of my major weaknesses, and make it crunchy, my favorite texture?  I think these were just made to torture me, and to make America even fatter.  They are not pretending to be crackers or croutons, just cheese for eating and even though the package claims two servings, without a zip-top you're probably going to eat the whole pouch.

[ElsieD]

12 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

Tried TJ's Oven-Baked Cheese Bites today.  Dammit, Joe!  Why do you have to take cheese, one of my major weaknesses, and make it crunchy, my favorite texture?  I think these were just made to torture me, and to make America even fatter.  They are not pretending to be crackers or croutons, just cheese for eating and even though the package claims two servings, without a zip-top you're probably going to eat the whole pouch.

 

Thanks for this.  I keep a list of things of items to try from Tus based on the recommendations made on this thread and I have added them to the list.  

[BeeZee]

Roasted tomatillo and mango salsa (seasonal). Good, medium heat, the mango brings out the fruitiness of the tomatillo but it isn't a sweet salsa. I think it would be great on fish tacos.

[dscheidt]

On 6/2/2017 at 3:43 PM, MelissaH said:

I cracked open my box of Mocha Joe-Joe's yesterday. Those things are dangerously good, possibly enough to take over first place in my personal sandwich cookie ratings. (I was a Hydrox girl way back when they were a Sunshine brand cookie. The new things they're selling under the Hydrox name aren't worth bothering with. Regular Oreos are so-so; the two flavors of Oreo I liked best—golden cookie with chocolate creme and the Key Lime special edition from two summers back—both seem to be out of production. Something about the normal Joe-Joe's doesn't really work for me, but the mocha version is one I'll need to ration cautiously.

 

The mocha joe-joes are  back in stock at my local TJs.