Trader Joe's Products (2017–)

[blue_dolphin]

On 11/16/2017 at 1:18 PM, jvalentino said:

Picked up am Amarena cherries for $3.99 and black truffle butter for $2.99 today. Tried the cherries which taste just like Fabri to me but not the butter.Thought these were good prices. 

 

Thanks for the tip on the cherries.  I picked up a jar the other day and plopped one in a Manhattan last night.  I like the Luxardo Maraschino cherries a little better but at ~ $20/jar vs $3.99, I think these will make me happy!

[jvalentino]

6 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Thanks for the tip on the cherries.  I picked up a jar the other day and plopped one in a Manhattan last night.  I like the Luxardo Maraschino cherries a little better but at ~ $20/jar vs $3.99, I think these will make me happy!

Same here! Plus I don’t have to freak when my kids put 5 if these on their ice cream.

[Toliver]

Another Trader Joe's recall:

"Trader Joe's salads recalled over possible glass fragments"

Quote

Nov. 20 (UPI) -- A supplier for food retailer Trader Joe's has recalled nearly 37,000 pounds of chicken and turkey salad products that may be contaminated with silica and glass fragments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

The USDA said the recall involves ready-to-eat chicken and turkey salads produced between Nov. 4 and Wednesday by Green Cuisine.

Specific items being recalled can be found in the last few paragraphs. There is contact info at the end of the article should anyone have questions about the recall/items.

[blue_dolphin]

On my last visit to TJ's, I spotted these 1 lb wedges of DOP Parmigiano Reggiano @ $14.99.   As you can see below, the label says it's aged over 30 months.  It's a nice cheese.  

Paper-wrapped wedge:

 

Underneath the paper is a shrink-wrap:

 

And inside, a nutty, flavorful cheese with visible salt crystals:

Edited to add that the "sell by" date on the label is 4-29-2018 so I may pick up another wedge.  

Edited December 12, 2017 by blue_dolphin (log)

[rotuts]

Trader Joes has a Toffee Pudding that's frozen

 

https://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/2695

 

I love it .  a little vanilla ice cream ?

 

its seasonal

 

which is a series mistake.

 

there are not going to be any more

 

so if you like this and have freezer space , stock up.

 

I called my Local and though of going down today

 

but its 10 F and perhaps tomorrow

 

that's bad planning on my part.

 

- 5 F tonight etc.

 

its a real shame certain items that are So Good

 

are not continuously stocked

 

this is one of them.

 

[blue_dolphin]

I don't usually have a big sweet tooth but I was unusually hungry on a recent TJ's visit and picked up a number of seasonal sweet treats.  

The little peppermint "Hold the Cone" ice cream cones are tasty little fellows. 

The very bottom of the cone is pretty much filled with chocolate....to prevent leaks, I'm sure !

260 calories each. -  Note correction below from @patris - the serving size is THREE cones for 260 calories! 

 

I've also been enjoying these tiny shortbread cookies -  Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Stars 

A serving of 13 cookies is 120 cal so they can be a more frequent treat than the cones.  

 

I can't find these on the TJ's website - Stelle Di Notte "Stars at Night" Cocoa Hazelnut Crispy Cookies made in Italy

These are very light and crisp, not terribly sweet.  Nice with a cup of coffee.  Four cookies for 140 cal. 

Edited December 28, 2017 by blue_dolphin
to correct cone calories! (log)

[patris]

56 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

The very bottom of the cone is pretty much filled with chocolate....to prevent leaks, I'm sure !

260 calories each.

 

Dunno if you will find this to be good news or bad news, but the serving size is THREE cones for 260 calories!

[blue_dolphin]

14 minutes ago, patris said:

 

Dunno if you will find this to be good news or bad news, but the serving size is THREE cones for 260 calories!

Oh my!  I wasn't going to buy more but now I may need them !

[Toliver]

"Trader Joe's just released shelf-stable French fries to satisfy all your snacking needs"

 

Quote

You know those crispy little bits of French fries at the bottom of the carton? If that’s your favorite part, you’re in luck. Trader Joe’s latest snack is basically like a bag full of those small pieces and they’re so popular, some stores are already selling out.

The grocery store chain announced their new Spud Crunchies Potato Snacks on their website Friday. They describe the spear-shaped bites as “salty, crunchy, shelf-stable French fries” that are made of just three ingredients: U.S.-grown Russet potatoes, expeller pressed canola oil, and salt.

Has anyone tried this new snack item? 

[Kerry Beal]

4 hours ago, Toliver said:

"Trader Joe's just released shelf-stable French fries to satisfy all your snacking needs"

 

Has anyone tried this new snack item? 

Interesting - follows their half popped popcorn bits like those from the bottom of the bowl.

[Maison Rustique]

19 hours ago, Toliver said:

"Trader Joe's just released shelf-stable French fries to satisfy all your snacking needs"

 

Has anyone tried this new snack item? 

Yes--I'm not a huge fan of them, though they are a bit addictive if you let yourself get started. They remind me a bit of larger versions of Pik-Nik Shoestring Potatoes.

[blue_dolphin]

2 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

Yes--I'm not a huge fan of them, though they are a bit addictive if you let yourself get started. They remind me a bit of larger versions of Pik-Nik Shoestring Potatoes.

I haven't tried them, but that's what I thought of when I saw the description.  I'll have to take a look and see if they could be broken up to use for some crunch on salads or soups.  Or I could just get myself some of those Pik-Nik Shoestring Potatoes if they are still around!

[blue_dolphin]

Three shapes of Italian pasta priced at $2.69/500g pkg.  

I haven't tried them yet, but they look good. I particularly like the look of the little ridges on the orecchiette as it looks like it might help prevent them from nesting together so much.

[rotuts]

@blue_dolphin

 

nice !

 

if I ever get shovels out

 

Ill look for these

 

do you think they might work in the 

 

FastaPasta ?

 

I hope so !

[Toliver]

2 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Three shapes of Italian pasta priced at $2.69/500g pkg.  

I haven't tried them yet, but they look good. I particularly like the look of the little ridges on the orecchiette as it looks like it might help prevent them from nesting together so much.

The two pasta shapes on the opposite ends are completely new to me.

I know different pasta shapes are used depending upon the sauce that it's being served with. The Capunti looks like pea pods and the Gigli look like sort of like frilly Calla Lilys.

I guess I'm off down the Google rabbit hole to find out more about them. Thanks for posting the picture!

[Thanks for the Crepes]

13 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Three shapes of Italian pasta priced at $2.69/500g pkg.  

I haven't tried them yet, but they look good. I particularly like the look of the little ridges on the orecchiette as it looks like it might help prevent them from nesting together so much.

 

They do indeed look like good pasta and at a very good price.

 

I'm more familiar with the "Gigli" variety as Campanelle. While it is beautiful, it shares a characteristic with Farfalle that I dislike. If you want the interior regions where the pasta is in double or more layers done even al dente, you are forced to cook the exterior outer edges to approaching mush. The Gigli is the worst offender for this I've tried to cook. Visually though, who doesn't want a lily flower trumpet of pasta to hold their sauce. So pretty!

 

Please let us know if you can get more success cooking this lovely shape than I have been able to achieve.

[blue_dolphin]

10 hours ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

Please let us know if you can get more success cooking this lovely shape than I have been able to achieve.

I've had the same problem with pastas.  There was one where the ruffly edge was thinner than the flat part of the noodle and broke off into tiny half-moon shapes before the rest of the noodle was done.  

 

I decided I should check these out before cooking up new recipes so I cooked up a serving.  Happily, this particular gigli seems to be OK.  They are a fairly small shape, smaller than others that have given me that problem:

 

They retained their shape well after cooking:

 

And on the plate with a mushroom sauce:

Edited January 5, 2018 by blue_dolphin (log)

[caroled]

@blue_dolphin, I cant begin to tell you how delicious that finished dish looks!

 

[rotuts]

TJ's was sampling  it thick cut bacon w maple and brown sugar glaze

 

https://www.becomebetty.com/trader-joes-uncured-extra-thick-cut-maple-and-brown-sugar-glazed-bacon/

 

Pig Candy.

 

delicious !

 

I had to sample it twice 

 

w permission 

 

just to be sure

 

there there is this :

 

https://www.traderjoes.com/recipes/appetizers-sides/maple--brown-sugar-bacon-tots

[Smokeydoke]

Another small haul for me.

 

Shelf-stable whipping cream. I love these, they're so handy. Whipping cream seems to be the one thing I always forget at the store, when I go to TJ, I buy 2-3 at a time and keep them around for a long time.

 

Soy Chorizo - they had this out as a sample with roasted potatoes, it was delicious. $2.99

 

Silvered Almonds - per someone on the cocktail board, I made my own orgeat a few days ago. Delicious! I want to try it again with Death & Co's recipe, hopefully these silvered almonds are the way to go.

 

I also bought a package of the Gigli pasta, how could I not after @blue_dolphin photo with the mushroom sauce? I can't wait to try it, maybe beef stroganoff will work?

[heidih]

2 minutes ago, Smokeydoke said:

Soy Chorizo - they had this out as a sample with roasted potatoes, it was delicious. $2.99

 

 

Is the Soy chorizo a crumbly product like the ubiquitous Cacique product?

[rotuts]

@Smokeydoke

 

very nice haul.

 

I use the Soyc when I can remember to get it.

 

I take it out of the Tube and sauté it

 

taste to me just like Mexican Chorizo

 

not Spanish   which has smoked paprika in it

 

outstanding when sautéed and crumbled on all sorts of things

 

Mexican C to me has vinegar  in it and perhaps some cilantro seeds

 

very nice product !

[Smokeydoke]

@heidih It's nothing like the Cacique product, which seems to melt when taken out of the package, but it didn't seem completely hard like a kielbasa either.

[rotuts]

I grew up in CA

 

and have visited Mexico several times 

 

a long time ago.

 

in CA there are two types of Chorizo

 

Mexican of course

 

the one thats dirt cheap

 

is made from Pigs Lymphatic systems

 

treated the same way

 

as the chorizo in the same shops

 

from ground shoulder or what ever.

 

I personally don't shoos to eat another animals

 

immune systen

 

and more or less , the price difference was more or less 1 USA green back a pound

 

in NE  its difficult to fine Mexican Chorizo

 

so I sue TJ's and its fine

[Smokeydoke]

I admit, I've eaten it before. I'm not ashamed. It's ok, definitely not something I'd want to eat all the time, it tasted like spicy mush. I put it in eggs with onions.

 

Now that I know it's pig nodes, I probably never eat it again. No loss here.