New Trader Joe's Yea/Nay Thread - 2nd Quarter 2011 [old]
No foolin', it's time to reboot.
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Steamer clams - I thought they were ok, but have read really bad reviews of them - especially their grittiness. Heck, here in AZ we don't have access to fresh clams, so these are ok for me. We tried some frozen mussels from the grocery, I liked the TJ clams better.
Tarte D'Alsace - am I imagining things or did they change the recipe? It used to be creme fraiche and now the box says grueyere (sp?)
Love the onion soup, spinach and artichoke dip, everything pretzel chips, thai shrimp gyoza, honey greek yogurt, truffle cheese, and the TJ brand prosciutto - I SWEAR it's as good as the Parma stuff - MUST BUY. Oh and the mission figs are a million times better than the grocery brand.
Not so good - Ham and Cheese croissants, coq au vin (bf said it was meh), I really dislike the chicken stock, compound herb butter in the refrig. section - too garlicky and just . . . weird.
Really missing these discontinued items: Thai green beans (frozen) and grits in a tube (used to be next to the polenta.)
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re: VinylChild
goodhealthgourmet
Jun 25, 2011 08:00 PM
Tarte D'Alsace - am I imagining things or did they change the recipe? It used to be creme fraiche and now the box says grueyere (sp?)
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it's always had both crème fraîche and gruyere.-
re: goodhealthgourmet
yummykimmy
Jun 25, 2011 08:16 PM
as much as I hate to point out craziness....you are imagining this one - it;s always been with the gruyere, Maybe there was another tarte? I remember another I tried once, didn't like, but have no clue what it was.
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re: yummykimmy
No, I think all y'all are right - I read the box more carefully and it said "creme fraiche" in addition to gruyere on the back of the box, but I really thought at one time they had creme fraiche mentioned on the front of the box. Just a temporary malady - it tasted fine today :-)
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daveena
Jun 23, 2011 06:12 PM
Vegan mochi - vanilla, chocolate, and mango flavors. The "ice cream" is coconut milk based, so it's really icy just out of the freezer, but if you give it a few minutes at room temperature, the flavor and texture is really good. I'm not vegan by any means - actually bought them for a party where I knew there were going to be vegans - tested one out of curiosity and ate the whole box.
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daveena
Jun 21, 2011 07:31 PM
The chocolate macarons (fresh, not frozen) are very good - as good as any I've had in the US, and better than my home attempts at making them. They're not as delicate as Laduree or Pierre Hermes, but if you like a chewy macaron with good ganache, this is a really good product.
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trolley
Jun 18, 2011 05:19 PM
Gluten free Snickerdoodles! we don't need to eat gluten free but b/c of sever nut allergies we're pretty limited when it comes store bought cookies due to cross contamination. but with or without allergies, these cookies are awesome. i'm pretty sure they're made by Enjoy Life and wish TJ's would get them to make their other cookies for them as well.
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re: trolley
GraceW
Jun 18, 2011 06:36 PM
I am glad you reviewed the Enjoy Life snickerdoodles. I think I have wanted to try them for a year, but I see them at Jewel or meijer for $4-5... which seems like a bad investment since they are--alas--cookies. If you remember, let me know how much they are at TJs.
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re: GraceW
trolley
Jun 18, 2011 08:31 PM
it seems like almost all prepared gluten free foods are expensive. I don't remember how much they cost at TJ's but i can tell you they're still not cheap. however, if you're into GF foods either b/c you have to be or in our case nut allergies, Enjoy Life products are great. i can make cookies at home but sometimes i just don't have the time or energy left at the end of the day...
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re: trolley
GraceW
Jun 19, 2011 05:27 PM
Thank you for the response and information. 16 cookies is not bad; I get sick of things easily, so I prefer small sizes.
You mentioned making your own.. just a heads-up that SUNSPIRE products including the Gluten Free-Dairy Free products are really good. Although I haven't looked for them at TJ yet.--just other stores.
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tracylee
Jun 17, 2011 09:56 PM
Wooo Hooo! TJs opened today in our town, and the barbershop chorus I sing with got to sing inside from 10-noon. Yeah, it was a madhouse, and 20 women singing and blocking packed aisles didn't help. I think I was the only one to stay and fight the crowds to shop. Heck, I was out of the house already, right? I recommended this thread to a complete stranger as a way to find out what's good and what isn't. Yeah, I'm shy like that, LOL!
I picked up a bunch of things - some I've bought at the TJs 40 minutes away in the past...and noted on a new phone shopping list the items I buy regularly that are far cheaper at TJs than elsewhere. Also picked up some new items, but haven't tried them yet, since I had dinner out and have leftovers in the fridge and cupboards to use up before I open or thaw new stuff.
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Dessert time:
Yea: Belgian chocolate pudding. Dark, deep, rich, semisweet. I ration myself to one teaspoon for dessert, and astonishingly that's all I need.
Yea: black cherry gel cups. I'm pretty poor at portion control, but these little cups of jello are just about right for me, and they taste good. TJ also makes mango gel cups but I haven't tried them yet.
Nay/Yea/?? Rice pudding. The first time it was custardy and not too sweet, the second time (a week later, same store) it was soupy, the rice all but dissolved, and very sweet. Will the real TJ's rice pudding please stand up?
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woodleyparkhound
Jun 8, 2011 12:14 PM
I haven't tried this yet, but I just read an article about taste-testing the best chocolate ice cream. TJ's came in 2nd!
http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/06/0...
TJ's vanilla snagged firs runner up in vanilla as well!
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We lloved the frozen sticky rice with mango. Yeah, the mango was mushy, like all defrosted mango, but the flavors were really nice and the mung bean topping was crunchy. Too bad you can't have it, though, because they apparently discontinued it. Or the clerk was making it up to get a customer off his back, which happens frequently there.
However, you can try their roasted veggie quinoa (also in the frozen foods). Nuke it, top with a fried egg, salt, pepper and maybe some sriracha and you have healthy, quick dinner.
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Ruth Lafler
Jun 6, 2011 10:12 AM
The Dark Chocolate bars with caramel and black sea salt -- really good balance of chocolate, caramel and salt. Went back and bought more. The toffee version didn't send me, though.
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re: Ruth Lafler
yummykimmy
Jun 6, 2011 06:31 PM
They were giving out samples when I was in there the other day, personally, I would prefer them without the caramel.
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bistro biscuits are new, and i love them! they seem to be an homage to biscoff biscuits, a belgian specialty--in france i've purchased biscoff spread, which is like peanut butter, but with this distinctive cookie flavor. so yum. hard to describe--a bit gingerbread-y..a crisp, faintly spicy cookie that would make a terrific cookie crust for cheesecake or an ice cream pie.
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Caitlin McGrath
Jun 4, 2011 12:51 PM
The five-spice chicken and Asian-style noodle salad is a good choice among the prepared food items, and just 340 calories with dressing (and it's hard to imagine using all the dressing, so more like 320). This is essentially Vietnamese bun served cold: rice vermicelli, moist, mildly flavored chicken breast in strips, with some cabbage, cucumber, and red pepper, and roasted peanuts. The dressing is nuoc cham with a bit of heat. Perhaps not as much in the way of veg as typical bun, and definitely with much less herbs (just a few leaves of cilantro and mint), but really quite tasty.
I'm sorry I hadn't tried the lightly smoked sardines in olive oil (from Portugal) sooner. The can has three large pieces, taken from fish more the size of fresh sardines I see than the small fish I often see canned. They have good flavor and their texture is nice and firm, not soft the way many canned sardines are, and are a very good deal for the quality at $1.49. Because of their size and firm texture, these are a better bet for chopping up eating in salads or with pasta than, for example, on crackers.
They were sampling the roasted chicken patties (burgers, essentially), which have good flavor and texture. I believe they're refrigerated, not frozen, in packs of two for $2.49.
These aren't new to TJ's or to me, but continue to impress me: California Estate extra virgin olive oil, an excellent general-use oil that's fresh with a bit of peppery finish, is a deal at $5.99 for 500ml; and TJ's is the only place I know that carries 3.5 oz bars of Valrhona (Noir Amer 71% and Noir Amer Extra 85%) for just $2.99.
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Was there today and bought myself a goat chesse salad with a "vinagrette". I have bought salad there everytime I go to bring home for lunch. This one was so inedible. The vinagrette was red, almost tasted like ketchup with a whole bunch of vinegar in it.
My kids love the frozen fettucine alfedo. I keep it for the night when we have a sitter and they need something quick to eat. Love the Israeli couscous too. -
Trader Jacques Shells with Brie and Asparagus. The box says, "Sinfully rich and worth every bite!" No, it isn't. There is brie, there is asparagus (and a few asparagus flavored sticks) but for a tiny serving (half the box) with 340 calories and 20 fat grams it's just not that good.
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A yea for the corn and wheat flour tortillas...I think the name is Tortillas de mi Abuela. A bit pricey at over $2 and only 8 to a pack, but they are delicious! Soft, flavorful, and thick enough to hold a taco with lots of fixings.
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alkapal
May 30, 2011 04:38 PM
found a use for the sealed "dressing packet" that came in the horrible som tam salad pack.
i had frozen the whole package, and today just put the papaya into some take-out som tam .
as it was really hot and sticky today….
i used the frozen dressing packet as an ice pack on my neck….. ;-)) it was its "highest and best use" as said in law & economics classes! ;-)). -
A few recent nays:
Tarte de Aslance (? - I threw away the box so I am sure i'm butchering the name) - was sadly disappointed in this. I'm not sure what didn't work for me, the crust, the cheese, the onions or the ham, but it just didn't.
Milk chocolate covered peanut butter eggs -- someone else posted on this thread that these were superior to Reese's pb eggs. I completely disagree -- TJ's had way too much chocolate and not enough peanut butter.
Reduced fat mac & cheese -- The only reason the calories and fat are so low is b/c the portion size is so small! I had it for lunch yesterday and seriously it was gone after about 6 spoonfuls.
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re: mdepsmom
goodhealthgourmet
May 30, 2011 04:08 PM
Tarte de Aslance (? - I threw away the box so I am sure i'm butchering the name)
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it's Alsace :)i'm wondering if you got a bad one somehow - i've never had it, but it always gets a big thumbs-up on these threads.
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re: mdepsmom
Steve Green
May 30, 2011 06:27 PM
To each their own. I had mentioned the PB eggs upthread, and this is what I said:
"Good chocolate, actual peanut butter inside -- not as sweet as Reese's." Although I agree that the PB/chocolate ratio is a bit out of proportion, I like that they have (IMO) better chocolate and regular peanut butter, rather than that sugared peanut candy stuff that's in the Reese's. Also no chemical preservatives in the TJ variety.As for the Tarte d'Alsace, you're definitely in the minority on that one.
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I can't give a firm yea or nay to the sparkling clementine drink--it depends entirely on how fond your memories are of St. Joseph's Baby Aspirin. (I kind of liked it, myself.)
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aching
May 25, 2011 02:48 PM
Nay on the Freeze-Dried Mango. I tried the Freeze-Dried Pineapple and loved it, and i love mango, so I thought there was no way this could not be a winner - but instead it tasted exactly like mango-flavored styrofoam. Strangest texture ever.
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operagirl
May 23, 2011 03:41 PM
Tried the brown rice (gluten free) tortillas today, and they're actually really delicious if you ::toast:: them. I stuck one in the toaster oven while I was frying an egg, then slipped the cooked egg onto the tortilla and folded it over for a wonderfully crunchy/chewy snack. I'm not sure how they are steamed in the microwave or served un-heated, but they're great toasted.
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re: operagirl
goodhealthgourmet
May 23, 2011 08:26 PM
I'm not sure how they are steamed in the microwave or served un-heated,
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you don't want to know - it's not a pleasant experience. stick with toasting!
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greygarious
May 22, 2011 09:53 AM
New, or new to me, the frozen multigrain croissants. There are 4 regular sized to a package, but they are baked from frozen, doubling in size. They are too dry - crumbly rather than flaky.
The flavor was okay but they should make the dough as ordinary rolls, not croissants.›2 Replies-
re: greygarious
I baked one of these croissants this morning in my toaster oven. Mine turned out moist and flaky. Maybe I baked them for a shorter time than you? It is a little hard to tell when they are done, because they are already brown in color. Lovely aroma and nice flavor. Seeds on top. Kudos to TJs for innovating healthier products!
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Paneer Rolls Stuffed with Red Curry--yuck stuffed with myuck! Repulsive strange taste. Don't even quite know how to decribe it. Kind of chemical-ish and acidy? Looks like a hunk of mush. I was curious because I am a gigantic fan of the paneer tikka masala. I wonder if this was just something strange that they concocted out of extra paneer from Indian entrees and extra red curry from thai? Do not buy! Also, it is wildly caloric. 660 cals for the package, which looks like one serving but is labeled as 3.
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Yay to the huge tub of nonfat Greek yogurt and frozen wild blueberries, as previously mentioned. Also enjoyed the frozen single serve cheese tortellini with red pesto sauce. I usually don't go for frozen lunches, but this one pleasantly surprised me. Lots of veggies in the sauce. On my third bottle of the light champagne dressing too, so I must like it!
I am heartbroken about the discontinuation of the frozen seeded rolls. They were one of my staple items, and now they're gone :(
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MplsM ary
May 17, 2011 06:31 PM
Frozen wild blueberries. Tooth stainy goodness. My latest dessert of choice (now that I've banned cookies from the house :-0 ) is to combine frozen wild blueberries with the last of the frozen Door County cherries with a splash of almond milk.
Shunning cookies has been made easier thanks to the last batch of TJs oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I bought. The cookies had a weirdly artificial taste. Really odd and unpleasant taste.
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alkapal
May 15, 2011 08:02 PM
NAY on trader ming's boxed noodles "kits" that you microwave after "assembly." the noodles are very oily and the sauce is gloppy and sweet. i've tried the pad thai (or was it teriyaki) and the kung pao. won't buy again.
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Steve Green
May 15, 2011 01:20 PM
Yea for the Bavarian Bratwurst -- 7 oz package (8 mini-wursts). Actual imported-from-Germany "Traditional Nuremberg Sausage". No nitrates. I'm not a 'brat fan but GF says she would have been delighted if these were served to her at any restaurant.
Also, another vote for those Easter peanut-butter/chocolate eggs --marked down to 99c. Good chocolate, actual peanut butter inside -- not as sweet as Reese's.
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not new products but this is what I buy there, and we no longer go very often:
frozen croissants x4! these are the best items imo. make sure not to let them rise more than 8 hours and bake on the top rack of the oven for 15 minutes. great.also 8 in a package.
sliced havarti cheese. haven't found a better sliced cheese. very rich and like havarti should taste.
highbrow chocolate chip cookies. these taste homemade, although I haven't been able to find a recipe taht comes anywhere close.also good occasionally are the jalapeno cilantro hummus or plain hummus, both come in a wide tub as mentioned. i try to keep their frozen chicken breasts on hand as they can be cooked directly because of the way they were frozen. and their salsa is passable for supermarket salsa.
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onceadaylily
May 7, 2011 03:47 PM
This debate is probably old news, given that I've seen the back and forth of this product on other threads, but a NAY to the organic vodka sauce. It was watery and bland. I was lucky that I had poured the sauce into the pot first, instead of pouring it over the pasta. I cooked it down a bit, and added a bit of butter, a little cream, a good amount of diced black olives (good ones--that I was saving those for something else), crushed red pepper flakes, and a fair amount of parmesan. If I have to use those kinds of resources to improve a jarred sauce, then it is actually cheaper and easier to make my own.
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alkapal
May 1, 2011 10:01 AM
we like the gourmet grain (?) blend, although it is primarily israeli couscous.
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re: alkapal
we love these too, alkapal. the name of the product is harvest grains, which is kind of silly, since as you pointed out, it's mostly israeli couscous, with a fair amount of orzo (also not a grain, except by the greatest stretch of the imagination). also has baby garbanzos and a tiny bit of quinoa. i like to saute some red onion or shallot in butter, toast the "grains" up a bit, pilaf style, then cook in chicken stock. frequently i'll toss a big handful of the tj shredded carrots as i fluff them--the carrots are so skinny, they wilt right down in the steam. yum!
i've served these to lots of folks in cooking classes as the meal's starch, and they've all mentioned that they've seen them on the shelf at tj's, but never tried them. what's not to like? they even look kinda "polka dotty" on the plate! they're on my top 10 tj list.-
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re: FlyerFan
flyerfan, i think you are very nearly there--just maybe 3 or 4 minutes longer. in my experience, the couscous and orzo dont go mushy in the time it takes to get the garbanzos and quinoa done. (i actually like it if they have a little "toothsomeness"--if that's a word.) i dont cover it when i cook it, but that might help steam them a bit quicker? give them another try...
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re: alkapal
c oliver
May 3, 2011 05:50 AM
I LOVE this stuff!!!! After eating it the first time I went back and bought four bags of it! I like that I can make part of a bag without a seasoning packet or anything that mucks it up. The first couple of times I just used water and loved it. Used chicken broth the last time and it was, of course, even better. It reheats in the MW great. I've eaten it for breakfast. I better buy more. I worry it could be on of those TJs items that disappears.
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re: laststandchili
NYA Joe
Apr 30, 2011 12:26 AM
From a non-TJ-junkie:
Yays
Triple layer hummus - the first hummus I actually liked
Beef hash - nothing like homemade hash, but always ready to go, perfect for guests
Macadamia nut mix...the one with pineapples - my current favorite nut mix
Beef jerky - I might have had better, but not among big brands or even through mail order
Croissants - frozen, plain or chocolate; wow, so that's what they taste like fresh baked!Nay
Peanut Butter - Valencia? Rated best by some magazine...tastes "gourmet" in a bland way
Nacho dip - very beany, not that flavorful, pass-
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re: armagnac
coney with everything
Jun 14, 2011 06:50 AM
Cosign on that, armagnac. That hash was a good item to throw in the camping supplies box
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re: NYA Joe
Speaking of hummus, I really like the ones in the flat, wide tub. I'd guess it's about 8 inches in diameter? There are smaller, taller circle tubs, but I really like the flat, wide. My favorite flavor is the cilantro jalapeno, and I don't like cilantro. But this stuff is crack good. If I'm not careful, I'll eat the whole tub in one sitting with veggie dippers or pretzels.
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re: laststandchili
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re: goodhealthgourmet
onceadaylily
May 1, 2011 05:07 PM
I was kind of meh on it, until I tried the rest of the coffees (from TJ's and other places) in that price range, and then realized that was as good as it gets. It really grew on me.
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re: onceadaylily
goodhealthgourmet
May 1, 2011 05:29 PM
ha! same here :) i couldn't find anything really good at Costco, and my beloved Peet's is just too expensive the way i go through coffee, so i learned to love it.
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re: goodhealthgourmet
onceadaylily
May 1, 2011 06:18 PM
*Love* Major Dickason's blend at Peet's. My boyfriend and I used to work in the coffee industry, and always had a ready supply of beans we liked. He changed jobs, and the little cafe I was working in closed (we had a wonderful source there), and I thought the coffee thing wouldn't be a problem, simply because I hadn't bought any at a full going rate for at least five years. I'm still shocked at how much the price has gone up for a simple pound at the grocery store. Even Cafe Bustello commands five bucks for the little tin! After we first tried the TJ's dark sumatra, I thought, well, okay, but we can do better. Turns out, not so much. The sumatra is a very pleasant coffee for the money.
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re: onceadaylily
goodhealthgourmet
May 1, 2011 08:18 PM
yes! love the MD at Peet's; their Sumatra & French Roast are also fabulous. i got Mom hooked on their FR (i inherited my coffee gene from her), and she gets monthly shipments of it now...but i gave her a taste of the TJ's when i was visiting last month, and she couldn't get over how good it was for the price.
ok, back on topic. re: TJ's coffee, the other thing i discovered - their freeze-dried instant decaf is great for adding to baked goods or recipes where i don't want caffeine. it's no Medaglia D'Oro and i wouldn't actually *drink* a brewed cup of it, but it's a good caffeine-free option for sauces, meat rubs, chocolate desserts, truffles....
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onceadaylily
Apr 27, 2011 08:56 AM
I know these aren't new products, but they are new to me, and I wanted to give their sardines a yea. I've tried two kinds, one small can (magenta in color), and one larger can of the skinless boneless (can was in a white box), both packed in olive oil. They were delicious, and very tender, especially considering the price. I think my cat ate a whole fillet herself out of each can, and she was never a fan of sardines. She also loves their tuna, after disdaining many common brands. I just thought that was interesting.
And I've been using the imported dried pasta, the one in the bag, and have loved it, save for the three-cheese tortellini. The filling had a weird dry, grainy taste to it that even a nicely made butter sauce couldn't overcome. I suppose I knew that dried cheese tortellini had only a tiny chance to be a winner, but I went there anyway. ;)
I have given up hope of finding the frozen naan everyone keeps talking about. I suppose it might be a regional product.
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re: onceadaylily
coney with everything
Apr 28, 2011 05:25 AM
The naan is one of those items that seem to be frequently out of stock
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re: coney with everything
onceadaylily
May 1, 2011 05:05 PM
I found it. I stared at it for a full seven seconds before I understood that it was not going to disappear, and then snatched up three packs. I've only had the garlic so far, but it was *really* good. Good as in not merely garlic 'flavored', but had actual garlic on the bread. And the quick heating time is perfect. I love this stuff.
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re: onceadaylily
coney with everything
May 2, 2011 05:34 AM
Yeah, I try to keep it as a staple in the freezer...it's almost as good as what I get at the Indian market
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re: givemecarbs
onceadaylily
May 3, 2011 10:37 AM
We are going to TJ's again tomorrow. Today, I assessed the space in the freezer, and realized that I have to eat more naan, so that I can buy more naan. I am pleased with this development.
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An overall "meh" to the Milk Chocolate Malt Ball cookies. I really wanted to like them, but while the cookies are OK and have some flavor of a Whopper, it still tastes like a chocolate chip cookie. The Malt gives the texture an interesting crispness, but overall not something I'll go out of my way to buy in the future.
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Toasted rice. (I think that's the name of it) It's simply white rice that has a soy sauce like coating on them that gets nice and crunchy. It's in the frozen section - I am addicted to them. It's a nice little snack that you can just pop in the microwave.
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rockandroller1
Apr 25, 2011 05:58 AM
Entering a short, very busy time in our lives right now so i went to TJs to pick up a lot of fresh and frozen quick-fix items. The first, chicken fried rice, was a bust. Tasteless and the meat was surprisingly dark-meat chicken. I like dark meat, but this had a terrible texture and no flavor and was not of the highest quality (stringy, tendons, bits of gristle). Very disappointing. The rice was rubbery and the dish was a big fail. Hoping to do better with the other items.
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re: rockandroller1
I buy the frozen veggie fried rice, nuke it for five minutes, throwing in cubed firm tofu (drained, but not pressed, from a regular water-pack) for the last minute or so of cooking. I also often throw in a handful of frozen non-petite peas when I add the tofu. It's not gourmet, but it's ok. I have found it's better to cook the fried rice in a practically sealed container - the rice comes out better, especially with the additional moisture from the tofu.
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re: artemis
rockandroller1
Apr 26, 2011 10:58 AM
thx. I saw it was a thumbs down on another TJs thread but I haven't read that one in awhile and missed it. It's just not good enough for me to fuss around with, I won't buy it again. I thought about buying the veg rice but can't imagine that's much better.
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New to me: Yea to Dried Pineapple Rings (8 oz clear bag, unsweetened and unsulphured). These are much better than Dried Sweet Baby Pineapple in the silver opaque bag, which I find to be too sweet, sticky, and very fibrous. The Dried Pineapple Rings have a good pineapple flavor in nice, thin rings (easy to eat), and aren't sticky. They make a decent office snack.
I also picked up a jar of Mango Butter to try, but I haven't opened yet.
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A subdued Yay for the Honey Apple Butter - it tastes like the inner goo of an apple pie, which is great, but far too sweet on its own (and I LOVE sweets). But a light spread of it on top of ricotta on toast is heavenly. So it's a definite yay, it just needs to be mixed with milder flavors to cut its sweetness.
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re: Transplanted Texan
alkapal
Jun 18, 2011 06:18 AM
i lOVE muccutcheon's preserves (esp. their combos, with the rinds, too) and their picalilli for hot dogs! http://www.bobmccutcheon.com/newmccut...
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goodhealthgourmet
Apr 20, 2011 05:08 PM
HUGE yea for an update to an old favorite. just discovered today that they now have the TJ's brand 0% Greek Style Yogurt in *2-lb* containers for $4.99! that's even better than the recently reduced price ($5.49) for the 2-lb Fage at Costco.
ETA: and a very big NAY on the Spiral Sliced Ham they were demoing today. the piece i got was about 75% fat with just a teeny bit of actual meat, and when i managed to separate that edible morsel to taste it, it was so overwhelmingly sweet i ended up spitting it out in my napkin.
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re: artemis
goodhealthgourmet
Apr 21, 2011 03:43 PM
yeah, their entire line of Greek-style yogurt has been around for years now - i only buy plain, so i have no opinion on the flavored varieties. but if i'm buying my yogurt as opposed to making it at home i prefer to buy a larger container to cut down on waste and save money. the new 2-lb tub i mentioned is the equivalent of nearly seven single-serving containers...for the price of three of them!
i totally understand buying the single containers for convenience if you eat it on the road. but if that's not the case, buy the big tub, add a little vanilla & honey, and save yourself a bundle :)
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re: goodhealthgourmet
mollyomormon
Apr 25, 2011 03:57 PM
Yay! Thanks for mentioning this! I hadn't yet seen the 2lb tubs but I'm very excited!
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re: mollyomormon
goodhealthgourmet
Apr 25, 2011 04:10 PM
they're *brand new* - within the past week or so. when i was checking out i held up the container asked the cashier how long they've had them, and she looked at me like i was nuts and said "we've had that for YEARS"...she thought i meant the yogurt in general :) when i clarified that i meant the new large size, she looked at it more closely and said "wow, i didn't even know about this one, it must have just come in."
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aching
Apr 20, 2011 12:19 PM
Oh wow - just tried the Chile Spiced Pineapple and it's amazing. This could be dangerous.
I also got the Falafel (frozen) and like it very much. It doesn't have the nice crisp exterior that real falafel has, of course, but the flavor is quite nice. I made it into sandwiches with whole wheat pita, Mediterranean Hummus, and Spicy Crumbled Feta - very satisfying lunch!
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re: aching
goodhealthgourmet
Apr 20, 2011 05:06 PM
i got to the dried fruit & nut aisle today, glanced at the pineapple, and told myself to keep on walkin'! it's just too addictive to have in the house ;)
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re: aching
Caitlin McGrath
May 23, 2011 07:07 PM
"This could be dangerous."
No kidding. Tried this for the first time today; meant to have a few pieces, but oops! Might have to pass on it in future to keep temptation at bay.
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There's a new fresh pizza thing that I missed the name of - a smallish pizza with slivered almonds on top that comes with a bag of arugula and a lemon vinaigrette on the side which you add to the pizza after it's cooked. They were tasting it the other day and recommend that you slice it in half and fold like a sandwich. Delicious! Such a nice lunch if you have oven access or a quick meal for dinner with a side salad.
Tried the new crunchy green beans from the snacks aisle and am torn between yay and nay. They are similar to the snap pea crisps but with much more flavor. Crunchy, salty, and they definitely taste like green beans...but almost too much so. On their own, they're a nice crunchy snack, but I get green bean overload after about 3 beans. I think in a salad with some goat cheese and walnuts they'd be a great crunchy addition, I just don't have any goat cheese on hand right now to try it out.
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Did anyone try their matzo? I was in today (having bought all my Passover supplies elsewhere), and thought it was kind of funny that they had it. Presumably if you're doing a seder you need a whole lot of stuff besides matzo, so what's the point? But I guess I appreciate the gesture.
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re: sciencediet
goodhealthgourmet
Apr 19, 2011 05:33 PM
Presumably if you're doing a seder you need a whole lot of stuff besides matzo, so what's the point?
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well, even if you are doing a seder, you still need food for every other meal. plus, not *everyone* hosts a seder, so people who attend someone else's still need to buy matzo to eat at home for the 8 days.
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All these are terrible....1 time trying all and 1st time retuning anything back to TJ in 5 yrs.
TJ Mochi Ice Cream the Mochi outer shell was like cold frozen wax. better stick to the original for a few $$ more
TJ Green Papaya Salad (Thai) I dare any Papaya Salad lover to tell me this is edible. I wanted to like it so bad I even added more lime and a splash of fish sauce. Bought 3 boxes at $1.99 or 2.99 because I love almost all Papaya salad Khmer, Veit, Thai
TJ Ham/Cheese Corrissant slice of Ham in between mushy dough (look like white scummy stuff you skim off making chicken soup. Box cover showed something like a ham/cheese pressed panini.
Choc animal kitties (hard as a rock)
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re: KPS5696
goodhealthgourmet
Apr 18, 2011 02:32 PM
i tried a sample of that Green Papaya Salad at my local store last week. ZERO flavor. the demo guy kept warning everyone that it was "very spicy" - i told him he was nuts.
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re: goodhealthgourmet
For me, it was way "over the top" hot! I did not expect that from a Trader Joe product. They are usually "middle of the road". I was alone, while eating this and terrified. since about the third bite , all of a sudden, I hit a "hot spot" and started choking. Grabbed water! Wrong! Hit the milk and finally got my breath! Out went the Salad. I am referring to the one that I purchased in the freezer-not the refrigerated section. Beside that I thought it was awful tasting!
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re: marti
I just tried this product and the exact same thing happened to me - after I already had a couple bites of the trader joe's Green Papaya Salad, i suddenly bit into the SPICIEST thing I have EVER tried in my life. I started choking because it was so spicy. I love spicy food, but this was horrible. The back of my throat was on fire, even my lip was on fire. I ran to the sink to spit out as much as possible and grabbed an apple that happened to be sitting on the counter next to the sink. I bit into the apple as fast as possible to try to get rid of the burning. I thought for a couple seconds that the pain due to the spice couldn't be real. My lip became numb but after twenty minutes I recovered. Anyway, I joined this site just so I could warn others of this product!
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re: marti
goodhealthgourmet
May 5, 2011 08:37 PM
i can't believe all of you thought it was so spicy - i'm seriously thinking my store served a defective batch. i know i have a higher tolerance than most for spice, but there was a little girl no older than 3 or 4 near me happily munching away on samples, and she didn't make a peep about it being spicy.
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re: ecl5336
This happened to me too. I was happily eating the salad when all of a sudden my tongue, mouth, and throat went on fire. I ran to the kitchen and ate a piece of bread. Supposedly, rice is very good at reducing spice and bread was the closest thing I had. Anyway, I found the culprit for there was another red pepper in my salad. I took it out and ate the rest of the salad. The salad is great, especially since it contains cashews and not peanuts, which I’m allergic too. I’d buy the salad again, but I can’t find it. So I did a search to see if others had an issue with the peppers. I hope Trader Joe’s didn’t stop selling it. The salad is great and the peppers are large enough to take out.
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Arthur
Apr 18, 2011 12:12 AM
A somewhat unexpected yea for TJ's new Veggie Sausage Patties. The market-dominating Morningstar Farms version is still available for sale at my neighborhood TJ's, but these new ones taste much more like the real McCoy. They go great in a homemade breakfast sandwich, pass muster when crumbled onto a frozen pizza, and are definitely one of the best imitation meat products I've ever consumed.
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Has anyone tried the frozen falafel? I'm curious about it...just not curious enough to have bought it yet.
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re: Bax
pamf
Apr 17, 2011 07:25 PM
I am really liking the frozen falafel. The patties are pretty large and nicely flavored. I have just been microwaving them directly from the freezer (1 to 2 minutes), so they come out soft textured, but that is OK for me. If you wanted them to be crisper, you could bake or fry them. They make a very good quick lunch with a pita and some hummus or tzatziki.
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re: Bax
Dommy
Apr 17, 2011 11:05 PM
We bought them along with their mini slider buns for a quick and easy falafel sandwich. They recommend you nuke them instead of baking them, but we didn't want to do that, so we baked. Overall, we agree with Pam, the flavor is nice, but not nearly as nuanced as a real good fresh falafel. Also, the inside was a bit crumbly and not as creamy as we like. Overall, it was a pretty decent meal, but we probably won't be buying them again...
--Dommy!
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re: Dommy
Arthur
Apr 18, 2011 12:04 AM
If you can, I recommend deep-frying TJ's falafel balls. When I first got the bag, I baked a few of them, which turned out OK but nothing I'd ever buy again. Then one day I was already using the deep fryer, so I threw a few falafel balls in for about three minutes. They came out perfect, with the kind of essential falafel crunch that baking or microwaving could never possibly provide.
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A few recent observations:
YEA: the refrigerated section chicken enchiladas. Had these the other night and enjoyed them. Would probably top them with some salsa verde or something next time around, since the cheese is pretty heavy.
YEA: the frozen macaroni & cheese. Not a new product, but the sauce is super generous, which lends it really well to mix-ins. I've even been known to mix in additional pasta to stretch the thing a bit.
YEA: the vanilla meringue cookies. Tasty with a good vanilla flavor, and four big cookies for about 100 calories.
No specific NAYs lately -- though does anyone else find that cheese from TJ's goes moldy faster than from anywhere else?
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re: dtremit
Dommy
Apr 17, 2011 11:03 PM
Although I've not had the Mold issue, but I did recently have a major TJS cheese disappointment. They recently got in a new triple creme from france the guys were raving about. It came wrapped in a plastic wedge sleeve and then inside a SEALED plastic baggie. What ended up happening is instead of a nice rind, it was super slimy. I understand it is hard to package these type of cheeses, especially in wedges, but the DEATH of a good cheese is sealed plastic... just was so upset when I opened it at home...
--Dommy!
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re: Dommy
Steve Green
Apr 18, 2011 06:05 AM
If you're talking about Delice de Bourgogne, I was very pleased to find it at TJ in wedges -- the whole round that Costco sells is too much to have around. I don't eat the rind so I didn't notice any sliminess.
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re: dtremit
onceadaylily
Apr 27, 2011 08:41 AM
Yes to the cheese molding. On the last thread I complained how quickly the parmesan went off, and then just last night I had discovered a hunk of sharp cheddar that started to mold after one week (opened, but very well-wrapped).
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Steve Green
Apr 16, 2011 11:59 AM
Milk Chocolate Malted Milk Eggs. No hydrogenated fat, which is an automatic win over Whoppers. Plus, these taste much, much better. Easter themed carton (milk-carton style), so between that, and being eggs, they're probably seasonal. Never seen them before, though.
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re: Steve Green
Steve Green
May 1, 2011 11:03 AM
Following up on myself here. Local TJs has these marked down to 99c.
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MplsM ary
Apr 15, 2011 04:35 PM
Yay
Trader Joe's Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. I had a screaming urge for instant frosting (ya know, butter, sugar, cocoa powder and a dash of coffee and vanilla?) so I picked this up hoping for the best. Deep, earthy chocolate taste. Big thumbs up.Nay
Trader Joe's Veggie Burgers, So many things wrong with these: The burgers themselves are kind of coated with a weird oil and because they are packaged in twos they are fairly melded together, requiring thawing before extrication. The texture is bizarre - kind of like baby food burgers. High in fat, sodium, and it's awful. Icky. Never again.›1 Reply -
TJ's frozen garlic potatoes with parmesan sauce. Had a typical TJ's experience with 'em. Was planning seared salmon, spring mix salad and homemade sweet potato fries but got held up at work so no time to make the fries. The potatoes saved the day as I really wanted a starch with my meal and these were very tasty. As usual the instructions were slightly off. Had to nuke the potatoes for about 12 minutes instead of five. I admit my microwave is old, but not that old. Will buy again to keep on hand for "emergencies".
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I have now bought the honey mustard pretzel bits (a knock-off of the Snyder ones) three times. I love them. They're bigger than the bits Snyder puts out, they're not as flavored, which sounds like a bad thing, but it means I can actually taste the pretzel too, not just the honey mustard. I really like them, prefer them to the Snyders and they're cheaper to boot.
Trader Joe's Pimento Cheese. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I'm addicted. Seriously. I've been eating it every night on TJ's reduced guilt Triscuits. I'm gathering up enough courage to make a grilled cheese with it on recommendation of the TJ's employee who bonded with me in my PC love.
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TJ's Palek Paneer. Frozen indian dish. 10 oz, serves 2 people. $2.99. Better than 90% of Indian restaurants I've eaten at and where you'd spend 3 times as much. Just the palek paneer itself., so you are not paying for rice. Another outstanding frozen Indian dish from TJ. Keep them coming!
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Yea: I've been really into their prepared vegetarian Indian food that comes in those foil packets in boxes. The chickpeas, lentils, and eggplant are all quite good. Was not too into something that was more of a "vegetable medley" -- super mushy.
Nay: I made the lemon-pepper pappardelle last night. Tasted like spicy dish soap. I also am not into the chicken sausages.
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re: Dommy
I bought the Lemon Pepper Pappardelle last year and made a pasta dish with artichokes, asparagus, and parmesan. I liked it- no weird taste or texture. Maybe they changed it?
On another note... the vanilla and vanilla/mango swirl soy ice creams are coming back... hopefully by the summer.
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They have Mouton Cadet Bordeaux for $7.99, a wine I really like and usually goes for $12 at local liquor stores.
Like their tabouli salad... lots of parsley and not too much of the starch.
Have recently tried two of their refrigerated entrees, beef stroganoff and chicken pot pie, both were inedible.
The chicken/vegetable/barley soup is great. And I really miss the great beef stew they used to sell until a couple of years ago.
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Tried the Asparagus Risotto for the first time: quick and serviceable dinner for two with roasted asparagus from the Hollywood Farmers Market on the side.
Spiced pineapple -- very addictive.
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re: d_doubleyew
goodhealthgourmet
Apr 14, 2011 09:05 PM
Spiced pineapple -- very addictive.
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the dried chile spiced stuff? i only bought it once because it's too dangerous :)-
re: goodhealthgourmet
greygarious
Apr 15, 2011 09:06 AM
I've never noticed spiced pineapple. Is it dried, canned, frozen? What is the spice profile?
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re: greygarious
goodhealthgourmet
Apr 16, 2011 12:54 PM
it's dried, in a plastic bag on the shelf with the other dried fruits. very soft and easy to chew (not tough or sticky), and heavy on the chili powder - the spice is definitely at the forefront, and you get the sweetness and pineapple flavor on the back end.
but a word of warning that this is one of those polarizing TJ's products - you either love it or hate it. i've seen comments from several Hounds who said they returned theirs after trying it.
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Nicolette S
Apr 2, 2011 01:25 PM
Lazy, yes, but I tried their frozen sweet potato fries and enjoyed the convenience. I usually make my own but it was nice to open a bag, season, and bake.
They were sampling the Rio Red Grapefruit Juice recently and I bought some. Very tasty, even though a label look reveals it's blended with white grape and lemon juices. I don't mind, tastes good and I'm thinking it will make a refreshing boozy drink. I think I'll pour a bit into my fizzy water right now. :)
Must try the Tarte d'Alsace next time.
My favorite buy from the last trip was a sweet little begonia plant for the kitchen.
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greygarious
Apr 2, 2011 01:09 PM
I tried the Tarte aux Champignons because it's cousin the Tarte d'Alsace is one of TJ's best items. The former has various mushrooms, Parmesan, and Emmenthaler but it sure tasted like blue cheese to me. It was nice, but the Alsatian one is better.
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re: CurlieGlamourGirlie
Agree that the Tarte aux Champignons isn't as good as the Tarte d'Alsace -- it was OK, but tasted a little flat to me. The Tarte d'Alsace is one of my favorite TJ's products, not only because it's delicious, but also because it's about the lowest-calorie pizza-like thing in the store. So don't feel too bad about eating the whole thing on occasion!
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re: CurlieGlamourGirlie
tokyo
Apr 18, 2011 01:58 PM
What am I missing about the Tarte d'Alsace? It gets consistent rave reviews, but I thought it was very bland. I was especially disappointed that the onions didn't really seem to be caramelized, just caramel color added. The onions themselves were bitter. I added some thyme to the final product to boost the flavor, but it didn't really do it. To each his own, I was just surprised that I didn't like it.
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Thanks grey! Tried the mango lemonade. Kind of a meh. Not returning it or anything but too sweet for my taste. The MVP lately has been the mini cinnamon buns in the frozen section. Have had people over for coffee twice this month and got lots of nice comments about the rolls. They make the house smell wonderful too. Didn't try to pass them off or anything but need to pick up a couple of packages of rolls on my next trip. Very nice to have on hand.
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re: givemecarbs
I thought the organic strawberry lemonade and organic mango lemonade were too sour (and a little too intense) so I solved the problem (and am very pleased with the results!)
I like to take either of those lemonades and mix them with a little organic white grape juice (maybe 4 parts lemonade/1 part white grape). Then I add about an equal amount of seltzer to the mix and have mysself a really healthy and delicious soda.
