Trader Joe’s “NEW & IMPROVED” SQUIGGLY NOODLES with Spicy Garlic Sesame Sauce (black package)

12 Mar 2025 4 Comments

by promacnyc in Asian, DIY, fresh, New, News, Pantry, Products, Rave, review, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Trader Joe’s SQUIGGLY KNIFE CUT STYLE NOODLES with Spicy Garlic Sesame sauce, review

Trader Joe’s came out with a newer version of their popular “SQUIGGLY RUFFLED NOODLES”. This one is in the black package and has a different sauce than the original version.

“New and Improved” isn’t what they said but it’s what I say. Why? Simple. The newer version comes with a way better sauce. I mean I had actually suggested just tossing the sauce package in the original red package and making your own.

Now you don’t have to. The newer “spicy garlic sesame sauce” sauce packet is so much better than the original.

Not only did they fix the newer version up with a better sauce, they even somehow managed to reduce the Sodium content at the same time. Color me impressed.

So my advice is buy this version (black package) over the original version (red). If you are afraid of the word”spicy” in the name, actually I don’t think it is very spicy at all. This is barely spicy, unless you are very sensitive.

Each noodle pack in the black version comes with two little sauce packets you mix together. One is labeled “Sesame Seed Paste“. The other “Creamy Spicy Garlic Sauce“. When you mix these, they make a decent Asian sauce.

Why are they separate? The sesame paste clumps up. So much so that I found it hard to squeeze out of the bag TIP: Some people recommend squishing it up to mix. I also put it in hot water for a few minutes. I even cut the packet open with a pair of scissors, and can use a small spoon to scrape out all the paste. Worth the trouble as this dark roasted sesame paste has a ton of flavor.

SPICY? To me, I didn’t find it very spicy. I say “Mildly”? But of course your mileage may vary, as spice tolerance is so personal. I would say unless you are super sensitive to spiciness, this is at most “mildly spicy”. Certainly not fire level spicy. In fact I want it spicier so I add a little Lao Gan Ma (chili crisp) and suggest you do that if you do want it spicy.

my stir fried noodles (with eggs and scallions)

Other than that sauce fix, the noodles themselves are the same as in the original (red) package. Personally I see no point in buying the red package anymore; this (black) one is better, sauce wise. Same noodles and same amount. So that’s the one I now get.

I made the noodles Stir Fried with eggs and scallions, pretty easy-peasy. See my other post which goes into detail on par-boiling the noodles a minute or two and then stir frying them with sauce.

Compared to the original Soy/Sesame version, this Spicy version has a bit less sodium listed, now 700 mg sodium here (vs. 920 mg in the original soy and sesame version). That’s good. Especially as the sauce here even tastes better.

If you want to just boil them and mix the sauce in, that’s OK now, which wasn’t the case before with the not great sauce in the red package IMO

Of course, a few other ingredients could improve your dish starting with adding some of your own chopped scallions. I do like the stir fry way though of making these noodles too.

These noodles are not only savory and satisfying but also versatile, making them an ideal addition to various dishes. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a more elaborate meal, they pair beautifully with vegetables, proteins. In a pinch even just on their own.

At about $1.25 per noodle pack, these are an good choice for anyone looking to elevate their home cooking without breaking the bank. TIP: Spend another $1.29 on some scallions. Cilantro too perhaps? You will use some of them on top of your finished noodles. Plus havehave those for other dishes for about a week…

Trader Joe’s Squiggly Noodles SPICY GARLIC SESAME SAUCE version are $4.99 – $5.49

How to Cook: If you are just boiling and serving, first prepare your sauce by opening the 2 packet(s) and putting the sauces together into a bowl and mixing them thoroughly. Add a teaspoon of water if needed to thin things out. If you have any “topping extras” such as scallions, baked tofu, hard boiled eggs, or cooked veggies, prep them now and cut into bite size or noodle like pieces. You will top the noodles with them later.

Boil a pot of water. Add the dried noodles. Cook about 4 minutes; drain yes but leave a little water left on them and put the noodles into your bowl with the sauce. Toss gently to combine the sauce and noodles. Add on your scallions or other ingredients on top. You can mix those in as you eat (or mix now)

Enjoy noodles while they are still hot.

If you are stir frying them, reduce the time boiling them, to about a 2 to 2 1/2 mins. Drain and put in bowl with about a teaspoon of oil. Toss to coat. This prevents them sticking. Cook your other ingredients in a wok or non stick pan. When ready add the noodles and your sauce (these two packets, or your own plus 1/4 water or stock) and cook about one minute or so tossing to coat well. Serve.

Can you add anything to the sauce that comes with this? Sure, if you like, you can still add a bit of other things. Like a drizzle of Trader Joe’s Toasted Sesame oil which will add great flavor, or Korean Gochujang sauce, or Lao Gan Ma or CHILI ONION CRUNCH.…. whatever you like.

As with almost any noodle dish, something as simple as throwing on chopped scallions, or cilantro will add a good deal of Asian flavors. Here I have added the TERIYAKI CHICKEN MEATBALLS , cut up and cooked with yellow bell peppers in a stir fry with these noodles.

YOU should also check out my original post on the Soy and Sesame version of the SQUIGGLY NOODLES which has a lot of ideas about how to upgrade and cook them HERE

Suggestions: Slice up some of your favorite TJ’s chicken meatballs, saute till brown, throw in some veggies and cook and mix those with these noodles and sauce; voila, a real dish…

Trader Joe’s canned LENTILS (plus recipe for French Lentils with Sausages) Quick and easy nutrition and a good source of fiber.

11 Mar 2025 2 Comments

by promacnyc in DIY, New, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , ,


I gathered that people seemed to love the fact that Trader Joe’s added lentils to their line of canned beans. Some people saying this 99 cents can of lentils is a game changer.

As a big fan of lentils, I got a can to try out and review. Yes. These canned lentils are good and certainly couldn’t be easier as all you have to do is open a can and only cost 99 cents!

(French lentil stew with sausages)

Still, just to compare I made my own lentils to compare these canned lentils to lentils I cooked myself using TJ’s dried green lentils ($1.99/lb).

The ones I cooked myself using dried lentils were a tad better than these canned ones, especially in texture, as the ones I cooked were a little less mushy then the canned ones. I’m sure you know that lentils cook fast, unlike most dried beans. Lentils can be ready in only about 18 minutes. Compared to say dried beans which could take easily 2 hours (after soaking overnight).

Not to mention “Bean Economics” of using dried beans or lentils. Dried lentils and beans cost way cheaper than canned. For example a one pound bag of dried green lentils sold at Trader Joe’s are $1.99. That one pound of dried lentils will probably end up making the equivalent amount of perhaps 6 (15 oz) cans worth once they are cooked (they expand cooked).

Still, if you don’t want to make your own lentils than these canned lentils are the next best thing.

Trader Joe’s lentils cost 99 cents for a 15 oz can. The can says “Product of Australia, packed in Egypt”

The ingredients are nice and short: Lentils, water, salt.

How to use these? As they say on the can, you can use cooked lentils in soups, stews, or salads, or combine them with other grains. These will go well for example mixed with the HARVEST BLEND of grains and legumes for a very healthy dish of grains and legumes.

Now right out of the can lentils can taste a little boring. But they are easily jazzed up with some seasonings. Lentils love garlic, olive oil, lemon, cumin and other spices.

EASY LENTIL SALAD – You could just open the can, drain off most of the liquid and dump these lentils in a bowl. Mash up a fat clove of garlic or two. Add that plus a nice pour of good olive oil, EVOO. Add the juice of a lemon, or some good Balsamic vinegar. Grind on some black pepper Toss gently together and you have a nice and quick and easy lentil salad. The lentils could be eaten as is or could go on top of some greens. Maybe add a fried egg on top? Or sliced chicken. Or just fine as is.

Here’s an idea for a quick and easy recipe with a French flavor lentil stew using these lentils plus sausages (omit if you are vegetarian, subbing a bit of Soy Chorizo perhaps)

FRENCH LENTILS WITH SAUSAGES

In a pot brown up some sausages on both sides in 1 tbl of olive oil. Trader Joe’s UNEXPECTED CHEDDAR CHICKEN SAUSAGES or their UNCURED BAVARIAN BRATWURST will work great.

When the sausages are golden brown, remove them from the pan and set them aside. (Tip: i like to score my sausages with 3-4 shallow slashes on both sides before cooking. They open up when cooked)

In the same pot, add another tablespoon of olive oil and toss in a medium onion (sliced) and 4-6 cloves of garlic (sliced). Cook the garlic and onions until the onions are translucent or golden which will take maybe 5-8 minutes. (optional) Adding a tablespoon or two of tomato paste now will add lots of flavor. Cook the tomato paste stirring constantly for 1 minute or so.

Next pour in two cans of Trader Joe’s CANNED LENTILS. If you want it a very soupy stew add all the liquid of both cans. If not drain the lentils first (reserving the juice). Add about 1/4-1/2 cup liquid to the pot. You can add more later, as you see fit to get the right amount of liquid you want for your lentil stew.

Add your seasonings (ground black pepper, dried rosemary, oregano, basil, a pinch of cumin, a pinch of red pepper, if desired)

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add in your browned sausages. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes more.

Serve drizzled with more olive oil and some a squeeze of lemon. Combine with some Jasmine rice on the side or just eat with some crusty bread and French Butter!

Want to make French lentil soup instead? Just add all the liquid from the can plus another can of water or stock. Add more chopped garlic. Simmer about a 1/2 hr. You can slice up the sausages, or eat them on the side.

Here’s a more detailed recipe

https://www.seriouseats.com/french-lentils-with-sausage-wilted-arugula-and-dijon-mustard-recipe

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC CAESAR SALAD KIT

04 Mar 2025 1 Comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, cheese, DIY, fresh, General, New, News, organic, Pantry, recipe, Recipes, review, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


“Trader Joe’s ORGANIC CAESAR SALAD KIT with croutons, shredded Parmesan and a creamy Caesar dressing.”

I have read that this salad kit is pretty popular among the fans of Trader Joe’s. So I had to finally check it out. Before we begin with my review I should state a few times over the years I’ve made Caesar Salad myself. I mean the real deal. From scratch. Even making croutons (homemade ones are fantastic). Plus making the dressing (Ummm, with ANCHOVIES!)

If you’ve ever done that, or had a Caesar Salad in a decent restaurant then you know how good a real Caesar Salad can be. I mean the Real McCoy is fantastic. So good. You should try making one yourself at least once. Outside of the dressing its really basically three ingredients : lettuce, croutons, cheese…

Here are a few links to give you ideas (Natasha’s recipe looks good. But leaves out the anchovies. So another link with a dressing that has them…. )

Caesar Salad Recipe

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/caesar-salad-dressing.html

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229063/classic-restaurant-caesar-salad/

Naturally you can make this salad into something substantial by adding a protein on top of your salad. I could easily see one putting slices of cooked chicken or a piece of cooked salmon on top. Do that and you have a complete dinner, especially with a bit of good bread.

So having said that, let me review Trader Joe’s ORGANIC CAESAR SALAD KIT.

A bag can serve 2 with other food or maybe one very hungry salad lover.

For a packaged kit, it’s pretty good. Does it compare to my homemade one, or one from a good restaurant? Of course not but for just something Grab and Go, again pretty decent. For convenience, I can easily understand why people go for it. Just toss this in a bowl and voila a passable Caesar at a fair price ($4) and all in all fairly tasty and satisfying.

The Romaine was nice and crisp, the crouton very crunchy and are bite size rather than too big for your mouth or fork. So pretty good. But I have a few qualms.

Romaine lettuce – Nice and crunchy! However I did find a few bad pieces which I threw out but only about 6-10. Anyway as with all packages of salad, be sure when you buy it to examine it carefully for quality. Check dates on the packages. Get the best date you can find. If possible, try to use it the day you buy it, or the next one.

Dressing – Again, pretty decent, creamy and tasty (however no anchovies!) Of course its not going to match up against a “real” fresh made Caesar dressing. I did think it tasted decent for a commercial dressing. Looking at the ingredients though no “anchovies” listed and the main flavors of a classic Caesar Salad are Anchovies and Parmesan. In most recipes. Anchovies can be controversial.

They give you plenty of dressing. I would suggest add it stages. Don’t put the entire bag of dressing at once. Add about half or 3/4 of the bag of dressing, toss the salad, see what it looks like and if you think you need more then add the rest. You want salads well dressed but not drowning.

(TIP — Fresh LEMON really help this salad so if you have a lemon handy, squeeze on about 1/4 to 1/2 a lemon. Fresh lemon juice will definitely improve the overall taste of this salad quite a bit.)

Cheese – I thought this was one place they do the typical Trader Joe’s skimping. They don’t give you very much grated cheese and its just OK. Not actual Parmigiano I am pretty sure. So I added some of my own cheese, I shaved on Grana Padano with a vegetable peeler. Add cheese if you have some. It will help improve it.

Croutons – The croutons are OK but nothing special. They are well baked (dark) and fortunately bite sized. VERY crunchy. However these seem to be just baked bread. Actual croutons are seasoned. These croutons are nice and crunchy bordering on too hard however they will soften a bit of course when you add dressing.

The quality of these croutons here are not as good as Trader Joe’s packaged croutons – which are very good. Which makes me think. Couldn’t one come up with a pretty easy Caesar Salad yourself just by buying a few ingredients from Trader Joe’s?

I certainly think so. Get a package of Romaine lettuce hearts. A package of TJ’s good croutons. A bottle of Romano Caesar dressing. Some cheese (Parmesan, Grana Padano or Pecorino) With those ingredients you could could make your own Caesar salad which will be better than this one in about five minutes. You could have enough for a few days too and I am guessing it will work out to $2-3 a portion?

So this gets a thumbs up mainly for the convenience, as TJ’s Caesar Salad Kit is Grab and Go and if not great, its pretty decent and OK.

Would I buy it again? Well honestly I am not sure about that. Maybe only if I had to come up with something fast? Frankly I would probably DIY it and buy some Romaine lettuce, croutons, and a bottle of dressing at Trader Joe’s and make it myself with only a little more time and effort.

Now could you open up a can of anchovies and add some (mashed up with lemon juice) to this Kit? Why not!? You would have a way more authentic salad.

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC CAESAR SALAD KIT $3.99

Trader Joe’s COSTA RICA CHIRRIPO Small Lot COFFEE

03 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, coffee, DIY, fresh, General, Meh, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, review, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update Tags: , , , , , ,


I would label this latest Small Lot coffee offering at Trader Joe’s in my “good but not great” category.

I liked it but it didn’t knock me out as some of their other small lot coffee finds have at times in the past. These are totally hit or miss. Sometimes you get one which is fantastic. Outstanding. Sometimes you get one which is pretty good, which for me, is this Costa Rican coffee. I thought it was pretty good. I only say this as some of the Trader Joe’s coffees which were terrific raise the bar when compared to some of the best Small Lot coffee finds in the past over the years that TJ’s has had. The Uganda Mountains of The Moon small lot coffee from a while back was off the hook, stunning. Epic! So again, there is a high bar.

This coffee is from a mountainous region in Costa Rica, from an area officially designated as “Chirripo National Park”. The beans are roasted in an (actual) medium roast and the beans look very good as you can see. This coffee’s taste is as they describe on the bag. “Nutty and toasty, with notes of citrus”. If you are one of those people who just likes to check out and explore EVERY Small Lot coffee that Trader Joe’s comes out with just to check it out, its worth getting. Otherwise, I would say spend your ten bucks coffee money on some known entity which you love. For me for the past year or so since they started carrying it, that coffee has been the Fair Trade Organic BOLIVIAN BLEND. Another Medium Roast. I really love that one, which is not a Small Lot, so easy to find too year round.

This Costa Rican Chirripo coffee while OK, its not as good as that for me so I would not buy it again. Once again, Small Lots are Limited so if you want to try this, grab while you can. I rate this maybe 6/10

Trader Joe’s STEAMED CHICKEN SOUP DUMPLINGS, review

29 Jan 2025 2 Comments

by promacnyc in Asian, bread, DIY, frozen, News, Staple, Trader Joes, update Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


These I have gathered have gotten to be quite popular especially due to a semi viral “hack” about them on social media like Instagram and TikTok.

The hack is basically you cook these in chicken broth and drizzle with chile oil. So basically chicken dumplings in chicken soup. Almost like they were wontons.

I previously reviewed the other version of these that Trader Joe’s has, the more typical pork version of these dumplings. Pork and Ginger Soup Dumplings. I thought I would give these Chicken Dumpling versions a try as well.

OK, they are decent as long as I really just think of them as another kind of dumpling and not specifically “soup dumplings” aka “xiao long bao” or XLB, those prized jewels of the Chinese dumpling art. I am a huge fan, a devotee of XLB. Any good xiao long bao as I previously mentioned in that other review about TJ’s Pork Soup Dumplings.

I made these chicken soup dumpling two ways. First, the simple, classic way of just steaming them, then enjoying with a dipping sauce. For what they are and what they cost, I would say they were not bad (If not really “soup dumplings”). Round chicken dumplings.

Next I wanted to try this viral hack going around…. So I also made them this time cooked in chicken broth.

Yes, cooking the dumplings in chicken broth gives these an edge. First, serving them this way makes these into more of a meal or “dinner” rather than being an appetizer or snack.

I actually had some of my own homemade chicken broth which I had made a few days before, and let’s face it that obviously helped improve the whole dish. Tip 1: use good chicken broth.

PROS- I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty I actually found the chicken filling in these dumplings. The filling is definitely a step up. Very rich and meaty tasting having a good amount of chicken and really being loaded with ginger. The ginger gives these a great taste. The filling in these is so much better, compared to the standard Trader Joe’s chicken gyoza/dumplings (plastic bag, $4). No comparison. These cost more and you can taste the difference. So for the upgraded chicken Filling, I give these a big plus.

CONS – Where these lose ground with me, are the actual wrappers. I wish they had better quality wrappers. The dough wrapper here just turned too soft and mushy too easily. Yes maybe thats just what sitting in hot soup does to them, though frankly I must have eaten a thousand bowls of steaming hot wonton soup in my lifetime and never find the wrappers as soft and mushy as these became. Second, the “chicken soup” in them? Minimal. At best. Not nearly enough soup inside (though if eaten in broth, this may be a moot point, I admit).

An authentic soup dumpling has perhaps a tablespoon or more of liquid. These had maybe a teaspoon if that? These are fairly flat, like little pucks while real XLB are round and a bit tall, so can fit more stuffing inside. Real XLB you can be picked up with chopsticks (see pic) – which is next to impossible with these Trader Joe’s “soup dumplings” as they just don’t have enough extra dough at the top, as you can see in this authentic Xiao Long Bao.

(what an authentic soup dumpling looks like, image from Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao. See how much filling and soup they have?)

The fact is unlike many kinds of dumplings, xiao long bao don’t really freeze well. The wrappers are delicate. So real ones are almost always made fresh to order. As far as frozen xiao long bao, I’ve had them from supposedly high end vendors, but did not find any equal to eating them fresh in a restaurant by a long shot.

HOW TO COOK Trader Joe’s STEAMED CHICKEN SOUP DUMPLINGS:

Steamed in Microwave: Follow the package directions to put them in the microwave for a little less than two minutes right in the tray they come in.

Stovetop: I made them in this traditional way, in a steamer basket. Steam for 8-10 minutes until very hot.

Cooking In Chicken Broth: If you are doing the viral hack of making these in chicken broth, unless you have some good homemade broth, I would suggest getting the best quality chicken broth you can buy. Most broth in cartons are just OK. Nothing like homemade. I have found the Trader Joe’s Low Sodium Chicken Broth to be “just ok”. FYI, The NY Times said that Target’s GOOD AND PLENTY broth was among the best of store bought chicken broths in a carton. Yes you would be adding a bit of soy sauce and chili oil which will give things a bit more of a taste. Rather than the typical carton broth which everyone is showing you they pour on these dumplings, I would suggest trying Trader Joe’s BONE BROTH (sold in the refrigerated case, $5). I have found that broth pretty good, closer to home made chicken stock than TJ’s carton broths. Real chicken broths gel up when cold from the collagen in bones. The TJ Bone Broth is a bit gelled.

https://momsdish.com/recipe/530/easy-homemade-chicken-broth

Add a bit of soy sauce, sesame oil and chili oil (my chili oil of choice would be the real deal: Lao Gan Ma) over Trader Joe’s CHILI CRISP but it can do it a pinch.

Again if you think of these not really as XLB but as decent frozen chicken dumplings I would say these are worth trying, especially if you try the viral dumplings in soup with chili oil hack/recipe.

Trader Joe’s STEAMED CHICKEN SOUP DUMPLINGS $3.49 (for six dumplings)

More on Trader Joe’s BEEF BIRRIA (Made Queso Birria Tacos) Video Recipe!

28 Jan 2025 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in bread, cheese, DIY, fresh, frozen, General, Mexican, News, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, snacks, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , ,


Birria Tacos are all the rage now made popular via social media and food trucks that specialize in them.

Naturally the frozen version available at Trader Joe’s may not equal the best ones from a great food truck, However you can get cook them in a way which will make them closer using the Beef Birria which I previously reviewed and liked.

I made the tacos as per the video above as Trader Joe’s suggests. These turned out quite good done this way! It’s worth a little extra effort.

The cheesy beefy tacos got a little cruchy on the outside with some delicious fried cheese leaking out of them.

As I like corn tortillas that’s what I used but four ones could work as well. I used shredded Mozzarellam, which worked well as the “queso” but so could other cheeses, like cheddar perhaps. Add the chopped onions, cilantro and some lime juice at the end as they say for an authentic birria taco taste.

Though thought thought may turn you off a bit, that orange fat on top that you are dipping the tortilla in, is important for flavor and to give the tacos a crispy texture.

BTW I didn’t realize till recently Trader Joe’s had their own YouTube channel. Fun to check out.

I also later thought this dish could become a beef stew with other vegetables very easily. So I tried par-boiling carrots and potatoes for 5 minutes, then added them to the beef birria. Simmer all together until the carrots and potatoes are tender, which takes about 15-20 minutes with the par-boiling. Add a little water or stock if things get too dry. This turned out quite good and makes it into a Mexican style beef stew, with the veggies getting lots of flavor.

Trader Joe’s SAN FRANCISCO STYLE SOURDOUGH BREAD, reviewed

20 Jan 2025 7 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, baked, bread, DIY, fresh, Pantry, Prices, Products, recipe, review, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Trader Joe’s “San Francisco Style Sourdough” is a popular bread at Trader Joe’s. And for good reason. Its just a really good tasting bread which everybody seems to love and it’s priced reasonably at three and a half bucks.

How about this for a review? I buy this all the time. This has consistently been one of my standard Go-To items to pick up whenever I shop at Trader Joe’s. One of my favorites breads they sell, and they have a lot of good breads!

This is a handy bread to have on hand. Good for many purposes.

I bet you love ingredient lists where the list is nice and short, like I do. Which it is here. Basically the ingredients say: “unbleached enriched flour, malted barley, water, salt.”

No preservatives.

Its a round loaf, sliced. The slices here are a bit thinner than another TJ sourdough, their CRACKED WHEAT SOURDOUGH which I also reviewed with a thumbs up. That bread is sliced thicker with about 13 slices to a loaf, while this one has about 16-17 slices per package. One slice has about 100 calories.

The crust looks slightly shiny, typical of sourdough bread, and has a nice hole structure in the interior. Its slightly dense, slightly chewy, with a nice taste and a hint of that “sour dough” flavor. It makes excellent toast.

I love a slice of this toasted, say for breakfast with some butter and good jam. This make great sandwiches of course. You can not go wrong making a grilled cheese sandwich with this. Ditto avocado toast.

I found some (incorrect) rumors online last summer about it being discontinued which seemed to upset lots of people, only to learn it was not discontinued. Just to confirm that again, I just bought it recently (Jan 2025) As it is popular you might find it sold out, on occasion, but just ask at the front desk when they expect to get more in, if they sold out of all the stock that day.

If you haven’t tried this yet, try it. I would say its well worth every penny.

San Francisco Style Sourdough Bread, $3.49 (1 1/2 lb, 24 oz round slice loaf)

I would buy this again

I freeze it for long term storage wrapped inside another bag (double bagged). If its hard to pry a slice off frozen I just use a knife to pry one off. Can last 1-2 months frozen.

RAVE

Trader Joe’s ORGANIC HUMMUS review

09 Jan 2025 5 Comments

by promacnyc in All Natural, bread, condiments, DIY, fresh, General, jar, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, snacks, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


INGREDIENTS include: Organic fresh steamed chickpeas, organic sesame tahini, organic sunflower and olive oils, sea salt, organic garlic, citric acid and organic cumin.

You are at Trader Joe’s and want hummus. Wow, you will find so many choices to pick from. So which one should you get to start off with?

I would say you can not go wrong with a classic kind, meaning at least for the moment, ignore those where they have added flavors or additions (I’m looking at you tomato/basil hummus, oh crikey… and that dreaded chocolate hummus, don’t even get me started….)

Stick to Basics. Start with a good simple classic hummus. Like this one. This should give you a base line for decent (store bought) hummus. Later perhaps branch out and start exploring the other varieties with things mixed into it. Or add your own additions, as I frequently do*.

With that in mind if you want a very good, classic hummus, I’d say you can’t go wrong with this one. Trader Joe’s ORGANIC HUMMUS.

INGREDIENTS: Organic fresh steamed chickpeas, water, organic sesame tahini, blend of oils, sea salt, organic garlic, citric acid, organic cumin

I like this hummus. I think it may be one of the best ones they sell. Trader Joe’s organic hummus is a tasty, well balanced, hummus with a deep flavor, one reason being this one has a little more tahini than some others. Tahini or sesame paste is a vital component of hummus, to me, at least. Trader Joe’s does sell some hummus that has NO tahini it it.

You can serve hummus in so many ways. As a dip, along with either warm pita bread, or any bread you love, or crackers. Add some to wraps or sandwiches. Use as a dip for fresh or cooked veggies.

Try mixing a dollop of hummus into your salad dressing. That will give it a nice creamy flavor. Or mix in some Tahini for that matter.

While fine as is, I do like to add a little squeeze of fresh lemon to my tub and mix it in well. Serving it, a drizzle of very good EVOO over the top. Serve with with some warm pita or lavash and a salad. Yes.

Now I’ve been known to make my own hummus, from scratch starting with dried chickpeas but that happens pretty rarely. Maybe I will do that twice a year. However I can zhush up this quite decent store bought one.

(Organic Hummus to which I added my own addition on top: chickpeas sautéed with onions and garlic)

$2.69 (10 oz tub)

Sauteed Chickpea Recipe

https://www.ramonascuisine.com/easy-sauteed-chickpea-recipe/

Trader Joe’s CERRO MOGOTON small lot coffee

03 Jan 2025 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, coffee, DIY, drink, fresh, General, Meh, New, News Tags: , , , , , ,


I saw good reviews of this small lot coffee on the ‘net so I thought I would try it for review. For me, just OK. Not bad but not great either as many Small Lot ones have turned out to be in the past. While tasty, nothing stood out here to me as outstanding especially when I mentally compared this with some truly outstanding Small Lot coffees Trader Joe’s has had in the past (like UGANDAN MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON). Not to mention some non-small lot faves of mine: I’m talking about you, Fair Trade ORGANIC BOLIVIAN blend – which for the last few months has become my standard Go To coffee that TJ’s sells.

So while I would say this coffee may be worth a try if you are one who likes to explore every small lot that Trader Joe’s comes out with, frankly I would suggest you save your money to spend on some other coffee they have. Again for example the excellent Organic Bolivian one if you haven’t tried that before.

$9.99 (12 oz)

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/079199

Trader Joe’s delicious SCALLOPED CRACKER TRIO, reviewed

12 Dec 2024 Leave a comment

by promacnyc in All Natural, baked, bread, cheese, DIY, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,


SCALLOPED CRACKER TRIO

These would be great on your next cheese plate or charcuterie board. Or any time you want a good cracker!

My wife got these for us to try out. In short, we found these really tasty and quite good.

The box has 3 packs of crackers. Size wise perhaps a tiny bit bigger than your typical Ritz cracker? They have enough room for whatever you are putting on them. They are a bit delicate. I would spread things on these gently so you don’t break them. Or for example let things like butter or cream cheese or spreads come to room temp.

There are 3 kinds of crackers with different flavors. They are wrapped in plastic. I would love if they still used used wax paper for wrapping crackers like the old days (Ritz). Wax paper is really easy to re-wrap once you open a pack but no biggie really, a Twisty will suffice.

SCALLOPED CRACKER TRIO REVIEWED

Flavor one – Rosemary. These had a very nice smell of rosemary, delicate though, not overpowering, which added a nice back note to whatever you put on it. We LOVED these!

Another package holds crackers with a reddish tinge, which is of course the RED CHILI cracker. A tad spicy but not very spicy. We didn’t think these would classify as “hot” to most people (except for one cracker in the pack which seemed to have more spice on it than others). We thought these were just a wee bit spicy, again not overpowering, just adding a tiny and tasty heat which went well with everything we tried it with. Great for dips I think.

The last flavor was a Garlic cracker. While fine, we both thought these were the least special flavor of the 3 kinds. Again fine, but these just didn’t stand out like the other two.

Overall, I would say the trio of crackers was nice. Very tasty. Of course we tried all of them crackers with a variety of cheeses and anything we could fine in the fridge and we liked every combination of crackers plus cheeses we tried.

I would say you these are well worth adding to your your list of the choices at of so many delicious crackers Trader Joe’s carries. Lets face it TJ’s has so many temptations in the cracker department, so many of them excellent! Talking about you OLIVE FLATS!

Scalloped Crackers Trio – $3.99 (16.4 oz)

Six crackers have 120 calories (and boy are six easy for me to eat, and thats before they get the cheese on them!)

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