Trader Joe’s sells some fresh “PIZZA SAUCE” carried in the refrigerated case, near the pizza dough. The sauce goes for $2.69 for 10 oz. I decided to give it a try.
The other night we planned on making a fresh pizza from scratch (I made my own dough using the famous Jim Lahey recipe). When I was ready to assemble the pizza for cooking I used this sauce.
Now my Go-To typically for tomato sauce for making pizza might just be to use TJ’s very decent jarred Marinara. Either the Plain version or the Roasted Garlic version. I like them both.
So here’s my honest review of this fresh sauce. “Just OK”. I would find it hard to recommend. I just tasted it on a spoon. I could swear it gave me a bit of a bitter aftertaste. Possibly from so many dried herbs? It is thick with a lot of ingredients. Too complicated?
I gave it a chance and used it to make the pizza. The pizza turned out OK and yes the sauce was a bit better now cooked but again “just ok” so would stick to my Go-To (and cheaper) jar of TJ’s Marinara – or whatever sauce you like at TJ’s).
So instead of this I suggest using TJ’s regular or ROASTED GARLIC MARINARA if you are making your own pizza from scratch – using either Trader Joe’s pizza dough or your own dough or whatever – and add your mozzarella or favorite cheese(s). Or their prepared Pizza Base.
To top my (marinara) sauce for our pizza I will add a pinch of dried herbs like oregano, maybe some crushed red pepper. Usually I will add fresh garlic. Later I will add fresh basil, cut with a scissors. Then give it all a drizzle of EVOO.
This will be way better than this prepared “pizza sauce” and the Marinara is cheaper to boot. You will plenty left over too to use in another dish, or freeze for later.
I would not buy this again.
Speaking of fresh basil – Here is the legendary late, great Dom DeMarco cutting on some basil with scissors. The Master at work and whose pizza’s I was lucky enough to get to enjoy many times, sometimes waiting a hour or more…. RIP Maestro Dom.
Trader Joe’s new GREEN OLIVE FLATS Italian Lingue Crackers.
These are typical Italian style crackers, almost in the bread stick family. These ones however are flat and long, thin with a few bumps. They are very tasty. Light and crunchy, and one can definitely taste the flavor of green olives which you see a few bits and pieces of.
My review is these are yummy. Three of us tasting these for the first time all agreed that these were quite a good new Trader Joe’s product. Frankly we all liked them so much we pretty much devoured most of the box tasting them! “Just one more bite….”
Of course these would match well with a pasta dish, again kind of like bread sticks. But naturally they would be good with almost anything you could think of. I just imagined wrapping prosciutto or any good thinly sliced ham around them, again like one might do with some bread sticks. I can seeing these being great on a cheese plate.
BTW- “Lingue” means tongue in Italian. As in, that’s what it looks like!
Trader Joe’s just introduced a few new crackers to their lineup recently, both of them Made in Italy.
I saw them on the NEW ITEMS shelf and this “pizza” one in particular caught my eye
Pizza Seasoned Crackers? Really? Yes, Please.
The cute, little round “pizza crackers” do pretty much resemble a little pizza. They’re both cute and tasty! The baked crackers have tomato sauce and quite a bit of oregano. Look. Little crunchy pizzas, people…
My review: They’re good. I am giving these a Thumbs up! In fact, 3 of us tasted these to try test taste them. We all liked them. We all said Good New Product.
We ate them naked, by themselves to start with. Tasty and yes reminiscent of pizza with lots of oregano. Next we topped them with slices of cheese, which of course they matched well with. We had Smoked Gouda on hand and they were very good with it but naturally I think they would be really excellent with some sliced fresh mozzarella. If you buy these, I would definitely try that combo. But honestly lots of things would be good with these.
So worth trying. I would buy these again.
(Tip: after you open the package I suggest keeping the leftover crackers in a resealable zip-lock bag to keep them as fresh as possible.
Trader Joe’s says: “Made with organic wheat and whole wheat flour and sweetened with a touch of organic sugar cane molasses, Trader Joe’s Organic Seeded Bread is soft, chewy, and ever-so-slightly sweet. Loaded with organic sunflower, flax, poppy, and sesame seeds, it’s also as hearty as can be, with a perfectly toothsome, seedy texture. Use it for all of your sandwich-making needs, or toast and slather it with Cultured Butter and your favorite fruit preserves”
It’s just loaded with seeds.
I really like this bread and buy it all the time. It’s one of my favorite sliced breads Trader Joe’s sells. The name says it all: “Organic Seeded Bread” and they are not kidding about “loaded” with seeds. This bread has a lot both on the outside as well as on the inside, which makes this a pretty hearty bread which works great for sandwiches as well as toast.
Wholesome. Whole Grains. Sunflower, flax, poppy, white and black sesame seeds and millet, all organic of course. No dough softeners, preservatives or artificial ingredients. One slice has 6g of Protein.
(Just FYI I keep bread in the freezer, where it will last a month or two. Keep it tightly closed)
(june 2024) Trader Joe’s currently has this fresh “PURPLE GARLIC” at the moment. Its being sold along the “regular” white bulbs of garlic they always have.
This purple stuff is basically what you would usually see at a farmer’s market. The Gourmet (expensive) kind
I’m going to guess this purple garlic is a “limited item” so if you want to try it – and trust me you do ! – if you see this, snap it up.
The garlic itself is not purple, its white , but the skin is purple with stripes.
Its $1.99 for 4 bulbs (50 cents each basically) which is the same price as TJ’s regular fresh garlic .
This purple garlic however is a bit more “gourmet” like a Farmer’s Market find. At my local farmer’s market, I’ve seen garlic off a farm sell for $2-4 A BULB!!!
(update: it was definitely Limited – and around for just June)
Anyway why “purple” and what’s the difference between purple garlic like this and the other regular garlic bulbs Trader Joe’s sells? I had to Google it. Basically it is “Hardneck vs Softneck” varieties of garlic….
“Purple garlic has a purple hue to its papery skin, though the inner cloves are the same color as white garlic cloves. It comes from a variety called hardneck garlic….Purple garlic cloves are “juicier” and have a milder flavor than white garlic when fresh. You might see purple garlic in some supermarkets, but it’s more likely to be found in specialty markets and at farmers’ markets.”
How did it taste? Excellent. I really liked this garlic so I bought more the next time I saw it. This garlic is super fresh and excellent quality.
If you see this I recommend getting it while you are still able to. I don’t expect to see this forever but who knows, maybe they have this supplier for good now so we will see it every summer. I hope so!
This is a “Limited Edition” Trader Joe’s new addition to their cheeses. Trader Joe’s “April 2024 Spotlight Cheese”
A few months ago I saw it and made a note to get it the next day but as luck would have it, the next day I didn’t see it anymore. As they say “Limited Edition”. But after a few months, luckily I saw it appear again yesterday. I grabbed one to try for review. In short, if you are lucky enough to see this cheese in stock, I say Grab One while you can! Its very good!
“Crafted in the style of a Red Leicester, Ivy’s Red is a special edition among Wyke Farm’s variety of Cheddars. It definitely stands out for its burnt-orange color and nutty & fruity notes, which are delivered with a firm texture that is rich, creamy, a bit tangy, and… moreish. All this complexity develops over 12 months of aging, and benefits from the skills of award-winning cheesemakers.”
I loved it and found it delicious. Nutty, tangy, its a slightly crumbly reddish special English cheddar from Somerset, England. Very high quality. The kind of cheese that a high end cheese shop would sell (and probably for a lot more).
I tried it on its own, with a slice of apple and put on my new favorite TJ’s cracker (Savory Square). Just delicious. I can certainly imagine people putting this on a nice cheese board! You can’t go wrong with this.
Yesterday was Memorial Day, and we got an invite to a neighbors for hot dogs, baked beans and the works. It was great. I brought the buns. These brioche buns are similar to TJ’s excellent FRENCH BRIOCHE BREAD. Soft, fluffy, yellow from eggs, they are a bit of an upgrade from the standard hot dog bun.
Made with eggs and butter in the brioche fashion.
We ate these with really good hot dogs (ours were from Shaller & Weber) but Trader Joe’s has good dogs too (organic uncured grass fed…) These buns were just perfect and went great with are grilled franks.
They are even better when lightly toasted so we did that of course. Yummy.
But nobody says they are “just for hot dogs”. You can use these top split buns for things besides hot dogs of course.
“Soft and fluffy these buns are top loading. A new world twist on an old world recipe. Hot dogs? Sure, but why stop there? Perfect for lobster rolls, egg salad, shrimp rolls or shrimp salad, grilled veggies, meatballs and marinara….”
You get the idea. These could be a bit versatile. Now these would be great for lobster roll, which I love. However as lobster is $$$$ you might also come up with a still delicious similar roll for way less using say Argentinian SHRIMP or LANGOSTINO TAILS. Or even TJ’s TEMPURA SHRIMP?
A few days later I used these brioche buns to make what I call A Poor Man’s Lobster Roll — a shrimp roll, basically the same thing just using shrimp. They were yummy!
And yes Trader Joe’s has these same fluffy yello brioche buns in a HAMBURGER BUNS as well!
These make a definite upgrade for either.
$3.49 for 16 oz (8 buns)
I would buy these again.
TRADER JOES: ” Generally speaking, hot dogs have a reputation for containing questionable ingredients. Trader Joe’s Organic Uncured Grass Fed Beef Hot Dogs, however, have an incredibly attractive & simple list of ingredients, the very first of which is USDA certified Organic Beef that comes from Grass Fed cows. You’ll also find sea salt and celery powder in the ingredients. These serve not so much as flavoring, but to effectively “cure” our Uncured Dogs, allowing us to leave out unwanted preservatives, such as nitrates & nitrites. What else goes into our Organic Uncured Grass Fed Beef Hot Dogs? The rest of the ingredients are all organic seasonings, like garlic purée, minced onion, paprika, and red pepper flakes. No fillers. No kidding. “
Trader Joe’s Vegan Banana Bread with Walnuts is achieved “without the use of dairy or eggs (or, of course, any other animal products).”
This is one of those TJ’s vegan products that appeals to non-vegans (like me) as well. I found this as tasty as other banana breads that aren’t vegan.
“Whenever we introduce a vegan version of an existing product, we always make sure that it will appeal to non-vegans as well-our philosophy being that when it comes to comfort food, you shouldn’t have to compromise. We’re happy to report that Trader Joe’s Vegan Banana Bread passes this test with flying colors, boasting a fabulously sweet banana-walnut flavor and dense, moist texture. Every soft, flavorful bite gives in nicely, without any of the rough or gritty consistency that you can occasionally encounter in certain other ‘alternative” breads.”
Aha! These were not actually discontinued. Just OUT OF STOCK for more than a year
I thought Trader Joe’s discontinued their useful bag of dried whole GREEN LENTILS.
They vanished for a very long time. Maybe over a year? But yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to see bags of these back on the shelf. Trader Joe’s sold a ton of these green lentils (and also red lentils) during Covid, as people stocked up on things like dried beans.
I love lentils. They are delicious and of course super healthy. Like all legumes they are packed with protein and fiber. One of the best things about I love is that lentils cook fast. They cook far quicker than beans. Unlike most dried legumes or beans, lentils don’t need to be soaked. Second they need only about 16-20 minutes of cooking, not 2 hours, to cook.
They are great for both vegetarians and as well as non-vegetarians like yours truly. One of my favorite ways of making lentils is French Lentil Stew with Sausages. Here’s a pretty simple recipe of this style:
Here’s another recipe I found for an excellent dish: lentils with goat cheese, which can make a nice lunch or dinner. I revised the original recipe I saw from chef Jose Pizarro to make it easier and less complicated to source (ie, finding wild garlic aka ramps is not so easy)
My simpler recipe still tastes wonderful…like some dish you would get at a fancy restaurant.
Now if only TJ’s will bring the Red Lentils back!
Trader Joe’s Whole Dried Green Lentils $1.99 ( 16 oz bag)
LENTILS WITH GOAT CHEESE & HONEY (revised from Chef Jose Pizarro’s dish)
2 cups lentils water or veg stock or chicken stock 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 pkg Honey Chevre goat cheese 1-2 tbsp honey (or hot honey if you like spice!) 1 small handful scallions
Wash lentils, drain, put in pot and cover with plenty of water or stock (if just water season with some salt). Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or just until lentils are tender but still have the tiniest bite (the exact timing will depend on the kind and age of your lentils). We don’t want mushy. Drain the lentils and put in large bowl.
Mix in chopped garlic, add olive oil and vinegar, and season to taste with good sea salt and fresh pepper. Stir gently to combine. Tip the lentil mixture into a serving dish or divide between individual plates. Crumble up the goat cheese in little chunks and put all over the top, drizzle with honey, and scatter on chopped scallions.
(if you are vegan, you could leave out the cheese and still have a decent dish)
Trader Joe’s SAVORY SQUARES Vegan Cheddar Style Crackers made from nuts and seeds. (Gluten-Free)
My neighbor bought these and told me to come try them to review them.
The two of us, neither being vegan nor gluten free, were still quite impressed with these. Both of us were quite surprised at how good these new crackers Trader Joe’s just came out with are. Gluten Free or not. They taste great. Yes “cheesy” without cheese or dairy. The main ingredients are tapioca flour, almond flour, sunflower seed flour, flax seed meal, potato starch, yeast extract and other things.
Made with all these kinds of nuts and seeds and other things they have a very Savory taste and cheesy as well. Both of us who you could say are hard core cheese lovers said like the way they did taste a bit cheesy. These are one of those products that are so good you will like them if you are vegan or non-vegan, gluten free or non gluten free. Thats how good they are.
If you just gave me these and didn’t tell me anything I would just assume they were regular cheese crackers not something that was vegan or gluten free. I would just say these crackers are really good, period. Meaning anyone is going to love these. This is not one of those gluten free products that is a mere shadow of the original its trying to come out like. This is a really terrific cracker that I expect anyone would love. They are so flavorful. Full of “umami”. Really these are the bomb people.
We ate the crackers just by themselves – again, terrific – but as we are definitely not vegan – we are both total Cheese Heads, we said these crackers are great. Now lets put some good cheddar cheese on them and see how they are with cheese!
Yes as good as they are by themselves of course we cheese freaks thought they went great with cheese too. If you do cheese boards these will go well with any kind of cheese, or any other topping for that matter.
But if you are Vegan, or Gluten Free you will love these for being that AND tasting really good!
The only downside of these is they don’t give you a ton in the box and they go fast!!
My wife’s gotten addicted to these. She is buying them every time she goes to Trader Joe’s. She says they’re the best cracker she ever had.
$3.99 box (5 oz)
Trader Joe’s says this:
“The cheese cracker is a time-honored treat, a classic savory snack for kids and adults alike. However, it’s not always an option, dietarily speaking, as most tend to be made with gluten and dairy ingredients. That’s where Trader Joe’s Savory Squares come in. Made with a mix of nut and seed flours, these superbly snackable Squares achieve an unmistakably Cheddar-y cheesiness and satisfyingly crispy crunch, all without the use of any gluten or animal-based ingredients.
Excellent for everything from simple, everyday snacking to scooping up your favorite creamy dip, these Savory Squares are ideal for bringing along on road trips, toting to board game nights, or packing into school lunches. They can be enjoyed totally on their own, as a standalone snack, or mixed in with other savory treats”
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