I never heard of this apple before I saw them at Trader Joe’s. A hybrid developed in New Zealand, “Envy” apples are a hybrid of Royal Gala and Braeburn varieties. Both of those are excellent apples, and this hybrid, Envy, is well, just a terrific tasting apple. When I first tasted this Envy, my taste buds went pretty wild with “this must be one of the best apples I ever had”. Seriously this is just a great apple. Nice crunch, firm texture, sweet but with a hint of sour underneath? It’s a complex flavor, way more complex than just “sweet” like say a Honey Crisp apple or Red Delicious (yuck). Envy are a favorite pick of the Trader Joe’s crew, who I imagine taste everything they sell. I kind of trust those “crew picks”.
These apples go great with just about everything. What about Envy with cheese? Yes, please. I knew they would match well with most any cheese, and frankly there is absolutely nothing better than to slice up these apples and put them on a plate with the Unexpected Cheddar. What a combo these make together. Seriously. Try either that or Cabot cheddar with these apples. I would imagine Brie would be great, or let’s face it any cheese you like. I love these just eaten out of hand on their own of course. I like them in the morning, diced up for my breakfast cereal. Your kids will love these paired up with some peanut butter. I know I do. Envy sell for $1.29 each. A bit more than the apples TJ sells for 79 cents but worth the little splurge every now and then. So if you haven’t ever tried these, try one for yourselves. You may get hooked on them. I know I have. I always buy one when I’m at TJ’s.
Trader Joe’s sells two versions of EDAMAME (Soy Beans), these shelled ones as well as unshelled, in the pod.
Both kinds are excellent, really tasty and not to meantion super healthy. You should add either or both to your diet if they are not already on it.
Maybe you first encountered Edamame in a Japanese restaurant when a waiter put a bowl of kind of fuzzy and weird looking pods on the table? Someone told you to nibble on them and to suck the beans out that were in these pods. Served this way edamame are typical “bar snacks” you would find in a restaurant or Izakaya (pub).
These are beans/legumes so of course edamame are good for you. As well as very being quite DELICIOUS. They have a taste a bit like peas but nuttier and earthier. I like them both versions, in the shell and out of the shell, so I usually buy a bag of both. As a side dish you can’t go wrong with Edamame with a pinch of salt and some butter. Yummy!
TJ’s frozen Shelled Edamame are convenient, as you don’t have to peel them of course if you just want the beans. Useful as a side dish, the same way you would serve some peas, or for adding to a dish, such as a rice dish*, again exactly as one might add green peas. When I add edamame, say to rice in the last 3 minutes, I don’t cook them first as the bag suggests (they are already cooked in fact). I just put them in a colander, rinse them till they are no longer frozen and then toss them in the pot of rice (or whatever) for maybe 3-4 minutes. Or use them, as an addition to your favorite recipe. Soy Beans contain Lots of protein (9 gr in a half a cup!), lots of fiber, vitamins and basically everything that is Soy Good for you. Maybe one of the healthiest things you can eat. A 12 oz. bag of the shelled version is $1.99 which is less than in a Asian specialty store where you normally find these goodies. And about $1.69 (1 lb) in the shell, which are of course great to serve people to nibble on and suck out of the shells in the traditional style. Maybe the kids would like those, as they are very hands on, play with your food.
Over in the Dried Fruit section at TJ’s I’ve always liked the dried bananas (the full size ones). Recently this bright yellow package caught my eye for DRIED BABY BANANAS. I’m not quite sure if this replaced the bigger ones the used to see or I just never noticed these before. These stoked my curiosity. Well I really liked these DRIED BABY BANANAS, which are interesting looking. In fact some people might think they look a little scary as they look like little dried monkey fingers! Taste-wise they are just what they are bananas, which I am guessing are sun or air dried, and these are a bit moist, and a bit chewy and have an intense banana taste as the flavors are very concentrated from drying. And yes “baby bananas” are a different variety than your normal banana. So did I like them? Here’s one way to answer. After I tasted one, then another, I basically couldn’t stop eating them. They were quite tasty as-is right out of the bag. But then I had a bright idea, “Hmm, I wonder if they would be good match if I dipped them in peanut butter!?” Needless to say, they are a great combination. If you put some out with a little bit of PB to dip them in on the side I have a feeling kids would love these as a snack, though when they first see them no doubt they will say something like, “ewww gross, these look like dried baby monkey fingers !
The package says they come from Thailand and the INGREDIENTS list one thing: “DRIED BANANAS”. So I call that a pretty “natural” product. A package costs $1.99. The bag I got yesterday seems to have only 4 little bananas left when I just checked them…. so you could say they went down easy and way too fast. Next time I better buy 2 bags.
By the way – I found out that Potassium is good for blood pressure and these have a lot of Potassium, a bit more than even regular fresh bananas.
In short, another very good dried fruit snack from TJ, well worth trying so check them out.
My review for TJ’s Unexpected Cheddar seems to have gotten quite some interest, so next up for review in the Trader Joe’s Cheese Department is an absolute classic cheddar which I mentioned in that post. For my money the well known, long established, classic cheddar Cabot Extra Sharp from Vermont is the definition of and gold Standard for an “East Coast” Sharp Cheddar cheese.
Its terrifically convenient that Trader Joe’s carries it under Cabot’s own famous brand name. Cabot is actually a Vermont cooperative farm. Cabot extra sharp cheddar is my personal go-to cheese as far as always wanting to have in the fridge. Its an Extra sharp cheddar, so it has that sharp cheddar tangy taste. “Intense, rich cheddar flavor with an East Coast bite” is how they describe it on the package. I would say that description is spot on.
Cabot cheese is made up in Vermont, and Cabot Creamery is bit unique as its a true Farmer’s Collective or co-operative. Its a group of farmers banding together as a collective. Cabot Creamer dates back to 1919 so it’s been around for about 100 years. This Extra Sharp Cheddar has won many many “best cheddar” awards.
This cheddar is great just eaten sliced however it’s also excellent to cook with. It melts wonderfully well. I think makes one of the most fantastic melted cheese sandwiches you will ever try. Also terrific of course in an omelet. Do I need to say, this cheese melted on top of a burger is good (I grate it first for that and cover it briefly or put under the broiler.
Eaten as is sliced and paired with fruit well that is a perfect, heavenly combination. Especially for me, paired with apples, grapes or a pear. Just put a hunk of of this cheddar in front of me with a good apple (like TJ’s Envy) and I am one happy camper. Ending a dinner with this cheese is divine.
Trader Joe’s sells Cabot cheddar for an excellent price ($6/lb) in a block. If you have never tried this cheese, give it a try. I think you will love it – though the kids may want something a bit tamer and less sharp. If so, give them the New Zealand cheddar, also excellent, or TJ’s sliced cheddar. The adults can enjoy the Cabot Extra Sharp.
TRADER GIOTTO’S (TRADER JOE’S) PESTO ALLA GENOVESE
Mentioned in an earlier post, Trader Joe’s Pesto (basil pesto) in the glass jar makes an extremely convenient item to always have in your pantry. Whenever you get the mood for a Pasta and Pesto dish simply open a jar of this and add it to pasta (with a little pasta water) and bingo, you made dinner or a side dish to put on your table in under 15 minutes with almost no effort and for very little dough ($3-4)! Add some fresh grated Parmigiano and EVOO and improve it. If you have a little fresh basil to sprinkle on top, even better.
Now if you have ever made pesto yourself, you know it takes a bunch of expensive ingredients (especially the pine nuts) and some effort but the end product is truly amazing as the smell when you open up your blender and that pungent aroma of basil, cheese and garlic hits you and permeates the kitchen. The smell is so heavenly it may knock you off your feet. So having said that I won’t tell you this jar of pesto is as good as if you made your own, let’s be honest, however this jar of TJ’s Pesto is still quite tasty and the convenience of having it in your pantry makes up for a lot and you can (and should) Level Up this stuff with a few easy additions.
Value-wise this is a good deal for $2.49. Yes though you can tell by the fact that is says Sunflower Oil as the first ingredient and not extra virgin olive oil they skimped there to keep it cheap. So fix it up with your own EVOO. This Pesto Genovese is quite decent fixed up, and believe it or not, I kind of preferred this jarred version to a “fresh” one TJ sells in the refrigerated section which costs more. In fact I was pretty surprised that I tried both and compared them and liked this one. You can, in fact you should absolutely tweak this with good ingredients! Drizzle a nice glug of your favorite EVOO plus a nice sprinkle of extra freshly grated Parmigiano and / or Pecorino cheese plus freshly ground black pepper on top of your finished dish. If you have a few sprigs of fresh basil you can tear over it, all the better. For $2.50, this is good value and really worth keeping a jar or two in your pantry as a go-to item to always have on hand. I certainly do, its made us a quick tasty pasta dish a few times when I “had nothing to eat” in the house. Pairs with pasta of course and it’s great with GNOCCHI (frozen or dried).
So let me just start off with the comment that I really like this tea but frankly found the name a wee bit misleading. When I saw the words “Wake Up Tea”, I just assumed this will make a cup of strong, dark, kick-ass, rocket fuel (English/Irish) tea… A dark cuppa that really wakes you up in the morning. But when I brewed up a cup as you can see in the picture its not a very dark super strong tea. However when I tasted it I thought, oh this quite good! So I really like this tea but my take is kind of Trader Joe’s should have come up with a different name minus “wake up”. “Winter Wake Up Tea” is probably not something I would brew to wake me up in the morning. But other than that comment, Trader Joe’s has come up with an EXCELLENT TEA BLEND with great spice flavors that would satisfy me at any time of day, and makes me feel all nice and warm and cozy!
TJ’s Winter Wake Up Tea is a wonderfully balanced tasty spiced tea, a blend of black tea, cinnamon, orange peel, ginger and cloves. If it was called something a bit different without “wake up” in the name, I would have simply started the review with “A most wonderful spiced tea that will make you feel warm and toasty on a cold snowy winter’s eve, and will warm your heart and soul! Drink it in front of the fireplace and just relax….” Personally Mr. Joe, I would have named it something like, say… WINTER COZY TEA. or WINTER SPICE BLEND TEA* or something like that.
Brew this up and you get a very nice spiced tea that reminds me slightly of CONSTANT COMMENT tea – a famous spiced tea blend created back in 1945. My parents always had it in our cupboard, especially making an appearance when “company” came over, as it was kind of special and would get a “yum… whats this tea?” comment from our guests. Ah the good old days! This TJ tea make a lighter cup than Constant Comment, with less black tea prominent in the blend but probably more spices such as cinnamon, ginger, plus clove and orange peel. It even is has the slightest bit of sweetness naturally as an under-note from a bit of licorice, which possesses natural sweetness.
So will this wake you up like the Irish Breakfast tea which actually is a “wake up tea”? Myself, to wake up I need a strong cuppa like TJ’s excellent Irish Breakfast Tea, or a typical English tea like Typhoo Tea or the like. But still enjoy this Winter Tea for what it is – a quite lovely spiced tea full of flavor.
Aha, methinks, I’ve a great idea! What if I combined the two teas together?! I brewed both teas up together, and very much liked the resulting concoction. If you do you want something a bit darker and stronger but with lots of nice spice flavors, just take 2 cups of water, bring to a boil in a pot, and toss in a bag of this Winter Tea plus a bag of Irish Breakfast Tea. Let it brew for at least 5 minutes. The result is nice mix-up of both, a strong “cuppa” plus lots of warm spices and flavor, not terribly unlike Constant Comment, and which actually now is a Wake Up Tea that will perk you up on a cold winter’s morn.
*So Mr Trader Joe, should you borrow my ideas and rename this product “COZY WINTER TEA” you better at least send me a case of this stuff!
This is a “wow” TJ product, you know the so good, you can’t stop eating it kind. SLICEDFRENCH BRIOCHE bread is a best seller year round for Trader Joe’s and not for nothing. It’s terrifc. Almost anytime I go to TJ’s if I glance around the check- out line at customer’s carts, it’s almost a sure thing I will see a few in the carts. Sliced French Brioche is one of TJ’s most popular items. This is a soft, eggy, slightly sweet bread which comes in thick slices, about 1/2 inch thick. The bread is Made In France. So the Real McCoy.
Breads like Brioche or Challah are rich yeasted breads made with eggs and butter, and are yellow from the yolks. This soft bread is delicious as-is untoasted, say spread with softened butter or cream cheese. It makes really great sandwiches. It is of course is wonderful TOASTED to a perfect golden brown, maybe the most delicious toast you ever had. TIP: Brioche can go from Perfect Golden Brown to Burnt in a seconds, so keep a sharp eye on it as you toast it!
RECIPES? Wonderful Cinnamon Toast – Toast up some brioche. Put on good butter, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and some palm sugar. Yum!
FRENCH TOAST – Brioche as you may have read online naturally makes THE most amazing French Toast. You must try this next time you want French toast*. It will be moist and delicious and heavenly… A breakfast your family will beg you to make again and again. Its so soft you should ideally leave the bread out overnight to get a bit stale to hold up better but even if you don’t, and use it fresh, its great.
A package of TJ French Brioche is $3.99. Now in a local bakery, a brioche bread like this would be maybe $7? So for 4 bucks it’s as usual a great good TJ deal. One of these can get devoured easily, so I guess thats why I see folks buying it often two bags at a time. I keep it in the freezer, of course. It defrosts rapidly and stays super fresh frozen. TIP: If you want a thin slice of brioche you can cut it more easily frozen when its a bit stiff. Its easier to cut in half, though it’s a little tricky for perfect slices, and be careful of course. If cut in half you get a very thin slice. I find this good for some things, especially if you don’t want a super thick sandwich. For example cucumber sandwiches ! This brioche bread makes the most amazing cucumber sandwiches! Or make open face Scandinavian style things with this (salmon, cream cheese, dill, lemon….)
One note – be sure to peel off the little strip of paper it is baked in before eating !
One more thing – I saw a restaurant serving hamburgers on some brioche that looked very much like this. So I tried it. I made the hamburgers (1/4 lb) kind of square and not round. Toasted the Brioche. Cut in half before serving. Excellent (if a bit messy!)
RAVE
Need a recipe for French Toast? This is a nice one
“The secret to cooking Ahi Tuna is not to overcook it”
What is Ahi Tuna? “Ahi” is Hawaiian for YELLOWFIN TUNA
“Yellowfin tuna, scientifically known as Thunnus albacares, is a popular species of tuna found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. They are often marketed as “ahi” in Hawaii and elsewhere.”
Trader Joe’s sells AHI TUNA STEAKS, in the section with their other frozen fish.
My package was labled “Wild Caught, Product of Spain” (fished from Spanish waters in the Atlantic)
Ahi Tuna is one of my favorite fishes that TJ’s carries. and I highly recommend trying it if you never have before. It’s so good, meaty and satisfying.
If you have any leftovers, its delicious served cold the next day, maybe over a bed of rice or a salad.
How To Cook Ahi Tuna: First off, defrosting the fish. The best way will be a slow “overnight” defrost in the fridge. While the slow defrost will give the best result, if you didnt plan ahead, you could you can try putting the package of fish in a bowl in the sink, then running a slow stream of cold water over it. Leave it like that. That will take perhaps an hour to defrost that way.
TIP: Do Not Nuke the fish to defrost it; it will ruin the texture of the fish, making in mushy.
The package states you should “remove from package before defrosting”. I’m not quite sure why… anyone have a clue? Anyway I defrost it in the fridge overnight in the package and it seems fine.
MARINADE: Once the fish is defrosted I marinate it for a half hour to an hour before cooking. As far as marinades go, I generally make a typical Asian/Japanese style marinade: Soy sauce, fresh grated ginger, fresh ground black pepper, a pinch of honey or brown sugar, plus some oil, either olive oil or better still a teaspoon of TJ’s dark roasted sesame oil. You can add some type of acid if you like: a tiny amount of cider vinegar, lemon juice, or sake if you have it. You should serve it with some fresh Lemon or Lime.
Cooking Ahi Tuna: The first rule of AHI tuna is don’t overcook it. Its very easily overcooked. It is crucial that you don’t overcook ahi tuna as it can dry out easily. So be careful with your cooking time. Personally I think AHI is best cooked in the Japanese “Tataki-style” way which is just searing the outside on all sides and leaving the center a bit pink (See pic above).
I generally cook it in a black cast iron pan over med-high heat with a little oil, and/or butter, searing the outside for 60-90 seconds on one side then turning with tongs to cook the other sides for a minute. You can use the tongs on the sides but again be careful not to overcook your fish. After you do it once or twice you will get the hang of cooking this way.
When done, take the fish out of the pan, and let it rest on a plate for a few minutes before you slice it. Which you will do against the grain like a steak. Be sure to save the pan juices and any juice that runs out on the cutting board to pour over your fish.
You can deglaze the pan with sake, rice vinegar, or even a splash of water, or some extra marinade that you saved at the beginning. I found that if you marinated the fish and use that marinade to deglaze the pan there is protein that coagulates when you cook it, so it glops up a little (I just thin it with soy and some water, it doesn’t bother me too much, it makes it thicker thats all). If that gloppy stuff bothers you, don’t use the marinade, make a fresh sauce to serve with the fish. Here’s some ideas for sauces….
“Butter Shoyu” (Soy Butter Sauce) Put a fat dollop of butter in the pan along with a little soy sauce, a terrific combination. Mix it well and and pour over the Ahi. Serve with slices of fresh lemon or lime.
PONZU: Another classic Japanese sauce. Combine Soy sauce and fresh Lemon Juice. Do not cook this, just mix together. A bit of grated lemon rind would be a gourmet touch.
As in the photo of my finished Ahi, it should end up seared on the outside and pink in the center, just how pink is up to you. I like mine like it is in the thickest part, the center (just this side of raw) while my wife likes it as it is cooked on the ends (medium) which I think of as overcooked. As a final touch, I sprinkled some sesame seeds on top, sliced it against the grain, and put it on a bed of arugula, pouring the pan juices over the top. Ahi Tuna is really delicious and I am sure your family will also love this very steak-y fish.
You could even try it as “Poke” I guess (ceviche style). I am willing to eat it this way but my (Japanese) wife won’t let me make this as poke as she says this is not “sashimi grade tuna” (true) which costs three times as much, selling for about $25/lb instead of this at $8/lb. So at 8 bucks a pound this is a another good deal from Mr. Trader Joe.
ASIAN MARINADE: 2 tbs soy sauce; 1″ peeled fresh ginger, grated; fresh ground black pepper, a little honey or brown sugar, teaspoon of sesame oil (or olive oil) plus lemon or lime juice for a marinade (you can make a bit more and save some to serve on the side). Marinate in the fridge (on fully defrosted fish) for 30-60 minutes turning it once. Cook as desired.
I think I can get this review in just in time for End of Summer when one can still find excellent tomatoes. The perfect thing to pair with juicy farm fresh tomatoes is this Trader Joe’s Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Log. Unlike the firmer low moisture “pizza” mozzarella, fresh mozzarella is a softer milky fresh cheese. Fresh mozzarella is perfect for pairing with tomatoes, basil and good virgin olive oil for a super easy and delicious classic: a “Caprese Salad” (Insalata Caprese) Caprese Salad is the simplest of Italian salads, with sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil leaves, dressed with olive oil. Like a Pizza Margherita, it features the colors of the Italian flag: green, white, red.
This mozzarella is shaped as a log and is pre-sliced into rounds which makes this super convenient and easy. Open it, and put the rounds of cheese on a plate with sliced tomatoes. You can arrange them artistically, alternating tomato and round of cheese if you want to impress but even just cutting the slices into quarters and tossing with cubed tomatoes is fine! Douse with some good extra virgin olive oil of course! Sometimes I add a few capers and a little of the caper liquid.
With some good bread you have a super easy dinner or lunch and a small slice of heaven ready in minutes especially if you can find great tomatoes. Serve this salad to guests and they will love it. And the fresh mozz is good of course just eaten as is, put on a cheese plate, or used to make a terrific sandwich.
A 1 lb package is $4.99 ($5.99) which for fresh mozzarella is as usual, a pretty good deal chez Trader Joes.
RECIPE CAPRESE SALAD (INSALATE CAPRESE): Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate or platter. Tear up a good number of fresh basil leaves and sprinkle them all over everything. Drizzle with some good extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. (OPTIONAL: some jarred capers with some of their juice, or a very small amount of a vinegar especially Balsamico) Serve with a nice crusty bread.
(Post Summer) If you can’t get great tasting beefsteak tomatoes get the small cherry egg shaped Italian tomatoes Trader Joe’s carries. They are a little expensive but are really tasty, cut in half, and mix up with cut up mozzarella. Can you make pizza with this mozzarella ? Yes, it will give up some more liquid so a super hot oven is important.
If you love sauerkraut, as I do, then you may find this Trader Joe’s sauerkraut is among the best you ever had. It’s great.
Trader Joe’s even says if you are not a fan of the stuff, this may change your mind about SAUERKRAUT. Now that’s confidence in your product, huh?! Unlike commercially made mass-produced sauerkraut which is cooked, this one is a raw,fermentedfood product which doesn’t even have vinegar. TJ’s says its made by a small batch producer in the traditional way, which is simply cabbage treated with salt and left to ferment. Old School. The real McCoy. “This is Sauerkraut like your great grandma used to make.”
It has some Persian cucumbers (pickles) in it as well which add even more more crunch and variety. This Sauerkraut goes perfectly with hot dogs of course, as well as sausages. This kraut would go especially with TJ’s excellent German made BAVARIAN BRATWURST previously reviewed, with a Rave. As we know now, fermented foods are very good for your digestive system, gut health and overall health in general. It’s considered healthy to eat something fermented on a regular or daily basis. A spoonful of this (or kimchi or kefir) every day and your gut bacteria will be aces.
Trader Joe’s Sauerkraut with Persian cucumbers is $3.99 for a 14 oz. container.
Ingredients:, Cabbage, Persian Cucumbers, Salt, Garlic.
Sauerkraut is great with these Cheddar Chicken Sausages
I never heard of this apple before I saw them at Trader Joe’s. A hybrid developed in New Zealand, “Envy” apples are a hybrid of Royal Gala and Braeburn varieties. Both of those are excellent apples, and this hybrid, Envy, is well, just a terrific tasting apple. When I first tasted this Envy, my taste buds went pretty wild with “this must be one of the best apples I ever had”. Seriously this is just a great apple. Nice crunch, firm texture, sweet but with a hint of sour underneath? It’s a complex flavor, way more complex than just “sweet” like say a Honey Crisp apple or Red Delicious (yuck). Envy are a favorite pick of the Trader Joe’s crew, who I imagine taste everything they sell. I kind of trust those “crew picks”.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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