“Aged Sheeps Milk” is a new Spanish cheese at Trader Joe’s. It’s been aged in a regional extra virgin olive oil (“Cornicabra”) for about 4 months.
it had a nice nutty and slighly tangy taste and reminded me slightly of a Pecorino, which is also made from sheep’s milk. I tried a small piece by itself and then tried it sliced thinly on some crackers. Very nice. I then added a little fig jam on that, and really like the salty / sweet combo. I think this cheese would work well on a cheese plate.
I also tried some of this cheese grated onto pasta, where it works just like Pecorino. I would buy it again. $5.99 for a 6 oz hunk.
“Serve this firm-yet-creamy Cheese as an appetizer before the big meal, alongside a bowl of Nuts About Rosemary Mix and juicy Honeycrisp apple slices. Or let a freshly toasted Ciabatta Roll soak up the olive oil as the Cheese accompanies an array of leftovers in sandwich form.”
They had this New Item right near the checkout line and so I was waiting I checked it out and then I noticed the sample station (Back, finally. Yeh!) happened to be offering samples of this so I grabbed some to taste. Yum. So good. This nut mix really looked “gourmet” with big pieces of top quality nuts: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans and it had a little flavor of rosemary which elevated the whole combination.
I assume this is a seasonal Fall/Xmas special nut mix and is specially geared for Thanksgiving and holiday get togethers. This would impress any guest who would probably ask you where you got it.
TJ’s says: “Every good get-together needs a good snack mix, which is precisely why we like to keep a canister of our Nuts About Rosemary Mix on hand…roasted almonds, cashews, hazelnuts (aka Filberts) and pecans, all mixed together with a rosemary and sea salt spice blend spiked with just a touch of sugar.”
“Our Chicken Karaage [ka-RAH-geh] is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, made with a Japanese-inspired recipe. It begins with bite-sized pieces of boneless, skinless, leg meat that have been tenderized and flavor-infused after marinating in rice wine (mirin), soy sauce, and white wine vinegar—along with garlic & ginger powders.”
Trader Joe’s frozen Chicken Kaarage is another addition to the growing list of Trader Joe’s Asian frozen prepared frozen food offerings, especially chicken dishes.
Some people on the internet rave about this KARAAGE (kara-ag-eh) .
My honest review? Now as with all of Trader Joe’s Asian foods you really have to know what the “real thing” tastes like to be able to judge. Real Japanese Karrage consist of some marinated chicken which gets a light coating of cornstarch then is shallow fried till golden brown. Basically think of it as Japanese fried chicken. It’s delicious.
Is Trader Joe’s KARAAGE like what you might get at a Japanese restaurant? I’m afraid not people. However for what this is, I think its not bad. The crispy chicken is actually pretty tasty and juicy. The main problem with this is obvious: just has way too much breading. I put this stuff in front of my (Japanese Korean) wife who looked it it and told me they looked like “chicken nuggets”.
Pros – The marinated dark meat chicken is actually tasty, just as long as you get a big piece with enough chicken to match the breading. Dip it in a little of the mayonnaise based sauce they give you, to which you added fresh lemon juice. Ditto mixing in a little TJ’s YUZU hot sauce.
Cons – Way too much breading. The big pieces are OK however you also get many small pieces where the breading totally overwhelms the chicken. You will even find little pieces basically of just breading with almost no chicken! Should have better quality control (but that would cost). Plus this lists many ingredients.
Though the instructions don’t say you can cook these on top of the stove in pan. I cooked it that way on medium heat first covered for 5 minutes then removed the cover and cooked for maybe 10 minutes, turning on all sides till golden brown and crispy. That’s the way I cooked them in the picture here. Or cook it in an Air Fryer or in the oven.
Defrost the sauce in warm water for 5-10 minutes. Cut an end and squeeze it out.
What to eat with this? This might match well with frozen Japanese Fried Rice and some edamame.
This stuff is super. I love it. Limited supplies so grab a bottle while you can if you are interested!
In case you are not familiar with it, Japanese yuzu is a citrus fruit that looks like a lemon, but is quite different and unique with its own distinctive flavor. It’s used quite a bit in Japanese cuisine. Among other things they use it to make Yuzu Kosho, a spice of the zest combined with chile pepper for a spicy citrus-y condiment. Yuzu kosho has been discovered by chefs here. “The secret weapon condiment chefs are putting on everything… It’s the closest thing you’ll get to a silver bullet condiment that’ll instantly impart depth to your dish. Chefs know it—they’ve been using it at their restaurants for years—and it’s time you did, too.”
This sauce has yuzu kosho combined with “small batch vinegar” to make a hot sauce that you can add a few drops or more to any food, to give it a real spark of flavor.
The sauce is really tasty and gives a nice citrusy kick to anything you put it on. As far as the spice level here, I would call it just mildly spicy, maybe “medium”, certainly not knock you head off spicy, so it may appeal to many people who can’t take too much heat.
What can you use Yuzu Kosho sauce on? Almost anything. The question might even be rephrased as what can’t you use it on? Its good on chicken, fish, salads, eggs, meats, tofu, pretty much anything you can think of. I just tested it on good old cottage cheese and it elevated something boring to a new taste.
This is worth trying if you like to taste unique items as as they say “limited” if you want to try it, grab one while you can. $3.99 a small (100 ml) bottle.
This is a seasonal (Fall/Christmas) item and to me it smells “Holiday, Christmas-y” but not too much over the top (you know, like a Hallmark movie?) Its a foaming soap, so as soon as you pump some out, your hands will already have tons of lather going. I liked it and I like the smell which is subtle and not too strong. My wife said she didn’t like the smell until I told her its a Xmas thing and then she changed her mind and told me it’s very nice! 8 oz. Pump bottle. $2.99
I just saw lovely fresh organic cranberries in stock at Trader Joe’s now (November 2023)
This year the organic ones are $2.99 a bag (1 lb). The regular ones, $2.29. Both are very good prices this year! Frankly for the fairly small price difference between the regular and organic I would get the organic ones.
How easy is it to make your own cranberry sauce? It will take you maybe 1 or 2 minutes of “work”, if you call “add water and sugar” work.
I will not bore you again with my rant about never serving anyone Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce from a can again — but really its super easy to make your own fresh cranberry sauce!
“Our Organic Cranberries are harvested in the fall and shipped to your neighborhood Trader Joe’s. There are so many uses, you’ll want to grab more than one bag to simmer into a super sauce, bake into breads and muffins, deck out your Thanksgiving tablescape, garnish glasses of chilled sparkling wine…”
EASY BASIC CRANBERRY SAUCE RECIPE : Put all the berries into a heavy pot. Add one cup water, then add one cup of sugar. (I like organic cane sugar but use any kind you have) Bring this to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and just let it cook like that for 15-20 minutes until the cranberries start to “pop”. Once the start to pop its done.
(TIP : you can use orange juice for the liquid, or mix or 1/2 juice 1/2 water)
When the sauce cools it will thicken a lot as cranberry skin contains a great deal of pectin. I like adding some fresh lemon juice too (optional) after it’s done. You can make this days in advance. Take it out and let it come to room temperature before serving. I promise you, your guests will rave at how good your sauce is.
TIP: Fresh cranberries freeze well. You can buy an extra bag and freeze it. No one says cranberry sauce doesn’t go well with foods besides turkey. Its great with grilled chicken and other things too.
“Bowtie shaped pasta from Italy with sauce holding ridges and toothsome texture”
NEW ITEM: Trader Joe’s “artisan” organic pasta “Farfalle Rigate”, bow-tie pasta. Unlike the other regular non-artisan one they sell, this organic artisan version comes with ridges. Ridges hold sauce a bit better. This pasta is bronze die cut. The recommended cooking time is 10-11 minutes.
When I made it I did find it had a nice toothsome texture, and was a little better than the regular one ($1.29).
Trader Joe’s says “limited supplies” of this, so if you see it and are interested pick up a bag. Trader Joe’s ORGANIC FARFALLE RIGATE PASTA is $1.99 for 1 lb. I would buy it again.
“In addition to providing an even more satisfyingly toothsome texture (especially when cooked al dente), these ridges also make their bronze-die-cut Farfalle Rigate that much better at holding our Basil Pesto, Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce, or any other pasta sauce you choose to toss them in. While we find that they’re especially suited for richer, creamier sauces, the truth is, you really can’t go wrong with Farfalle of this quality. Even just a bit of your favorite TJ’s olive oil, minced garlic, and crushed red chili peppers will make a fantastic Farfalle aglio e olio.”
“Notes of dark chocolate, blackberry and brown sugar”.
Here is another limited edition Small Lot coffee offering from Trader Joe’s called La Morena Peaberry. This coffee comes from the Huehuetenango region in Guatemala from a woman-owned farm collective, La Morena.
The graphic design of the bag is just great. Trader Joe’s has some come up with some great graphics for many of the small lot coffees.
The bag says “medium roast”. I would call it a light medium roast. The coffee beans are the famed “peaberry” coffee beans which are smaller, and supposed to have more concentrated flavor.
“While there are usually two beans in each coffee cherry, approximately 5% of coffee crops yield Peaberry beans, which are smaller and prized for their concentrated flavors… In these Peaberry beans, those flavors express themselves as dark chocolate, ripe blackberry, and a sweet, cozy finishing note of brown sugar. We recommend enjoying each cup in a context where you can slowly savor every sip, like paired with a flaky pastry, avocado toast, or a few squares of our Dark Chocolate Bar with Almonds.”
This may be the first Guatemalan coffee I ever tasted. This coffee has a nice aroma, flavor and was smooth. I liked it. I’d give it a 7/10.
Now my current favorite of recent small lot coffees from Trader Joe’s is the Dominican Republic Jarabacoa (for me 9/10) which I just loved, just one reason being I am partial to a bit of darker medium roast. This Guatemala coffee is a bit higher priced than some of the other Small Lot coffees at $10.99 (12 oz) however surely “peaberry beans” go for a premium price from the grower. I liked this coffee but I am not sure I would buy it again, the only reason being that I’ve had some other small lot coffees that I’ve liked more (as well as a few I’ve like a lot less.) The last small lot coffee, that Dominican one I liked so much, I’ve stocked up on a few bags of that (its $9.99). Before that, I just loved the HONDURAN small lot coffee. Please don’t get me wrong. As coffee preference is so personal I would say this may be worth a try if you love to explore coffees from unique regions and expand your coffee taste buds and knowledge.
“Classic English Muffins – A breakfast essential” – I agree 100%!
I buy Trader Joe’s “English muffins” all the time. I just love these for breakfast, plus. They come in two versions, the regular classic one and a whole wheat version. Both are good versions of a classic English muffin with lots of nooks and crannies. They come already partially “fork split”. Just use your fingers or a fork to complete the job and gently open the muffins slowly. You want as many nooks and crannies as possible. Never ever cut a muffin open with a knife as you get a flat surface with no crannies.
Toast them until golden brown and delicious and enjoy with some good butter and maybe some strawberry or apricot jam. Muffins do kind of burn easily so watch them carefully when you toast them, a few seconds can take it from perfect to a little burnt.
Other than breakfast, can you do other things with them? Sure. These make a great base for many things, like a sandwich of say a fried or poached egg with ham, or some peanut butter and banana? The base for some avocado toast. Finally of course Americans came up with a great use, our famous kid and adult beloved Pizza Muffins maybe? Toast, top with a little sauce and mozzarella and voila.
There are six muffins in a package (12 oz). Now $1.99, still a pretty good deal. I would buy them again. The other Brit style breakfast treats are also good and I’ve previously mentioned are TJ’s English Crumpets (though they cost more).
TIP: What I do after a day or two in the fridge, is open all the muffins up and then put them back in the package and then freeze them. This makes it easy to just take them out and toast them.
Di Bari Black and Orange Pappardelle (natural color from “1% squid ink” and “1% chili/oleoresin”): Trader Joe’s had this about a month or so back in New Items . It seemed to sell out and its not on the shelves anymore. However my neighbor had bought a package for me to try. My wife said we’re going to eat this on Halloween – cuz’, you know. I don’t know if they will have it again This is ok; very long, but it has no added taste from the coloring. Its just a look.
If you want papardelle, they are all good, including the organic one.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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