“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.”
“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.
I’ve been buying SKIPJACK TUNA in a can at Trader Joe’s for years, but when I went to get it recently I noticed they also now have it in those new tuna “pouch” packages.
First though, what is Skipjack Tuna anyway? It’s one of many varieties of tuna, and also called bonito. In Hawaii they call it, aku. In Japan its katsuo and it’s very popular, sold fresh in the fish market. I’ve made fresh katsuo, and its delicious lightly grilled on the outside and raw in the middle.
Skipjack tuna is quite tasty and has a nice flavor. One reason I get it is it’s the most sustainabletuna we can buy, more sustainable than albacore tuna or other tuna species, as you can see : (Source: Nereus program)
On the pouch it says … “this wild skipjack tuna was sustainably caught (by pole/line) without the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs)” that reduces by-catch (other fish).
When I tried the new pouch version of the skipjack I liked it (well, other than the smaller amount* you get!) Ingredients: “skipjack tuna”. The can says “ingredients: skipjack tuna, water, salt”. The pouch doesn’t say “dark chunk light”. Just “wild skipjack, hand cut, hand packed”. The tuna is compressed into a flat brick, the shape of the pouch, with just a small amount of juice, some natural juices at the bottom (its not packed in water). I dumped the whole pouch of tuna and juice into a bowl. You have to break up the tuna brick and flake it with a fork. I added a nice heaping tablespoon of Trader Joe’s Organic Mayonnaise plus a pinch of vinegar, and tasted it on some toast, and it made a nice tuna sandwich. This skipjack tuna pouch is $1.79. Much cheaper compared to the other kinds of tuna at Trader Joe’s. All in all, I’d say this new pouch of Skipjack Tuna is worth trying if you’ve never bought it before so you can compare it to the one you usually get. Obviously if you want to have “tuna to go” this is great for that (picnic, work…)
“Each tuna is tested for mercury and only those meeting specific criteria are chosen”
*Comparing the former can version of the skipjack tuna which I have in the pantry with the new pouch version, you will notice though the amount of tuna in it has been downsized by an ounce. The pouch says “net. wt 3 oz” (85 gm). The can “drained wt. of 4 oz” (113 gm). Another sign of that well known tuna shrinkage that’s been going on for years.
Sidenote: you may have heard of katsuobushi – which is yes made from katsuo which has been smoked and dried.
UPDATE: I may be mistaken in that they’ve will no longer offer the skipjack tuna in a can, or at least today I saw both versions of it on the shelf, together. It’s possible Trader Joe’s is going to offer both versions, pouch and can? Perhaps some people prefer pouched tuna to a can? They are the same price – but one does get a one ounce more in the canned version. I will have to compare both against each other….
“FRESH CHEESE TOSSED IN PICKLE SPICES – Perfect for snacking on the go, our fresh cheese curds pack a serious squeak and just the right amount of pickle goodness”.
We know that Trader Joe’s loves “all things pickle”, a food trend that TJ’s is quite fond of. One more addition to it is these PICKLE CURDS made in partnership with a cheese producer Beehive Cheese in Utah. These curds are squeaky little nuggets of fresh cheese lightly coated with dill and pickle spices to add extra flavor. They’re simple but tasty especially if you like pickles (raises hand). I can see these being good for a picnic, or just as a snack, or on the go, or even as part of a cheese plate – with some cornichons too of course! Take them out of the fridge before eating as you want these at room temperature. A bag has 4 oz.
Here’s a funny story about these! A few weeks before I wrote this review, my neighbor just happened to ask me to check if Trader Joe’s sold Oyster Crackers. She wanted them for soup. I told her I didn’t think so, but promised I would check.
A few days later looked for them at Trader Joe’s, didn’t see any checking among the many, many kinds of crackers they offered. I was passing Fairway who did have them and got them for her, however we both got a bit of sticker shock at the price. Fairway’s crackers cost over $4 for a box?!
Then funny enough, not even a week later, I’m at Trader Joe’s looking at the cracker section. What do I see? Yup. I saw they came out with Trader Joe’s “Soup and Oyster Crackers!” Did they read our mind? Is this a new product? Anyway TJ’s has them and they are about 1/2 the price of the ones I bought at Fairway.
What are Oyster Crackers you ask? A classic old fashioned simple little round cracker shaped like an oyster kind of like a Saltine. I’ve seen them as long as I can remember, since I was a kid.
They are a traditional American cracker, very popular for soups, chili, stews, clam chowder. From back in the day. You used to usually get a pack of these if you ordered soup in a diner or restaurant. Pretty classic. Maybe they are even a bit Retro by now ready to become cool.
“For ‘chowdah’, soups, stews, chili, salads or snacking. No hydrogenated oils, no cholesterol, no preservatives”.
I saw this in NEW ITEMS about a month ago and grabbed one to try. This sauce is made by Red Boat, a company that makes a famous top Asian fish sauce. Trader Joe’s sells tha. Its a well known top brand fish sauce. Something I always like to have in the pantry. Its Pure Umami.
Red Boat says: “In Vietnamese, kho means to braise and this dish is on regular rotation in all Vietnamese households but is rarely served in restaurants. Our Pham-ily created this sauce so you can enjoy this delicious meal, just like in our mom’s kitchen, in less than 30 minutes.”
We know Trader Joe’s likes what they call “simmer sauces”. They have at least two versions of Thai ones and an Indian sauce too. You can use these and just add a protein and veggies, pour in a bottle of your simmer sauce, let it simmer for about 20 minutes and voila you can have a very easy and tasty dish. This sauce made a delicious meal for us.
I used this sauce to make a braised dish with chicken and lots of vegetables. What I did was I sauté chicken (skin on, bone in thighs), tofu, carrots, onions, mushrooms, garlic and ginger for 10 minutes. Then I poured in the sauce and let it simmer. Though they say “simmer for 30 minutes”, I wanted the chicken to be falling off the bone so I let it simmer for more like 45-60 mins.
The resulting dish was excellent, redolent of fish sauce (nam pla) of course but it had many other flavors with lots of Umami. It had a bit of sweetness as well as a bit of heat. We thought the dish was so good, that we just scarfed it up! I used a lot of vegetables and bone in chicken so of course it had all the flavor from those as well, however you could easily make a less complicated easier dish with this sauce using boneless chicken, TJ’s Carnitas Pork, shrimp or fish or even tofu and mushrooms for that matter and come out with a lovely dish, full of Asian flavors. My intentions was to make enough for at least two meals so I used the whole jar plus 1/2 a jar of water as I wanted a huge amount of sauce for all the meat and veggies I used, and I got that which we enjoyed with rice.
Ingredients: Water, Fish Sauce, Organic Coconut Sugar, Canola Oil, Ginger, Shallot, Corn Starch, Green Onions, Citric Acid, Black Pepper, Sunflower Lecithin, Crushed Red Pepper, Yeast Extract.
I’m not sure if this was a one off trial run for Trader Joe’s or something they will keep in stock. If you do see this sauce it is worth getting if you want to make a great Vietnamese home style dish easily. In a pinch one could make the sauce using Red Boat fish sauce, coconut sugar and other ingredients (shallots, garlic…)
TJ’s had the sauce for $4.99 which is even cheaper than on the Red Boat website.
Trader Joe’s GRILLED CHICKEN STRIPS Seasoned White Chicken Meat.
Simply grilled white chicken meat. Simple and straightforward, just strips of (cooked) chicken breast and I’ve found they can be handy to have on hand in my freezer. Say I wish I had a few strips of of leftover chicken to put on something like a salad. Or perhaps I need a little chicken as an ingredient, say for a fast chicken/cheese quesadillas.
Except I don’t have any leftover chicken. No wait, I have this in the freezer. I take out a few strips, put them in a pan with a pinch of water, cover and voila. In just 6 minutes I’ve got some strips of chicken I can use however I want.
I find this has been at times quite useful to come up with a fast protein. To top a salad or greens, a bowl of rice or other grains, or for a protein bowl. To match with vegetables or a taco, or what have you. High protein, low calorie.
This seems pretty natural ingredients-wise, just chicken and a few seasonings, no chemical names. The chicken has a slightly smokey, grilled taste. It has grill marks which I guessing means they got a little time on a grill or open flame.
Gluten free. Minimal ingredients. Chicken, salt, pepper, onion, garlic… Sodium level is not bad at all. No added fats. The Nutrition Label says 100 Calories per 3 oz serving which has a whopping 20 grams of Protein!
(frozen)(cooked)
Cooking Directions: (Stovetop) Place chicken in a nonstick or cast iron pan. Add 2 tbls of water. Cover the pan and cook on low-medium for about 6 to 8 minutes, until done. TIP: Personally I add a little olive oil or butter to the pan, as I find a bit improves the flavor.) I always do the “stovetop” method but there are directions as well for microwaving them too. Just be careful and don’t overcook them lest you end up with over cooked tough white meat.
My take is cook just until the point of done-ness, or “à point” – as they say in French. Basically we’re letting it go from frozen to defrosted and then cooking just a little bit. The moist environment helps, which is the point of adding a little water, and remember to open the cover and let the steam out when its done.
Many of the strips are perfect however you will find some broken or small pieces, probably happening during shipping and stocking. C’est la vie. TJ’s Grilled Chicken Strips are $8.99 (1 lb). You’ll find them in Frozen near chicken products
“They pair well with all kinds of veggies and starches, and take particularly well to customizing with your favorite sauces and seasonings—we’re partial to tossing them with a bit of Korean Gochujang Sauce, ourselves. They’re a great topper for salads, pastas, and pizzas, phenomenal as a filling for tacos and quesadillas, lovely when layered into sandwiches and wraps, and an easy addition to casseroles and baked enchiladas.”
ALL NATURAL. No additives. One ingredient only. Peanuts.
If you asked me for one item I buy religiously at Trader Joe’s I would absolutely answer “Peanut Butter!”
It may not be revelatory news but TJ’s does have good peanut butter at very good prices. I probably get a jar every other week.
Big brands like SKIPPY or JIF, have regular peanut butter which have extra ingredients such as sugar or some sweetener plus hydrogenated oils, those added to keep it from separating. But “Natural” peanut butters on the other hand contain just peanuts. Of the assorted varieties TJ’s carries my favorite is this one: The “Crunchy/Salted” which has a blue label. (Side note: Smooth being for kids and crunchy for grownups? I consider the day I graduating kid-dom was when I decided to go Crunchy! To me, Crunchy has more peanut-y flavor from the peanut-y bits).
Any All Natural peanut butter tends to separate at room temp, meaning you will see a little oil at the top when you buy it but this is No big deal. Just stir it.
TIP: Put the jar in fridge for 10 minutes. After you open it, take a butter knife and get it to the bottom of the jar, then stir slowly 10 or 15 seconds until blended. Keep it in the fridge, it will stay blended (PB does actually say “refrigerate after opening”).
Though the price has gone up (from $1.99 to 2.29 and at present, $2.49). Still pretty decent compared to other stores/brands as their prices having gone up more.
I prefer this All Natural version however Trader Joe’s does sell a “No Stir” PB too. TJ’s regular Natural Peanut Butter is $2.49 (1 lb). It comes in a number of variety combinations, Smooth, Crunchy, Salted or Unsalted. They also sell an Organic version of Peanut Butter ($4.49)
Peanut butter has many uses. It’s terrific as an ingredient especially in Asian dishes; Try a Satay Style Peanut Sauce on some grilled chicken for example; The recipe follows
“Organic soybean oil, water, organic eggs, organic white vinegar, salt, organic lemon juice concentrate, organic mustard seeds….”
Trader Joe’s used to carry both a regular (non-organic) mayo and an organic version. At some point they discontinued the non-organic version and now carry just this “Organic Mayonnaise.”
I used to buy the regular one, which came in a big 32 oz jar, double this one. Both are very good. I remember the non-organic 32 oz mayo went for $2.99.
This 16 oz organic mayonnaise is $3.49, or more than double the price. Oh well! A remember asking the Captain at the Front Desk what happened to the non-organic mayo, and he said he thought Trader Joe’s seems to be gearing towards selling only Organic if possible. They were slowly discontinuing non-organic versions of some products (for instance my beloved tomato paste in a tube. Gone!). He said he thought TJ’s plan was to only carry Organic Products in the future. Which to me sounds kind of like Whole Foods…
Honestly I thought the regular mayo was fine and half the price of this organic mayo. I was unhappy they just Discontinued it and gave customers less choice. Sure I like Organic stuff but I like options too. Don’t get me wrong, this organic version is very good and of course I’ve switched to it, unless I see Hellman’s on sale somewhere (that too has gone way up)
Commercially made mayonnaise like this one is good and fine, however if you never tasted “real French mayonnaise” — the kind you make fresh — you are missing out. You should try to make it at last once. Watch this video below to get ideas how to make your own real French mayonnaise from scratch.
Seriously this is the real McCoy. A real fresh mayo is so good you won’t believe it. Mayo is not hard to make. It will only take you maybe 5-10 minutes . You could impress some guests! Compare this to any mayonnaise you have probably had, the best commercial brand and you will not believe the difference. All you need is vegetable oil, an egg, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, beaten together… its actually easy and fun and kind of magical when it all emulsifies. Ah food science!
NEW ITEM: This is the latest “small lot” coffee on offer at Trader Joe’s (Sept 2023).
Many of these Trader Joe’s Small Lot coffees are really good, some times even terrific, with yes an occasional dud. Many times these coffees are Single Origin, Single Estate coffee beans. The good stuff, like those you would find at some trendy Williamsburg roaster / shop, you know where small hand lettered bags of single estate beans can go for perhaps $30? If are the kind of person who would like to try lots of interesting and unique coffees but doesn’t want to break the bank, many times these Trader Joe’s Small Lot coffees can be a great way to explore the World of Coffee. I found this latest Trader Joe’s Small Lot coffee offering to be a terrific robust tasting coffee.
This one is is from the mountains of the Dominican Republic and is called “Jarabacoa” with 100% Arabica beans in a Medium Dark Roast. Trader Joe’s description on the bag of this coffee has this to say….
“In Jarabacoa, third generation farmers have dedicated themselves to the production of coffee beans. ‘Honey processed’ and sun dried to impart a subtle sweetness, the beans are given a medium dark roast for a robust cup when brewed, brimming with notes of chocolate, brown sugar and blackberries”
I found this description to be right on. This coffee was as listed “medium-dark” (actually the picture may make it look darker). The beans are a shade past “medium” with just a little bit shiny in places, however I would not call this overly roasted, such as Starbucks is famous for doing to their beans. In fact this medium dark roast seems just right to me. A little bit under say a French Roast with a bit of that robust flavor those have if you like that sort of thing. Personally I love and really enjoy medium dark roasts, in addition to lighter roasts.
The beans smelled wonderful when I first opened up the bag, releasing the most heavenly aroma, and when I ground it up of course it smelled even better, perfuming the whole kitchen. I brewed up those freshly ground coffee trying it in both a Moka pot and another one as a pour over. The resulting brews were really tasty. I found the coffee rich and dark and oh so good. As they said it had a subtle sweetness to it with yes, hints of chocolate and blackberries. It tasted better with each sip. I finished my cup, then I actually debated making another cup immediately. Yes I found it that good.
The Jarabacoa Dominican coffee has become my new favorite Trader Joe’s coffee at the moment. I’m really enjoying it. TJ’s is selling a 12 oz bag for $9.99. This is not bad as some recent small lot coffees that had were more, about $12 each.
Would I buy this again? Well I actually ran back the next day and got 2 more bags to have in the pantry “just in case” …. these small lot New Items coffees frequently go bye-bye pretty fast. I’ve lost out on some coffees by waiting too long only to find they ran out.
“Normally, the sticky-sweet outer layer of the coffee fruit is washed off, but these beans are “honey processed,” so that layer is left intact. Because they spend less time in water, the sun-dried beans ferment less and retain more natural sweetness. Trader Joe’s Dominican Republic Jarabacoa Small Lot Coffee wears its honey process on its sip. Immediately, a taster can detect a subtle sweetness, accompanied by notes of chocolate and hints of blackberry.”
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