Luckily I still have some garlic left but I'll check out the supermarket brands when I run out. The new garlic tj's has is diced rather than crushed, imo it's not as flavorful.
― musically, Saturday, 15 April 2017 01:01 (seven years ago) link
The coconut cold brew coffee concentrate makes a nice iced coffee with some coconut milk and coconut water. Maybe serve it in a coconut.
― Puke and Other Poems (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 08:05 (seven years ago) link
The "refried" black beans (really just purΓ©ed) are bland, the soy chorizo too spicy and greasy by itself, but mix them (4 oz chorizo/can), and they make an excellent vegan taco filler.
― The Audacity of Taupe (Sanpaku), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 15:26 (seven years ago) link
the soy chorizo is... too spicy?!?
― mh, Wednesday, 5 July 2017 15:32 (seven years ago) link
As a standalone taco filling, yes, and heavier than Mexican pork chorizo in chile, garlic, cumin, oregano, etc. It's probably great in soups, scrambled eggs/breakfast burritos, etc.
― The Audacity of Taupe (Sanpaku), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 16:04 (seven years ago) link
soy chorizo is great in scrambled eggs but it is not spicy
― π ππ’π¨ (caek), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 16:28 (seven years ago) link
i always mix it with rice and vegetables, much more palatable that way. i have stuffed poblano chiles with this mixture and it's pretty good. not great, but passable. not too picante-spicy for me but i can see how it would be too overwhelming/one note
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 16:30 (seven years ago) link
spicy like too much spice, or spicy like hot?
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 17:26 (seven years ago) link
The former. It's basicaly TVP and soybean oil, drowning in salt, chile & garlic powder, cumin & oregano, squirted into a plastic casing.
I grow and eat habaneros recreationally. Too much capsaicin never bothered me.
― The Audacity of Taupe (Sanpaku), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 17:33 (seven years ago) link
I made chorizo breakfast burritos for a camping trip one time, and the next time since we were taking mostly vegetarians I used the Trader Joe's soy chorizo instead. No one could really tell the difference. That seemed like the perfect application for it, where texture is not even an issue.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 5 July 2017 17:36 (seven years ago) link
ah, overseasoned. I get that.
― mh, Wednesday, 5 July 2017 17:59 (seven years ago) link
yeah a little goes a long way. i decant it into tupperware on purchase, then put like a teaspoon per person in eggs. i would never eat it on its own.
― π ππ’π¨ (caek), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 18:03 (seven years ago) link
related: i just moved from the east coast to the west coast and i feel like i must be doing something wrong because the TJs handmade flour tortillas here are awful compared to the ones i got in new york.
― π ππ’π¨ (caek), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 18:04 (seven years ago) link
There's at least 3 recipes/suppliers from the GIS evidence:
Handmade Flour Tortillas: unbleached enriched flour, water, high oleic sunflower oil, honey, wheat gluten, salt, soy lecithin, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, citric acidHandmade Flour Tortillas: unbleached enriched flour, water, olive oil, salt, distilled vinegarTruly Handmade Flour Tortillas: high gluten enriched flour, safflower oil, honey, baking powder, sea salt
Tastewise, I can't imagine any of them compare favorably with Hispanic grocer tortillas made with lard or tallow.
― The Audacity of Taupe (Sanpaku), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 18:58 (seven years ago) link
i used to buy the smoked andouille chicken sausage on occasion and that's fairly spicy
― i n f i n i t y (β), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 19:09 (seven years ago) link
yeah, that's a decent sausage.
― sarahell, Wednesday, 5 July 2017 19:10 (seven years ago) link
good toofpaste
― Dean of the University (Latham Green), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 19:22 (seven years ago) link
all of the tjs tortillas i've bought have been terrible. they taste fine but fall apart if you put anything in them.
― na (NA), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 19:43 (seven years ago) link
actually i'm not crazy about most of their bread products.
TJs corn tortillas are generally retrograded and brittle out of the package. Toast them in a flat pan and they become usable, and much tastier. However, the TJs still more geared to tacos than other Latin dishes. I find non TJs corn tortillas (like the La Providencia brand) much better.
The TJ's baked good I buy most trips is their Lavash bread. Good ingredients, and great for hummus + salad wraps.
― The Audacity of Taupe (Sanpaku), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 20:51 (seven years ago) link
I think the bread products vary by location -- I think some is made by local bakeries and then packed as TJ's brand?
― sarahell, Wednesday, 5 July 2017 20:52 (seven years ago) link
I like their California style sprouted wheat bread.
― Jeff, Wednesday, 5 July 2017 21:00 (seven years ago) link
that's what i get usually
i switch it up sometimes and get the flourless whole wheat berry one or another orange label one similar to the sprouted wheat bread one
― i n f i n i t y (β), Wednesday, 5 July 2017 21:44 (seven years ago) link
i decided to try the organic bolivian blend coffee and it's pretty disappointing. I've heard decent things about a couple of the other ones, but not decent enough that I necessarily want to give them a shot. i agree w/what was said upthread by dayo about TJ's leaning too much on the darker roasts at the expense of lighter ones. if they could get a solid light roast that's not too floral, maybe even skewing towards the more smooth, nutty, chocolately side of things i'd definitely try it.
― nomar, Wednesday, 5 July 2017 22:02 (seven years ago) link
I have one like that but it's not from TJs alas.
― Conic section rebellion 44 (in orbit), Thursday, 6 July 2017 01:00 (seven years ago) link
https://www.coffeebeandirect.com/sinful-delight.html
― Conic section rebellion 44 (in orbit), Thursday, 6 July 2017 01:02 (seven years ago) link
i think we can all agree the soy chorizo is v v spiced and you can't use much, it almost feels more like a seasoning vehicle than an actual ingredient?
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 6 July 2017 01:19 (seven years ago) link
β na (NA), Wednesday, July 5, 2017 2:43 PM (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
sry not to be a dick but you're heating them up in like a skillet or something first, right?
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 6 July 2017 01:21 (seven years ago) link
these are still the best tortillas I've had from a grocery store but they're hard to track down but damn if you can find them....
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/09/best-flour-tortillas-tortillaland.html
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 6 July 2017 01:22 (seven years ago) link
All my local stores carry those, they're fantastic. Downside is that you'll eat half of them warming them in the skillet.
― El Tuomasbot (milo z), Thursday, 6 July 2017 01:43 (seven years ago) link
frozen korma fish curry: it's good!
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Tuesday, 18 July 2017 03:15 (seven years ago) link
test
― maura, Tuesday, 18 July 2017 04:24 (seven years ago) link
I really like Trader Joe's cornichons. I'm oddly opinionated about cornichons.
Most of the rest of TJ's I can do without tbrr
― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Tuesday, 18 July 2017 22:59 (seven years ago) link
The Giant Peruvian Inca Corn tastes exactly like Fritos. Still satisfying and convenient for taking to parades/fireworks.
― ΠΏΠΎΠ»Π΅Π·Π½ΡΠ΅ Π΄ΡΡΠ°ΠΊ (Sanpaku), Wednesday, 19 July 2017 01:37 (seven years ago) link
In the salad section there's a curried cauliflower and potato salad which is basically just cold aloo gobi with chickpeas; I forgot about mine until a couple of days after it's sell-by date so I cooked it with some butter and threw it on some rice, it basically tastes like Indian restaurant leftovers. Which I mean as a high compliment.
― The Man Who Saw The Midwife (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Friday, 28 July 2017 09:59 (seven years ago) link
the herbal flavored water is practically identical to other similarly flavored waters that cost at least twice as much
― sarahell, Friday, 28 July 2017 11:45 (seven years ago) link
honey butter chips are weird and not good and taste like sweet sour cream & onion chips
― he not like the banana (Stevie D(eux)), Friday, 28 July 2017 14:57 (seven years ago) link
Is it just my local TJ or has corporate pulled back on the overfriendliness mandate? It's been so much less oppressive a shopping experience in recent months.
― Chock Full of Love and Sexy Feeling (Old Lunch), Friday, 28 July 2017 15:06 (seven years ago) link
Now that you mention it, I have noticed less "SO ANY PLANS FOR TONIGHT?!?!" interactions there.
― The Man Who Saw The Midwife (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Friday, 28 July 2017 23:56 (seven years ago) link
I finally tried the frozen beef tamales and they are really tasty - I had previously just tried the sweet corn/chili/cheese one and found it was a bit bland, the beef one has nice flavorful red sauce. The refrigerated ones are good too but I think these are a better deal.
― musically, Saturday, 29 July 2017 18:55 (seven years ago) link
β Chock Full of Love and Sexy Feeling (Old Lunch), Friday, July 28, 2017 4:06 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
β The Man Who Saw The Midwife (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Saturday, July 29, 2017 12:56 AM (eighteen hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
it has been awhile since i've heard "ohh someone's having a party!" because I bought a bottle of wine and some cheese.
― nomar, Saturday, 29 July 2017 18:57 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsNq3nQ612c
― π ππ’π¨ (caek), Saturday, 29 July 2017 21:09 (seven years ago) link
the cucumber watermelon cooler is an amazing drink and even amazinger mixer
― musically, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 21:17 (seven years ago) link
Costco had a cucumber mint lemonade that was great. The TJs jalapeno lemonade was screaming for tequila.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 21:20 (seven years ago) link
i've been buying their coffee concentrate and using that instead of buying iced coffee from pret or wherever, it ends up costing about $1 per large glass of iced coffee which is obviously much cheaper. they also have a new french roast coffee concentrate but i haven't tried it yet, and coconut coffee concentrate which i will not be trying.
― na (NA), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 21:21 (seven years ago) link
i tried the french roast conc. it was a bit more intense than the regular cold brew. nothing to write home abt, but solid. i like the vegetarian chilli but not as much as the kind they carried a couple years ago. gonna make veggie chilli cheese dogs tonight w/ their veg. dogs which can be kinda plastic-y, but split and cast-ironed they're actually much much better
― freedom is not having to measure life with a ruler (outdoor_miner), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 21:46 (seven years ago) link
I now smell of the tea tree tingle bath soap. I've smelled worse.
― Are you Eating It...or is It Eating You? (Sanpaku), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 22:58 (seven years ago) link
There are new sparkling water flavors - grapefruit, pineapple, "Island Colada," and (iirc) cranberry clementine.
― maura, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 13:54 (seven years ago) link
Also I am fairly obsessed with their gluten free cranberry maple granola, which is pretty much a $2 cheaper copy of the kind made by Bakery on Main.
― maura, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 13:56 (seven years ago) link
Oh and I bought a little succulent in a magnetized vase for my fridge yesterday.
I go to Trader Joe's once a week, usually, if not more. It's right by my therapist's office and it's my favorite place to decompress.