The Trader Joe's Product Discussion Thread (S/D)

it is! I haven't gotten one in the mail for a while, so they must be distributing fewer of them further away from the stores (my local one is in a suburb) or I've fallen off a mailing list

I like the coffee brownies but you've gotta microwave them.

Zhoug is so good, thanks thread.

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Okay hipster wing of Aldi Einkauf GmbH & Compagnie, oHG, take my wallet.

Kinda stole Sanpaku's idea and made guacamole with zhoug in it (delicious) and ate it as a side with the zucchini fritters or whatever they're called that come with pickled beets and tzatziki. Solid meal.

I had some of the zhoug with sweet potato fries (not TJs) and that's a good combo.

made taco with zhoug + fajita meat + mac&cheese + soft-boiled egg. thank you, zhoug.

Oh zhoug, is there nothing you can't improve?

^^^

Lol I had zhoug in a sandwich today

Those of you who don't like spicy hot should head to your nearest Indian grocer and seek out coriander chutney. Its fairly similar, and is evidently the expected sandwich condiment in Mumbai.

Sanpaku, when you made the zhoug yourself did you use coriander seed or coriander powder? Did you think the cardamom pods were necessary (I may only have powder)? I think I will try to make that this weekend. Did you only use cilantro leaves or some of the stem?

I will ask my coworker friend which grocery to go to, and expect a long nuanced explanation of the pros and cons of chutney sourcing

(good chutney tip, thanks!)

Yerac: I used coriander powder, and freshly ground cumin and green cardamon. I noticed coriander seed is actually not part of the TJs product recipe, so I'll omit it next time (just cumin/green cardamon/salt in a ~2:1:1 ratio). I trimmed the cilantro/coriander stems just below the first leaf, discarding the stem. The stems themselves are similarly flavorful, but as they're not cooked here, I've found in the past they mostly contribute a fibrous (like pureed celery) texture that isn't in the TJs product.

Evidently Yemeni zhoug is freshly ground with mortar and pestle and contains no oil. But American restaurant zhougs are invariably made in blenders with added oil.

That's the way I usually use coriander in general too. Thanks.

Anyone fucking with the coffee syrup? Wondering if I need to buy it and what it would be good for other than pouring in cold brew and making coffee³

I got some zhoug & made zhougamole per Sanpaku’s suggestion. Super good.

And Everything But The Bagel seasoning is great on grilled chicken. Bagel Chicken yum!

"Banh Mi Inspired Noodle Bowl" is kinda like a Thai slaw with the dressing. I like it a lot, predict I will buy it four more times but only eat it three of those times.

I liked it, but I didn't $4.99 like it. There weren't enough noodles.

Shit was it $4.99? OK yeah that's definitely $2 more than it should be.

Shawarma chicken thighs. Has anyone tried yet? I have not had very good results from their premarinated meats but I am also not meat savvy.

I'm liking the Belles Vignes Suavignon Blanc, Great value for $5.

How is the TJs podcast?

fridge tamales >> frozen tamales

there are TOO MANY frozen pizzas!! Is there any consensus on which ones are the best and worst?

None are the best, most are terrible. The roasted veggie one is just OK.

I like the flatbread ones more.

It actually kind of strange that the frozen pizzas there are not that great.

are any frozen pizzas actually great?

I love certain digiornos varieties, in particular their pizzeria styles.

I like digiornos too.And I feel like in other non US countries the frozen pizzas in the chain supermarkets (monoprix, sainsbury etc.) are pretty tasty.

the bakery where i worked in high school used to have amazing frozen pizzas. they were more like tomato pies with sicilian crusts

oh wow, i just looked online and the source for those pizzas (the bakery owned by the dad of my boss) is now the brooklyn club alphaville

Not TJ's but this gluten-free pizza is preeeetty good, although I add sliced tomatoes, some salt, more parmesan. But the crust and sauce and cheese are DECENT which is saying something.

http://againstthegraingourmet.com/assets/images/products/box-pesto-pizza.png

the problem with the TJs pizzas is their crusts are the hardest crusts of any pizza on the planet. I have the roasted veggie one occasionally, it's reasonably healthy-seeming at least. health aside I'd rather eat any other frozen pizzas.

hot take: the only good frozen pizzas are the bottom-of-the-barrel ones, they're an entirely separate entity from "actual" pizza and attempts to be what they are not end up disappointing

Pretty sure that after college I was 15% tombstone pizza and I admit that brand and Red Baron are still the only frozen pizzas I have weird nostalgia for.

I used to get the wild mushroom and truffle or burrata, prosciutto flatbread and the tart with ham and maybe emmental? flatbread thing a lot from TJ. Right next to the frozen pizzas and so much better. Probably because like mentioned above it's not the rock hard pizza crust.

I think tj's pesto pizza is solid, and I find most frozen pizzas inedible

against the grain's stuff is ok but they use so much cheese as a binding agent that it can be a bit much (esp if you put cheese on the pizza)

i like schar's pizza crusts ok

oh there's a gluten free stuff thread

the gluten (wheat ) free diet

I love that ham and mushroom (?) flat bread too

I also like the ones they have there that are made in Italy, they have 4-5 types.

i was made of pizza -- mostly cheap $1 frozen pizzas -- for several years in my early 20s.
i also worked at a pizza restaurant and could pile a slice with whatever I wanted for $1 after my shift and i did that to splurge :-/
how i survived is anyone's guess

TJ's pizzas are definitely trash (at least the cheap ones).

When I was at my most overweight and unhealthy in my mid-20s, Tombstone was definitely a big factor. Can't remember the last time I've had one but the thought does give me a tiny pang of nostalgia.

oh hey wow this jackfruit curry is fab

haven't really been wowed by jackfruit in things. something abt the texture bothers me. i did like the fzn pad thai though a fair bit.

The local TJs did a promo where they ostensibly offered that jackfruit curry, deconstructed, at the aisle end, with canned jackfruit and canned green curry simmering sauce. It wasn't as good. In particular, one has slice all the jackfruit tendrils/kernels off the backbone/cob before its edible.

The new vegan green tea mochi are a huge disappointment

They had some vegan mochi like ten years ago, three different flavors, they were amazing. These taste like nothing.

I wasn't able to find the jackfruit curry. Could it be a regional item?

It disappeared from the local TJs 3 months ago. In the one year TJs has been local, they've stopped stocking about 5 items I liked/loved, and have become a less attractive errand for this vegan (pour one out for the bollywood popcorn and veggie chili, too). If they discontinue the whole wheat lavash and zhoug, I might not bother.