Kitchen

[Chi-town girl]

Some new items at TJ's to try/add to your shopping list. Anyone try these? Reviews?

For a few years (2007-2012) the Ghost chili was classified as theworld’s hottest chili pepper, with an average of more than 1,000,000 Scoville heat units—that’s about 417 times hotter than the average jalapeño! And while it has been knocked to third place (Carolina Reaper and Trinidad Moruga Scorpion in first and second, respectively), it still packs a ghostly punch.

When something this spicy comes along, our first instinct is almost always how to eat it without injuring ourselves or others. And so we created Trader Joe’s Ghost Chili Lattice Cut Potato Chips, of course.

Ghost Pepper Potato Chips are seriously spicy chips, but if you’re a lover of all things spicy, these will bring pure joy and bliss rather than pain and suffering. Their spiciness is also balanced by the naturally sweet profile of the potatoes themselves—the chili enhances, rather than overwhelms the potato. Crafted exclusively for Trader Joe’s, these are lattice cut chips, so they really hold to their spicy seasoning.

Hauntingly crispy, these treats evoke the spookiness of Halloween. In that spirit, by the time the goblins have disappeared from your neighborhoods, Ghost Pepper Lattice Cut Chips will have disappeared from your neighborhood Trader Joe’s. Don’t let the specter of missing them cause you to cry “Boo!” Come in for yours soon, before they’re mere phantoms of what used to be. Each seven-ounce bag is $2.29, while they last.

[Chi-town girl]

Gee, we love gyoza. Wander through our freezer section and you’ll notice a collection deserving of commendations (if we do say so ourselves). There’s pork, chicken, Thai vegetable, green curry shrimp... We are anything but fatigued with potsticker possibilities, and we completely fell for this uniquely fall profile:Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Gyoza.

Our Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Gyoza bring a rare autumn twist to the traditional Asian dumpling. They start with unique, whole grain wrappers. The delicate nuttiness of the grain balances beautifully with the seasoned squash-forward filling. The prevailing ingredient is sweet, nutty butternut squash, which is augmented by the addition of delicate, smooth kabocha squash, edamame, carrot, sweet potato, and hints of ginger and honey.

These darling fall dumplings can be steamed, pan-fried, or even deep-fried. We enjoy them cooked in sage butter (with a bit of oil) and sprinkled with Parmesan. Whichever way you choose to prepare them, Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Gyoza make a well-balanced, vegetarian-friendly meal paired with a side ofTrader Joe’s Fire Roasted Vegetables and your favorite TJ's Rice. Or, serve them alongside our Mildy Sweet & Spicy Beef & Broccoli. They are also ideal for fall entertaining and dip well in our Light Soy Sauce.

Gee, we love good value as much as we love Gyoza. A 16 ounce bag of Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Gyoza is just$3.79. Hoard these gourd-filled gyozas before they’re gone.

[Chi-town girl]

Jack had his magic beans... the ones he got from the old man for the cow... beans his mother eventually threw out the window (furious that Jack sold the cow for beans), landing them in the dirt to sprout that behemoth beanstalk... beans that ultimately led Jack to the giant’s castle in the sky and to the sack of gold he stole for a happy ending.

Now, Joe has Magic Beans, too! We got ours from France. No cows were involved—except for maybe with the milk chocolate. A French confectioner—who’s been making magical nougat using the same artisan process for over 100 years—is presently making it for us.

Almonds make the base of this traditional nougat. Our supplier roasts the nuts in copper kettles with caramelized sugar, imparting a delicate flavor. That almond paste is then cooled and passed through cylinders to form little beans.

These naked, Nougatine Beans are next “panned” (gently tossed in a rotating turbine) with milk chocolate for an even coating. After drying, the chocolate covered nougat beans are panned again—this time in one of three naturally colored syrups.

After drying one more time, the colorful Beans are finally “varnished” with a very thin and clear coconut oil shellac, which makes them irresistibly shiny. Magic Beans!

This is the kind of confection Trader Joe’s treasures. While Jack’smagic beans led to a giant whom Jack chose to rob for his own benefit, Joe’s Magic Beans lead only to nutty, chocolate-covered bliss—no thieving required.

And the fact that we’ve priced Trader Joe’s 7.7-ounce bag ofMagic Beans so reasonably (just $3.99), means the only thing you’ll need to steal is a few moments, during which you can thoroughly enjoy this magical candy. 

[Chi-town girl]

We used to carry Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Almonds. The tag line on the bag read, “an irresistible snack.” These nuts were, in fact, quite irresistible to many people! But all along, we never felt quite settled on the flavor profile. The ratio of crunchy coating-to-almonds seemed a little off. We located a new supplier and took the opportunity to play with the recipe and try to get it just right.

One would think this would be easy with only three ingredients to play with (almonds, cane sugar, and cinnamon). However, our panel tasted through many, MANY iterations before we finally nailed it. And we nailed it!

Our new Cinnamon Roasted Almonds not only have a new name, and new recipe, but they also have a new package—a smaller one. The old 16-ounce bag always seemed a little on the large side. This new 12-ounce bag is less of a commitment. You’ll eat through it faster, which means every nut you enjoy will taste fresher. Of course, now that the profile is just right, we won’t be surprised if you consume these nuts quicker than every before!

Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Roasted Almonds, with their new recipe and 12-ounce bag are now $6.49. Find them among our large selection of fine nuts and dried fruit.

[Chi-town girl]

Kits are king. They contain everything you need to get something done. Sewing kit? Mend a sweater. Shaving kit? Shave your face.First Aid kit? Fix the cut you got from shaving your face. What about a Salad kit? How about: Eat a salad.

We call our Broccoli & Kale Slaw a Complete Kit, because it haseverything you’ll need to make a fresh, cruciferous salad. We’ve done the hard work for you, shredding broccoli stalks, kale andradicchio to create the crunchy slaw base.

Our Kit also includes sweetened dried red sour cherries andblueberries for some sweet and chewy contrast. Roastedsunflower seeds and roasted slivered almonds add a nutty crunch. The final touch is our Sweet & Creamy Slaw Dressing that makes the Kit—and your salad—complete.

Each part—the dressing, the nuts, and the fruit—is packaged separately inside the larger bag so you have control as you put it all together. Divide it into smaller portions for several side saladsto compliment your grilled burgers or BBQ’d ribs. Or add chicken or fish and turn this Broccoli & Kale Slaw Kit into an entrée for three.

You get the whole 11-ounce cruciferous ‘kit and caboodle’ (minus the caboodle) for $2.49 on the West Coast, and $2.99 on the East Coast and in the Midwest and Southeast.

[sueinsf]

I've tried the broccoli and kale slaw and like it.  Some I just threw in to my normal big bowl of salad and some I had on its own.  They sell another package with kale, shredded broccoli and brussel sprouts (I think it is) and I was sometimes getting that so thought I would try this instead.  I think this is a smaller bag and is more expensive, but  I like it a little better.  I also like the addition of the radicchio.

[Chi-town girl]

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@sueinsf wrote:

I've tried the broccoli and kale slaw and like it.  Some I just threw in to my normal big bowl of salad and some I had on its own.  They sell another package with kale, shredded broccoli and brussel sprouts (I think it is) and I was sometimes getting that so thought I would try this instead.  I think this is a smaller bag and is more expensive, but  I like it a little better.  I also like the addition of the radicchio.

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@sueinsf-thx for posting about the salad. It's on my shopping list, going later today. It will be nice for a few lunches this week with some grilled chicken breasts. Will prob pick up the "magic beans" & cinnamon almonds too. 1st a beeline to the beauty aisle for the Pumpkin Body Butter  

[sueinsf]

@Chi-town girl -- Will be curoius to hear what you think.  Adding grilled chicken sounds good!

[NoelSeven]

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@Chi-town girl wrote:

Jack had his magic beans... the ones he got from the old man for the cow... beans his mother eventually threw out the window (furious that Jack sold the cow for beans), landing them in the dirt to sprout that behemoth beanstalk... beans that ultimately led Jack to the giant’s castle in the sky and to the sack of gold he stole for a happy ending.

Now, Joe has Magic Beans, too! We got ours from France. No cows were involved—except for maybe with the milk chocolate. A French confectioner—who’s been making magical nougat using the same artisan process for over 100 years—is presently making it for us.

Almonds make the base of this traditional nougat. Our supplier roasts the nuts in copper kettles with caramelized sugar, imparting a delicate flavor. That almond paste is then cooled and passed through cylinders to form little beans.

These naked, Nougatine Beans are next “panned” (gently tossed in a rotating turbine) with milk chocolate for an even coating. After drying, the chocolate covered nougat beans are panned again—this time in one of three naturally colored syrups.

After drying one more time, the colorful Beans are finally “varnished” with a very thin and clear coconut oil shellac, which makes them irresistibly shiny. Magic Beans!

This is the kind of confection Trader Joe’s treasures. While Jack’smagic beans led to a giant whom Jack chose to rob for his own benefit, Joe’s Magic Beans lead only to nutty, chocolate-covered bliss—no thieving required.

And the fact that we’ve priced Trader Joe’s 7.7-ounce bag ofMagic Beans so reasonably (just $3.99), means the only thing you’ll need to steal is a few moments, during which you can thoroughly enjoy this magical candy. 

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DH stopped at TJoes and give me a couple these to try at the exact moment I saw your post!!!

They are delicious!

[NoelSeven]

DH just brought this home because he knows I love Panettone!

I'll let you know how we like this one