Southwestern Chopped Salad

I was a new Trader Joe's product for us.  We do not normally buy “salad kits”, because, not to brag here, but salads are one of my specialties.  I can whip up a lovely salad (if I do say so myself)!  So, if we buy premade salad at TJ’s, it is usually an already made salad in a plastic container that I eat for lunch (like my favorite, Mega Crunchy Salad with a Bite, reviewed here: Mega Crunch Salad with a Bite review ), and not a kit in a bag like this one is.  But hey, I am all about trying new stuff, so I threw this in our cart.

A complete salad kit - ok, we will try it

Here are the ingredients listed on the FRONT of the bag, not in the teeny tiny mouse print on the back:  green cabbage, romaine, cotija cheese, roasted pepitas, tortilla strips, green onion, cilantro, and a spicy southwest avocado dressing.  There are more ingredients on the back, but these are the “big guns” listed on the front to get your attention.  The bag tells us, “Trader Joe’s Southwestern Chopped Salad is an homage to the bright, spicy, flavorful dishes of its namesake region.  Green cabbage, carrots, and radish have been chopped into small pieces and mixed with pepitas, tortilla stripped, green onions and cilantro.  Toss with the included cotija cheese and spicy avocado dressing for a fresh, complete salad.”

$3.29 for a bag

David put this salad together while I worked on other parts of dinner.  He reported there was the loose cabbage part in the bag, then a package that contained 3 smaller packets:  the dressing, the cheese cubes, and tortilla strips.  Here is what we thought of it:

And here is David’s take: “I think it is excellent!  I was a little concerned when I first dumped out the majority of the package - it looked like a lot of cabbage. But flavor-wise, with the added pepitas and the cheese and the dressing, it really is a very nicely balanced mix.  Also, little tiny bits of tortilla – all in very nice balance.  I gotta say – it is very nice.  It doesn’t have any of the nice tomato things that you might think of as more lush in a salad, but, that’s not what it’s trying to do.  So, I’m gonna give this a 4.5.”

Please wait until we sit down to dinner, David...

And here is what I thought:  I am surprised that one of the adjectives used on the bag is “spicy”.  To me this salad is not spicy at all.  I am also surprised that the bag said it contained green onion, because I cannot even taste them.  For my first few bites, I was like, “I don’t know what cotija cheese is, but it sure is tasteless…”.  Then I got a better chunk of it and it had some taste…  Normally in salad we go for feta (Trader Joe's has an excellent feta that is a staple at our house, reviewed here:  Greek Feta in Brine  ) or blue cheese, both of which are extremely flavorful.  This cotija is a much more mild cheese than I am used to in my salads.  We also do not normally put tortilla strips in our salads.  I know that is a hip thing to do, so color us unhip.  The texture of that is, to me, a bit strange, but the taste of the tortillas is good.

For me, the whole salad is a little bit bland.  Everything is chopped super tiny.  It is not quite a COLESLAW, but in my book it is also not a SALAD.  It is all chopped a little bit too tiny for me.  I like to eat my salad with a FORK, and this is a SPOON SALAD.  My favorite part is the pepitas – they are really nice. 

David, the in-store TJ's salad model

Overall – I do not taste spicy, I do not taste avocado, I do not taste green onion, and I really do not taste the cilantro.  I like it – I am not saying it is BAD – but it would not be my “go to salad”.  I give this a 3.75.

Price:  $3.29

Rating (average of 2 raters):  4

Tiramisu Torte

First off, let me say this:  I MADE A HUGE PARTY FAUX PAS.  I was invited to a Cinco de Mayo dinner (yes, I am THAT FAR BEHIND in reviews, I am writing on September 20^th about something I ate on May 5^th, don’t judge…).  Anyway, I was invited to a Cinco de Mayo dinner and asked to bring dessert.  Not only did I not bake or make anything, I didn’t even bring anything appropriate for the theme!!!  Yes, I was “that guest” that showed up at a dinner with a boxed dessert from TJ’s, an Italian Tiramisu to be precise.

But, but, butttt, to make matters even worse, it turns out that the party hosts (who I am related to and should know better) are not fans of tiramisu.

Fail fail fail on all fronts, Susan (I say to myself in the third person).  You win the SUCKY GUEST award.

Hey, at least I didn't just bring it over still in the BOX!  As you can see here when you peek
into our fridge, I put it on a very pretty plate (and you can also see that we have a 3/4 empty
bottle of margarita mix and some left over pizza in the fridge...  Charming.)

Ok, now that I have gotten that off my chest, let’s take a look at Trader Joe’s Tiramisu Torte, shall we??  (NOTE – until today when I finally wrote up this review, I thought we had been eating and reviewing Tiramisu, not Tiramisu Torte…  See note at the end of this article.)

It looks pretty on the box, no?

I shared this product with my in-laws, Greg, Joan, and Chris.  I served tiny slices since we had just indulged in lots of tacos for dinner.  Here is what people thought:

Chris:  Chris is a college student who had just returned home for the summer. He is not a fan of coffee (an important element of tiramisu….).  Here is what he thought, “It… Ummm…  It is not BAD….  I am not the biggest fan of coffee and coffee flavors, so naturally I am not THAT keen on it…  But the coffee flavor is not so overwhelming that I can’t continue eating it.  It’s good.  I give it a 1.75.”  (Editor’s note:  for someone who hates coffee, he sure did eat the whole piece of tiramisu.)

Me:  I didn’t choke on this tiramisu, and I have choked on others in the past.  You know that whole thing where you accidentally suck a big breath in just as your fork-load of tiramisu reaches your mouth, and you choke on the powder??  (Crickets…)  Umm, you don’t know that feeling?  Is it just ME then??  Well, this particular tiramisu did not have that weird affect, so that’s a plus.  I like the texture of this dessert – the bottom layer was not what I would call a “normal” tiramisu layer.  I also liked that the dessert had some little chunks in it – little chocolate bits, which tasted good.  The middle layer seemed almost ice cream-ish, almost like an ice cream cake.  It was obviously very easy to prepare.  I like it.  it would be nice to pair with an espresso if you are a coffee lover.  I do think it is sort of expensive when you compare it to other stuff at Trader Joe's.  I give this a 3.75.

As you can see, David thought it was going to be a good dessert.
Sadly, he didn't even get to eat any of it, since he was busy that night and couldn't come to the dinner.

Greg (father of the family also not a coffee fan, which I obviously forgot before I brought this dessert to the gathering):  “It is sweet.  The texture is good.  But it is coffee.  I give it a 2.”  (Editor’s note:  he DID finish his whole piece.)

Joan (mother of the family, liker of coffee):  “There was nothing exactly bad about this, but if you could only eat one dessert, I would choose many other desserts over this…  The best part were the fresh raspberries (editor:  I added those, they do not come in the box 😊 ).  The bottom is like chocolate cake, not the traditional tiramisu layer.  It did not appear to have been SOAKED in coffee.  It was somewhat dry-ish.  The coffee flavor reminded me more of Kahlua than coffee – so more like a coffee syrup.  In general I am not a big fan of tiramisu.  This was not tiramisu-ish, so I thought it would be better for me…  But I would prefer a cheesecake to this.  This looked more like cheesecake than tiramisu actually, though it had a nipple…  (Greg pointed out that the nipple was an indicator that it was mass produced.  The TJ's price tag says it is handmade, so...  Not sure.)  The cocoa powder was the highlight for me.  I would give this tiramisu a 1.”

The raspberries (also from Trader Joe's, of course) made the plates look pretty and were Joan's favorite part.

Ok then…  This tiramisu is made in ITALY.  Maybe this is more like a real ITALIAN version of the dessert?  It is hard to know what to give the product overall, since most of the taste testers were not fans of the ingredients, let alone the final product.  But I think the fact that I, someone who likes tiramisu, and Joan, someone who may not be the biggest tiramisu fan but a lover of coffee, both were not bowled away by this dessert says something.  I am not going to score this with a mathematical average of all reviewers because that seems harsh, but I am going to take all viewpoints into consideration before slapping on a final number.

Also, now that I look at the photos I took, I see this is not called TIRAMISU, it is called TIRAMISU TORTE…  So obviously, that explains why it didn’t seem like “regular” tiramisu and we were looking at it thru the wrong lens!!!

Does that fact negate our reviews??  Perhaps…  But I still think our opinions were pretty clear – this isn’t a “must eat” dessert, no matter what you call it.  whether you are counting calories or counting pennies, I would use your diet and your money in another manner…

Price tag

Price:  $6.99

Rating: 2.75

Discontinuing Products Sucks

I fully understand that Trader Joe's cannot carry EVERYTHING all the time.

Trust me, I get that!!  The stores would have to be huge ("These stores are yuuuuge, the yuuuugest stores you have ever seen...").  

But I just need to take a teeny tiny moment to WHINE, to complain, to bitch about something:  WHY DOES IT ALWAYS SEEM LIKE THEY DISCONTINUE THE GOOD STUFF???

Most recently I was sad to discover that the amazing condiment WASABI MAYONNAISE is no longer on the shelves.  Wasabi Mayo is gone!!  And that sucks.  Cuz it was really a special product, one that I have never gotten anywhere else.  It was the bomb smeared on white bread with some cheese and lunch meat - made the zingiest little sandwich on the planet.  

This.  THIS is how I feel when I go to Trader Joe's to get Wasabi Mayo and find it is DISCONTINUED.  As my mom used to say, "I wanna wring somebody's neck!".  (Now that I think about it, that was a pretty mean thing of my mom to say...)

Here is the original review of Wasabi Mayo (may-o it rest in peace...):  Wasabi Mayo Review

But nooooo, Trader Joe's had to go and ruin it.  Sigh.

Other notable discontinued products that I loved are Sambal Matah Sauce and Bollywood Popcorn (reviewed here:  Bollywood Popcorn ).  They keep the CRAPPY stuff (did someone say "Inner Peas" - Inner Peas review  and "Black Bean Rotini" - Black Bean Rotini review ) and they get rid of the super unique, interesting things.  It is just frustrating sometimes.

Did you like Bollywood Popcorn?  TOO BAD FOR YOU!
Cuz they stopped selling it.  Boo hiss.

But THESE crappy things, oh these are still on the shelves...

Oh, and course you can still get the barf inducing Black Bean Rotini...

And yes, before you lecture me, we COULD get a jar of regular mayo and mix in wasabi, like the TJ's guy told us to do.  But realllllly, when Trader Joe's could just SELL US A REAL JAR OF WASABI MAYO, should we have to DIY it???

Thanks for letting me vent.  Please comment below and tell me what products Trader Joe's discontinued that YOU loved!!  Maybe it we all get our gripes out here we will feel a wee bit better.  

P.S. - we also really liked TJ's Sambal Matah sauce.  Heck, they didn't even carry that delicious jar long enough for me to review it!  

Mango and Sticky Rice Spring Rolls

I believe I have a new favorite dessert.  Oh man these Mango and Sticky Rice Spring Rolls are GOOOOOD!  (Note:  for the rest of this review I will call these things Sticky Rice and MANGO, not Mango and STICKY RICE.  Cuz even though the box lists the mango first, in my mind this food is always sticky rice first...)

This is the box.  Go to Trader Joe's.  Find it in the freezer section.  Get one.  NO - get two!!

Sticky rice and mango is my go-to dessert when we eat in Thai restaurants.  Trust me, I always check the menu to see if they have it before we even order our meals.  To me, it is the perfect dessert.

So, when I saw this box of Sticky Rice and Mango Spring Rolls in the freezer section at Trader Joe’s, let’s just say I got a wee bit excited.  And my excitement was correct – these rock.

Get.  Out!!!  Mango and Sticky Rice SPRING ROLLS???  

I cooked them by frying them in 2 Tablespoons of oil, which is one of the 2 cooking techniques listed on the box.  I thought if we were having spring rolls, I wanted them to be nice and crispy, so it was worth stinking up the house a little bit with oil frying.  I kept them in the oil (stove on medium) for about 5 minutes and kind of obsessively turned them over each minute (cuz, see above, I was excited).

When they were browned and had rested on my plate for one minute, I dug in.  And let me tell you – these are perfect.  They are an amazing combination of spring roll savory-ness and sticky rice and mango deliciousness.  They are not really sweet, only slightly sweet.  The crispiness of the spring roll is in perfect contrast to the stickiness of the rice.  There is not a ton of mango in them, but there is enough to make your mouth super happy.

Here is what they looked like after being cooked.  My mouth is watering just looking at the photo...

They are just so good!!!  For me, these would make an amazing breakfast (don’t judge, you granola and yogurt eaters).   Be sure to eat them warm – they will make your belly sing.

I will definitely buy these again.  I fear they will be short lived at Trader Joe’s, they seem like quite a niche item.  But they are right in my niche, baby!!!  I give these a solid 5 star rating.

Here is what my sweetheart thought after he had a couple of bites, “Very nice.  I love the crispy exterior of the spring roll and the way it plays off of the chewy sticky rice inside.  The mango gives it just the right amount of flavor.  I am not sure quite where to place this – whether it is a dessert or a main food item…  Maybe it is a side dish?  Perhaps an appetizer?  Anyway, I am gonna give these a 4.75.”

Well, since this is my blog and my score should count a bit more than David’s, I am giving this product a final rating of a 5!!  Cuz that’s how I roll.

New product!  Please keep this TJ's...  Don't flake out on me and call these "seasonal" please.

Price: $2.99 (shhh, please don’t tell Trader Joe’s, but I for one would pay more for these suckers!)

Rating:  5

Cocoa Filled Pinwheel Cookies

The picture of the cookie on the front of this box is so pretty – it is a big white and brown pinwheel made to look like a hot air balloon.  My eyes were attracted to it, but I must confess that I got nervous when I read the description: “Light and crisp cocoa and vanilla cookies (that part sounds great to me) filled with a cocoa cream”.  Ahhhh, the “cocoa cream” made me nervous.

·         Would it be gloppy??

·         Might it be runny?

·         Worse still, would it taste like NUTELLA (which I know I am “supposed” to like but think tastes disgusting)???

I was thinking all of these things when I showed the box to David, and he said we should get ‘em.  So, we popped them in our hand basket.

The box - isn't it pretty?

As we shopped, I asked a TJ’s employee named Paul if the rumor I had heard online about one of my favorite products being discontinued was true.  He researched it for me – more news on that in a later post.  But we got to talking to him, so I asked if he had tried these new cookies.   He said he had not, but suggested we open the box right then and there to test them out!! 

Did you know Trader Joe’s is known for that?  If there is ever a product that you are not sure if you want or not, just ASK.  They seriously will open it for you and let you TASTE IT in the store.  That way you know if you want to spend your hard-earned dollars on it or not!  And they don’t even make you feel like a mooch or a cheapskate for doing it, they open it happily so you can taste.

NEW cookies at Trader Joe's - gotta try 'em!

So anyway, Paul busted that box of Pinwheel cookies open for us and we each grabbed one.  Then we started sharing them with everyone around – employees and fellow shoppers alike.  I mean, if the box is OPEN we should all TRY THEM, right?

Here is my opinion:  as you might have guessed from my comments above, I was nervous about the FILLING of these cookies.  The outside sounded delightful, but the filling had so many ways it could go horribly wrong in my opinion.  I thought it might taste fakey, or be gooey and yucky.  But when I tasted it - I liked it!  it is a really good filling and is not messy at all.  It tastes yummy!!!  The filling is buttery without being runny.  I think this cookie would pair well with a cup of tea or coffee.  

Also, these are very, very pretty cookies.  If you were putting together a plate of cookies to bring to some event and you didn’t have time to bake (or if you were going to drop a little white lie and pretend like you baked, which I would not do, cuz you are gonna get caught…) …  Anyway, what I mean is, these pinwheels would look lovely laid out on a pretty plate!  I give them a 4.25.

Is that not an amazingly beautiful sight??
My black and white plates are perfect for displaying one of these suckers!

And here is what David thinks of these cookies:  “Very good.  Nice.  Very fragrant cookie.  Crunchy, but not too crunchy.  Buttery.  And on the inside the filling is like chocolate frosting, but a very nice chocolate frosting.  The cookie is on the dry side so I can imagine eating it with a cup of tea, but the filling is pleasantly buttery.  I give these cookies a 4.25.”

This is BEFORE he even tried them!  He was already excited.

One of the shoppers who took a cookie was a woman who came up to me to complain that she had, “Walked 2 miles to get brussels sprouts and you are out of them!”.  First, I clarified quickly that I did not work for Trader Joe’s, so she needn’t file her complaint with me.  Then I offered her a cookie, which she took and ate while sipping her little cup of TJ’s sample coffee.  She LOVED these pinwheel cookies!  I think they made her walk to the store worth it!  She went on about how delicious they are, and at one point leaned in and whispered to me, “These are better than sex!!”. 

Well there ya have it!!!  Better than sex!  (Note:  those were her words, not mine.  I do not think I would go that far for this particular cookie.  But to each his/her own.)

I asked if I could take her photo to put in this blog, but she declined.  She said she felt like a mess, having walked and had no make-up on and was wearing her glasses.  I understood, but asked for her name to be included here.  She hemmed and hawed, making it apparent to us that whatever name she was eventually going to blurt out would not be her actual name.  Then she explained, “I went to pharmacy school.  But IF I could sing, and IF I could dance, I would be on Broadway!!!  And if I was on Broadway, my stage name would be Peaches La BoomBoom” (the proclamation of her stage name came with an elegant Bob Fosse pose, of course!).   I didn’t ask for her official 0 – 5 point rating, but I think it is safe to say that Peaches would give these cookies a solid 5. 

Obviously, this is not the shopper who tasted cookies with us.  But doesn't this stock photo
of a burlesque dancer look like her name should be Peaches La BoomBoom???

All of the other shoppers and employees we shared them with liked them, too.  Granted, not as much as Peaches La BoomBoom, but still, they were a hit!

Final note – they are really reasonably priced, too.  The box is $1.79 and I think there are 9 cookies, making them only about .20 cents each. 

Price:  $1.79

Rating (average of scores from me, David, and our new friend Peaches La BoomBoom):  4.5