A Nibble Bit

One of my favorite leisurely activities is sitting down with the Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer that I receive in the mail and circling all the new products I want to taste. The most recent Fearless Flyer highlighted an onion tart that I wanted to try.

"This Alsatian onion tart is similar in style to other tarts we have in our stores, rich and buttery, and with a unique crust and topping you might expect to find in a fabulous continental restaurant, and not the freezer case in a grocery store. Trader Jacques Tarte à l'Oignon begins with a true shortcrust dough made with 100% butter and free range eggs. That glorious crust is topped with crème fraiche, slow cooked grilled onions, a bit of milk, nutmeg, and pepper [...]"

 How could I resist such a vivid description? You're right--I couldn't.

I am feeling a bit under the weather as I type this post. And since we all know the best way to recover is to overeat whilst skipping the gym, I decided to give these a try today. Being the macaron fiend I am, I knew these were calling my name when I spotted them in Trader Joe's freezer sections. GIANT. MACARONS. AS BIG AS MY PALM!

Din Tai Fung located in Taiwan in Taipei 101. I waited over 2+ hours to eat here! Photo Credit: Tripadvisor

Photo credit: Trip advisor

What the dumplings look like out of their package.

 I followed the instructions to pop these dumplings into the microwave for a few minutes and they were ready to eat.



The verdict: Not so bad!

While they're not cheap (comes out to about $.50 per piece), they were a lot better than I anticipated them to taste.

I was pleasantly surprised to taste the soup inside each dumpling. No, these will not taste like Din Tai Fung, but they are a solid choice when you are craving Xiao Long Bao but do not want to endure the effort and wait time at a restaurant.

I recommend these dumplings to try if you are curious. If you are an extreme Xiao Long Bao-enthusiast, you may think these too average for your tastebuds.

You can find each box of Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings for $2.99 in the frozen foods aisle.

The dough! It is ri-iiii-sing!

Getting ready to pop it in the Nuwave oven!

Yum. Doughy, rosemary, garlicky goodness.

Voila!

If you, like me, cook everything in your Nu-Wave oven, beware that the cooking times might vary. My bread came out like the above after just 20-25 minutes!


I didn't take a picture while I devoured these bad boys, unfortunately.

They are extremely delicious when warm and dipped in olive oil. The rosemary flavor really stands out. As the name implies (Monkey Bread, ooh ah ah), you can use your hands to pick the bread apart as you eat it. :)

This bread would go well as an appetizer, with pasta, or even on its own!

And sure enough, the cheese gave me my lactose-intolerant stomachache. I daresay that this was well worth it, though.

You can find a box at your local Trader Joe's for $4.99 in the freezer aisle.

"A classic Italian-American dish. Trader Joe's Chicken Marsala replicates a restaurant experience at a fraction of the price. Lightly floured chicken breast is sauteed with mushrooms, cream, butter, shallots and marsala wine, then paired with creamy mashed potatoes. It's fully cooked and heats in the microwave in less than three minutes. Who needs a restaurant when dining in tastes this good?"

Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter! WHAAAT!

TJ's Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter tasted more like pumpkin pie filling than cookie butter. In fact, while I smelled the cookie butter (Yes, I sniffed it before I ate it. Please do not judge me.), it was hard for me to actually detect the taste of any cookie butter. If you are a big fan of pumpkin flavors, this is a product not to miss!

I ate the pumpkin cookie butter with Trader Joe's Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks ($1.99). Just dip each stick in for a hearty scoop!



I am sure this would also be delicious on waffles, cookies, toast - really, anything your heart desires.

You can find the Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter for $3.69.

Dusted with pumpkin dust!

Another close up picture

Yum...pick up a box today

I definitely will be back to Trader Joe's to try some other pumpkin-flavored items. They have so many offerings, that I know it will take me all of fall to try them all.

Have you tried any Trader Joe's pumpkin flavored items? If so, which one is your favorite? Leave a comment below!

You know that sensational, exuberant feeling when you taste something so incredibly delicious that you can't believe it exists?

I think Trader Joe's Mango Sorbet might be something that emits that feeling for me.


Whenever I saw TJ's Mango Sorbet in the freezer section, I never thought twice about it. In my mind, it would be some watered down, sugary ice that wasn't worth the caloric intake.

One day, I got the opportunity to try it a la Trader Joe's sample bar.

(Let me take this opportunity to extoll the wonders of TJ's sample bar. I absolutely LOVE their sample bar. I know sometimes little old ladies and insufferable young kids take advantage of the sample bar, where they grab grubby fistfuls of white sample cups without actually intending to purchase anything, but that doesn't make it any less wonderful. Whenever I stop by a TJ's, I make it a point to have a sip of their coffee with soy milk, and to eat whatever delicious concoction they decide to grace their customers with that day. By the way, I have decided that TJ's coffee is pretty much better that Starbucks.)

I was strolling by a sample bar when I spotted TJ's Mango Sorbet. Since it was a sample, it was a no brainer that I scoop one bite up.

When I bit in, I was amazed. The mango flavor bursted on my tongue. This sorbet was rich in texture, not at all icy tasting, and just the right about of sweetness. The sorbet reminded me of mango desserts on Hong Kong - Hong Kong folks LOVE the taste of mango - which I find very admirable of TJ's capabilities. I no longer have to schlep all the way to Hong Kong for a suitable mango dessert! I can have the fresh taste of mango desserts, right from my local Trader Joe's!

It was so good that you bet that I went back for a second sample. And perhaps a third.

If you're a fan of mango, definitely do not hesitate to purchase Trader Joe's Mango Sorbet! It can be found in the ice cream/dessert section for $4.49 per pint.

I, growing up Chinese, actually did not ever see these in any dim sum restaurants. But you know, whatever.

They are extremely easy to cook: I popped them in the NuWave oven for the instructed amount of time.
I ate these shrimp toasts in conjunction with an odd combination of other food groups for a strange but extremely tasty dinner.