From reading the ingredients, the paste looks like vanilla extract mixed with vanilla bean. Is it a convenience item, so you don’t have to split a vanilla bean? In my imagination I always imagined it being some sort of substance extruded by pressing vanilla beans.
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Bingo.
Nielsen Massey makes a similar vanilla paste, which I actually like better, but it’s pricier. I used to buy a big jar of the NM paste in my grocery store before all things vanilla got so dang expensive. It would last awhile and I could add vanilla to plain Greek yogurt and such on demand. Vanilla specks for visual appeal.
Now the price of vanilla has climbed so I hardly use vanilla at all. The TJ’s vanilla bean paste comes in a little jar so I can still keep some on hand, get a long shelf life, and not break the bank.
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Their tortilla chips are a whole lotta meh. I’m currently finding the longboards cardboard-y and bland but other varieties have also been disappointing.
The red chili scalloped crackers are quite tasty, especially with cheese. Sort of like if Ritz made a red pepper cracker.
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Snapped up a box yesterday as soon as I saw them. I haven’t confirmed, but I think this is one of the three flavors in the scalloped cracker trio, which they’ve had occasionally.
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@Babette you should try the blue corn tortilla chips. They are very good and go great with guacamole.
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That’s what the checker told me. He also said that he felt it was by far the best of the three.
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I really like all three flavors (the trio is one of those items I buy whenever it’s available), but the red pepper is particularly good.
I recall them being very tasty but extremely crumbly?
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I do recall some structural integrity issues.
Yes, but I didn’t notice it until after you mentioned it last year @Saregama. Still can’t wait to get a few packs because we all like them so much. Wish they held up as well as Carr’s Water Crackers.
picked up a few things on my latest trip — not sure all are “new,’” but new to me:
yeas:
stone hearth sourdough; nice tang compared to their san francisco sourdough.
ghee and sunflower oil spray; delish sprayed on a slice of sourdough toast.
yea for serious chocolate people only. a bit or two of each will suffice:
85% dark chocolate uganda bar and dark chocolate cover whole cocoa beans
file this last one under “what happened?”
have loved the 1000-day gouda for years. always been aaged and a bit crumbly — but the last couple of times no so much. still good, but not quite as good as it was.
have loved the 1000-day gouda for years. always been aaged and a bit crumbly — but the last couple of times no so much. still good, but not quite as good as it was.
I bought some Cabot extra-sharp white cheddar a couple weeks ago and it seemed…not very sharp. Way less sharp than it used to. I don’t know if it’s me, or if they’ve changed it. Will have to see if I feel the same way next time I get it. (The yellow “extra sharp” cheddar really isn’t particularly sharp, but the Cabot white at least used to be.)
YEA: Thanksgiving! That magical time of year when we give thanks for the things that really matter in life, like the return of seasonal favorites at TJ’s:
–Blue Cheese Stuffed Halkidiki Olives
–Scalloped Cracker Trio (the red pepper crackers discussed upthread, plus rosemary and roasted garlic versions)
–Turkey Pot Pie
YEA: Various flavors of biscotti. In order of preference: Lemon, Chocolate, Cornbread. The cranberry pistachio biscotti (either new or seasonal return, not sure) are just yea-ish; not as much cranberry flavor as I’d like.
YEA: Cheddar-Blue Cheese Pub Cheese. Not sure how long this has been around, but I just discovered it a couple months ago. Very nice flavor, the blue cheese gives it a nice tang like an extra-sharp cheddar.
YEA with reservations for the frozen Shrimp Sriracha Bowl. Nice combo of shrimp, brown rice, and edamame in a sriracha sauce (a little heat but not overly spicy), but the shrimp got tough at the end of the cooking time. My microwave might be on the more powerful side, though.
Tried TJ’s Hazelnut coffee creamer but it won’t froth in my Nespresso. It’s likely because what I bought is gluten free - at least that’s what is different from creamers I’m used to. On the positive side… the taste is good. I’ll try mixing it with some half and half next time.
YEA: Fried Olive Bites (frozen). Breaded feta-stuffed olives (kalamata and castelveltrano)–very tasty. I think this is a seasonal thing, and IIRC it doesn’t last long.
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Yea for the frozen gnocchi alla sorrentina, which already comes in a tomato-mozzarella sauce (like surrounding the gnocchi–no separate sauce packet). The gnocchi were firm with a good bite (the texture of dense mochi, IMO), and the sauce was pleasant if a touch salty. An easy weekday meal if you add a salad on the side.
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Limited, situation-specific YEA: Instant Cold Brew Coffee. I never drink instant at home, but it’s a staple when I go backpacking. Lately I’ve decided to ditch the weight of stove and cooking gear (and, not incidentally, the hassle of cooking) on my trips, which means cold instant coffee. I tried this out this morning and it dissolves perfectly well in cold water, and the flavor is perfectly acceptable for backpacking purposes.
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