YAY to TJ’s festive Shrimp Pouches of Many Colors. I prepped them in the bamboo steamer.
They are a stunning color - perfect for the season, and the filling is quite flavorful…. BUT they’re sticky lil mofos like so many of their brethren, and I lost a few bottoms to the steamer. Next time I’ll prolly put them on parchment or cabbage leaves.
MEH to the Herbes de Provence Triangles. $2.49 for a very small box of 20 crackers (2 portions). Puffed pastry crackers flavored with rosemary, savory, onions, and garlic. Not actually crisp, and the seasoning overwhelms the flavor of typical hard cheeses they’d accompany.
Thanks for letting me know - been eyeing those for a couple weeks.
Yes, teeny tiny amount, awkward to eat, very messy. I ate them but would not repeat, so, NAY.
Yes, I agree on the Provence triangles. Except NAY for us. Seasoning was so overwhelming that I had one and quit. My husband finished the rest, saying, “You’re right, I will eat anything. But I won’t eat these again.”
Thanks. I was wondering about these, mostly because of the vibrant colors. I’m guessing they all taste the same; is that correct?
Yes, I wasn’t able to discern different flavors in the wrappers… but the filling is strongly flavored (garlic is prominent), and I was using a fairly spicy dipping sauce. Curious to see if anyone else tastes any difference between them. They sure are pretty, and at $4.29 a real steal. Nice app for a threesome.
Oh, for me (the son of a butcher and myself having raised cattle), it’s the afterthought aspect, what must be a very, very long supply chain, downward price pushing, and the products’ janky appearance.
Another reminder about the thread that’s not about specific products:
I’m sorry, you lost me.
I don’t really need to try, e.g., a needled, cherry red (gassed), overlean beef cut that’s been steeping in a sealed Walmart foam tray for 4 days to know I can do better at a real meat counter. Good, fresh meats aren’t integral to WallyWorld’s or Trader Joe’s business.
If I want cuts whose primals have spent time in Cryovac, I’ll take a restaurant food service supply every time.
This thread is for reviewing specific Trader Joe’s products.
General opinions and blanket statements about mass market meat and so on aren’t particularly helpful.
The blanket thread was created specifically for rants and the like, as I believe has been explained to you previously.
You wondered aloud about how anyone could talk about TJ’s products without trying them. I answered your question directly.
If you’re bent by that, blame yourself.
You’re so right
We did eventually get to squirrel away a few boxes of the seasonally available Fried Olive Bites thanks to your recent tip, @Saregama. Plus persistence in visiting two different TJ’s nearby. Yay.
Saw them at the Masonic store today and snapped up a box. Alas, our freezer is too crowded for hoarding.
I know this pain well 
I find their packaging too bulky for my limited space, so I’ve been getting rid of the boxes and emptying the contents into freezer bags, which enables a tiny bit more hoarding of seasonal stuff. (Not always advisable, as I’m still working my way out of years-old puff pastry and pie crusts that are still perfectly good and hence can’t just be thrown away 
)
MEH to the colorful shrimp dumplings in stock at the moment.
The filling is flavorful but scant, and the wrappers are oddly constructed – there’s a khinkali-like knot on top that throws off the wrapper-to-filling ratio (and ends up as a lump of sticky dough in ones mouth).
Yay to the mini panettone. Anyone know who makes them for TJ’s? I would like to get more but I hate going there at this time of year - so crowded! Thanks.
YAY to the iced gingerbread squares, in the frozen dessert compartment. Your link reminded to me to post. We 3 here all love them, and that’s unusual. Got to stockpile this limited/seasonal treat!
NAY to the frozen tiramisu, again frozen dessert, 2 servings per pack. One of us here is a tiramisu aficionado and one of us likes tiramisu for an occasional treat. Both of us do not like this version at all. The two servings are not covered with film or anything, so when you take them out of the box to defrost, all the loose chocolate powder flakes off and is exceptionally bitter (and I don’t like overly sweet tiramisu or anything). We won’t try again, let alone stockpile.
