Delicious Dogs

Early on in my blogging career, which really wasn't that long ago, one of my readers told me about Niman Ranch Fearless Franks. Specifically that I could buy them at Trader Joe's. Well when I inquired with Trader Joe's about what stores in my area (Boston suburbs) carry the Niman Ranch Fearless Franks, Joe replied and said, "Sorry, we only distribute the Fearless Franks in our West Coast stores." I live Massachusetts. Needless to say, I was bummed. I'd never even tried the Fearless Franks, but if a fellow blogger with a love for food suggested I try them, I had to try them.

Months had passed since I learned of the Fearless Franks, I had almost forgotten about them until...I was walking through this great market called Russo's and there they were right in front of me, Niman Ranch Fearless Franks! All this time, at Russo's and I never knew it. I bought a pack. I thought it interesting though that one of the ingredients in the hot dog was milk.

Anyway, I couldn't wait to give these hot dogs a spin in my mouth. I fired up my Weber charcoal grill and put a nice grilling on these dogs. First off, these are no ordinary hot dogs, forget about the milk. These dogs are BIG; almost a quarter pound of beef, free of hormones and antibiotics. After a few minutes on the grill, I split open a hot dog bun, a potato hot dog bun, because I like them and added some spicy mustard and a little ketchup. Then, WHAM! I had the best hot dog I had ever tasted swimming around in my stomach. I think I ate the rest of the package over the next day or so, but I can't be sure. I was in a delicious hot dog induced daze for sometime.


If you see a package of Niman Ranch Fearless Franks in your local market, pick up a package and RUN HOME to grill them. Note that they are good steamed too; I didn't want to wait for my charcoal to light! I know, a picture of the package would have helped you identify them in your local market. But then again, I didn't know what the package looked like either. Just ask for the Niman Ranch Fearless Franks. So good.

Remember that I'm just one food guy so go try these for yourself!

It is a sad, sad day

I received an email a few days ago from someone who I can only guess read my recent posting on Trader Joe's (Trader Ming's) Vegetarian Spinach and Tofu Egg Rolls. The writer informed me that her local Trader Joe's in Massachusetts informed her that they will no longer be carrying the spinach and tofu egg rolls, and that they've sold out of their remaining stock.

Not wanting to believe her, not wanting to believe that one of my favorite items from TJ's freezer case may no longer be available, I had to see for myself. On my way home from work just an hour ago, I stopped into my local Trader Joe's. I went to the freezer case where the spinach and tofu egg rolls are usually chilling out. They were not there. I asked one of the TJ's mates, "I heard a rumor that the spinach and tofu egg rolls have been discontinued, is it true???" I was informed that it's no rumor, the sales were not good and they will no longer be carrying them, AND they have none left.

Oh my. I'm in shock. I've been buying these for at least the last seven years. I only have half a package left in my freezer. This is insane. I'm going to write to Trader Joe right now, this can't be happening!

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Maryland Style Crab Cakes

If I told you that Trader Joe's sold a package of two Maryland Style Crab Cakes for only $2.99 would you believe me? Would you believe me if I told you that they are actually really good?

This week's Tuesday Tasting is, you guessed it, Trader Joe's Maryland Style Crab Cakes. Each $2.99 package contains two 3 oz. crab cakes. Each cake contains a blend of blue, jonah, and snow crab meat as well as mayonnaise, cornbread, green onion, parsley, Worcestershire, dijon mustard, and some other stuff.

The package recommends thawing the crab cakes for one hour at room temperature or for 24 hours in the refrigerator then cooking them in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes per side. I'm telling you, don't bother thawing the crab cakes first, they will be very difficult to handle when soft. I placed two frozen crab cakes in a hot skillet with a couple tablespoons of canola oil and cooked them for a few minutes on each side.

The crab cakes browned up nicely and really are very good. I served mine on a toasted whole wheat British muffin, Trader Joe's version of an English muffin, with some Bookbinder's horseradish mustard and a side salad of field greens dressed lightly with an aged balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. These Maryland Style Crab Cakes from Trader Joe's would be really good at twice the price but at $2.99 a package, they are one of the best values in the freezer case. I suggest you pick some up and try them yourself then check back with me and let me know how you like them. Thanks for reading, see you next week for Tuesday's Tasting.

Allergy warning: Crab cakes are made in a facility that processes milk, peanuts, and tree nuts.

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Spinach and Tofu Egg Rolls (discontinued)

It's no secret that I'm an adventurous eater and always willing to try something new. Like the ostrich burger I ate at Crazy Burger in Rhode Island, or some of the items I order off of a sushi menu. In any case, I'm always willing to try something new if someone recommends it. After all, if it's for sale, someone think it's good, right?

This Tuesday's Tasting is an item that I learned of while waiting for a table at the restaurant Carmen in Boston's North End. I was sitting at the bar with my wife and we struck up a conversation with this nice woman sitting next us. We were looking at the menu together and as we salivated over what sounded like a delicious lamb dish, this woman suggested two items from Trader Joe's freezer case that we must try. The first is Trader Joe's Seasoned Frenched Rack of Lamb and the second, Vegetarian Spinach and Tofu Egg Rolls. Tonight I'll be tasting Trader Ming's Vegetarian Spinach & Tofu Egg Rolls.

The instructions on the package suggest 25-30 minutes at 400°, which I suppose may be appropriate in a conventional oven, but in my toaster oven that is much too long. I bake these between 375° and 400° in my toaster for about 18-20 minutes, flipping them 10 minutes in and keeping a close eye on them for the last few minutes. In a previous post I explained how my toaster oven seems to run a little hot and I always need to keep a close eye on things that I place in there when it's on bake. These egg rolls need that attention even more as they can burn quickly if you're not watching. The ooey gooey insides, which taste so good, can sometimes ooze out of the seams as well if you don't tend to them. The wrapper bakes up crisp and the inside is a delicious blend of spinach and fat-free soy cheese, not tofu like the name suggests. Although by definition tofu is soybean curd, and the first ingredient in the soy cheese is soybean curd, the name is still slightly misleading.

Once removed from the oven, these egg rolls will be EXTREMELY hot! I strongly suggest cutting them in half on a bias and waiting a few minutes before eating. From oven to mouth is sure to result in a seriously burned roof so please be careful.

For about twenty minutes in the toaster oven, these Vegetarian Spinach & Tofu Egg Rolls are a great lazy Sunday mid-afternoon snack or precursor to a meal that takes some time to prepare. They are crunchy, chewy, gooey and delicious and I always have a package in my freezer.

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Thai Style Massaman Chicken

This week's tasting is another rice bowl, Trader Joe's Thai Style Massaman Chicken. Massaman is a coconut milk-based curry, as most Thai style curries are, and is mild on the heat scale. Indian curries on the other hand rate very high on the heat scale.

In the premiere Tuesday's Tasting on November 14, I wrote about being able to read all the ingredients on the list. I've noticed on most of these frozen bowls that I can read all the ingredients. Most also claim to be free of preservatives and artificial flavors. Although it does not state that it's all natural, is that not the same thing? Enough semantics, let's see how it tastes.

This Massaman Chicken rice bowl from Trader Joe's contains lots of juicy, tender pieces of chicken, large pieces of bamboo shoots and noticeable pieces of diced red peppers. The rice, as with previous bowls I've tasted, is perfect. The sauce quite tasty too, with a good balance of familiar curry flavors, coconut and just the slightest amount of heat from a some cayenne (listed in the ingredients list.) Don't worry if you don't like spicy food, the heat level is very mild. My mom, whose taste buds combust with the slightest bit of heat, would probably like this.

Another tasting, another tasty dinner. Trader Joe you are my freezer case hero.

Now go to Trader Joe's and buy something you've never tried. Don't be afraid, Joe knows his stuff!

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Shrimp Thai Red Curry Rice Bowl

I think that I'd be friends with the people Trader Joe has tasting food in his test kitchen. Seriously, this is my fourth week tasting items from Trader Joe's freezer case, and this is the fourth week that I'll put my stamp of approval on what I've eaten. Trader Joe's food tasters, I raise my glass to you. On to tonight's tasting.

Tonight's tasting features Trader Joe's Shrimp Thai Red Curry Rice Bowl. After five minute of cook time and two minutes of rest, this rice bowl was ready to eat.

The first few bites were a little light on flavor, but as I dug deeper and mixed everything up, the flavors really came together. There is a decent amount of heat from the red curry paste, and like most Thai curries, the coconut milk really balanced everything out. The shrimp were tender and the veggies still had good crunch despite being previously frozen. Even the rice was perfectly cooked, light and fluffy. While this rice bowl did not have bold flavors like the lemon grass chicken I tasted a few weeks ago, it was still very good. I'll definitely stock more of these in my freezer for nights I don't feel like cooking.

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Tequila Lime Jalapeño Breaded Shrimp (discontinued)

If there is one thing Trader Joe's does right, it's frozen shrimp. I've been a fan of their uncooked frozen shrimp for sometime, cooking them up for pestos, salads, and stir fries. Tonight's tasting is another TJ's frozen shrimp offering, but one of the prepared kind, Trader Joe's Tequila Lime Jalapeño Breaded Shrimp. Fifteen minutes in the toaster oven at 375° and these hardly-little guys were ready to eat.

I could hardly wait for these to finish baking, constantly opening the door to the toaster oven. Looking, smelling, shaking the pan, making sure they don't burn; my toaster oven seems to run hot and I've never checked to see if the temperature gauge is accurate. Each shrimp weighs in at about an ounce with the coating and has been butterflied. Keeping in mind that the breading adds weight, I'd say these guys fall into the large size category, that is about 21-30 raw shrimp per pound. Looking at the breading, it's uniform and smells well-seasoned, even in its frozen state. There is also a noticeable amount of green jalapeño pieces which got me excited.

After fifteen long minutes, the timer went off. The shrimp cooked up great, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and delicious! They were well seasoned just as I hoped, but lacking in anticipated heat from the jalapeño pieces. Still, they tasted great. I plated them with some of the Trader Joe's mango chutney previously used with TJ's Coconut Curry Chicken Stix. The chutney was a perfect pairing with the shrimp as well. Another tasting complete, another item that is sure to become a regular in my freezer. Will I ever find something in Trader Joe's freezer case that I don't like? Stay tuned for next week's Tuesday's Tasting.

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Coconut Curry Chicken Stix

Thai Joe says these are "tantalizingly tasty, exotic, crispy & crunchy spring-roll wrappers filled with curry-infused chicken..." I agree. Tonight's tasting is Thai Joe's Coconut Curry Chicken Stix, courtesy of Trader Joe's freezer case. Ten minutes in the toaster oven at 450° and you'll be enjoying these coconut curry chicken spring rolls, and I do mean enjoying. Even though I baked them, the wrappers still came out a little greasy, don't worry though, a dip in some sauce and you'll never notice. Thai Joe alternatively suggests that you fry them, allowing you to enjoy them seven minutes sooner.

When I bought these last weekend, the Trader Joe's demo kitchen happened to be serving them with a mango chutney, so I bought some and did the same. These coconut curry chicken spring rolls are very good, although the flavors are slightly dominated by the lemon grass. Tightly wound, crispy wrappers, filled with chicken, cabbage, lemon grass, coconut and curry paste. A perfect party food or snack while waiting for dinner to be ready. I'll definitely stock these in my freezer again, and I suggest
you do the same.

Tuesday's Tasting - TJ's Lemon Grass Chicken

It's not a secret that Trader Joe's offers good food at fair prices, but did you know that Trader Joe's has a "no questions asked" product guarantee? I can't say the guarantee is an incentive for me to try new things, but it might be for you. Try something new, if you don't like it, bring it back and Joe will give you a full refund, no questions ask.

I personally have been enjoying Trader Joe's unique products for several years now, some so much that you'll find them in my pantry or freezer year round. Many of them have actually come from recommendations made by other Trader Joe's loyalists. Now it's my turn to share my opinion, every Tuesday, on what I'm finding at my local TJ's. Welcome to Tuesday's Tasting.

Trader Joe's stocks a diverse selection of frozen, prepared foods, both entrée and appetizer offerings. Although I've always been skeptical of frozen dinners, my wife has convinced me that TJ's rice bowls are good. So tonight's tasting, from Trader Joe's freezer case, is Trader Joe's Thai Style Lemon Grass Chicken & Seasoned Rice. I've been happy with Trader Joe's private label products in the past and one of my favorite meals to prepare comes from Trader Joe's freezer case, so I have high hopes for this meal. I can also read every ingredient in the list, another sign of hope for it's quality.

After five minutes in the microwave and two minutes of rest, presumably to prevent me from burning the #@!^ out of my mouth, I was enjoying this delicious dinner right. I was pleasantly surprised at how tender and juicy the chicken was. The green curry sauce had a very good balance of lemon grass, coconut and curry flavors and the green beans and carrots had good flavor, despite being previously frozen. The veggies did, however, exhibit the common characteristics of frozen vegetables, they did not have much snap. Nonetheless, I was impressed. Trader Joe did not disappoint me with this one.

Like I said, I've always been skeptical of frozen dinners so the bar was pretty low, but this meal was very good. I would recommend Trader Joe's Thai Style Lemon Grass Chicken & Seasoned Rice to anyone, frozen dinner lover or not. For nights that you don't feel like cooking, make sure you have one of these in the freezer. Trader Joe's has a whole line of frozen dinners, maybe of which I'll be reviewing for Tuesday's Tastings. In fact, I have three more flavors in my freezer that I'm now looking forward to.

Be sure to stop by next week for Tuesday's Tasting.