Tag: trader joe’s

Trader Joe’s Chocolate Lava Cakes

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Two nights ago my hero-of-a-hubby asked for a favor … he wanted some chocolate treats in the house. Which means he wanted me to bake his favorite = brownies. But I had a full day on Friday and knew I wouldn’t be able to get any baking in…

So I stopped by Trader Joe’s. And I found these… Chocolate Lava Cakes!

They are packaged two to a box… already cooked, packaged and then frozen individually.

Remove the packaging, including the cup … and then you can either cook them in the microwave (one at a time) or bake them together in the oven.

In hindsight though, I think I should have turned the cups over and so the cake was “upside down”… right? Not sure if the packaging instructed me to do so… but I seem to remember seeing them that way… right? Who knows… (admittedly, they won’t taste any different)

My Friend Debbie also suggests to cook these about 3 minutes less than the box says… this will ensure that the “lava” flows freely from the center when they are broken into…

And of course she was right… the lava flowed. And my hero-of-a-hubby was happy to have chocolate.

Someday I’ll bake these from scratch… but Trader Joe’s version was a lifesaver last night!

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

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Spices, spices, spices… a tip from Trader Joe’s

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I hope Trader Joe’s lawyers don’t mind if I graciously link their company’s INGENIUS newsletter to my food blog. Afterall I’m giving them credit where credit is due… I’m directing you back to their website and I’m talking about how INGENIUS they are! (who could ask for more?!)

After all… I admire their honesty, their willingness to help me get my hands on quality spices for cheaper and for helping me look good in the kitchen.

Below is a very short blurb from Trader Joe’s Southern California October 2010 Fearless Flyer … for the full version of Trader Joe’s witty tips and wise thoughts, check out pages 12 and 13 in the link above.)

” Here’s the deal with spices: there are only a handful of truly high quality spice manufacturers in the world, and we happen to do business directly with one of them. By doing this, we are able to get rid of all the “hidden” costs usually spent on advertising, display fixtures, brand-building, promotions and those slotting fees we mentioned. Instead, at Trader Joe’s we put the spices in our own label and we don’t mark up our prices to sky-high proportions just to recover all those
“hidden” costs. “


So don’t be scared off… get the right spices. They are affordable… just find the right place to buy them.

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

A favorite: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Croissants

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I owe my friend Jan a HUGE THANK YOU! Now, to answer the question on why it took me so long to pick these up at Trader Joe’s and try them for myself…

WHY, oh why, did I wait so long?!


You can find them in the frozen food section… they are packaged in a box of 4. Trust me on this one… buy more than just 1 box.


Follow the instructions on the back of the box: lay them out on a buttered/lined cookie sheet, seam side down. And allow them to thaw, raise overnight…

Approximately 10 hours later this is what they look like.

To give the tops of the croissants, brush them each with a little bit of egg wash. And then place them in the oven.


About 20-25 mins later this is what you have…

If you can stand it, allow them to cool for about 10 mins and then eat ONLY one… I dare you!

But don’t take my word for it… try them for yourself!

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

Quick Bolognese and another panini…

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Another quick dinner for a hot summer…

I found a recipe on the back of the package for Trader Joe’s pappardelle (egg noodle). So I tried it.

This is what it looks like.

But you can’t tell by looking at the picture how it tasted.

So, let me ask my hero-of-a-hubby what he thought.

He thought that he wanted to lick the plate clean. And that he did…

I’d say that was pretty scrumptious.

And the panini? It’s very simply italiano pane bread (soft, soft, soft bread) with provolone slices inside. I drizzled a little bit of olive oil on the outisde of the bread… and squished it between the panini grill and the panini press. And when I pulled the sandwich off the grill I rubbed it with a large garlic clove… just to leave a hint of garlic on the crispy bread.

My hubby also wanted another sandwich…

I’d say this dish will definitely reappear on our table at some point in the future…

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

Pain au Chocolat… aka chocolate croissant, my nemesis

Lori Tisdale3 Comments

I was watching “The Best Thing I Ever Ate – Sweet Tooth” on Food Network the other day. And Chef David Myers waxed poetic about the pain au chocolate at the Tartine Bakery. With a hushed voice it sounded as if he was speaking of a secret lover…

And then all I could think about for the rest of the day was the first pain au chocolat I enjoyed when I was working/living in Geneva, Switzerland. On my walk to work there was a patisserie … that smelled oh so good!

It became a special treat for me…. on Tuesdays, and sometimes Fridays. (They were closed on the weekends… you see my dilemma!)

Fast forward about 10 years, a french bakery came to my downtown area: A Delight of France: French Bakery and Bistro.

My Tuesday ritual started again. But somewhere along the way life took over and the ritual stopped.

Until I saw/heard Chef David Myers confessing to his favorite sweet tooth treat.

So, can you guess what I did next?!

(silence please… and a hush came over the crowd)


You see, they make the pastry… and before baking it there are pieces of chocolate layered inside, ever so gently. They melt just perfectly. It creates two “tunnels” of chocolate… and makes you long for more.

And the flaky exterior… there are no words…

But don’t take my word for it, go find one for yourself!

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

Ode to summer… my version of bruschetta…

Lori Tisdale2 Comments


This is a picture of beauty… just a couple ingredients, usually a glass of wine, and memories of good times…

So, I believe that it was Debbie who came up with this idea… and it stuck. This is our version of bruschetta… it’s not fancy, but it’s perfect for us.


Slice up the bread… and I highly recommend fresh sourdough…

Turn on the broiler… and drizzle olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt/black pepper over your bread…

While it’s heating up and while your bread is toasting, dice up the mozzarella cheese and roma tomates…



Find a nice little bowl, stir it all together and make your mix… there’s no right or wrong answer to the proper amount of tomatoes vs. cheese. Just make it yours…


And once your bread is nice and toasted… we’re ready to start assembling our bruschetta…


First, take a spoon full of this wonderful basil pesto (from Trader Joe’s)…

… and plop it onto a half-slice of toasted bread…


… and spread it around to cover your toast…

… and top it with your tomato and cheese mix…


… doesn’t that look pretty?!


oh, yeah… and it tastes good too! now kick back and enjoy… it maybe February, but summer’s a-comin’!!! And in the summer, it’s tradition, we eat bruschetta…

And, for a quick close-up of the star of the show…


Debbie – if we had a $1 for every time we’ve enjoyed bruschetta together, laughed together and cried together… well … all I know is, I so appreciate your friendship! I cannot imagine what life would be like without you in it…

enjoy your time in the kitchen…