1 (8 oz) tube refrigerated crescent rolls
When I first met Celine Cossou, prolific cook and owner of of Celine's Cuisine, I found her so engaging that I completely lost track of time. It was a rainy morning and we met at my favorite coffeeshop, The Pannikin, in Encinitas. Nearly 3 hours later, we glanced at our watches and couldn't believe how the time had flown. Celine is a joy to talk with and it's so easy to feel her passion about food. Celine grew up in the south of France and it reflects in her simple yet sophisticated style of cooking (see the recipe below for just one example). She teaches cooking classes in Temecula and Murrieta, the latter of which includes a popular "Cooking with Trader Joe's" cooking class. H
er shopping is a blend of Trader Joe's and the farmers market and local sources, which is also the way I love to shop for my food. And take it from me, she knows her Trader Joe's inside out! Read on for Celine's favorite TJ products, great tips, and two wonderful recipes - you won't be disappointed! Misc
- Almond Meal
- Dark Morello Cherries (jarred)
- Peaches in white grape syrup (jarred)
- Organic pastas
- Nuts: Halzenuts, Almonds, Walnuts.... great selection at really affordable prices
- Olive Oil
- White balsamic vinegar
- Organic quinoa
- Chocolate Petite Batons (tiny crispy cookies; I buy between 6- 10 boxes at a time!)
- 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate imported from Belgium
Frozen
- Chocolate croissants: my family's favorite
- Croissants: the same as in Paris
- Wild mushroom and Truffle flat bread (my 5 yr old daughter's favorite) done the Tuscany way!
- Tarte Alsacian: so delicate it makes my mouth water
- Orange chicken (my 5 yr old daughter's favorite)
- Fried rice (my 5 yr old son's favorite)
- Pie crust: a real find! Great for savory tarts, quiche, sweet tart, fruits tarts
- Haricots Verts, frozen: the best, in a salad or served warm
- Parisian Macarons: so delicate and elegant
- Raspberry Tart: summer on your palate!
Yogurt/ dairy/ cheeses
- Plain Village yogurt, cream on the top
- Organic Probiotics Strawberries Smoothies
- Heavy cream: the best for whipped cream and homemade ice cream
- Trio Goat Cheeses
- Raclette cheese
Bread/ cakes
- Artisan Par-baked breads: Filone, Ciabatta, Baguette ... the kitchen smells like a real Parisian Boulangerie when you "bake" these!
- Brioche: the best, like the ones in France, great for French toast or just plain
people to in your classes? 

These baked pears are an elegant dessert, rich with aromas of vanilla,honey, and spice. Baked pears are a true classic - a light dessert that can be enjoyed any day of the week, yet sophisticated enough for your fancier dinners. Serve them plain or topped with nuts, vanilla whipped cream, sweetened mascarpone, or even a tiny scoop of ice cream. Baked pears are versatile enough that they could even be served as a side to a main meal - no really, picture them as a side to roasted pork, chicken or Cornish hens. You can even top them with a savory sprinkle of crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola - a classic pairing with pear (check out our Perfectly Peared Gorgonzola Quesadillas in our original Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's cookbook, page 23)
Do you remember Seinfeld's Soup Nazi? "No soup for you!" The first time I heard of mulligatawny was on the “Soup Nazi” episode, as Kramer’s favorite soup. No wonder people were willing to wait in line for this fantastic soup of vegetables, sweet apples, mild curry, and creamy yogurt. I make a lightning-fast version using mirepoix (chopped onions, celery, and carrots - Trader Joe's sells mirepoix ready-to-use), a ready-made curry sauce (the tasty Masala Simmer Sauce), and all-natural applesauce. It's more traditional to use chopped apples that are cooked down over hours of simmering, but I think applesauce is a great shortcut and brings the flavors together in minutes.
If you want guacamole, Trader Joe's makes it easy. I'll show you a quick "homemade" version I like, but the options don't end there. There are several ready made varieties such as Avocado's Number Guacamole and many Trader Joe's stores carry handy guacamole kits (a produce container containing two avocados, an onion, a jalapeno, a garlic clove, a shallot, and a tomato). Or you can make your own guacamole from scratch using the bags aplenty of ripe avocados and any additions from fresh lime to chopped cilantro to sea salt to diced tomato. We have two huge avocado trees in our backyard, and we've made endless variations. With delicious, creamy avocados, it's hard to mess up, so don't get tied down by feeling you can't stray from a particular recipe or formula.
I recently met Becky Nero - mom, cook, and creator of the blog, Becky's Big Bytes, filled with her funny insights and useful tips. I enjoy asking what other people love at Trader Joe's, so I asked Becky and she didn't hold back in telling me! Being a mom myself, I asked for Becky's pointers on cooking with (and for) kids, and she had some great ones. Becky also shared her fantastic Trader Joe's-inspired recipe using Israeli Couscous (recipe below). 
We are big fans of Almondina cookies. Trader Joe's carries the original flavor of these thin, crisp cookie-biscuits and we almost always have it in our carts. Wona and I don't do a huge number of straight product reviews aside from things we use in recipes, but once in a while we'll tell you about something we really love. We contacted Almondina not too long ago and asked if they would please sponsor an Almondina giveaway to our readers. We were thrilled for two reasons: First of all, they said yes (woohoo! details below!). Second, they told us that a new flavor was going to be hitting Trader Joe's stores. What!? Yes, they said, (cue fanfare)...Chocolate Cherry.
The polenta is firm and a bit crumbly when cold, but when heated, it turns into warm, soft layers of cornmeal. Absolutely delicious!
ally have a soapy coating that can be bitter. Processing usually removes this coating, but it varies from brand to brand, so it's a good idea to give quinoa a quick rinse before using. If the water becomes slightly sudsy, then you know that the coating was there.
I spent most of last week in Southern Mississippi, via travel through New Orleans, and far far away from a Trader Joe's. While this post in no way captures the breadth of Southern cuisine, I thought I'd share a sampling of what I ate with you (and share a
very simple dish or two I made while I was there). I forgot my camera back in San Diego, so all the photos are taken with my new iPhone - please excuse any blurriness or other issues as I fumbled with my phone taking shots of the meals. Upon landing in New Orleans, we met up with my husband's parents (who
live in Mississippi) and headed over to Drago's Seafood Restaurant
where we enjoyed their famous Charbroiled Oysters. The crew put on quite a show (dangerous prying with sharp knives, setting tall flames, and a few tiny pearls they gave us) as the kids and I watched them shuck and cook the oysters. The oysters were fresh and good - lots of butter, garlic, spices and salt (maybe a bit too much salt for me...) It was balanced out with a nice Mediterranean salad tossed with a vinaigrette and topped with fresh lump crabmeat (and a lemon slice dipped in red pepper to squeeze over it all). More than anything it shows the importance of freshness of your ingredients - in seafood-oriented places like New Orleans, take advantage of local and fresh seafood when you can.
y wanted to do in Mississippi. They both excitedly replied, "fishing!" so we set out a few days later to catch dinner. We drove to a friend's man-made pond stocked with fish an hour or so away. On the way there, I heard Larry make a call to someone named Dickie Joe telling him, "If you see someone fishing in your pond, it's just us so don't shoot." I think he was joking... maybe. We caught plenty for dinner and a few hours later we were back home with cornmeal-dusted and panfried fillets on our plates. Now that's fresh. While my mother-in-law Mary was preparing some grits and a squash casserole, I found some nice asparagus in the fridge that we could add to the meal. Asparagus is an early season crop and there is plenty of nice and well-priced asparagus in the stores and at farmer's markets this time of year. The stovetop was busy, so I roasted it in the oven, which is a great way to prepare anything from Brussels sprouts to bell peppers to potatoes to green beans to carrots.
vinegar. For an Asian dressing, maybe seasoned rice vinegar and a touch of sesame oil. If you like, add fresh herbs, add a little kick with a stoneground mustard or a little chili oil, stir in some garlic, or add a little sweetness with agave or honey. I added a little honey to ours since my in-laws also have their own bee hive out in their woods! Can't get honey that's more local than that!
When asked what I wanted to do during the trip, I thought it would be great to visit some antebellum homes. Natchez, Mississippi has a really nice collection of historic homes, several of which are still in the hands of the families that originally owned them. All the docents are dressed in period costumes, and it's kind of magical to hear them talk
about growing up in the house or saying something like, "that was my great-great—great-grandaddy's desk." Neat! In the town of Natchez, we grabbed a bite at the Stanton Hall restaurant. My mother-in-law Mary had been there before, so when it came time to order, I said, "I'll have what she's having." It turned out to be Tomato Aspic followed by a plate of classic Southern Fried Chicken and sides. If you've never had Tomato Aspic, it's a very old-fashioned food and I can only describe it as a mold of V8 Jello. Yeah, that's what I thought too. Mary mentioned that she hardly ever sees Aspic served anywhere and wondered why. "Perhaps it's the name," I suggested. (If I ever want to have an immature Beavis & Butthead-style chuckle, all I have to do is say,"Tomato Aspic" out loud and that seems to do it).
On our way out of town, we spent an afternoon back in New Orleans, strolling the French Quarter and visitng a few art galleries and antique shops (most memorable being M.S. Rau Antiques - an amazing museum-caliber collection without the intimidating atmosphere one might expect of a place where nearly everything is too expensive for price tags). We grabbed a bite a
t Luke's Brasserie, which is a John Besh Restaurant. I ordered a Louisiana Shrimp "En Cocotte" (means served like a small casserole) with McEwen & Sons White Corn Grits and Poche's Andouille. I also ordered a Grilled Paillard of Organic Chicken with Local Greens, Crostini, and Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette. The chicken was exceptionally tender with fantastic flavor, and the shrimp was fresh, complex, and spicy (a bit too spicy for the kids, but they happily ate the chicken).
Later in the day, we made a stop for beignets (French doughnuts topped with tons of white powdered sugar) and coffee with chicory. Cafe du Monde is the most famous stop for beignets, always crowded, and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week! My two new rules for eating beignets: