No tomatoes, please

This weekend I went to Trader Joe’s for the second time in my life, but actually shopped there for the first time ever. The first time I went, it was right after the one in Charlotte had opened (and broken fire code), and it was a friggin zoo, and my mom and I were so freaked out by the sheer amount of hippie overwhelmingness that we just kind of ran away and wrote it off as a weird store filled with generic-brand organic food.

For those not in the know, which, apparently, was just my mother and I until this weekend, Trader Joe’s is basically a private-label grocery store that sells organic and interesting foods for super cheap.

But alas, I gave it another try. I went in with an open mind and a basket, and I shopped. I looked around at everything, and I bought too much. I even got some of the infamous “three buck Chuck,” (chardonnay and shiraz) and it was delicious. So delicious, in fact, that I kind of drank most of the bottle of chardonnay and was then unable to attend a rockin’ show that I wanted to go to. Almost kind of worth it, though.

Everything we have eaten from there has been surprisingly good, and of really good quality, and it was super cheap too! The best thing ever in the world that they sell are these 1-pound bags of frozen shrimp that are huge (16-20/pound) for like, $7 per bag. Though I thought the shrimp would be tough or otherwise completely fail to meet my expectations in some way, they defrosted really quickly and were so tender and beautiful, it made me really happy that I didn’t pay much for them. I kinda feel like I got away with something there.

So, anyhow, the other night, I used the shrimp to make a super delicious dish with some frozen artichoke tortellini we also bought. I basically just cooked the pasta, and in the time it took to cook it (7 minutes), I sauteed up a bunch of garlic, quickly sauteed the shrimp and finished it all off with some white wine and lemon juice and bam, done.

It took less than 10 minutes, seriously, and probably cost less than $15 altogether, and it was really really good. We also made a killer chicken curry last night and made some frozen naan from Trader Joe’s too. Like, srsly, it was awesome. I think there’s one in New York thank Odin.

Related:

Trader Joe’s [Web site] 

They like curry so much, they’re even starting a chain of Indian food restaurants. Not the British people as a whole, of course. I mean, just some of them. How many millions of dollars do you bet that the people starting the chain are not Indian? Just a thought…

Though some people are admittedly pissed, I’m not sure how I feel about this. I mean, I’d probably eat there if I lived in Britain, at least once. For me, Indian restaurants are so hit and miss, if the food is good to begin with, the uniformity would be refreshing.

I love Indian food. I mean, no joke, I super love it. They have Indian food at the dining hall twice a week, and when I lived on campus, I ate it every day they offered it. Twice a week. All semester. And it was just as glorious every week. As long as they have some Tikka Masala action or some lentils or even chickpeas, I’m so there.

As much as I abhor sub-par chain restaurants, I’m not sure I can get behind this. The best part about family-run Indian restaurants is that they’re all different. Even the worst Indian restaurants are still infinitely more delicious than any meal I’ve ever had at Chili’s or Macaroni Grill.

Related:

Can curry chain stand the heat?: [bbc.co.uk]

Picture Credit: [King of Curries]

My love for the wonder that is the rehydrated, powdered-cheese-sauced boxed scalloped potato can only be expressed in that most perfect of poetry forms: the haiku.   

Cardboard Potatoes

Dried chives and powdered cheese sauce

So damn delicious 

So much sodium

Preservatives, additives.

Alas! I love you.