The cheese thing is just the tip of the iceberg. My understanding is that the fda also bars the importation of akagai (red clam) from Japan. And there was a time when they banned Szechuan peppercorns! Beyond food, they prevent doctors from using life-saving medical treatments, whether or not the patient consents.
Honestly, I don’t know what’s going through their heads, but a big part of it is they have to justify their existences. In that sense maybe it’s not their fault, it’s the president’s fault. But it’s a shame after what recently happened in Paris.
Anyway, I’m done in this thread. But im sure I’m right about the TJ Bordeaux thing. Bordeaux is indisputably a bad value, and the reason I gave is the only reason for TJ to carry it.
I just don’t want anyone to think I’m a snob. I went to Mexicali taco co, today and it was good
Sorry if this offends you but I think you live in a fantasy world… And c’mon let’s be honest Venice and Florence are not major metropolitan cities, more so if you are trying to compare vs. the likes of LA, NYC, Chicago, London, Paris etc. unfortunately not many people can feed their entire family everyday on $15 sammies from Gjusta etc. or have time to stroll mid-day leisurely through farmers markets.
Mexicali is a pretty snobby taqueria though isn’t it? =P
I was just genuinely curious what interest is even served by the banning of things like unpastuerized cheese lol
Kind of funny. I agree that the FDA is oddly whack, but it seems like there should be SOME oversight about food… large corporations, of which America expertly produces, are fond of poisoning people for profits.
So how’s that going for you? I really have no problem at all with anyone who is able to live their life that far off the urban grid. It’s just the way some of them are so dismissive of others who don’t. Would I be far off in guessing that you don’t own a TV? No problem with that either, but it would make the image more complete.
I doubt it’s a fantasy world, he probably just comes from a great deal of wealth, and therefore just has that as his main perspective on life. It’s as valid as any other perspective I imagine. But of course most of us aren’t so fortunate, so his words chafe a bit… but it’s hard for any of us to imagine a world outside of the one we have known from birth.
I’m a huge food snob. I buy most of my produce and meat direct from farmers. I drive across town to get bread direct from the bakery since it’s hours fresher than the loaves at my neighborhood independent grocer. When I go to France I get depressed about the relatively low quality of bread and produce.
So when I shop at Trader Joe’s, I know what the fuck I’m doing: getting top-quality products at the best price.
Obviously I pick and choose. I would not buy their produce and their tortilla chips might be the worst in the world.
I was there today and got organic free range eggs, half-n-half, greek yogurt, fresh sauerkraut, barvarian bratwurst (from Nuremberg, Germany), sweet cream butter, pound+ dark chocolate bar for baking, vodka, dark chocolate peanut butter cups and a couple bottles of wine. A good fill-in run of some household basics.
I rank TJ’s full fat Greek yogurt highest against any that I’ve tried. All I eat for breakfast M-F for breakfast is yogurt, nuts and fruit and this has been the most enjoyable for me. I also drain off the whey and have the most wonderful labne-like dairy cream.
Sorry. The whey is the liquid that separates from the solids. It has nutritional value (protein?) but I’ve never pursued what to do with it.
Anyway, draining off the whey from the yogurt leaves you with a product like labne but even thicker and creamier, similar to mascarpone or cream cheese but with a tart flavor. It works in both savory or sweet applications.
i also like their fresh/refrigerated half gallons of organic orange juice and will make a special trip to tjs just for that.
imho, the other prepackaged ojs don’t compare.
