Ham and Cheese Crepe Escape

Rating: Three-and-a-Half out of Five Tiki Idols

This crepe was a new item at my TJs today (I was there yesterday and didn't see it, so it must be brand new). I tried it with the mini Chicken Soup bowl (see other review) for lunch.

This comes with two crepes in one package, but the serving suggestion is one crepe. I microwaved it, and the ham (which I'm pretty sure is deli-sliced Black Forest ham) slid out during the microwaving process. I pushed it back in with my fork when I was ready to eat it.

The ham is pretty salty (that was the key reason for the moderate rating on this item). The cheese was tasty, but there wasn't enough of it (that's probably why this crepe has only 4.5g of fat).

The crepe itself (the wrap/dough/whatever) was chewy, but not in a bad way. It could have been really dry, or really soggy, but it stood up to microwaving pretty well.

I would definitely eat this again. In fact, I have the other half of this package that I will eat next time I'm in the office.

White Stilton with Dates and Oranges

Rating: Four out of Five Tiki Idols

I felt like trying something new, and my cheese cravings as of late have become intense and unavoidable (damn you, delicious cheese!), so I picked up this new cheese at TJs.

Taste = delicious! It tastes mostly of oranges, slightly of dates, and even more slightly of stilton.
Texture = very crumbly. It's not weird or upsetting, but this cheese crumbles when you cut it, not what I'd expect from a stilton. I think this has to do with the "mix-ins" of dates and oranges. I smeared/smashed it on a cracker, and it tasted fine.

I'm keeping a cube of this in the office fridge for my morning/afternoon/anytime snack attacks.

2005 XS Red Cabernet Sauvignon

Rating: Five out of Five Tiki Idols

I'm still a starving student, but I can afford to drink this wine as much as I like. At $4 a bottle, it's a steal of a deal. It's smooth, robust, and delicious. I like to drink it with any hearty meal, most recently with steak. We buy this three bottles at a time, just so we never run out. It's been our go-to red wine as of late, and it will be until the next vintage comes out or until I drink my Trader Joe's entire supply.

Three Layer Hummus Dip

Rating: Four out of Five Tiki Idols

This dip is actually in three layers on top of each others if you don't shake it up on the car ride to your friend's house (that's what I did). The bottom layer is orange hummus (spicy?), the middle layer is green hummus (pesto?), and the top layer is beige hummus (regular?).

Find this in the refrigerator case near the other hummus dips.

Eat this with pita chips or on toast, or however else you would eat hummus.

Prosciutto

Rating: Three out of Five Tiki Idols

This prosciutto is nice, but not great. First, it's very salty. I know prosciutto should be salty, but this is excessive. It tears apart nicely at the seams (the fat ripple through the middle), but it can be tough to tear with your teeth if you eat it in a sandwich.

For a really yummy treat, slice some baguette, toast it up, put on some nice olive oil and brie cheese, and top that with this prosciutto. Delish! Eat that with a few kalamata olives and a glass of red, and you're living like Tony Soprano.

Challah Loaf

Rating: Four out of Five Tiki Idols

I love challah. My addiction began in seventh grade (that's Grade 7 to you Canadians) when my best friend had a loaf at her house every time I went over there. I would toast it up and slather on some butter. About 10 years later, my heavy challah habit left me with a well-deserved spare tire... But that's neither here nor there.

This challah has good, smooth flavor, but the loaf is too chewy. It's great to pull off pieces and pop them in your mouth and add a little butter.

However, the best thing to do with this challah is make French Toast out of it. Slice it about an inch thick, coat with eggs mixed with milk, and fry up for a few minutes. It takes a little bit of work (but about as much as making some eggs), but it will be well worth it.

I'd buy this again, but mostly to make French Toast out of.

Ham and Cheese on Puff Pastry

Rating: Four out of Five Tiki Idols

With these little bites, you are 20 minutes away from a delicious appetizer (or lunch, if you're my boyfriend). For $5, you get 15 pieces. Find these in the freezer section. Bake for 20 minutes, and you're done! Each piece is in its own compartment on the tray, which makes for quick cooking.

Ham and Cheese on Puff Pastry has good flavor, but can be a little greasy and not very crunchy. If they were cooked on a baking sheet instead of in their container, they probably would have been crunchier. But, they're really yummy anyway. There's just enough cheese to get the flavor without being too heavy. The downside: you want to eat like 10 of them! In fact, my boyfriend did just that when we first bought these. The benefit: Buying two packages so there's enough for two of you to munch on.