Yoojin Cho

Trader Joes 101

As a college student, especially as a girl who has never learned to cook properly before college, one of the biggest challenges for me came when I tried to eat well, healthy and on time.

According to a non-profit organization specializing in health, a healthy eating habit involves eating three meals a day (duh), consuming plenty of vegetables and fruits, sitting down to eat, giving enough time to digest and opting for healthy carbs, such as whole wheat or grains.

In between classes, meetings, internships and jobs, however, I have absolutely no time to manage all of the recommended eating tips.

By no means do I count calories and worry about gaining a half a pound. I love ribs, steaks and fried dough balls. I probably won’t hesitate to chow down a Big Mac. But when I have a chance to cook for myself and eat healthy withOUT paying an arm and a leg for “fresh” “organic” ingredients, I will.

Luckily, upon moving to Boston, I discovered a little store called Trader Joes.

For all of you Texans (or southerners) reading this, Trader Joes reminds me a lot of Sprouts (in Plano, TX) or a cheap version of Central Market. All in all, cheap, organic options available, fun and delicious.

Since I, in a way, graduated from dormitories and dining plans, I have done most of my grocery shopping at Trader Joes. Unlike what many people believe, I do NOT spend more than how much I would spend at Shaw’s, and the quality of fresh ingredients is so much higher.

Moreover, they always have witty signs, offer great samples and have the nicest people working there.

To be honest, I tend to buy too much every time I go to Trader Joes. As a food lover, apparently I just have no self-control when it comes to buying delicious goodies, but since I don’t ever regret any of my purchases, I’m still in the clear, right?

Among the 50+ items I always buy, here are some of my favorites.

Sparkling [Clementine, Blood Orange, Lemonade] Juice: If you love no-pulp juice, you’ll definitely love this. Only about $3, this sparkling juice, which comes in various flavors, can add a classy touch to your dinner table.

Hash Browns: One of my guilty pleasures, especially extremely early in the morning, is McDonald’s hash browns. I love breakfast and cannot function without any sustenance in the morning, so stocking up on fried potato goodness at only $1.50 from Trader Joes allows me to make my own hash browns with scrambled eggs.

Charles Shaw Wine: Well… $2.99 per bottle. Enough said. Despite the price, Pinot Grigio delivers the crisp, refreshing taste.

Salmon Filet: One of the main reasons why college students eat significantly more amount of chicken than fish or steak is probably the price. On our low weekly income, it’s simply too difficult to buy t-bone steaks or fresh fish. At Trader Joes, however, you can buy frozen salmon filet for only around $7 per pound. Bring two filet home, glaze them with lemon juice and brown sugar, bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees in the oven. Easy and affordable!

Mochi: Honestly, I don’t know how to describe a Mochi, except to say something like ice cream, but a whole lot better, and I love mango the best.

Chicken Chili: Spice up your nachos. A 2-pound bag of tortilla chips + Fresh salsa + Sour creme + Chicken chili + Shredded cheese = AMAZING NACHO GOODNESS. All from Trader Joes!

(This is the best I can do… What I buy comes in a can)

Chicken Dumplings: Craving dumplings but too lazy to pay a visit to a Chinese restaurant or simply don’t want to pay delivery fee? Never fear, Trader Joes offers many many dumplings in a bag that you can fry or boil in water.

If I do not stop now, I probably never will and list every single item sold at Trader Joes. On the other hand, I really would like everyone to know about these as well: Ciabatta rolls, Corn & Chile salsa, Fresh Tomato salsa, homemade sushi, lobster ravioli and Shell Mac & Cheese.

Delicious. Cheap. Fun.

One last thing… I ❤ Trader Joes Cookbook from Urban Outfitters. Every single ingredient required for each recipe in the book comes from… how did you guess? Trader Joes!

Now, off to look for excuses for another trip to my favorite grocery store!

Alfredo + Pesto = Om..Nom..Nom

One simple and easy way to make the ordinary pasta dish extra special:

Mix 2 part Alfredo sauce and 1 part Pesto and toss with cooked pasta! (Chicken Optional)

For all you visual people out there, let’s make this even simpler…

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First disclaimer, I picked Classico only because Google Image provided me with a nice picture of Classico jars on the first page, therefore I did not have to browse many pages.

Second, this is an extremely simple recipe. Sorry I’m not sorry if you already knew about this. I’m just reiterating how amazing the combination of alfredo and pesto can be.

I first discovered the pasta toss with this special mixture, pepper, peas and chicken at my friend’s place. Ever since then, I always stir in a bit of pesto into my alfredo sauce every time I make pasta, which, let’s be real, is every other day.

For pasta lovers, it’s a fun way to make your spaghetti, farfalle or rotini a bit more flavorful. Not to mention, an adventurous segway from traditional marinara.

Hing Loon in Boston? No, Mary Chung in Central Square

London nostalgia: An awesome cheap dinner outing that is Hing Loon with a bottle of Pinot, crispy aromatic duck, sweet & sour chicken, a big bowl of egg fried rice and szechuan beef.

If you have read my previous post about just how much we loved the nice man at Hing Loon, a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant in the middle of Leicester Square in London, you know and understand my love for sweet & sour chicken, cheap food and fun dining experiences.

Since my return to Boston, however, I simply hit a wall in a search for a Hing Loon alternative.

To be fair, I have not tried many Asian restaurants in Allston, especially near Harvard Ave. and Brighton Ave. Nevertheless, my options for authentic Chinese cuisine in downtown Boston mainly include Panda Express and P.F Chang.

I know. Neither is quite…authentic.

Well, at least nothing like what Hing Loon offered.

Luckily, the topic of ethnic cuisine came up in a conversation with one of my co-workers at BU about a few weeks ago. She lives in Central Square, apparently a home to many different “unique” eateries.

Though I have lived in Boston for three years and have explored various food places, for some odd reason, I had never been to Central Square. I suppose you learn (try) something new every day. So I ended up yelping and googling “Best Chinese Restaurants in Boston.”

After clicking around for a few places here and there, I found Mary Chung in Cambridge.

I know this may be an unconventional way of judging whether a place is “authentic” enough or not, but for me, it works. The homepage is in Chinese, and you have to look for a small “English” button to translate the site. Win.

Before I dive into our dining experience at Mary Chung, a small fact to keep in mind. For a picky veggie-free eater (i.e. me), the fact that I love a certain dish from a restaurant means a lot.

I realize peppers, onions, eggplants, scallions and zucchini all add wonderful flavors to food, but sadly, I just cannot tolerate the texture. And unfortunately for me, most Asian dishes incorporate many many many kinds of vegetables. Once in a while, I will eat a few pieces of onions and peppers here and there, but over all, I always have difficulty choosing an entree and devouring everything on the plate.

Little did I know Mary Chung came with a huge surprise – dishes with limited number of vegetables and with only the ones that I like. Real win.

A couple more surprises upon arrival:

They seated us promptly as soon as we walked into the restaurant, despite our number. Seven is a fairly large group.

Quite a hole-in-the-wall location. While the bright green sign outside on Massachusetts Avenue draw attention to Mary Chung’s immediately, other than that, it’s just a small place.

Families! Kids! Everywhere! which obviously means, oh hey, kids-friendly veggie-free dishes.

Seven of us ordered Sweet & Sour Shrimp, Beef & Broccoli, Baby Bokchoy, Chicken and Shrimp Dumplings, Szechuan Chicken and Sesame Chicken. Total cost including tip & tax? $12 per person. Glorious.

My favorite was Sweet and Sour Shrimp. Fried shrimps doused in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples, onions and peppers. Second favorite was beef & broccoli, nothing out of ordinary, but tasty!

Honestly, I did not have the guts to try the spicy (Szechuan) chicken, but according to my friends who love the extra kick in their food, Szechuan didn’t disappoint either.

They were also extremely generous with rice, which we all love, and the wait staff was patient, friendly and helpful.

All in all, what a great experience! I highly recommend Mary Chung’s if you have the sudden cravings for Szechuan food.

Oh yes, I’m pretty sure we found a Hing Loon look-alike in Boston.

Exactly a Year Ago…

August 2, 2010. Exactly one year ago, I received possibly the most devastating news EVER. Now as I look back on what happened, I realize how precious and valuable each and every friend I have are.

August 2, 2009. I remember I decided to go home for a bit since I had been giving campus tours twice a day in the extreme Boston heat and had not taken any time off at all. I knew I wanted to spend my 21st birthday in Boston, so I went home to good ol’ TX during the first week of August.

First few days consisted of the typical “home” itinerary: eat Mexican food, go shopping with mom and grandma, eat A LOT of home-cooked meals, watch TV, buy shoes. You know the drill.

Then with about three days left in Plano, one of my best friends from high school texted me. “Please pray for Ted. He had been in an accident.”

What?

Okay.

I went to bed wondering what in the world had happened. The next morning, I woke up to another text message. “He didn’t make it. He passed.”

WHAT?

Just like that, I lost one of my best friends.

Ted donated his organs and saved many lives, including that of a small child.

He taught everyone he knew how to be a good friend.

I miss him dearly because as my guy-bestest-friend-who-wears-cowboy-hats, I could talk to him about everything, and he listened and knew exactly what to say.

I miss his huge smile, his bear hugs and his lovely Oklahoma/Texas accent.

And it’s already been a year. Wow.

So Ted, Teddy Bear, my best friend, here’s to you. Rest in peace.

(Yeah, we were M&M’s for Halloween. So what? Freshmen year, was it? Oh man. I’m old.)

(Sophomore year trip to Boston & New York where I decided I was going to college in Boston.)

(I believe this was our senior year in HS. We both look a little more normal than in previous pics.)

(Right before we all left for college. Reunion Tower dessert. Yum.)