Last time we met, I was moaning and groaning about those unkillable cinnamon brooms at Trader Joe’s, but this month I saw just the opposite at the entrance of the store: beautiful wood decorative flowers. They don’t reek of anything, and they’re pretty. So that’s just a heads-up. In the food department, there hasn’t been much major innovation. Perhaps Joe has experienced some supply chain issues that are keeping the fried mashed potato bites or hard cranberry sauce seltzer held up in customs. Dunno. But the few new Thanksgiving products I did encounter—and the snowman who melts to death in your coffee mug!—were great, and there are some other hidden gems this month, except the watery squash bisque. Not that.
Coffee
Ethiopia Small Lot Coffee Bale Mountain
The truth is, if you’re adding milk or pumpkin spice oat milk to your coffee, how much will you taste the nuances of the bean? Get whatever you want, it’ll all work out in the end. I found this bag to be totally fine despite the hype about how “limited edition” it is and the cute leopard spots (yet no roast date—hmm). It’s not dark- or burnt-diner-coffee-tasting, and yet, nothing magical tingles the tongue. Maybe because it’s just coffee. It’s medium-roast and I feel medium about it.
Italian Roast Ground Espresso
Strong! Not medium!