Inside Trader Joe's

Each year, around this time, we reveal the winner of our annual Store Recipe Contest. While most of our contests center customer recipes, this one features recipes directly from the folks who know our products best – the Crew Members who work in our stores. This year, we received submissions from stores across the country, and we were stunned by both the quantity and the quality of the recipes – sweet, savory, and spicy recipes you could serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. We prepped, we cooked, and we ate our way to four delicious Runners-Up and one standout Winner. Listen in for all the details, point your browser to traderjoes.com for all the recipes, then head to your neighborhood Trader Joe's to pick up everything you'll need to make your favorites. Transcript (PDF)

Welcome to another episode of the Trader Joe's Wine Club, brought to you by Inside Trader Joe's. In this sip-sized segment, we have a couple of super suggestions for wines to serve for Thanksgiving. It's a big meal, filled with big flavors, and the right wine pairing for such a varied feast can seem elusive. Not anymore. Join us for a conversation with one of our resident wine whizzes, where we uncork a classic California Chardonnay, and a Pinot Noir that proves you can (and perhaps should) serve red wine with poultry. Then head to your neighborhood Trader Joe's to pick up a bottle for today, and another for your holiday meal, without busting your budget! Transcript (PDF)

We get a lot of questions at Trader Joe's. And we really love answering them. One question we get all the time is about our product names. Why are some of them just descriptive (say, Cauliflower Gnocchi) while others are decidedly silly (This Strawberry Walks Into a Bar, anyone?)? Every Trader Joe's product has a story to tell – sometimes that story is really straightforward, and sometimes it's silly and whimsical and fun. In the spirit of making grocery shopping a fun and exciting adventure rather than a mundane chore, we're always looking for the silly, the whimsical, and the fun. Have a listen, then head to your neighborhood Trader Joe's to find your favorite. (Midnight Moo, perhaps?) Transcript (PDF)

When the weather's warm (okay, scorching hot), and the last thing you want to do is heat up your kitchen, turning up the heat on your grill is a great way to get dinner on the table. In this episode of Inside Trader Joe's, we're going outside for some grilling tips from some of our grill-grate gurus. In place of the usual suspects, we're firing up some unexpected burgers and well-seasoned lamb. Then we're taking a trip through the garden to discover some truly delightful (and delicious!) veggies and fruits that really shine after a few quick minutes over an open flame. Have a listen, then switch off the oven, heat up the grill, and enjoy these dog (and burger!) days of summer. Transcript (PDF)

Welcome to another episode of the Trader Joe's Wine Club, brought to you by Inside Trader Joe's. In this sip-sized segment, we're going all-in on super sippers for summertime soirees, with bottles you may have missed in our wine section; wines that are excellent for afternoon barbecues, evenings with friends, and weekends relaxing on a patio chair. Listen in for a quick introduction to our favorite Italian Vermentino and a classic Pacific Northwest Pinot Noir, then head to your neighborhood Trader Joe's to pick up a bottle of each! Transcript (PDF)

We get a lot of questions at Trader Joe's. And we really love answering them. Especially when it means we get to eat ice cream. For research. To all those who ask what makes Trader Joe's ice cream so special, we say, all the things! It starts with high quality ingredients, and a dedication to making ice cream that over-delivers on all of your expectations – it's rich, it's creamy, it's incredibly flavorful, and you may be surprised by how it stacks up next to other so-called "premium" ice creams out there. Tune in to the latest in our series of bite-sized episodes, ITJ ICYMI, to really get the scoop on Trader Joe's ice cream. Transcript (PDF)