The New Rockstars: Retailers

Retailers: The new rock stars.

The objects around which fandom happens are broadening as the internet enables more and more taste-based social organizing. No longer restricted to pop bands, movie stars, television shows, sports teams, and science fiction novels, fans can now unite around retailers! One great example of this is the online fan phenomena regarding Trader Joes, a socially-conscious grocery store. I have a friend who moved recently — one of the things she was most excited about was the presence of a Trader Joes in her new town (though IKEA moving in soon ranked a close second). Another friend has described herself as “in love” with Trader Joes, and a third insisted on taking me there when I visited her town. Trader Joe fans spread their gospel online too: Among the Trader Joe fan sites are Are You A Trader Joe’s Fan? which specializes in recipes that can be made with Trader Joe purchases, Tracking Trader Joes, where fans gather to track store openings and events, and the all-purpose Calling All Trader Joe’s Fans. There are also sites like Nancy Dowling’s Trader Joes: A Love Fest, with links to dozens of articles about the stores but no fan interaction. Media have caught on to the phenomenon, with articles about Trader Joe’s online fans showing up in The York Dispatch, the Twin Cities Pioneer Press (”Trader Joe’s Fans Prove Retailers Are The New Rock Stars”), and elsewhere.


Here are some recipes from traderjoesfan.com





Baked Brie with Cranberries

SAUCE:
¾ cup whole berry Cranberry Sauce
½ cup dried currants
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp gound ginger
¼ cup ruby port

1 wheel brie or 2 wedges brie
¼ cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Combine the first five ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens – about 10 min. Remove top crust from brie and place on baking dish. Warm for 10 min at 350°.
Pour sauce over brie and serve.

Sprinkle with walnuts and serve with crackers!

Note: I added blackberries and apples to the sauce as it heated and substituted pecans for the walnuts with good results. Try your own combo!!You could also wrap the brie in puff pastry or several layers of phyllo dough and bake until golden.



Balsamic Salmon and Veggies

4 (5-6 ounce) Trader Joes Wild Alaska Salmon fillets
½ Cup Trader Joes Basalmic Vinegar Glaze
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 Packages Trader Joes Fire Roasted Basalmic Butter Sauced Vegetables
1 Cup fresh Chinese Pea Pods

Heat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush fillets with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with dill.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving the skin behind on the foil.

Meanwhile, prepare vegetables following package instructions, stir in the fresh pea pods.

To Serve: Arrange ¼ of the veggies on each of four warmed plates. Place a portion of salmon fillets on top of veggies.
Optional: Garnish with sprigs of fresh dill or thin lemon or lime slices.

Makes 4 servings



Artichoke Dip

2 cans TJ Artichoke Hearts
1/2 cup TJ Mayo
3/4 cup TJ Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
1 Large TJ Onion
2 Tbsp TJ Lemon Juice
4 Cloves TJ Garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp TJ Olive Oil
1 Tbsp TJ Italian Seasoning
1 cup TJ [shredded] Cheddar
1/4 cup TJ dry white wine
1 tsp TJ Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
1 bag TJ Tortilla Chips

Process all except chips in food processor, reserving 4 Artichoke Hearts & 2/3 cup Cheddar; quarter the reserved Artichoke Hearts.

Pour processed mixture into greased 9 x 9 baking dish.

Top with reserved shredded cheddar.

Bake at 350 F 20-30 minutes; till bubbly.

Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Source: traderjoesfan.com