These Are The 3 Best Things We Tried This Week

Summertime eating really has never been easier, especially for those of us with a pretty diverse pallet. This year, I’ve really been trying to take the opportunity to explore different international flavors and finding ways to not only enjoy them at restaurants, but to bring them home as well. And let’s be honest, sometimes we all just don’t have the time or energy to hand-make the items we want to integrate into our home kitchens. So, we have to look for creative solutions and really romanticize our summer habits.

Videos by Sporked

When I’m thinking of classic summer flavors from abroad to integrate into my summer menus, it’s only natural to venture to the Mediterranean a bit. The flavors from Turkey, Greece, Croatia, and Italy have my pantry in an absolute chokehold. So it’s only natural that the best things we ate this week take influence from the region. Here’s our top three things that we think you should try from what we’ve been munching on this week.

Trader Joe’s Dolmas

At this point, I feel like I’ve really mastered some of the staple Greek meals. But, despite having “mastered” the art of making stuffed grape leaves in culinary school, I can’t say it’s something I really have a desire to pursue on a weeknight. But that doesn’t mean that my menu should suffer. I mean, even if I’m eating at home, sometimes I still want an appetizer. I picked these up kind of on a whim last time I was at Trader Joe’s not expecting to be overwhelmingly satisfied. But they were under five dollars, and in the event that they were good I didn’t want to be missing out on such a deal on one of my favorite snacks.

As it turns out, these grape leaves are better than I could’ve imagined. Even though they’re imported from Greece, they’re coming out of cans, so I didn’t want to set myself up for disappointment. And that just made it all the more impressive when I tasted them. The grape leaves themselves are incredibly tender and the rice is beautifully soft and well seasoned. The marinade of fat and acid is densely rich with bright, aromatic citrus flavor. These are going to be integrated into my weekly hauls from now on, as a lifelong grape leaf lover. The ease inconvenience of these combined with the remarkably impressive flavor truly blew me away.

Costco Veroni Italian Antipasto

Anytime I get the opportunity to make a rich and delicious sandwich in the summertime, you better believe I’m gonna take it. And, with this antipasto platter from Costco, it’s cheaper and more delicious than ever to do. There are two varieties of salami, prosciutto, and a cured pork shoulder to choose from in the platter and not one of them is disappointing. It is tender and dense with rich flavor. Better yet, the diversity in the tray sets you up for an abundant array of possibilities. Keep your mind and your options open and this tray has something for everyone and every need.

Trader Joe’s Just A Handful Of Olives

Olives coming out of a foil package didn’t really sound very impressive to me at first, but I guess this week maybe I was just feeling a little bit pessimistic. Because, when I tasted these not only is the flavor great, but it’s not sacrificed by them not being actively soaked in brine. And the messiness is mitigated in the process. The meat of the Manzanilla olive is super satisfying, and it makes it feel like a more substantial snack. As someone who isn’t really a fan of anything sweet for on-the-go snacking, this was my ideal discovery. It’s nothing new from Trader Joe’s, but the flavors of this season make this an incredible packet to pick up.