Lilikoi / Passion Fruit is one of my favorite fruits, it has one of the most delicious and distinctive flavors – just a taste of it will bring back so many beautiful memories of Hawaii. I was shopping at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Plano, Tx and ran across Hawaiian Sun’s Lilikoi Jelly and grabbed it immediately so I could use it for macarons. I’m really happy with how these turned out, they’re little bites of the tropics 🏝 I use the Swiss meringue method for these macarons, with a few unconventional steps – you can read more about these techniques in my original Swiss Method Macaron Recipe here, there are also tips & tricks in ⬅️ that post if you’re new to making macarons. I used Russian…
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Continue ReadingVietnamese Baked Chicken (Gà Nướng) is an super easy dish to prep, the secret to this delicious dish is in the marinade, it’s packed with flavorful ingredients like oyster sauce, fish sauce (umami!!), five spice, garlic and honey. Cooking…
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Continue ReadingDin Tai Fung’s Cucumber Salad is one of their most popular appetizers, I order it almost every time I eat there. It’s light and refreshing, with a hint of spice – the crisp cucumbers are tossed in a dressing made…
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Continue ReadingMake delicious teriyaki chicken bowls at home using Soyaki , Trader Joe’s unique teriyaki sauce. It’s the best flavor if you grill the chicken on a bbq (California-style), seriously tastes better than most restaurants! Top it with your favorite veggies…
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Continue ReadingI loved rice krispie treats as a kid, it was always such a simple and delicious snack that anyone could make. I still enjoy them every once in a while, but nowadays I like to experiment with different flavors. This…
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Continue ReadingLemon Cheesecake Macarons are one of my favorite flavors to make – the tartness from the lemon curd balances out the sweetness of the macaron shells really well. The filling is also extremely quick to make, you just hand stir…
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Continue ReadingThis is a copycat recipe of Trader Joe’s Vegetable Bird’s Nests, which is a simple kakiage tempura made with onions, carrots and kale. You can enjoy it with rice or Trader Joe’s new Matcha Soba Noodles. An easy way to…
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Continue ReadingDash, drive or fly to your nearest Trader Joe’s and pick up a box or two of their Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle mix! Of course you can make yummy waffles, but you can also make baked Ube Mochi Donuts…
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Continue ReadingWhite Rabbit Candies were one of my childhood favorites – they were chewy like caramels and tasted like sweetened condensed milk. I also love the beautiful graphic and packaging design – it’s so iconic! Sometime around 15+ years ago, these…
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Continue ReadingThe perfect summer time dessert, delicious Blueberry Cobbler with a big scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. I used frozen blueberries and Trader Joe’s Cake mix to make the crumble topping – one of the easiest baked desserts you can make.…
Hi everyone! I’m Van, the creator and recipe developer for FOOD is a Four Letter Word. Follow this page for wonderful eclectic recipes ranging from Asian cuisine, Trader Joe’s & Instant Pot recipes to baking inspiration. I hope you find something that you enjoy making on here. Follow my Facebook & Instagram below to get updates when I post a new recipe.
-Van
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