Is a lean bottom sirloin steak a tri tip steak? Picture added.


 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill S.:
Was just in the news a week or so ago that we're getting one in the Albany area. What's the deal with them? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

TJ's is a rather unique grocery store concept. They've been around for many, many years though in their beginning they were confined to southern California. The spread through California then to Arizona, the PNW and Nevada. For many years that was it. Several years ago they jumped east and within a relatively short period of time opened in the Chicago and St Louis areas, Indi and Ohio, Long Island, north and central Jersey, then east Penn, north Del, the DC burbs. Finally they went south, first to Atlanta, then to NC. Their first store in Fla (Naples) opens soon. The one in Colonie should open soon as well.

Unlike typical grocery stores TJ's are small, usually 8-12,000 square feet. And unlike other stores that stock many tens of thousands (or more) of products TJ's limits their product offerings to just 4-5000, most of which carry their brand. This small offering means turnover of product is quite high - things do not sit on shelves or in the freezer or cold sections for very long.

Privately held (so they do not report numbers), TJ's sales per square foot estimates, according to those who estimate these sorts of things, are though to be the highest of any grocery chain - even Whole Foods with their significantly higher prices. The small footprint of the store, the rapid turnover of a smaller number of products, the ability to drop products that aren't selling as well, replacing them with new items, all add up to great profits for them while still allowing them to charge reasonable (often very reasonable) prices to their customers.

TJ's also pays their employees rather well. This translates to a better experience for their customers too, imo. Here in Las Vegas and when I am cooking in areas where there are TJ's, I shop there more than any other store.

See what you think when Colonie opens.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jerry N.:

Kevin,
Would you mind sharing how you make hummus? I've assumed it to be easy (chick peas in a food processor), but I'm guessing not quite that simple. Maybe post something in the recipe area? Thanks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>It's a breeze. It is one of the very few things I buy canned beans for. I like them better for hummus and it's made rather quickly using them. (I make it often when home in Vegas. When my Vegas clients are in town I make it for them several times a week. The eat a lot of it - and it is only the couple, a 4-year-old and an 17-month-old. They all eat it often, once or twice a day.)

I posted the recipe I use a little while back, here. Note that it is very easy to alter to taste. For something a bit thinner (which I sometimes need) I up the juice from the can a bit. Sometimes I up the oil, or decrease the tahini. Start with it as written, which I think is close to what I do - I don't really measure - then adjust to taste.

(Keep the excess juice from the can just in case you wish to add more. Also, depending on the bean brand and sometimes even the batch, some canned beans might be firmer/drier than others. Keeping the juice allows you to correct this if necessary.)


[Note: You can change the bean type if you wish, for a different hummus version using pinto, say, or navy or yellow- or black-eye. You can also change the nut paste. I was out of tahini a couple weeks ago and made it with almond butter instead. Very tasty.]
 
Kevin, do you have any tricks for mixing the oil back into the tahini paste for those of us who don't use tahini very often and refrigerate it? Shake the jar, mix with a fork? Turn the jar?

Rita
 
Buy the jarred tahini rather than the canned. At its first use, cut the oil into the paste well by using a knife (I use a regular knife from our usual place setting). Cut in, lift, cut in, lift, until the oil is as mixed in as you can get it.

Use what you need then fridge the jar. Chilling will help it keep from separating somewhat. At next use repeat the process. (If you know in advance you are going to be using it remove the jar from the fridge ahead of time; cut in when it has warmed.
 
Thanks. I was just about to start a batch of hummus. I've always cooked my garbanzos for hummus so am anxious to try your version.

Rita
 
Rita - try it. I used to make my hummus with cooked or soaked chick peas only for many years as well. As hummus has been popular in my house for many years. I was vegetarian for about 25 years
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Actually Tyler Florence turned me on to the option of using canned vs. cooked for making a quick hummus. His recipes typically called for cooked, but then he switched to can in a couple versions and that gave me a clue several years ago to go ahead and give it a shot.

It's great because you can basically whip some hummus up at moments notice. If you don't have tahini, try it without - I think you might like it that way as well as an alternate.

Been doing it for years. Sometimes I leave out the tahini and more lemon for a different, lighter flavor. Modify with more/less garlic, oil, can liquid, cilantro vs parsley, aleppo, different kinds of pepper (black, green, red, mix).

I play and taste every time I make it and typically modify one way or the other each time.

Bottom line is I've been using canned in this manner for several years I really haven't found it deficient in any way from starting with dried chick peas, and in some way like it better in terms of consistency of result. I've even done mixed (canned and cooked) for a texture mod.
 
Ray, I tried it and I'm won over!

Kevin, your hummus is really, really good! The lightness was amazing. The only issue I had is getting every last bit out of the blender (I have a Vita-Mix).

A couple of questions: I was thinking of incorporating a little za'atar into the batch to make a quick snack/dip with whole-grain crackers for the little guys. Any problem with that? I won't be doing the olive oil drizzle for them.

Can you recommend a good whole-grain cracker that would go well with the hummus? Something that won't splinter into crumbles when bitten into? Sliced cucumbers would make good dippers too, and one of the boys loves cukes.

I've enjoyed roasted red pepper hummus. Best blended right in or minced and stirred in?

Have you any suggestions for other flavor variations? I'm on a hummus roll!

Thanks for giving us the recipe. It's addictive!

Rita
 
I get the 'Persian' cukes at TJ's. Also their round whole grain crackers. And pita of course, usually whole wheat.

You can incorporate zatar into the mix. I usually sprinkle it on top, along with a drizzle of Morea, to be scooped up or mixed in just before eating.

Flavor variations can be incorporated into the the hummus or plopped on top at serving. Mostly I do the latter. A purée of roasted red pepper (which is easy to add the the mix before blending too), different herb purées or herb oils - which are virtually the same thing - like cilantro and/or parsley, as Ray notes, or other herbs, chile oil, dried fruit and nut purées, finely minced vegs, minced cooked meat (try lamb, alone or with a little crumbled feta, roasted eggplant or roasted garlic (mashed and puréed in or served on top, tapenade, and so on.
 
Great suggestions, Kevin. Very helpful. Thank you! By the way, your recipe (made with a 15-ounce can, makes about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups hummus. So good, and shaves off over an hour from my prep time when I cooked the unsoaked beans in a pressure cooker for 40 minutes + a natural release of 10 minutes or so. I can see that I'll be taking Ray's suggestion to use a larger can (1 Lb 13-oz size). I'll be at TJ's tomorrow to stock up on garbanzos, crackers, and pita. I might make some baked pita triangles for the boys (3 & 4 yrs). They both enjoy almost anything that they can dip.

Ray, thank you, too, for your input and good variations. All going into my notes.

Rita
 
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