Trader Joe's Finds Jeff Mauro Can't Get Enough Of

It's no secret that Trader Joe's has plenty of loyal fans. After all, there's a whole lot to love about the grocery chain. There's everything from its Product Hall of Fame items (which we've ranked) to plenty of food items that actually taste homemade. So it's no surprise that T.J.'s has plenty of celebrity fans too — including Food Network star, Jeff Mauro, who has partnered with Bayer Aspirin to promote heart health. In an exclusive interview with Daily Meal, Mauro revealed the Trader Joe's items he simply can't get enough of. For Mauro, it all comes down to the dumplings and the sheet cakes.

When asked what Trader Joe's products he's been enjoying lately, Mauro said that his son has been on a "dumpling kick," so they've been eating a lot of the T.J.'s dumplings and potstickers. When it comes to preparing them, Mauro's son has taken over the duty. Mauro said, "He doesn't want me to touch [the food now] ... I've taught him the art of starting with a little oil in that medium heat, let [the dumplings] crisp up, and then [add] a little water and cover. Steam the rest of the way."

Then, Mauro also noted that he's looking forward to trying the toasted coconut mini sheet cake at T.J.'s because he loves the strawberry version. "I can crush a whole one by myself," he said, adding, "you leave it on the counter, just eat it with a spoon. Slowly, but surely, and it's basically single-serving. That's what I taught my tummy."

During the interview, Jeff Mauro couldn't help but talk about another, non-food item at Trader Joe's that he loves: the flowers. Mauro said, "Shout out to the flowers at T.J.'s too, you know. Great price and they last, too." The flowers remind Mauro of a rule he has for himself: just stop and think of others. He explained, "If you're ever like, 'I haven't bought my wife flowers in a while or my significant other or my partner, I haven't bought them something nice,' ...
If you think it, just stop what you're doing, divert in the car, do the order online, and get them." And what better gift than flowers from Trader Joe's?

In fact, if you like the idea of abiding by this life rule of Mauro's, then, while you're at Trader Joe's, grab those flowers along with Mauro's other favorite items, the dumplings and the strawberry sheet cake — you can make a special evening for your loved one. And to upgrade it, you can even elevate the T.J.'s sheet cake with this clever hack.

When you make the potstickers, keep in mind that there's one cooking method that Mauro and his family avoid at all costs: the microwave. Mauro said, "We don't microwave, no microwaving." When his teenage son tried doing just that and found out the hard way that they didn't taste their best, Mauro replied, "You know what we do in this house for a living ... you know what built this house? Right? Culinary moves."