scorecardI'm a private chef for celebrities and their families. Here are 12 things I love buying at Trader Joe's and how I use them.
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I'm a private chef for celebrities and their families. Here are 12 things I love buying at Trader Joe's and how I use them.

Grace Aguilar    

I'm a private chef for celebrities and their families. Here are 12 things I love buying at Trader Joe's and how I use them.
I regularly pick up Trader Joe's staples for my clients and their families.Grace Aguilar
  • I work as a private chef for high-profile celebrity clients and shop at Trader Joe's.
  • I make Trader Joe's frozen latkes, gluten-free bagels, and spatchcocked chicken for them.

I've worked as a private chef for some high-profile clients ranging from NFL players to entrepreneurs since 2018.

I typically make breakfast, lunch, and dinner for clients and their families — and my role also includes developing menus, researching and testing recipes, cooking for dinner parties, working with grocery budgets, and shopping.

Here are some of my favorite things to buy at Trader Joe's while shopping for the family I currently cook for.

Note: Prices and availability may vary by location — I'm based in Austin, Texas.

My secret weapon for making the most moist and tasty quiche is incorporating Trader Joe's goat's milk cheese with honey.

My secret weapon for making the most moist and tasty quiche is incorporating Trader Joe
Goat cheese can make a quiche even creamier.      Grace Aguilar

I break the goat's milk cheese into medium-size chunks and sprinkle the rich deliciousness into my quiche filled with sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, pesto, and bacon.

I've tried other types of cheese in my quiche but nothing else compares to this — it makes the overall dish super moist.

Trader Joe's potato latkes are perfect for crafting an easy hors d'oeuvre.

Trader Joe
Potato latkes can be used as a base for a bite-sized appetizer.      Grace Aguilar

Small bites are a must when I'm cooking for a larger dinner party. One of my go-to options is Trader Joe's latkes with crème fraiche and caviar on top of them.

I love buying these for when I'm in a pinch and the kids are hungry and want something to snack on. You can't go wrong with these at any given time.

Furikake is a pantry staple for rice bowls.

Furikake is a pantry staple for rice bowls.
Trader Joe's Japanese multi-purpose seasoning can punch up toast or eggs.      Grace Aguilar

I love to make rice bowls and salads for the family and the best part is adding Trader Joe's Nori Komi Furikake on top for an extra pop of flavor. It's so versatile I add it to eggs, pasta, and toast.

Trader Joe's umami seasoning blend goes on everything.

Trader Joe
Umami seasoning can punch up a dish.      Grace Aguilar

My current clients don't eat onions or garlic so I replaced garlic and onion powder with Trader Joe's umami seasoning blend, which can help me achieve similar flavors.

I've gone through multiple bottles of this product because the flavor is outstanding.

The chain's marinated artichokes are an excellent topping for a range of dishes.

The chain
Marinated artichokes can add great flavor to a meal.      Grace Aguilar

Jarred artichokes are the perfect briny finish for avocado toast or shakshuka. They're so versatile and help me balance the flavors of a meal.

Trader Joe's spatchcocked lemon rosemary chicken is the best for weekend meal prep.

Trader Joe
Spatchcocking can help a chicken cook in less time.      Grace Aguilar

Trader Joe's spatchcocked lemon rosemary chicken is perfect for popping in the oven with veggies when I'm busy preparing weekend meals on Friday and don't have time to cook something intricate for lunch.

It's so delicious and juicy that it's become a family favorite.

Olive and herb mixed nuts are a staple for me.

Olive and herb mixed nuts are a staple for me.
Trader Joe's olive and herbs mixed nuts can add crunch to a salad.      Grace Aguilar

Trader Joe's olive and herbs mixed nuts are great to add to chicken salads, endive boats, salads, and cheese boards. They easily add pops of flavor to just about any dish.

The jicama wraps are delicious and low-carb.

The jicama wraps are delicious and low-carb.
Jicama wraps are a lower-carb alternative to classic tortillas.      Grace Aguilar

Trader Joe's jicama wraps have a nice crunch and they're great for braised pork or chicken tacos with mango salsa. The subtle sweetness of the wraps helps them balance perfectly with the richness of the meat.

Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel smoked salmon is great for small party bites.

Trader Joe
Try Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel smoked salmon on a bagel.      Grace Aguilar

Sometimes I add cream cheese and a slice of Everything But the Bagel smoked salmon on top of the aforementioned potato latkes for a tasty bite.

These salmon pieces are also great for enhancing eggs Benedict and bagels.

Trader Joe's avocado-oil spray is the best for cooking.

Trader Joe
I don't mind the taste avocado-oil spray can add to dishes.      Grace Aguilar

I'm constantly baking muffins for the kids and I use avocado-oil spray from Trader Joe's to coat the pans so they don't stick to them.

I like that the spray has a decent taste and doesn't brown in a weird way that some other cooking sprays do when baking. It's very light and I think it works great.

Trader Joe's has the best gluten-free bagels.

Trader Joe
Trader Joe's gluten-free bagels are great.      Grace Aguilar

The family I cook for is completely gluten-free and sometimes it's difficult to find gluten-free versions of products that have the same taste or texture as the original.

That said, I recommended Trader Joe's gluten-free bagels. Pair one with the Everything But the Bagel smoked salmon and it's really the perfect breakfast on the go.

We live in Texas so we use Trader Joe's corn and chile tomato-less salsa for taco Tuesday.

We live in Texas so we use Trader Joe
Trader Joe's corn and chile salsa is loaded with flavor.      Grace Aguilar

I love using the chain's corn and chile salsa when I don't feel like cooking a whole corn on the cob. I add it to guacamole, put it in tacos, or use it to make esquite salad — basically Mexican street corn served off the cob.

Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.

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