TJ Confidential: Salt-and-Pepper Pistachio Nuts

TJ Confidential is an occasional expose of all that is good and delightful -- or weird and woeful -- at Trader Joe's. Like everything at Because I Said So Kitchen, TJC is completely unsponsored, unfiltered and uninterrupted.

I really didn't think it would be possible for Trader Joe's to out-sublime its crazy savory-spicy Thai Chili-Lime Mixed Nuts. I had to stop buying them -- for the sake of my waistline. . . and stomach lining.

But I think TJ's has come close with Salt-and-Pepper Pistachio Nuts.

The pistachio is a funny little nut. It's green for one thing. What's up with that? And a bit sweet and creamy -- almost as though it can't decide between being a nut or a confection.

TJ's Salt-and-Pepper Pistachios have changed things up for the pistachios of the world. These are roasted, crunchy and explosive with the mingled flavors of salt and pepper. A little bit goes a long way -- in part because pistachios can be a bitch to shell.

My finger tips are a testimonial to this.

They're a perfect little snack unto themselves, and I would bet the farm, even though I'm not much of beer drinker, they'd be killer with a brewsky. Along those lines, Salt-and-Pepper Pistachios also wouldn't be too shabby chopped up and sprinkled over a grilled steak either. Or heck, if you want to be all nutritionally perfect and whatnot -- why not in a salad for a little zing in your greens?

Don't have a Trader Joe's in your neighborhood? I'm sorry.

But, cheer up. OF COURSE you can order salt-and-pepper pistachios on Amazon. What CAN'T you order on Amazon? And Chef Google and I did a little checking: While we couldn't come up with a specific salt-and-pepper pistachio recipe, spiced-nuts-in-a-crockpot sounded intriguing.

Might have to give that one a whirl. You know me and crockpots.

So here's my tip for adding a little zip in your life: Trader Joe's Salt-and-Pepper Pistachios. Why?

Because I said so.