- Please welcome Tracey Korsen.
- [Ross] Hi, Tracey. - Hi.
- Great idea.
- Thank you, thank you.
- Well, this is so brilliant.
What gave you the inspiration - Thank you.
to come up with the idea?
- Yeah, so I started my page in 2019.
I was getting my PhD, and I came to the city
to do some research and I stayed with a family who,
it was a family of chefs, and every night they made
these really delicious meals, and I asked them
for tips and tricks, and they were like,
"Girl, this is just from Trader Joe's.
It's not that, not that serious."
So I was like, "Oh, okay."
So I wanted to try my hand at it 'cause I was obviously busy
getting my PhD, and I made my page to show other busy people
that it's easy to make something delicious
from Trader Joe's ingredients.
- Well, we're gonna focus on the food of it all today
and we've got a taste tester in our audience joining us.
Say hi to Karen Oterro.
Hi, Karen.
- Hi, Karen. - [Karen] Hi.
How are you?
- [Ross] This outfit too.
- Thank you.
- I'm so excited.
Please tell us about your first dish.
- Yes, so the first dish is a tater tot casserole.
So there's tater tots, they have their vegetable foursome,
cheese, ground beef, and it's perfect for the family.
It's also perfect if you're having a potluck
'cause it feeds a lot of people.
This feeds a lot of people.
- You show up at a potluck with this hot dish,
you are gonna be most popular person at that potluck,
I'll tell you that.
What do you think, Karen?
- I love it, it has a little bit of everything in there.
My kids would love it, as a busy mom myself,
with three kids, I think that they would enjoy this.
- [Drew] What ages are your kids?
- Okay, so, 28, 22 and 17.
- [Drew] Karen, where did you sell your soul?
And what fountain of youth are you drinking out of?
- Well, I guess it's just being, genetics.
I'm Puerto Rican.
I think it's happiness, even though I'm divorced, you know?
Still, it's okay.
- [Drew] That might be adding to it.
- I think that's it right there.
It's time to start a singles club, maybe?
Drew's singles club, maybe?
- A singles club and we're hosting a Turkey fry
on this Thanksgiving.
Are you coming, Karen?
- Single ladies Turkey fry.
- I don't know if you've heard of this very popular thing
called the single ladies Turkey fry, 'cause we're doing it.
- I'm in - [Ross] You're in?
- I'm in.
- Well I'm into this.
Okay, what is our next dish?
- Yes, so the next dish is vegetarian.
It's the vegetarian Gyoza curry soup.
So I have the frozen veggie Gyoza and then an awesome
Thai curry sauce.
And so, I had always just been marinating meat or tofu
with it and I wanted to use it in a interesting way
so I did it in a curry soup.
- [Ross] That will smack you like woo.
- And it's super simple, it's only five ingredients
and it's delicious.
- Wait, this feels like a flavor bomb.
How is it only five ingredients?
- Yeah, it's the curry sauce is really delicious,
and so yeah, just pour-
- I would add those tortillas in here too.
- [Ross] Oh yeah.
- Notice they take it away.
- We need those.
- [Drew] Because they know me.
Wow, that really packs a punch.
- It does not taste like something out of
the frozen food section.
- Exactly.
- Or five ingredients. - At all.
- It feels like the entire spice rack come to life.
All right, what's the next dish?
- You're gonna love this one, Drew.
- So, this next dish is perfect for those who really
just don't wanna cook at all.
It's in the frozen section,
and I know that you love Mac and cheese, Drew.
- [Drew] It's my favorite.
- It's their French onion Mac and cheese.
- I've never tried it before.
- Yep, all right, yeah, let's talk about that.
(crowd chuckles) (Tracey chuckles)
Yeah, it's that Swiss cheese on the top, right?
It tastes like French onion soup,
and then that Mac and cheese texture.
Drew's gone in.
- Yeah, Drew's going.
Scarf it down.
(crowd cheers) (applause)
(Tracey laughing) (applause)
- [Karen] It's that good.
- We lost her.
We've lost her.
Is yours empty?
Did you really empty that out down there?
- Can't talk.
- Wow, Trace, this was so delicious.
I can't believe all of this was at Trader Joe's.
And this is all in your book?
- And this is all in my book, yes.
- [Drew] Your book is so wonderful.
Tracey Korsen, get her delicious recipes
on Instagram at traceyjoes.
- Oh, that's cute.
(crowd cheers) (applause)
- And thank you for bringing all of this culinary love,
and also attainability, you know?
I cook, but I'm intimidated, and when I get stuff like this,
I feel so empowered and incentivized.
- That's the goal.
- And Karen, single lady Turkey fry?
- I'm in. - It's on.
(upbeat music)