Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s (Hardcover)
June 16, 2009 by TheChef
Filed under Culinary Cooking Books
Review
“Fans of Trader Joe’s have been waiting a long time for a book like this.” –Sacramento Bee
“Cooking With All Things Trader Joe’s provides fast and easy dinner solutions for neophytes and kitchen veterans alike” -San Diego Union-Tribune
“The ‘fusion cooking’ in this collection makes it much easier to create sophisticated, fun, eclectic yet accessible meals. This is a delightful cookbook…The bottom line is that this collection is perfect for cooks who are short on time but want healthful meals that are long on taste” -Tucson Citizen
“Authors Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati deliver the goods — in this case, all from Trader Joe’s…The recipes are modern and sensible and include lots of substitution ideas, in case an item is no longer in stock or you simply feel like experimenting. I’ve already made three dishes, and they were all winners.” -The Pioneer Press
“This cookbook is genius!” Sam Zien, TV host and author of Sam the Cooking Guy: Just a Bunch of Recipes (Back Cover)
Product Description
Love Trader Joe’s? This new independent cookbook features recipes that use ingredients all from Trader Joe’s. By combining Trader Joe’s unique products with fresh ingredients, Deana and Wona create clever shortcuts to quick and easy gourmet meals that are delicious and exciting. The recipes in this book treat Trader Joe’s like a “prep kitchen”–using the great selection of unique sauces, mixtures, and prepped items to make flavorful, natural, homemade food in a snap.
Many of the recipes are vegetarian or can easily be made vegetarian. Ethnic dishes like Saag Paneer Lasagna are scattered throughout, as well as classic comfort foods like Comfy Chicken Pot Pie. Crowd-pleasing recipes include Peanutty Sesame Noodles, Black Bean Soup, Macho Nacho, Seafood Paella, Curried Chicken Pitas, Wilted Spinach with Attitude, Honey I Ate the Chocolate Bread Pudding, and All Mixed Up Margaritas.
People who don’t know how to cook or don’t want to cook will appreciate the Bachelor Quickies section, featuring frozen and ready-to-heat selections that are matched to create complete and impressive menus.
With full-color photographs for every recipe, wine suggestions, humorous personal stories, and cooking tips sprinkled throughout, this collection is a must for any Trader Joe’s fan.
Buy Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s (Hardcover) at Amazon
Overall, this is an excellent cookbook. I’ve had this cookbook for about one month, and so far I love it.
First off, let me say that this book is targeted to cooks who enjoy creating “gourmet” type meals. This book isn’t for you if you’re looking for dishes that might show up in a cafeteria. Even though there are recipes for common things like sandwiches and casseroles, they have their own gourmet twist. So for those people who like to serve creative dishes, this cookbook is made for them.
The theory behind the book is that Trader Joe’s sells many unique sauces, pre-chopped veggies, and other “half-prepped” ingredients that would normally take a cook a significant amount of time to prepare on the on their own. So combining the “half-prepped” ingredients of Trader Joe’s and the recipes in the cookbook, you can whip up gourmet meals in a fraction of the time it would take you otherwise.
All the recipes have a large color picture, a list of ingredients (sometimes with substitutes), clear instructions, and the estimated prep time (usually in the 20-30min range). I’ve tried a few of the quick recipes and they have been pretty straightforward so far. The cookbook includes appetizers, entres, desserts, and a “bachelor quickies” section at the end which is basically heating pre-cooked/frozen stuff from Trader Joe’s and combining them into interesting meals.
Most of the dishes are very original and look/sound delicious. There were a few recipes that I had question marks about, but I guess I’ll find out how good they are once I try them.
The book is paperback — I was a little disappointed at first when I found out it was a paperback, but the cover is pretty thick for a paperback and it’s less bulky, so an ok compromise I guess. The pages are pretty thick, and best of all, the pages stay open on the page you are looking at.
So overall, if you like the idea of cooking original “gourmet-like” meals in a fraction of the time, and you have access to a Trader Joe’s, this book is very highly recommended. Happy cooking!
This book works even for cooking “non-experts” like myself. You can go to Trader Joe’s and get exactly what the recipe calls for. You don’t have to guess if whatever the local grocery story has will work as a substitute for whatever ingredient recipe calls for.
This is the perfect cookbook for someone who shops a lot at Trader Joe’s. I can’t believe TJ’s doesn’t carry it, because it promotes purchasing their products. I’ve cooked a lot of the dishes in this cookbook already and they are so easy and delicious. They have easy to follow recipes with simple ingredients, and short preparation or cooking time. There are nice colored photos of each of the dishes which I like a lot in cookbooks. I’ve bought a few copies for friends who love it, making great gifts!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yummy! and oh so easy!
This is the greatest cook book for someone like me! Shops at Trader’s and a flea Market for veggies… simple and easy and yumy yum yum!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Cook Book EVER!
If you shop at Trader Joe’s , then this cook book is a “Must-Have”! I have made at least a dozen of the recipes so far, which are all very easy and very tasty!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic!
Great cookbook with all of your favorite items from Trader Joes! Quick, easy, and good tasting. My family loves these recipes.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cook all things at Trader Joe’s?
The book was lots of fun and sent me right back to the store to buy the things I didn’t have. I hope those two ladies are getting something back from Trader Joe’s.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Time Savers
A great idea with tantalizing recipes. Have enjoyed most that I’ve tried. They have a website that offers substitutions for those products that are no longer available.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Cookbook!
Loved the healthy, easy recipes. The pictures are awesome, I use this all the time.
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent
What have I been doing all this time?!?! I have always been a Trader Joe’s shopper, but this cook book has made my whole shopping experience more efficeint and productive.
5.0 out of 5 stars
For everyone who lives near a Trader Joe’s
I gave this to my friends and relatives who lead busy lives but love to cook interesting dishes. They all enjoyed the convenience of saving time and yet creating a great meal…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cooking with Trader Joe’s
I really love this cookbook, all the recipes I have tried so far have been easy and delicious.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Book
I just love this book. I gave this to at least 10 people as Christmas Gifts in a basket with the ingredients for the recipe listed in the book. Everyone Loved it!