The I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook: 150 Delicious Recipes Using Favorite Ingredients from the Greatest Grocery Store in the World

by Cherie Mercer Twohy

Over 150 recipes using ingredients from the beloved grocery “Good for special events and entertaining [and] great for every day, too.” —Sacramento Book ReviewDiscover the countless meals you can make with your favorite Trader Joe’s® products, including sweet treats, vegetarian and vegan ideas, low-carb, keto-friendly dishes, party-ready appetizers and snacks, and beyond. Now you can expand your enjoyment of Trader Joe’s delicious, budget-friendly offerings with the creative and mouthwatering recipes in The I Love Trader Joe’s® Cookbook. From hors d’oeuvres and appetizers for the perfect party to restaurant-worthy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, you’ll be surprised at the amazing meals you can make after a quick trip to Trader Joe’s, - Apple sausage and cheddar bites - Brie and pear galette - Chile and crab chowder - Lamb loin with pomegranate reduction - Margarita pork chops – and much more!“Recipes like the whiskey-tinged Hot Toddy Chicken, Cherry Crostini with Pecorino Romano, and the Sausage Salad for a Hot Summer Night will have you planning dinner party menus in your head months in advance, and you won't have to wonder where to buy the ingredients—every single component can be purchased at Trader Joe’s.” —Examiner.comTRADER JOE’S® is a registered trademark of Trader Joe’s® Company and is used here for informational purposes only. This book is independently authored and published and is not affiliated or associated with Trader Joe's® Company in any way. Trader Joe’s® Company does not authorize, sponsor, or endorse this book or any of the information contained herein.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking

228 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2022

About the author

Family and food are the touchstones in Cherie Mercer Twohy's life. After attending culinary school late in life, she found her bliss teaching cooking. Her cooking school, Chez Cherie, in La Canada, CA (www.chezcherie.com),has hosted thousands of students since its founding in 2000. Twohy holds a Certified Culinary Professional (CCP) designation from the International Association of Culinary Professionals."

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars Rounded Up

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know about where you live, and if you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, but it seems that everyone everywhere is obsessed with Trader Joe’s. There is one in my town and then one about an hour away as well which—I think—is much bigger. However, if you were to talk to the people in my community, it’s been life changing. I have to admit that I like it, too, and although it takes me probably 15 minutes to get there (and is therefore out of my normal grocery route) I do enjoy it when I go there. Great flowers, fun treats, yummy holiday treats, good produce…it really is a fun place to go. So you must imagine my excitement when I was offered The I Love Trader Joe’s Cookbook: 10th Anniversary Edition.

This is a fun cookbook. I’m one of those people that enjoys reading cookbooks, and this one had some fun useful information in the beginning. I don’t know if you’ve done any digging around Facebook groups where people are obsessing about Trader Joe’s, but it seems like there’s always someone on a cooking page who asks the questions “I’m going to Trader Joe’s! What should I get?!” I love those posts and always search through them. I’ve found a lot of interesting suggestions for yummy things to get there. This cookbook is like that in that it tells you lots of things that are good to stock up on, shortcuts, and things to watch out for. I learned a lot, especially in the section “Working Your Joe’s: Strategies for Getting the Best Out of Your Trader Joe’s Experience.” I had lots of ideas of how to find out what your particular Trader Joe’s has, and how to utilize that the best.

So, the cookbook. First of all, I like that it is divided into different sections (like most cookbooks), and that there are lots of yummy looking things to make. These recipes are fairly simple. Many cookbooks may be inaccessible to a casual cook, and I think that many people who shop at Trader Joe’s do it for the convenience, so it seems an obvious fit to have those who shop at Trader Joe’s have access to a cookbook that has fairly simple and very yummy recipes to try out. There are many inventive recipes, but I think that this cookbook excels in making simple twists on pretty standard recipes and tells you how to make them easily with Trader Joe’s ingredients, which are often shortcuts in and of themselves (like frozen or pre-cooked basics).

I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but in my advanced age I have done quite a bit of cooking, and so now cookbooks like this are pretty basic and I almost don’t really need a recipe, just kind of a suggestion. It’s probably desperation from having to cook dinner for so many years for so many kids and family, so although I liked reading this cookbook and enjoyed seeing some of the twists, it didn’t really offer any surprising or new and yummy things for me. It did make me aware of a lot of cool products at Trader Joe’s, though, and that’s always fun.

Here is the thing, though, I don’t know if I have a small Trader Joe’s or what, but I wasn’t able to find a lot of the products listed in the recipes. I understand that many of them are seasonal, but I also think that many of them are regional and since we are firmly landlocked here in the West where I live, a lot of the fish options weren’t available. Also, some of the jams and such weren’t, either, although, again, this could be a seasonal thing. It didn’t ruin my experience; I was usually able to find a substitute. I really did learn about a lot of new products that I had no idea that Trader Joe’s had, and that’s really saying something since I basically walk down every aisle every time I go there. Which, again, I think my Trader Joe’s is pretty small in comparison to others.

If you are a Trader Joe’s lover, or someone who really enjoys cookbooks with simple, delicious recipes, especially with readily accessible products that are frozen or pre-packaged, I think you’ll love this cookbook.

Read my full review here: https://www.readingforsanity.com/2023...

[Janet Tulley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fancy dishes

I hoped for dishes I could make every day. These seemed to fall into those that you’d make when entertaining. I also was surprised at the garlic cubes. TJ’s sells fresh garlic which is more my style. She admits they are interchangeable.

I was also surprised she used so many ingredients that are fleeting at TJ’s. I was hoping for those they regularly carry.

I recommend borrowing this book. It isn’t worth purchasing.

[Elizabeth (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had this cookbook for a week, and have already made several recipes. Each one is vastly different than the next, and each one is incredibly tasty! I like that there are no mystery ingredients (they’re all at Trader Joe’s), and the recipes I’ve made thus far are incredibly easy. So far, our favorites include Potsticker Soup, Pumpkin and Black Bean Stew and BlackBerry Fools.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Trader Joe's lovers everywhere, this is a fantastic cookbook! It is filled with hints and tips, shopping guidelines, nicely organized recipe categories and beautiful mouth watering pictures. I love how the recipes are noted if they are gluten free or vegetarian etc. I ❤ Trader Joe's & I ❤ this cookbook!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very excited to try these easy to put together recipes with the unique products you can get at Trader Joe’s!

[Terri Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great recipes.

[Kathy Wilkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

great inspiration

I love Trader Joe’s, and this cookbook is great to freshen up my menu planning with easy recipes and great flavor!

[Patricia Shea-samul · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Trader Joe's

I love to shop at Trader Joe's. This cookbook uses Trader Joe's products and produce to whip up delicious recipes. 5 stars