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Two fans of Trader Joe’s market have created fantastic, succulent, sweet, spicy, natural recipes for anyone who loves healthy food that can be fixed in a pinch.

The name Trader Joe’s tickled my brain, but it wasn’t until I read through this cookbook that I realized it was a store that specializes in gourmet and basic foods, healthy foods, natural foods with no genetic crap in it.

That is my kind of store.

I quickly flipped through the cookbook and discovered incredible recipes that are fast becoming staples in my kitchen.

Deanna Gunn and Wona Miniati found that once their families started to grow, it was tough to create healthy meals. They started finding healthy shortcuts to make it possible to eat well and still have time for family and fun.

They combined this desire with their love of Trader Joe’s - a market they wished had a cookbook.

Then, Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s was born.

Frankly, I want to try all the recipes featured, but I thought I’d knock it down to the top three - at least today. Ask me tomorrow and my flavor buds might give a different answer.

I want to try the “Wild about Brown Rice Pilaf,”“Comfy Chicken Pot Pie” (one of my personal specialties for cold weather comfort days), and the “California Fish Taco.”

The authors did everything themselves. They bought the food, tried numerous recipes before settling on the final combinations. They even took their own photographs - which are really great and more authentic-looking than the stuff of cooking glossies. These ladies - God bless them - showed the food exactly as it looked with the final touches, no show-stopper weirdness to create a glossy coat, or give a dish more color. This goes along with the theme of healthy food you find at Trader Joe’s.

Thanks to the Trader Joe’s reference in the back of the book, I discovered there are four Trader Joe’s about two hours from my home. This cookbook made me a fan of the store without having set foot in it. A friend and I are taking a road trip there, simply to shop.

Now THAT is marketing at its best - and Trader Joe’s didn’t have to pay a dime for it. They simply allow fans of their store to write this fantastic book and share incredible recipes with others who shop there, or new fans like me.

Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s is a cookbook for everyone - even if you don’t shop at the store. Fans of the store, however, will truly enjoy an easy listing of goods to buy for meals. Who doesn’t need a bit of a time saver - and fabulous recipes to boot?

Read my interview with the Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s authors - and see some of their favorite recipes!

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