Review By Gail Bradney

Ever wished you had your own kitchen prep crew? Well, you do--at your neighborhood gourmet grocer, Trader Joe's. There you will find unique, fully prepped sauces, washed and cut vegetables, ready-to-use salads, gourmet cheeses, marinated meats, and even cooked items ready to assemble--from all around the world. The food at Trader Joe's is delicious, has no artificial ingredients, and is consistently high quality.

Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati, women who love food, cooking, and Trader Joe's, found themselves wishing there was a cookbook devoted to their favorite grocer. When they discovered one didn't exist, they decided to write one.

In their new cookbook, Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's (Brown Bag Publishers, $29.95), Gunn and Miniati present ingenious recipes--from appetizers to desserts--that can be assembled in minutes. From the fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables to the specialty sauces and condiments, frozen seafood, and even the wine--every ingredient in these recipes can be purchased under a single roof: Trader Joe's.

Both mothers of young children, Gunn and Miniati have created a one-of-a-kind cookbook for people who love to eat delicious gourmet meals, but don't have the time to shop, prep, and cook them. They show readers how to use fresh ingredients strategically coupled with pre-prepped items to make amazing dishes in less time than it takes to toast a bagel.

Readers will learn how to:

· Save an hour a day--with one-stop shopping and quick meal preparation

· Cleverly pair ready-to-eat ingredients for instant dishes

· Diversify your palate--with ethnic ingredients, exotic spices and sauces, and unusual foods from around the globe

· Make healthy, kid-friendly meals, snacks, and bag lunches in minutes

· Kick the junk-food habit with foods that have no unhealthy ingredients

· Pair foods with the right wine

Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's provides easy dinner solutions for busy moms, amateur cooks, singles looking for a "meal to impress," and anyone else who loves the variety and quality of foods found at Trader Joe's stores around the country. The book features gorgeous color photographs of every recipe and a reader-friendly index that makes it easy to find dishes featuring your favorite ingredients.

Readers who like the recipes in the book can also register at the companion website, www.cookingwithtraderjoes.com, for seasonal updates and special menu suggestions not found in the book, or read the blog, which offers new recipes and lets readers chat with other Trader Joe's groupies.

Cooking With All Things Trader Joe's (Brown Bag Publishers/ Jun 2008) by Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati

Book Review: The Live Food Factor by Susan Schenck

Book Review: Detox 4 Women by Natalia Rose

Copyright © 2006-2009, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.