When Trader Joe’s opened in Boulder in 2014, it was a very big deal. Hundreds of shoppers turned up on opening day, which coincided with the debut of two other stores in Colorado—one in Denver and one in Greenwood Village.
In the years since, Trader Joe’s has become a beloved staple for many Boulder households. The (tiny) parking lot is nearly always jam-packed with cars, and the aisles are constantly overflowing with shoppers and their carts.
Whether you’re a Trader Joe’s fanatic or just like to make an occasional pitstop there, you’re sure to find inspiration in the new I Love Trader Joe’s Cookbook: 15th Anniversary Edition. It’s written by Cherie Mercer Twohy, a food writer, culinary tour leader and self-described “unabashed Trader Joe’s stockpiler.”
Using fan-favorite ingredients available at Trader Joe’s, Mercer Twohy has skillfully created 150 budget-friendly and delicious recipes. We chatted with Mercer Twohy to get the scoop on all things Trader Joe’s, and asked her to share a few of her favorite recipes from the book.
What’s your first memory of Trader Joe’s?
My grandmother lived near Pasadena, where the first Trader Joe’s was. I remember my mom taking me there and smelling the bright citrus notes from the fresh squeezed orange juice machine that was enticingly located by the front door.
What makes Trader Joe’s the “greatest grocery store in the world,” in your opinion? Why do you think it has resonated with so many home cooks and shoppers?
A trip to the grocery store is an errand. A trip to Trader Joe’s is an adventure. From the moment you walk in, the colorful floral section is a big “welcome in.” I really enjoy the yacht rock music, the rotating inventory and the promise of a new find or two. Trader Joe’s has a great HR department, because they always seem to have engaged, personable staff on hand to help me find something, or ask me about my day. I think many folks feel the same way.
Can you share a few Trader Joe’s tips and tricks you’ve learned along the way?
I know “hoarding” is a loaded word—but I embrace it when it comes to my favorite items. Frozen puff pastry is a prime example. It’s available seasonally (winter/holiday) but I NEED it year-round. It’s great quality, all butter and perfect for quick appetizers or a comforting pot pie top.
As far as engaging with staff, they make that easy. I’ve always found them to be friendly and very willing to help. If I can’t find a favorite item, I’ll head to the front desk (“the altar,” as I call it), where the captains can look up any item and let me know if it’s TOS (temporarily out of stock) or (gasp) discontinued.
What’s your strategy when you make a shopping trip to Trader Joe’s?
I used to live within a 10-mile radius of five Trader Joe’s. Now I live three hours round-trip from my closest one, so my strategy has changed. I go about quarterly, unless I’m working on a book. I always take a cooler. I keep a Trader Joe’s list on my phone so it’s always with me if I happen to find myself unexpectedly in range of a store. I ALWAYS have an excitedly open mind when I walk inside—and I always take my time, because that’s the way I spot the new stuff.
What have you learned from writing your Trader Joe’s-focused cookbooks over the years? Any lessons or takeaways you can share?
I think writing the books has deepened my appreciation for the company. Their staffing, their return policies, their view that shopping should be fun—it all impresses me. And their buyers are amazing. That would be a dream job for me (if I weren’t happily mostly retired). Having formerly owned a cooking school where we offered Trader Joe’s cooking classes, and through writing the books, I find myself looking at each new item as an ingredient. For example, a new ginger cookie—delicious right out of the box? Sure…but would it make a great crumb crust for a fruit tart? Or a delivery system for a mascarpone/lemon curd dip?
What else would you like more people to know?
We take care when updating the books. We go through the existing recipes to update ingredients that may be discontinued and add new recipes using newer ingredients. There are many strategies in the foreword and headnotes for how to adjust if an item is out of stock or discontinued. After all, Trader Joe’s are discontinuous by nature, which is both wonderful and occasionally frustrating. Using “hoarding strategies” and being open to new products make shopping at Trader Joe’s an adventure.
Recipes from The I Love Trader Joe’s Cookbook: 15th Anniversary Edition
Asparagus Tart
I loved a clipping of this recipe that I found in the Los Angeles Times food section about a decade ago. I lost the tattered newsprint version a while back but have been making it by heart ever since. This is a great spring appetizer or brunch dish. You can get very “Type A” and line up all the spears with the points in one direction, or you can do my preferred tumbled look.
SERVES: 4 to 6
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons butter or olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 sheet Trader Joe’s All Butter Puff Pastry, defrosted but kept cool
1 cup grated Gruyère or smoked Gouda
1 (12-ounce) package asparagus
handful of chopped hazelnuts or other nuts (optional)
zest of 1 orange or lemon
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium sauté pan, heat the butter or olive oil and sauté the onion over medium-high heat until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- On a lightly floured board, slightly roll out the puff pastry, if necessary, to about 1/4-inch thickness. (Roll from the center toward the edges, but try not to “clunk” the rolling pin over the edges, as it will compress the dough and inhibit the flaky layers from puffing.) Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Scatter the grated cheese over the pastry, leaving about a 1/2-inch edge clean on all sides. Fold the pastry up to make a “picture frame” or score the edge with a knife or fork to make it pretty. Top with the sautéed onion.
- Place the asparagus in a single layer on top, cutting to fit if necessary. Bake until pale golden, about 18 to 20 minutes if not using nuts. If using nuts, scatter them over the surface of the tart after it has baked 15 minutes and return the tart to the oven for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the zest over the top. Cut into squares to serve.
Almost-From-Scratch Butternut Squash Soup with Bourbon
This squash soup tastes like it was an all-day project but comes together in a snap, especially if you use the packages of precut squash in the produce section. Be sure to get really fresh ones (check the expiration date), as squash keeps a long while in its whole state, but once it’s cut, it becomes quite perishable. Buy it only one or two days before you use it, at most.
SERVES: 6 to 8
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: less than 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
2 pounds butternut or acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
pinch of Trader Joe’s Crushed Red Pepper
salt and white pepper
Directions:
- Heat the olive oil in a stockpot, and sauté the red onion over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes.
- Add the squash, potato, and broth, and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
- Purée, preferably using an immersion blender. (To purée in a food processor, strain, reserving liquid and solids, and purée solids carefully, adding reserved liquid as necessary.)
- Return to stockpot and add remaining liquid until desired consistency is achieved. Add bourbon and cream (if using), and adjust seasoning to taste with salt, white pepper and crushed red pepper.
Puff Pastry Pillows
Feel free to experiment with this recipe. In place of the yogurt cheese and preserves, you could use mascarpone or lemon curd, and use whatever fruit is gorgeous.
SERVES: 9
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup turbinado sugar
1 package Trader Joe’s All Butter Puff Pastry, defrosted but kept cold
1 (8-ounce) container Trader Joe’s Plain Greek Yogurt
1⁄2 cup Trader Joe’s Apricot Preserves Made with Fresh Apricots (or to taste)
about 6 ripe apricots, thinly sliced
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (optional)
1 pint blueberries or raspberries, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. (Use a convection oven, if you have it.) Line a baking sheet with parchment. Sprinkle a good handful of the turbinado sugar onto a work surface and lay a sheet of puff pastry on top. Sprinkle more sugar on the top of the pastry and roll a rolling pin across the pastry, just enough to press the sugar into the pastry. Cut pastry into desired shapes and sizes. (I usually get nine rectangles out of each sheet.) Repeat with the remaining sheet of pastry if you need more than nine “pillows.”
- Place the pastry pieces on the baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. While the pastry cooks, stir together the yogurt and preserves, and taste to see if you like the sweetness. (If the apricots you are using are very sweet, use more yogurt; if the apricots are tart, add more preserves or a little honey to achieve your perfect flavor.)
- When the pastry is baked, use a serrated knife to split the “pillows” in half horizontally. Dollop about 1⁄4 cup of the apricot yogurt on each pastry bottom and top with the sliced apricots. Add a few berries, if desired, and place the top half of the pastry on top of the fruit.
Potsticker Soup
When I feel a cold coming on, I set a pot of this soup on the stove to simmer. It may not be a cure, but at least psychologically it does the trick. The steam seems to clear my head, and the warming broth makes me feel comforted, as soup always does.
SERVES: 4 to 6
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOKING TIME: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cubes frozen crushed garlic
1⁄2 (16-ounce) package frozen Trader Joe’s Chicken Gyoza Potstickers or Thai Vegetable Gyoza (about 12)
1 (20-ounce) bag stir-fry vegetables
1⁄2 cup shredded carrots
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the broth, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. Bring to a boil.
- Add the potstickers and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes.
- Add the stir-fry vegetables and carrots and simmer until vegetables are tender and potstickers are cooked through, about 3 minutes.
- Garnish with green onions and a drizzle of sesame oil.
All recipes excerpted from The I Love Trader Joe’s Cookbook: 15th Anniversary Edition by Cherie Mercer Twohy. Copyright © 2025 Ulysses Press. Reprinted with permission from Ulysses Press. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
