Book Nook: The Unofficial ALDI Cookbook

I recently had a chance to review The Unofficial ALDI Cookbook: Delicious Recipes Made with Fan Favorites from the Award-Winning Grocery Store by Jeanette Hurt, a full-color cookbook that takes simple, budget-friendly ALDI-brand ingredients and turns them into fantastic dishes.

ALDI started in Germany in 1913, and opened in the US in Iowa in 1976. My first time seeing an ALDI was actually in Wisconsin on choir tour two decades ago and the German foreign exchange student was super excited to see. There was only one in our area when we moved here, but it's really grown in the past few years, and is currently on track to become the third largest grocery chain in the US.

This cookbook is dedicated entirely to meals that can be made featuring ALDI ingredients. It includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers, desserts, comfort foods, and more. Some of the recipes are incredibly simple, others are more imaginative. The book has a friendly, upbeat quality to it, and includes an introduction that is helpful for those who h ave never shopped at ALDI before.

I had a chance to interview the author to learn more.

Why did you write this cookbook?

I've always been a big fan of ALDI.  I grew up going to ALDI with my mother, and I now take my kiddo to ALDI. ALDI's now become a bit trendy, but for those of us who enjoy good food and good value for our money, ALDI is the perfect grocery store. But, you can't always get everything on your grocery list, and that's one thing with my book - you can do a one-stop shopping trip to make everything in my cookbook. 

I know you touch on this in the introduction, but what is your favorite thing about Aldi? 

The quality and the price - together, they're a winning combination. But I also will add, I love the surprise value - and not just the non-food items in the AOS aisle - it's the surprising, seasonal items - like the Irish cheese that's been in the store since before St. Patrick's Day. 

What is something people might be surprised to learn about Aldi? 

It's not the same store it was years ago, with the sad, sad heads of iceberg lettuce. It's actually got amazing produce, and at least half of it is organic. I swear by their spring mix - it's some of the freshest around. 

What makes this cookbook suitable even for people without an Aldi nearby? 

It's a good cookbook for busy people who want fun, variety and healthy recipes to make. Every recipe can be prepared or made within 30 minutes. Now, the pot roast soup takes time to roast the meat, but the preparation and the ease make it a good cookbook for busy people. Before I became a cookbook author, I used to test recipes, and some of the worst recipes were sent to me by chefs - because they would forget to include instructions like "heat the pan for 1 minute before adding the olive oil." You can enjoy cooking these recipes even if you aren't an experienced home cook because they are easy to follow.

CREDIT: Excerpted from The Unofficial ALDI Cookbook by Jeanette Hurt. Copyright © 2021 Ulysses Press.  Reprinted with permission from Ulysses Press. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

POOP EMOJI CUPCAKES WITH MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING 

My sister Karen shared this recipe with me, as her daughter Briana thinks poop emojis are so funny. Well, these cupcakes are funny to look at, inviting to eat, and easy to make. The perfect trifecta in a kid’s dessert. 

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes (20 to 30 minutes cooking time, plus another 30 to 40 minutes to frost and assemble poop eyes) 

CAKE BATTER: 

1 (16-ounce) package Baker’s Corner chocolate baking mix, liveGfree gluten-free brownie mix, or other cake mix or brownie mix of your choice 

1 (3.9-ounce) package Baker’s Corner chocolate or vanilla instant pudding mix or other pudding mix of your choice 

1 cup heavy cream 

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips 

3 eggs 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

FROSTING: 

1 cup milk chocolate chips 

1 (8-ounce) package Neufchâtel cheese 

1/2 cup butter 

1 cup powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

POOP EYES: 

24 milk chocolate chips 

24 miniature marshmallows (optional) 

Baker’s Corner vanilla frosting (optional) 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

2. Whisk all the cake batter ingredients together. Line a 12-cupcake tin with liners and divide the batter among them. 

3. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. 

4. While the cake is baking, place the chocolate chips for the frosting in a microwave-safe container. Microwave on high for about 1 minute, and then stir until all the chips are melted. 

5. Place the Neufchâtel cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a high-speed mixer, and mix on high until well blended. 

6. Pour in the melted chocolate chips, and whip until well blended.