Cook Like a Rock Star: 125 Recipes, Lessons, and Culinary Secrets: A Cookbook

I really enjoy watching Ann on THE FOOD NETWORK, she seems to have things under control in the kitchen and she's empathetic towards people she's working with. I like the layout of the recipes in this book and the photos are great. The one recipe that I've already tried, Chicken Thighs With Mushrooms And Almond Puree turned out very tasty and aromatic. I didn't have blanched almonds so I tried using roasted almonds instead. I tried to blanch them after setting them in boiling water for one minute but I couldn't peel them. I guess they needed to be raw to be able to blanch them so I pureed them with their skins on. I want to try the recipe again with blanched almonds and will then decide whether to use almond puree at all or thicken the recipe another way. Might also be better to know how much salt to add instead of just saying kosher salt. I usually use sea salt but I was trying to follow the recipe as close as possible. Maybe kosher salt is easier to use too much of because I usually don't have a salting problem. Anyway, mine came out just a tad too salty. The only other thing was that she doesn't recommend using dried herbs and I have a hard time always finding fresh herbs. The closest big city is more than an hours drive away and even then I can't always find the fresh herbs that I'd like to use. I do prefer the fresh herbs as well. Luckily I did have fresh thyme for this recipe but I didn't have the Butcher's Twine so I wrapped it in cheese cloth instead and it worked great. Maybe an alternative to using Butcher's Twine could have been helpful but all in all I think it deserves five stars. Thank you Ann!!

When I am cooking for my family I generally go right on the food network and print out or save recipes from Anne Burrell. I have made as many as 3 a week to try out and others are in my back pocket for something to make in a pinch. Her pasta and dough recipes are really great and quick to do. I received this book yesterday and in a house of picky eaters I could not find one recipe that I didn't like. There are different sections of the book and is laid out very different then any other cookbook I own. She has designed it so that you can do all your prep work along with the recipe and then start cooking right away. There are helpful notes and alternatives if you want to use a different protein or vegetable. If you have watched her shows or made any of her recipes this is a must have book for you. I think anyone that is a fan of hers will agree when I say that this is the best cookbook by far that I own. It also has pictures as well so you can see what it should look like or if your family is like mine the visual and ingredients can tell me whether they will eat it or not. Great Book Must Buy!!!

have been a fan of Anne Burrell's, ever since I spotted her on Food Network as Mario Batali's Sous Chef. I've watched her pave her way to Chef Rock Star success, when Food Network gave her own TV Show "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef". I love Anne's quirkiness, and she is definitely a chef. I've made MANY of her recipes, and blogged about them. I received this cookbook, yesterday, and I'm thoroughly enjoying Mario Batali's intro, and her introduction. She says that "the purpose of this book is to teach you how, in a fun way, to cook-- or to help you expand your skills and our repertoire if you're already comfy in the kitchen." I've read the first two categories, and I've already bookmarked quite a few recipes I cannot wait to try! I love Anne's little sayings, and she's shared some excellent tips. for example, (page 49) she shares that polenta is a "salt eraser" and if you don't salt abundantly in the early step (adding salt when bringing to a boil), you'll never recover. Who knew?!I'm not a classically trained chef, but I feel very comfortable in the kitchen. Anne's recipes are unique, some have an interesting twist to classics (such as Cipolline Tempura p. 52)-- as an option to onion rings. The photography is beautiful, as are Anne's "Mis En Place" lists, rather than ingredient's listings. I'm big on Mis En Place, and Anne really emphasizes that this is key in successful cooking. I will update my review, as I begin to make her recipes. I'm ready to start on one right now!

Anne's show "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" taught me so much. This book has really good things to say about roasting fish, a great recipe for pumpkin soup and sweet technique on making gnocci. Would be five stars but points off because some of the recipes are a little too fancy for the average cook and the abbreviations were a annoying. The book is not as approachable to beginners as a Jamie Oliver cookbook, but Anne Burrell really knows her stuff. Some say she is controversial: A Syracuse newspaper complained she left an author appearance without signing any books (ok, that is bad form) and I guess she got in trouble for sayin' some mean stuff at a restaurant she previously worked at, (Centro Vinoteca.) Look folks, if you want warm-fuzzies and balanced chakras, don't look to the culinary profession. Professional kitchens are difficult places and chefs are known for being gritty, sometimes arrogant and opinionated. Anne is a highly respected chef with excellent credentials. She has training from the Culinary Institute of America and she's got a lot of Food Network experience. So, 4-star content in this book. Buy it if you want to learn something about cooking. Don't buy this book if you are offended by celebrities who may be a little abrasive in real life. Look beyond that and learn from a master.

I loved Anne's show on the Food Network so I was so excited to try her cookbook and I wasn't disappointed! Every single recipe I have made out of this book has been amazing - I even cooked my entire family Easter dinner using only recipes from this book. I find sometimes with other cookbooks, you flip through and find only a handful of recipes you want to make. I honestly plan to cook my way through this entire book - everything looks delicious and the ingredients are easy to find. Also great pictures in this book! Above all, Anne provides great guidance throughout and her funky personality is infused in every dish. Definitely a must have!

I wish she would bring out a book from her show 'Secrets of a Restaurant Chef'. Unpretentious, hearty cooking from a top US chef.

Die Frau hat's drauf !Eine Bette Midler unter den Köchen - sie bringt es gut rüber mit Herz, Seele und Temperament !

Love Anne Burrell and the tips are great.

Mitlerweile habe ich eine riesen große Sammlung an Kochbüchern, (erst letztens überflüssige Bücher aussortiert) aber dieser Kochbuch ist der Knaller :-)