Customer Reviews

America's Most Wanted Recipes: Delicious Recipes from Your Family's Favorite Restaurants

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Table of contents:

Applebee's:
-baby back ribs
-bacon green onion mashed potatoes
-chicken quesdilla grande
-crispy orange chicken skillet(good)
-fiesta lime chicken (this one taste good and I like this version better than Todd Wilbur)
-garlic mashed potatoes
-low fat grilled tilapia w/ mango salsa
-santa fe chicken
-spinach pizza
-tomato basil soup
-walnut blondie w/ maple butter sauce

Arby's:
-apple turnovers
-barbecue sauce

Arthur Treacher's:
-fried fish (didn't like at all)

Bahama Breeze:
-jamaican jerk grilled chicken wings (pretty good)

Baskin-Robbins:
-cheesecake ice cream

Benihana:
-hibachi steak
-japanese fried rice(Todd Wilbur is better, imo)

Bennigan's:
-broccoli bites
-honey mustard dressing
-hot dressing dressing
-linguine diablo
-onion soup(didn't like)

Boston Market:
-creamed spinach
-cucumber salad
-dill potato wedges
-macaroni & cheese
-meatloaf
-spicy rice
-squash casserole
-stuffing

Brooklyn Cafe:
-sun dried tomato seared scallops

Bullfish Grill:
-shrimp & cheese grits

California Pizza Kitchen:
-bbq chicken pizza (didn't like)
-chicken tequila fertuccine (good)

Carrabba's Italian Grill:
-italian butter (this recipe was a waste imo)
-meatballs

The Cheesecake Factory:
-avocado egg rolls (like T. Wilbur better)
-banana cream cheesecake
-cajun jambalaya pasta
-chicken fettuccine
-crab cakes
-oreo cheesecake(really good!)
-pumpkin cheesecake

Chi-Chi's:
-baked chicken chimichangas
-pork tenderlion w/ bourbon sauce
-salsa verde chicken kabobs
-steak & mushroom quesdillas

Chili's:
-baby back ribs
-beef fajitas
-chicken enchilada soup
-chocolate chip paradise pie (Todd Wilbur is way better)
-margarita grilled chicken (good)
-salsa
-southwestern chicken chili
-sounthwestern vegetable soup

Church's:
-fried chicken (horrible)

Cracker Barrel:
-baby limas
-banana pudding
-cherry chocolate cobbler(very good!)
-fried apples

Dairy Queen:
-heath blizzard
-ice cream
-onion rings

Denny's:
-country fried steak (not good)
-country gravy (not good)

Dollywood:
-dipped chocolate chip cookies

El Pollo Loco:
-beans
-pollo asada

Hard Rock Cafe:
-baked potato soup
-bbq beans
-bbq ribs
-homemade chicken noodle soup
-pulled pork
-shrimp fajitas

Hardee's:
-cinnamon "flake" biscuits

Hooter's:
-buffalo shrimp
-buffalo wings

Houston's:
-buttermilk garlic dressing
-spinach & artichoke dip (didn't like this version, once again T. Wilbur is better imo)

IHOP:
-banana nut pancakes
-colorado omelet
-cream of wheat pancakes
-pancakes
-swedish pancakes

Joe's Crab Shack:
-crab cakes(really good)
-etouffee
-rice pilaf
-seafood stuffed mushrooms
-seafood stuffing
-stuffed shrimp en brochette

Johnny Carino's:
-5 cheese chicken fettuccine

Junior's:
-famous no. 1 cheesecake (this is the same recipe in juniors cookbook, he just copied)

KFC:
-buttermilk biscuits
-honey barbecue wings
-original recipe fried chicken (not even close, sorry!)

Luby's Cafeteria:
-spaghetti salad

Macaroni Grill:
-chocolate cake w/ fudge sauce
-focaccia
-insalata florentine
-pasta gamberetti e pinoli
-reese's peanut butter cake
-sesame shrimp
-shrimp portofino

Olive Garden:
-angel hair & 3 onion soup
-beef fillets in balsamice sauce
-bread sticks
-brushetta al pomodoro
-chicken crostina(good)
-chicken san marco
-chocolate lasagna
-fettuccune alfredo
-fettuccine assorito
-5 cheese lasagna
-fried mozzarella
-lemon cream cake
-oven roasted potatoes
-pasta e fagioli
-pizza bianco
-pork filettino
-salad dressing
-sangria
-tiramisu
-tuscan tea
-zuppa toscana

Outback Steakhouse:
-cyclone pasta
-honey wheat bushman bread
-key lime pie
-marinated steak
-walkabout soup

Panda Express:
-orange flavored chicken

Panera Bread:
-asian sesame chicked salad
-broccoli cheese soup

Pat's King Of Steaks:
-philly cheesesteak

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery:
-pancakes

P.F.Changs:
-chicken lettuce wrap
-chicken w/ black bean sauce

Pizza Hut:
-cavatini

Planet Hollywood:
-cap n' crunch chicken (this was very good!)

Popeye's:
-cajun rice
-dirty rice

Rainforest Cafe:
-blue mountain grilled chicken sandwich
-crab cakes
-safari sauce

Red Lobster:
-batter fried shrimp
-casear dressing
-cajun shrimp linguine
-cheddar biscuits (sorry, Todd Wilbur is better)
-clam chowder
-deep fried catfish
-dungeness crab bisque
-fried chicken tenders
-grouper siciliano
-hush puppies
-lobster fondue
-shrimp diablo
-south beach seafood paella
-trout veracruz

Roadhouse Grill:
-roast beef & mashed potatoes

Ruby Tuesday:
-chicken quesdillas
-shrimp pasta parmesan(good)
-sonoran chicken pasta
-super salad bar pasta

Ruth Chris's Steak House:
-barbecued shrimp

Shoney's:
-marinated mushrooms
-pot roast
-tomato florentine soup

The Soup Nazi:
-crab bisque
-cream of sweet potato soup
-indian mulligatawny soup
-mexican chicken chili'

Starbucks:
-chocolate fudge squares w/ mocha glaze
-ginger bread n loaf

Subway:
-sweet onion sauce

Taco Bell:
-beef chalupa supreme
-burrito supreme(same recipe as Todd Wilbur)
-enchirito
-mexican pizza

T.G.I. Friday's:
-baked potato skins
-broccoli cheese soup
-honey mustard dressing
-jack daniels dipping sauce
-orange cream
-shrimp mainara
-sizzling chicken & cheese

Union Pacific:
-apple pancakes
-grilled white pekin duck breast

I don't feel this is a bad book. I didn't appreciate that he copied the recipe from Junior's cookbook. Besides that, the book is only $[...] and it will pay for itself within two meals and you will enjoy it. :)

I'm actually trying these recipes, and of 2 in progress, there are serious erros in each. Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf calls for "8 tablespoons(1/2 stick) butter". So which is it? 8 tablespoons(1 stick) or maybe it really means 1/2 stick,and it should be 4 tablespoons? (Seems to really be the 8 tablespoons). Baking time calls for 40-50 minutes; it took 60 minutes (my oven is reliable)Luckily, I'm a seasoned enough cook that I could reason these errors out.
Speaking of seasoned... I also have The Soup Natzi's Mexican Chicken Chilli on cooking. The recipe doesn't include one ounce of seasoning. No salt, no pepper, no chilli powder. Nothing. I'll make something up,but it's guaranteed that it won't be a clone of the original.
Oh, and I really bought this book for the Red Lobster cheese biscuit recipe. I've seen the version in this book many times. Much to my dissapointment, there's nothing new or different in this recipe.
This book gets 2 stars instead of 1, because the loaf and the 'chilli' (well, so far it's more chicken soup than chilli) both smell really great.
If you're a new cook, I'd advise you to stay away from this book. You'd get really bummed out when after all your hard work, the investment of all the ingredients and following a new recipe exactly, you end up with a end result that's not what you're expecting - and deserve!

I have now made a few recipes from this book and would caution others: use your common sense when cooking these recipes. For instance, the author recommends 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in the mushroom tomato topping for Applebees's spinach pizza. I LOVE spicy food, but this could kill someone. The orange glazed chicken has twice as much sugar in the glaze as needed. It is cloying. Most of you out there will adjust other things I am sure. My advice: go with care.

My kids love these recipes. They can't tell the difference. They use the cook book like a menu now. Its fun going through the book with the kids and searching for some of your favorite orders. Not only do they love the recipes but they want to learn to cook themselves. I always try to teach them a thing or two while I cook so that they know how to make more than cereal when there out on there own. This is the first cookbook that seems to grab and keep there attention. There are a bunch of great recipies, I recommend KFC chicken and the Red Lobster biscuits.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I saw this cookbook, flipped through it, said Wow, and put it in the shopping cart! "America's Most Wanted Recipes: Delicious Recipes from Your Family's Favorite Restaurants" is one of those Must-Have cookbooks!

Except for the cover, there is not a single photo of a single recipe in this 267-page cookbook. Not one, yet one of the most important determiners of buying a cookbook is plenty of photos showing me how the prepared dish should look. In this case, however, photos are not needed. We already know what the dish looks like--it is from one of our favorite restaurants!

An example: MACORONI GRILL, one of my favorite restaurants, has eight recipes in the line-up, one of which is Sesame Shrimp, an Asian-inspired dish, as well as their recipe for Focaccia.

IHOP's Swedish Pancakes, one of only two dishes I always order, is included. Wow! (I don't order anything else because this is what I want every time!) Or Baked Potato Soup by HARD ROCK CAFE.

Basic information:
Over 200 recipes from 57 restaurants

A website which connects you with Ron Douglas's recipe website.
How Douglas obtained the recipes

A way to save money is to cook at home
Eating at home is often healthier than eating in restaurants through substitutions.

Three pages of cooking tips, including "For a juicier hamburger, add a little cold water to the beef before grilling" and "A roast with a bone in will cook faster than a boneless roast. The bone carries the heat to the inside more quickly."

Other pre-cooking topics include: Cooking terms, guidelines for buying fresh vegetables and fruits, description of flavor and use of various spices and herbs, and shelf life for herbs.

The index is most beneficial as well and includes measurements, recipes listed by category (they are arranged alphabetically by restaurant in the book proper), trademarks, and restaurant web sites (a favorite to be sure).

For a complete list of all restaurants and their recipes, refer to the first reviewer's review.

Here are a couple of teasers: CHILI'S Salsa, the SOUP NAZI's Crab Bisque and Cream of Sweet Potato Soup and one more, the famous Indian Mulligatawny Soup (you know, the Soup Nazi, as seen on Jerry Seinfeld), BOSTON MARKET's Meat Loaf, and one more: Meatbals by CARRABBA's ITALIAN GRILL.

No, just one more: My personal all-time favorite recipe in the world: OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE's Marinated Steak. Wow!

See, I told you this is a Wow cookbook!

I purchased this only for the KFC chicken recipe. It requires a pressure cooker for spot on results so I have yet to make it. I have however made the Chi Chi's Baked Chicken Chimichangas, Chilis Baby Back ribs(used beef ribs instead), Cheesecake Factory- Avocado Eggrolls and Pumpkin Cheesecake. All were fantastic. I have only tried the eggrolls at the actual restaurant so that is the only recipe I can compare apples to apples...I liked the homemade version better!!! I am going to make the Cream of Sweet Potato Soup tonight for dinner. All in all I have used this cook book more than any other right after purchasing. I also love that you can modify the recipes and reduce the fat content. Great purchase for $9.99!!!
p.s. Great if you keep kosher and want to sample non-kosher restaurant treats.

This is an interesting book. I have read others years ago that make a similar effort--to recreate restaurant recipes. I recall reading of efforts to recreate, for instance, the Big Mac some years back. But this volume stands on its own pretty doggone well.

The book begins by noting its approach--trying to reproduce recipes that people really like. The author, Ron Douglas, notes a benefit of this book--by providing recipes to readers, people can make their favorite dishes and save money in the process. I have eaten Fettuccine Alfredo at Olive Garden. The author notes that one would pay $11.95 for this at the restaurant, but only $4.28 if one makes it at home, quite a saving!

The book opens with helpful cooking tips, with guidelines for buying veggies, and laying out how long one can hold on to herbs/spices before they go stale or bad. But it is the recipes that are at the heart of this book. For example, Applebee's Baby Back Ribs. Ingredients: Ribs, ketchup, cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, Worcestershire Sauce, liquid smoke, and salt. Why just list ingredients? To compare with other rib recipes in this volume! Hard Rock Cafe's BBQ Ribs ingredients: water, liquid smoke, St. Louis ribs, chicken broth, ketchup, maple syrup, pepper, yellow mustard, dark brown sugar, Worcestershire Sauce, bay leaf, white vinegar, and orange juice. Some similarities--but also some interesting differences.

I make fried rice whenever I do a stir fry dinner. Benihana's recipe is different from mine. Many of the ingredients may be similar (e.g., mixed vegetables), but the process is different. I use the "Joy of Cooking" recipe--which is great! It calls for cooling the rice; the Benihana version does not. Thus, similar ingredients but a different process. That's part of the fun of looking at these recipes. Can I try something different and still come up with a good dish?

I make a decent Pasta e fagioli, but when I had a business meeting at Olive Garden, I had to concede that their version was better. How nice to see that recipe listed in this book! Next time I make this dish? I'll use the reconstructed Olive Garden menu.

And on it goes.

In the end, this is a fun concept. It is not original; others have made the effort before. But the recipes are doable and promise to produce good results.

I have heard a huge buzz in media recently about Ron Douglas's book. I went out and bought a copy and my family loves when I use the recipes in the book. I have always wondered if I can make many of the dishes when I eat out and now I can. Great book with great results!

When I purchased this book, I made the KFC recipe. My husband got home and thought I bought a bucket of fried chicken from KFC and still doesn't beleive I made it. Overall, my family enjoyed last night's dinner. Tomorrow I am going to make the Red Robin burgers. Thank you for giving me restaurant recipes I can make at home and I'm glad I purchased this book.

I received my copy of the book from Amazon Thursday afternoon and can't wait to try out the eight Boston Market recipes, also Church's Chicken. Then there's Junior's Cheesecake; my mouth has watered watching them eat-sell-eat this expensive product on QVC! There's a bunch of Olive Garden recipes including Chocolate Lasagna--not sure if I'm up to that one anytime soon! I like the seafood recipes, and living near the coast can assure everyone those pages will get a workout over time!

The recipes are easy to read and detailed. The layout is superb and includes a set of icons to quickly see if a recipe is a money-saver, a healty choice, a time saver etc. There are several pages of cooking tips too--a plus for an amateur like myself!

I saw the author on FOX News and he did a great job selling me on his book; I'm looking forward making some of these recipes this weekend to share with family and friends!