Rocco Gets Real: Cook at Home, Every Day [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Rocco DiSpirito (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 21, 2008

• Rocco comes to the home cook's rescue with more than 130 quick-and-easy dishes, many of which are featured on his A&E TV show, Rocco Gets Real.

• Chapters focus on the center of the plate, including pasta, chicken, beef, pork, fish, and seafood.

• Special chapters include Healthy Meals (recipes seen on The Biggest Loser) and Rocco's Holiday Table.

• Rocco's recipe notes teach, inspire, and encourage home cooks through every step in the kitchen.

• Short ingredient lists, quick and easy prep, and clever shortcuts mean streamlined techniques that don't compromise flavor.

• Full-color photography throughout the book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rocco DiSpirito's road to fame began when he was 11 years old while helping his mother, Nicolina, in her own kitchen-an experience that sparked his intense interest in food and cooking. Now one of today's most exciting chefs, followed by millions, the Jamacia, Queens, native entered the Culinary Institute of America when he was 16. He graduated in 1986 and studied at Jardin de Cygne in France before earning a B.S. in Business from Boston University in 1990. After working at restaurants in New York and Boston, he joined Lepinasse's opening team, then opened Union Pacific in New York's Granmercy Park as chef and owner. Food & Wine named him its Best New Chef in 1999, and the following year, Gourmet magazine called him “America's Most Exciting Young Chef.” DiSpirito opened Rocco's 22nd Street in the summer of 2003, while cameras for NBC's The Restaurant watched and took notes. Later that summer more than 8 million viewers a week tuned in to see the ups and downs of DiSpirito's family-inspired eatery. DiSpirito is the author of four previous cookbooks, including Rocco's Real Life Recipes in 2007.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0696238233
• ASIN: B001WAKPG6
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #919,963 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ABOUT ROCCO DISPIRITO
Rocco DiSpirito is a chef and the author of nine award winning books including the # 1 New York Times bestsellers NOW EAT THIS! And NOW EAT THIS! DIET. Rocco's NOW EAT THIS! series: features healthy makeovers of America's favorite comfort foods, from fried chicken to apple pie, all with zero bad carbs, zero bad fats, zero sugar, and maximum flavor. Everything you've always loved ... well, now you can enjoy it without worrying about what it will do to your waistline. What's more, every dish weighs in at less than 350 calories.

Chef Rocco DiSpirito is on a mission to change people's perception of healthy food by making delicious low-fat, low-calorie dishes easily accessible. To that end, he launched the Now Eat This! Truck, which will travel around New York City selling meals created from recipes featured in his wildly successful series of cookbooks of the same name. Each meal will include an entrée under 350 calories as well as a healthy drink and dessert option. Chef DiSpirito will donate 100% of the proceeds to provide a free lunch to a New York City student.

Once a week, during Free Lunch Fridays, Chef DiSpirito will personally visit different city schools to educate the students on the massive benefits of eating healthy foods. As part of that program, he will serve free lunches to the participating students paid for by the generosity of other New Yorkers who buy their lunch from the "Now Eat This Truck."

In September 2012 Rocco's Syndicated Show Now Eat This! With Rocco DiSpirito began airing in syndication across America. In each episode Rocco will challenge, guide and encourage a family and their children to make healthier lifestyle choices.

In September 2012 Rocco published The New York Times best seller Now Eat This! Italian. Rocco traveled to Italy to learn how to prepare our favorite Italian dishes from the inside the kitchens of the real Mama's of Italy -all under 350 calories.

Rocco began his culinary studies at the Culinary Institute of America at the age of 16 and by 20 was working in the kitchens of legendary chefs around the globe. He was named Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chef and was the first chef to appear on Gourmet Magazine's cover as America's Most Exciting Young Chef. His 3 Star Restaurant Union Pacific was a New York City culinary landmark for many years. Ruth Reichl said of her experience at Union Pacific, she "moaned as she ate" in her famous New York Times review. His reality series Rocco's Dinner Party aired during the summer of 2011 on Bravo.

Rocco is a frequent guest on Good Morning America, Rachael Ray and The Dr. Oz Show and has appeared on The View, Today, The Doctors, Ellen and many other programs.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars smart and simple November 16, 2008

By t boss

Format:Paperback

This is the first cook book that has ever made sense to me. im a single guy and I actually have a job and don't have 12 hours to prepare a meal, especially before a date. i don't mind spending some money getting a meal together but i DONT want to spend alot of time. and i still want it to be cool. this cook book is awesome!! really straight forward, really fast, and everything came out great. it was hard to screw up the recipes which is good since when you are getting ready for a date, you kind of want to be as close to idiot-proof as possible. this is the most practical cook book ever

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rocco's Book Makes Me Cook!!! November 15, 2008

By MAR

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am a young professional who loves great food, but never cared much for cooking. My family always cooked for me (my dad is a chef), so when I started living on my own, I only ordered take-out and never bothered to start learning to cook. When I realized how much money I was spending, and how much weight I was gaining, I decided to buy Rocco's new book in an attempt to cook fast, easy, but tasty meals. To my surprise, all of the recipes actually came out great, tasted as good as they looked, and were very flavorful! The book is a great guide because it has step-by-step pictures, shopping lists, and illustrations of all the tools needed for each recipe. The recipes are simple but not unimaginative or lacking in flavor. The real test was when my dad came to visit me and I decided to cook him a recipe out of Rocco's new book. I made him the sweet and sour cherry beef on page 42. My dad could not believe his eyes (or his taste-buds!) It was soooo good, I decided to cook more often (and HE decided to get a copy of Rocco's book for himself). This book is great for people who feel hopeless in the kitchen, or for people who already know and love cooking, but want to try new recipes. I didn't know the difference between a skillet or frying pan, much less what they look like. But having this book makes me feel confident that I can become knowledgeable about what to use to achieve high quality food in an easy, effortless manner. Plus, the new sections on health and holiday make this a great, all year round go-to cookbook. Thanks Rocco, for sending me on my way to becoming healthier, wealthier, and not having to compromise the flavors I love so much!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not exactly what I expected December 16, 2009

By Kimberly

Format:Paperback

After seeing some of the 5-star reviews and seeing some of the recipes listed, I was excited to try this book. After looking through page after page of recipes, I found maybe 3 that I thought sounded tasty. Not impressed. This is one of those books that heavily incorporates pre-packaged foods, by brand name, to save cooking time. Many of those prepackaged items aren't to be found at my local big-box or even specialty markets. How much time am I really saving trying to track down the brands that Rocco recommends? And how healthy can it be if the recipes call for canned, frozen, or boxed ingredients rather than fresh? If you want fast and healthy, pick up a Tyler Florence book. He knows how to do it without pimping for the food companies and t.v. shows that he's involved with.