Customer Reviews

Rocco Gets Real: Cook at Home, Every Day

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

 

 

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

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!

I have not tried every recipe in the book, but when I have, the results ranged from bad diner food to mediocre at best. My first Rocco book, and oh my last. The book has the flavor of a let's-throw-this-together project. For instance, Rocco's initial claim is that none of the recipes in the book (dated 2008) costs more than $7.00 to serve four people. I live near a large city and my local markets sell Rocco's specification of filet mignon for $19.95 a pound. That's for starters. Add the other ingredients in the dish and you'll be spending considerably more than $25.00 per recipe. A careful author would not have let this happen. Other aspects of the book include poor photography and even worse graphics. Some pages are quite difficult to read - thin white lettering upon red ink.

All this said, I think that the illustrations regarding cookware are neat and simple and could be helpful.

What would I have wanted to know before I purchased this product? That the criticisms of the previous book were correct, and Rocco, adorable as he is, may or may not know how to cook.

This book does it all. Its informative, inexpensive and entertaining. There are tons of pictures and many helpful tips. His information bar is indispensable! It gives the shopping list and pictures of the tools you need. And of course the recipes are like no one else's. His food is vibrant, just different enough to make you feel like you went on a journey but very easy to make. I love this guy.
Cooks

I thought this book was going to contain recipes from the Biggest Loser (as advertised), but they are few and far between in this book and the caloric value of some of these recipes is a bit more than people who are on the Biggest Loser diet should make...

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.

I received this book for Christmas and was very excited. My problem is where do you get some of the ingredients? The average grocery store does not carry specialty items. I was also surprised by how many jarred sauces are used. I like to make my own. I love the show but I am VERY disappointed in the book.

I was a little disappointed in this cookbook compared to the comfort cookbook. Rocco is wonderful, but this cookbook is a little too gourmet for me in this one. I like wholesome food and not fancy foods. This one fell short of my expectations. But for someone who likes to cook this way, then it's great for them.

I'm looking for a simple receipe book. One that doesn't include ingredients like leeks or chutney. I rushed to buy this book after seeing him make simple but fast foods without a ton of weird stuff on the Biggest Loser. I love Rocco, but not this book so much. While there are several down to earth receipes in this book, I have yet to make one.

Rocco gave me 'real' help! This is Rocco's best cookbook. My girlfriends and I collect them all. Some really terrific short cuts and tips in here that will make anyone a better cook. Now if he would just make housecalls! Until then my friends and I will have to settle for his new A and E show! "Rocco Gets Real" on Saturday mornings is a DVR staple in my diet! Thanks Rocco!