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Rocco's Real Life Recipes: Fast Flavor for Everyday
As “Best New Chef” ( Food & Wine , 1999) and “America's Most Exciting Young Chef” ( Gourmet , 2000), as well as the star of NBC reality show, The Restaurant (2003), Rocco DiSpirito has developed a loyal following who love his flavorful recipes that can be prepared quickly and with easy to find ingredients. The cookbook is peppered with Rocco's own thoughts about cooking and short cuts that address the importance of having a judicious mix of fresh and prepared foods to suit today's busy lifestyle regardless of the occasion. To emphasize this belief, all 175 of Rocco's favorite recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 19, 2020
His best books?
The first five he did
Flavor - Nov 2003
Rocco's Italian American - Nov 2004
Rocco's Five Minute Flavor - Dec 2005
Rocco's Real Life Recipes - Dec 2007
Rocco Gets Real - Oct 2008
he made his reputation with fancy stuff like
scallops topped with sea urchin, tomato, mustard oil and black mustard
or grilling meat over Japanese Binchotan white-oak charcoal which is smokeless and doesn't smell but has a lot of flavor for a lot of money
and he sold his soul for reality television and diet books
and cookbooks with endless canned foods for a quick meal
The first five he did
Flavor - Nov 2003
Rocco's Italian American - Nov 2004
Rocco's Five Minute Flavor - Dec 2005
Rocco's Real Life Recipes - Dec 2007
Rocco Gets Real - Oct 2008
he made his reputation with fancy stuff like
scallops topped with sea urchin, tomato, mustard oil and black mustard
or grilling meat over Japanese Binchotan white-oak charcoal which is smokeless and doesn't smell but has a lot of flavor for a lot of money
and he sold his soul for reality television and diet books
and cookbooks with endless canned foods for a quick meal
July 24, 2018
I am ambivalent about this book by Rocco DiSpirito. It seems cheap and hastily put together. Photography is sub-par. What really put me off was the endless product placements in the recipe ingredients. You don't want a nice 7 ounce package of fresh baby spinach, you need DOLE fresh baby spinach, or Libby's canned fruits, or Bertolli olive oil (which actually tastes like gasoline to me).
If you are not a big meat eater, then you should skip this book because it is heavy on the meats (beef, pork, lamb), although for a saving grace there are full chapters on salmon and fresh tuna steaks.
If you are watching the fat in your diet, definitely skip this book. I was surprised that for someone who has so many books that focus on healthy eating, that he would have numerous recipes that not only use olive oil, but also scads of butter. You want to sweat your onions? Do it in 1 1/2 sticks of butter. You want to use a butter sauce for your salmon? Again, you need 1 1/2 sticks of butter to cook that healthy salmon
If you are gluten free, definitely skip this book. If you've been cooking gluten free for a number of years and are familiar with substitutions, then you can work with the book. If you are novice, skip it.
You may wonder why I gave it three stars rather than one or two. It's because of the one dish meals (particularly the salmon and tuna), that these are basically one pan meals, and that the majority of them are prepped, cooked and on the table in 15 to 30 minutes. (I've always found I can never come in at 15 minutes, so I usually add an additional 15 minutes to the total time. Still fast.)
Would I buy this book if I didn't already have it? No. Would I use some of the recipes now that I do have it? Yes, a few. I would have rather copied the recipes for a library copy and purchased a different book instead.
If you are not a big meat eater, then you should skip this book because it is heavy on the meats (beef, pork, lamb), although for a saving grace there are full chapters on salmon and fresh tuna steaks.
If you are watching the fat in your diet, definitely skip this book. I was surprised that for someone who has so many books that focus on healthy eating, that he would have numerous recipes that not only use olive oil, but also scads of butter. You want to sweat your onions? Do it in 1 1/2 sticks of butter. You want to use a butter sauce for your salmon? Again, you need 1 1/2 sticks of butter to cook that healthy salmon
If you are gluten free, definitely skip this book. If you've been cooking gluten free for a number of years and are familiar with substitutions, then you can work with the book. If you are novice, skip it.
You may wonder why I gave it three stars rather than one or two. It's because of the one dish meals (particularly the salmon and tuna), that these are basically one pan meals, and that the majority of them are prepped, cooked and on the table in 15 to 30 minutes. (I've always found I can never come in at 15 minutes, so I usually add an additional 15 minutes to the total time. Still fast.)
Would I buy this book if I didn't already have it? No. Would I use some of the recipes now that I do have it? Yes, a few. I would have rather copied the recipes for a library copy and purchased a different book instead.
January 27, 2009
As a result of the downturn in our economic circumstances we are eating a lot more meals in the house. Alas, neither my wife or I are cooks. Being a huge bibliophile, the solution presented itself -- get some cookbooks on how to make simple meals, and use them. I ahve to admit to taking this book out because it was relatively thin, and because I have read a little about Dispirito.
The beginning of the book has ingredients that you need for your pantry -- and a few techniques -how to cut meat, cut cloves of garlic, cut on a bias. My chief regret is that this section is not bigger, as you learn a lot of things that you do not learn in Cookie Mama for Nintendo.
He then gets into recipes concerning various proteins -- beef, pork, poultry, salmon, tuna, shellfish.
The recipes list the cooking pots you may need which is a nice touch, the ingredients of course and the time for the recipe. It looks to me that you need a fair bit of ingredients in number , you may need more than one pot to do the meal and you may need items that you would not find in my kitchen -- say a Dutch Oven in one, and the ingredients are not what you may find in your pantry. In other words, besides the standards, you clearly are going to have to plan ahead.
These are not a whisk and a stir.
The beginning of the book has ingredients that you need for your pantry -- and a few techniques -how to cut meat, cut cloves of garlic, cut on a bias. My chief regret is that this section is not bigger, as you learn a lot of things that you do not learn in Cookie Mama for Nintendo.
He then gets into recipes concerning various proteins -- beef, pork, poultry, salmon, tuna, shellfish.
The recipes list the cooking pots you may need which is a nice touch, the ingredients of course and the time for the recipe. It looks to me that you need a fair bit of ingredients in number , you may need more than one pot to do the meal and you may need items that you would not find in my kitchen -- say a Dutch Oven in one, and the ingredients are not what you may find in your pantry. In other words, besides the standards, you clearly are going to have to plan ahead.
These are not a whisk and a stir.
July 6, 2019
This is an odd cookbook that is showing its age. I might try the salmon baked in salt and turmeric -- but nothing else intrigued me. The specific name brands in the ingredients are irritating, and the dishes where I wanted to see photographs rarely had them.
July 5, 2013
This cookbook has some good things and some bad things about it.
The good:
It had a side panel containing the equipment list and a "grocery" list of fresh, packaged, and stuff you should have in your kitchen by default (salt, olive oil, etc).
The bad:
Everything is a brand name (buy this name brand jar of roasted peppers). Some of the ingredients can be rather obscure. Some of the instructions I had to read through twice. And in general, most of the recipes just weren't my cup of tea.
I'm also going blegh at a few of the recipes for food I know I like. Like his Pepper Steak recipe. Who makes Pepper Steak with pork gravy?
The good:
It had a side panel containing the equipment list and a "grocery" list of fresh, packaged, and stuff you should have in your kitchen by default (salt, olive oil, etc).
The bad:
Everything is a brand name (buy this name brand jar of roasted peppers). Some of the ingredients can be rather obscure. Some of the instructions I had to read through twice. And in general, most of the recipes just weren't my cup of tea.
I'm also going blegh at a few of the recipes for food I know I like. Like his Pepper Steak recipe. Who makes Pepper Steak with pork gravy?
December 10, 2016
Wow, doe Rocco know flavor. I have made a few things out of this book, and everything tasted wonderful. Very flavorful. The focus of this book is Real Life Recipes, and he has gathered short-cuts for you, foods you can buy at the grocery store, prepared, that taste very good using his techniques.
The only qualm I have is that you do need to have some cooking experience for this book, to know what to do if the ingredient he recommends doesn't exist in a store in your area. He did research the availability of his suggestions, but I tried 3 stores and was unable to find pineapple jelly! I used apricot jelly instead, and the meal turned out just wonderfully.
Highly recommend.
The only qualm I have is that you do need to have some cooking experience for this book, to know what to do if the ingredient he recommends doesn't exist in a store in your area. He did research the availability of his suggestions, but I tried 3 stores and was unable to find pineapple jelly! I used apricot jelly instead, and the meal turned out just wonderfully.
Highly recommend.
March 24, 2008
Rocco's book is extremely thoughtful. It includes pictures of kitchen tools/equipment needed for each dish, great tips and info on kitchen/pantry basics and even selected wine pairings for each recipe in the book. I'm a bit biased with my review because Rocco personally autographed my book and I've got a slight crush on his handsome face. Seriously, what's sexier than a man in a kitchen cooking?!
April 28, 2008
This is one of the best cook books I've seen in awhile. It's all main courses, broken down by meat/protein. The best part is that he lists all the cooking equipment (grill pan, ect) in addition to the ingredients.
February 8, 2009
C'mon now....he's the cutest chef ever......can't dance, but ya gotta love a hottie who cooks!!
July 16, 2018
Fairly good and easy to make recipes!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews