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

Image of Cook Like a Rock Star: 125 Recipes, Lessons, and Culinary Secrets: A Cookbook
Author(s): 
Release Date: 
October 3, 2011
Publisher/Imprint: 
Clarkson Potter
Pages: 
256
Reviewed by: 

“In her new book, Cook Like a Rock Star, Chef Burrell not only tells the how, but also the why of cooking; and, best of all, she does something truly amazing—she makes cooking fun and easy.”

From the “Galloping Gourmet” of the 70s to Emeril’s “Bam!” of Y2K, cooking shows are nothing new. In 2007 Anthony Bourdain wrote the eye-opening Kitchen Confidential, which piqued the interest of the private sector and turned a spotlight on the culinary industry.

The Food Network started in the mid 90s, and its popularity has grown considerably, having launched the public careers of many and turning them into household names. While Rachael Ray’s “30-Minute Meals” fills a need for busy people, “Iron Chef” helps home-cooks figure out ten dishes to make with that excess inventory of random secret ingredient; and, as a result, self-proclaimed “Foodies” have been coming out of the woodwork in droves.

Now things have evolved even further. Not only do celebrity chefs demonstrate their own skills, they’re showing home cooks how to cultivate skills of their own. One such chef in the forefront of skill teaching is former sous chef of and—during his competitive years on “Iron Chef”—the trusty master pastamaker to Mario Batali.

This amazing woman recently broke out with great shows like “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” which demonstrates how to get that fabulous restaurant flavor at home and “Worst Cooks In America,” where she took on the worst of the worst and turned them into competent, confident cooks.

So, if indeed chefs can be rock stars, then for sure Anne Burrell is just that.

From her signature colorful dresses to her Billy Idol-esque hair, Chef Burrell’s infectious, upbeat personality lights up a room and gets people excited about cooking. In her new book, Cook Like a Rock Star, Chef Burrell not only tells the how, but also the why of cooking; and, best of all, she does something truly amazing—she makes cooking fun and easy.

Adorned with gorgeous full-color photos that you can practically taste, Chef Burrell’s amazing delicacies from her “Piccolini and Firsts” to her more hearty “Starters, Seconds and Sides”—which also work beautifully as main courses—all accompanied by clear and easy-to-understand, step-by-step instructions on how to recreate her flavorful, savory meals, as well as a few sweet ones that provide just the right finish.

Cook Like a Rock Star features 125 recipes utilizing fairly basic ingredients that transform into wonderfully tasty dishes. Even the most novice of cooks will find these recipes easy to follow, fun to make, and most importantly: delicious to eat.