foodiewife's Reviews
Cookbook Reviews
Cook Like a Rock Star: 125 Recipes, Lessons, and Culinary Secrets
By Anne Burrell, Suzanne Lenzer, Mario Batali
Clarkson Potter - 2011
I have been a fan of Anne Burrell's, ever since I spotted her on Food Network as Mario Batali's Sous Chef. I've watched her pave her way to Chef Rock Star success, when Food Network gave her own TV Show "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef". I love Anne's quirkiness, and she is definitely a chef. I've made MANY of her recipes, and blogged about them. I received this cookbook, yesterday, and I'm thoroughly enjoying Mario Batali's intro, and her introduction. She says that "the purpose of this book is to teach you how, in a fun way, to cook-- or to help you expand your skills and our repertoire if you're already comfy in the kitchen." I've read the first two categories, and I've already bookmarked quite a few recipes I cannot wait to try! I love Anne's little sayings, and she's shared some excellent tips. for example, (page 49) she shares that polenta is a "salt eraser" and if you don't salt abundantly in the early step (adding salt when bringing to a boil), you'll never recover. Who knew?!
I'm not a classically trained chef, but I feel very comfortable in the kitchen. Anne's recipes are unique, some have an interesting twist to classics (such as Cipolline Tempura p. 52)-- as an option to onion rings. The photography is beautiful, as are Anne's "Mis En Place" lists, rather than ingredient's listings. I'm big on Mis En Place, and Anne really emphasizes that this is key in successful cooking. I will update my review, as I begin to make her recipes. I'm ready to start on one right now!