I'm sure you've seen the ads for America's Most Wanted Recipes. It seems they're popping up on every cooking website I visit. After seeing them over and over again, I figured I should probably take a look at the book and give my review. Every review I read was 100% positive with everyone loving the product. I knew there had to be something Ron Douglas could have done better.
Do I Need a Cookbook?
Cookbooks are a thing of the past! I know that's a pretty bold statement and probably a bit of an exaggeration, but think about it, how often do you look up a recipe in a cookbook rather than on your computer? If you're like me, you store most of your favorite recipes online or in a database on your computer. It makes it easier to find and even adjust the quantity of your recipes. Sure, there are some old favorites I still have in book form, but they're slowly moving over to the virtual world.
The problem with most internet recipes is, you don't know if they're good. Has anyone ever actually tried the recipe or is this just the best guess of the author? I've made some dishes I found online and was extremely disappointed. I actually wondered if the author ever tried the recipe.
What makes the recipes in America's Most Wanted Recipes different? It's what I call a 45,000 member test lab. Ron Douglas has a cooking website with over 45,000 members who will try out and recommend changes to all of the recipes he and other post. After it's gone through a few hundred test runs, the odds of you liking it greatly increase. Sometimes all it takes is a minor tweak here or there and it's fine. Other times the entire recipe needs to be ditched and started over.
Will I Like The Recipes?
OK, I knew the recipes would at least be good. But, what if there wasn't anything I liked? Well, a quick glance at the recipes in volumes one and two convinced me. PF Chang Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Olive Garden Lasagna, Boston Market Macaroni and Cheese, Cracker Barrel Fried Apples, and even Wendy's Chili. There's hundreds of other recipes from restaurants like Red Lobster, Sizzler, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, KFC, IHOP, Cheesecake Factory, Applebee's, Chili's, TGI Fridays, Starbucks and more.
Doing Business with Ron Douglas
I'll be honest, I wasn't impressed with the site offering the book. I thought it seemed too basic and too much of a sales pitch. It made me a little apprehensive about ordering. But, I did and I was very pleasantly surprised. The book was instantly available to me and I was cooking from it that same day. Everything is well organized in the books and I could print out my recipes and bring them into the kitchen while I cooked.
I was surprised nobody tried to sell me up to a higher level. When you buy the book, you get volume 1 and 2 as well as several other cookbooks on sauces, comfort foods, grilling, special occasion foods, diabetic recipes, and even one that's "kid-friendly". These all came with my initial purchase. Nobody tried to bump me up to a different price for the extras. That's commendable.
Things I Didn't Like
OK, every review I've read about Ron Douglas book has nothing but good things to say about it. But, I know there's no such thing as perfect product. What part of the book was going to disappoint me? To begin with, I didn't find any pictures in the book. Not to disappointing since I knew what they should all look like before I even started to cook them. But it would have helped. He also could have given a bit more detail on some of the recipes. For the most part, the things he left out could seem obvious, but it's always good to have the details spelled out "just in case." Anything lacking in the book, I found at his members only website. Fortunately a lifetime membership is included with the book purchase.
My Recommendation
All in all, I highly recommend the book. Give it a try and I'm sure you'll be very happy. I'm a pretty tough customer to please with stuff like this. If, for some reason you get the book, review it and aren't happy, you have 60 days to ask for a refund. All orders are processed through a third-party company called Clickbank. They'll make sure you get your refund if you request one.
Over 700 recipes and membership to an exclusive community of other folks just like you for less than the price of a typical meal at one of these restaurants. I'd say that's a bargain. - 15275
Do I Need a Cookbook?
Cookbooks are a thing of the past! I know that's a pretty bold statement and probably a bit of an exaggeration, but think about it, how often do you look up a recipe in a cookbook rather than on your computer? If you're like me, you store most of your favorite recipes online or in a database on your computer. It makes it easier to find and even adjust the quantity of your recipes. Sure, there are some old favorites I still have in book form, but they're slowly moving over to the virtual world.
The problem with most internet recipes is, you don't know if they're good. Has anyone ever actually tried the recipe or is this just the best guess of the author? I've made some dishes I found online and was extremely disappointed. I actually wondered if the author ever tried the recipe.
What makes the recipes in America's Most Wanted Recipes different? It's what I call a 45,000 member test lab. Ron Douglas has a cooking website with over 45,000 members who will try out and recommend changes to all of the recipes he and other post. After it's gone through a few hundred test runs, the odds of you liking it greatly increase. Sometimes all it takes is a minor tweak here or there and it's fine. Other times the entire recipe needs to be ditched and started over.
Will I Like The Recipes?
OK, I knew the recipes would at least be good. But, what if there wasn't anything I liked? Well, a quick glance at the recipes in volumes one and two convinced me. PF Chang Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Olive Garden Lasagna, Boston Market Macaroni and Cheese, Cracker Barrel Fried Apples, and even Wendy's Chili. There's hundreds of other recipes from restaurants like Red Lobster, Sizzler, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, KFC, IHOP, Cheesecake Factory, Applebee's, Chili's, TGI Fridays, Starbucks and more.
Doing Business with Ron Douglas
I'll be honest, I wasn't impressed with the site offering the book. I thought it seemed too basic and too much of a sales pitch. It made me a little apprehensive about ordering. But, I did and I was very pleasantly surprised. The book was instantly available to me and I was cooking from it that same day. Everything is well organized in the books and I could print out my recipes and bring them into the kitchen while I cooked.
I was surprised nobody tried to sell me up to a higher level. When you buy the book, you get volume 1 and 2 as well as several other cookbooks on sauces, comfort foods, grilling, special occasion foods, diabetic recipes, and even one that's "kid-friendly". These all came with my initial purchase. Nobody tried to bump me up to a different price for the extras. That's commendable.
Things I Didn't Like
OK, every review I've read about Ron Douglas book has nothing but good things to say about it. But, I know there's no such thing as perfect product. What part of the book was going to disappoint me? To begin with, I didn't find any pictures in the book. Not to disappointing since I knew what they should all look like before I even started to cook them. But it would have helped. He also could have given a bit more detail on some of the recipes. For the most part, the things he left out could seem obvious, but it's always good to have the details spelled out "just in case." Anything lacking in the book, I found at his members only website. Fortunately a lifetime membership is included with the book purchase.
My Recommendation
All in all, I highly recommend the book. Give it a try and I'm sure you'll be very happy. I'm a pretty tough customer to please with stuff like this. If, for some reason you get the book, review it and aren't happy, you have 60 days to ask for a refund. All orders are processed through a third-party company called Clickbank. They'll make sure you get your refund if you request one.
Over 700 recipes and membership to an exclusive community of other folks just like you for less than the price of a typical meal at one of these restaurants. I'd say that's a bargain. - 15275
About the Author:
Chef Pablo has a love and passion for food and cooking. One of his favorite specialties are restaurant recipes. At his website you'll find Outback Steakhouse recipes as well as others like Red Lobster, The Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden and more.