ROCCO DISPIRITO

Rocco Gets Real, by Rocco DiSpirito

ROCCO GETS REAL

COOK AT HOME, EVERYDAY (NOVEMBER 2008)

by Rocco DiSpirito

Acclaimed celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito is back, treating his millions of fans to a new cookbook that combines his passion for delicious dishes, meals made for those we care about, and easy-to-follow recipes for fully empowered home cooks. Rocco Gets Real: Cook at Home Everyday (Meredith Books, November 2008, $19.95 trade paperback), his fifth cookbook, is the culmination of the James Beard award-winning chef’s lifelong love of helping people prepare and share enticing, fine food with friends and family. 

Set to release in conjunction with Rocco’s upcoming A&E TV show (a unique hybrid, it’s part reality, part how-to that takes Rocco and his cooking out of the studio and into real-life kitchens in people’s homes), ROCCO GETS REAL presents his refreshingly accessible approach to delicious cuisine. In it, he offers a wealth of fabulous and fast recipes, streamlined ingredient lists, preparation shortcuts, and quick fixes that enable even the busiest of us to whip up superb home-cooked meals.

At the heart of his cookbook are 140 center-of-the-plate pasta, beef, chicken, pork, seafood, and fish recipes. Cutting corners on prep time, Rocco uses wholesome fresh and prepared ingredients for meals that are table-ready in less than 30 minutes, always delivering great taste and presentation. His Broiled Chicken Thighs with Baba Ghanoush, Apricots & Cinnamon suggests packaged baba ghanoush for a distinctive smoky flavor without the fuss of roasting and peeling the eggplant. He slips sour cherry preserves into his Sweet & Sour Cherry Beef with Asparagus & Red Onions so it looks and tastes as if it takes much more work to make than it actually does!

ROCCO GETS REAL guides home cooks through the entire meal preparation process, from shopping lists and proper pot or pan selection to correcting the inevitable mistake, taking the guesswork out of cooking and inspiring readers to try an impressive range of dishes. With an Eat Healthy chapter featuring light, satisfying meals; show-stopping holiday platters; a section that matches every recipe to a high-quality, good-value wine, and mouth-watering color photography throughout, this will become the go-to book for every day of the week. 

In ROCCO GETS REAL, Rocco shares innovative ideas for:

* Holiday cooking - From The Great Turkey Leftover Soup to Italian Easter Bread, recipes that take the stress out of holiday entertaining.
* Cozy winter meals - Recipes like Chicken & White Bean Soup with Spinach & Parmesan and Mac ‘N’ Cheese with Shrimp elevate comfort food to an art.
* Healthy choices - With Rocco’s help, we can indulge in guilt-free versions of Chicken Alfredo and Beef Tenderloin.
* Fine food for busy people - Rocco encourages readers to take prepared-food shortcuts in his recipes. There’s no shame when the top-notch ingredients offer results this wonderful! 

I look forward to talking with you soon about ROCCO GETS REAL and a feature, excerpt, or interview with Rocco DiSpirito.