Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire & Empower: A Cookb… (2024)

I've enjoyed chef Anne Burrell's simple, straightforward and sassy cooking instructions ever since seeing her on the tv show Worst Cooks in America, where she encouraged her students to do better and provided constructive criticism. She is my favorite chef because she is so likable, and I love her sense of style, which she isn't afraid to show. Her recipes are delicious, affordable and inspire confidence in the amateur cook.

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.

My husband and I love The Food Network, so I was very excited to win a copy of Anne Burrell's cookbook! Right off the bat the colors and pictures in the book are great and make me want to eat everything. I like her advice on "10 Ways to Own Your Kitchen" at the beginning of the book, very helpful for people learning to cook like myself. There is even a picture step-by-step on how to butterfly a chicken. Also helpful is that before each recipe Chef Anne lists the "mise en place", or prep work you need to do before starting to cook. A lot of the recipes do seem more advanced that I was prepared for, however.

I was impressed to see the recipe for "Scotch eggs" on page 38, which my husband and I always used to get at a little restaurant in Indiana. Can't wait to try and make our own! Though, we like the eggs hardboiled not runny.

Many of the recipes sound delicious, if not a little weird. Does anybody like "marinated white anchovies" (page 34)? These "different" recipes are contrasted with old favorites like "shepherd's pie" on page 92 and "fish and chips" on page 114. I do like the humor Chef Anne adds right into the recipes, like "Remove and discard the garlic- it has fulfilled its garlic destiny" (pg. 119).

And AHHH a whole section on brunch! Now we're talking. Cranberry-walnut scones?! Yes please. Baked eggs, stuffed french toast, "french" rolled omelets, fruit smoothies- all YUM.

Sandwich section. "I'm like Joey from Friends- my favorite food is sandwiches" (page 172). Never has making your own focaccia bread seemed so possible (page 174). I've never heard of "cubano toscano" (page 182), but I want one. Now. Also, since Thanksgiving is right around the corner I love that she has a recipe for a "leftover thanksgiving dinner sandwich" on page 193. That will come in handy.

I guess I'm missing something in that I've never had "mushy peas" (page 210). Doesn't SOUND very appetizing but I've heard it is. I do want to make the "cranberry-clementine chutney" (page 225)for Thanksgiving- forget canned cranberry sauce! It is a short, easy recipe too.

Desserts- gotta try the "almond caramel thumbprints" on page 233. I love anything almond. And caramel. So really it's a win-win.

Own Your Kitchen by Anne Burrell is a free Goodreads advance reader copy of a book I received on October 21st. I love to cook and was plenty excited to receive this book to both brush up on my skills and to offer to my boyfriend, who is a bit skittish in the kitchen.

Anne's recipes are awe-inducing and larger than life! The photos, her personal story at the top of each recipe, her tips (highlighted in both the recipe and in handwritten puns as a kind of a postscript), all of these aspects round out the book as being approachable for beginners and a steadfast friend for experienced cooks. My only true complaint is Anne's eschewing commas and proper syntax to put forth her narrative voice, which happens to seem a lot like IRL chat complete with abbreviations, A LOT OF CAPS, and lots of exclamation points!!!

Still, speaking to me the loudest and clearest voice (even above Anne's 'voice') as being the most delicious recipes in the bunch were the ahi poke, french toast stuffed with bacon, onion tomato jam with gruyere & a fried egg, crispy crunchy kale chips (already a gigantic fan of them), and cappuchino panna cotta with chocolate sauce. All in all, woo hoo!

Part of my disappointment is that Italian does not generally immediately appeal to me and that's Burrell's background. Okay, so be it. The menu suggestions were just generally mediocre in my opinion, however. Or not things I can see myself having a place to serve. The brunch section was a strange addition and seemed out of place. The writing, which was cute at first, grated on me by about halfway through the book. It seems like Burrell must have actually written it despite the celebrity predilection for ghost writers and she clearly had little interest in taking her copy editor's notes. There was just legitimately broken English scattered through the book. The rest seemed too cutesy--you don't have to throw in your catch phrases into the directions every time. You don't need to use multiple instances of punctuation for one sentence; I was rather expecting to see i's dotted with hearts. Anyway, the fact I was this distracted and annoyed by the text of a cook book (nevermind the copious pictures of Burrell...like, yes, you have parties, you like serving, super...) overall left me with quite a poor impression.

Great book. I love cookbooks, and this is no exception. Well written, well illustrated, and a wide variety of recipes.
I want to quit work so I can stay at home all day and cook her recipes. It is written in her "vernacular" so is lots of fun to read! The recipes don't contain lots of exotic ingredients, most everything I have on-hand!
I recommend this book without reservations!
I received this book through Goodreads FirstReads.

The pictures in this cookbook and lush and mouthwatering. This is a real "foodie" book. The recipes are quite doable but some of the ingredients are not real common and may take searching in more than your big box stores. Yet, I found myself drooling looking at the pictures. This makes it a keeper.

I've been a fan of Anne Burrell for many years for her work on Food Network, so the chance to try out some of her recipes was not to be turned down. In fact, the recipes that I have tried so far have not only been tasty and delicious, but also easy to follow and without an excess of ingredients. Italian cooking at its finest.

She’s fantastic!! She knows her stuff and she teaches well. She’s got so many recipes in this book though that I just don’t know if I want to try. Not weird ingredients necessarily, just unique or different, even expensive.

i love anne all her stuff is delicious

I love Anne Burrell and her previous cookbook. This one, while well written and filled with color photos, just didn't have recipes that appealed to me as much as those in her first book.

Good cookbook

Anne makes the recipes look very easy to make. The pictures of the recipes let you know what the final product will look like.

I've like her recipes I've made but I didn't see anything here I really want to try.