Honest Review of America’s Secret Recipes

By : Chef Pablo | 0 Comments | On : February 14, 2009 | Category : Product Review

I’ve been offering Ron Douglas’ digital book “America’s Secret Recipes” on my restaurant recipes website for a few months now.  If you’ve visited other recipe websites, you’ve probably seen ads for the book and wondered if it’s of any value.  I decided it’s time I gave my honest review of the book.  The things I like, didn’t like and whether you should spend your hard earned money on it.

Many readers of this site have purchased the book and nobody has asked for a refund.  In fact, based on emails, all are very happy with the results. Here’s just one of many email comments:

Greetings:

I would like to thank you very much for the “America’s Secret Recipes” that I received in the mail a few days ago. I’m looking forward to trying out some of these recipes, especially the ‘Chili’s Southwestern egg rolls and ‘Hooter’s Buffalo Wings’. These always go over great for football games, especially the Super Bowl.

Thanks again for putting together this wonderful cook book of yours.

Mary McLuckie

Why A Cookbook?

I’ll be completely honest, I’m not the worlds biggest fan of cookbooks.  With the internet, I’m able to find just about any recipe I want.  I then bookmark it and keep my recipe bookmarks sorted in category headings you would find in any cookbook.  Appetizers, Side Dishes, Main Dishes and more.  It’s my virtual cookbook that is always changing and expanding.

So, what changed my mind on this book? 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.

All of the restaurant recipes you’ll find in Ron Douglas’ America’s Secret Recipes have been run through their paces on his cooking website by over 45,000 discerning cooks. It’s not until the recipe receives the approval of those users that it makes it’s way into one of Rons books.  It’s almost like an online testing lab with very honest researchers. Add a bit more salt, less sugar, cook this at a higher temperature and other modifications have perfected these recipes.

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.

Was It A Smooth Transaction?

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 with kid-friendly recipes.  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

Was there anything I didn’t like? Well, yes, there are a couple of recipes I thought needed a bit more explanation.  Should I cook the lasagna noodles before hand?  How thick should this patty be before I cook it?  I could have guessed and probably been OK, but instead, I went over to Ron’s website forum and found the answers among the 45,000 other users.  It’s like a community of people just like me who love to cook.  A lifetime membership to the website is included when you purchase the book.

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’re not happy.

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.

Here’s where you can get the Americas Most Wanted Recipes by Ron Douglas. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Share This Post!