Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2

January 1, 2007
Wilbur, who's made a small cookbook empire deconstructing chain restaurant favorites, here introduces 150 new recipes from such well-loved eateries as The Cheesecake Factory, Chili's, Outback Steakhouse and Waffle House. Adopting a wily, covert-agent tone when discussing his research ("A couple plane rides, a bit of driving, some walking and a stumble or two later, I had a cooler full of Houston's goodies procured safely back at the underground lab"), and brings infectious enthusiasm for each dish to his insider-y recipe intros. The results are, for the most part, winning: Houston's Honey-Lime Vinaigrette is a refreshing blend of honey, citrus, and mustard; IHOP Harvest Grain 'n Nut Pancakes are crunchy and wholesome; and Red Lobster's tasty Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp comes with an addictive cilantro-ranch dipping sauce. But perhaps the most useful aspect of this cookbook is that it allows home cooks to lighten up their favorite artery-clogging dine-out dishes. Have a hankering for P.F. Chang's Spare Ribs but don't feel like consuming a cup of light corn syrup or four cups of vegetable oil? A quick study of the recipe reveals myriad ways to make the dish more simple, healthful and enjoyable right at home.

February 15, 2007
Why would anyone want to re-create fast-food recipes at home? Fast food is, after all, convenient, not healthy. Wilbur, a top-selling QVC cookbook author, returns with this compilation of 150 new recipes from chains like Bennigan's, Applebee's, Denny's, and Olive Garden. Through "reverse-engineering," home cooks will be able to make their favorite dishes, inexpensively, from scratch and at a fraction of the cost. Arranged by restaurant dish (Roadhouse Grill Baby Back Ribs, T.G.I. Friday's Broccoli Cheese Soup), the recipes can quickly be located with ease. These "top secret" dishes are rendered in blueprint style and commence with the restaurant's menu description. Wilbur's book is made up primarily of dishes known to clog the arteries, but he delivers the latest in what will surely please a nation wrapped up in fast food. Recommended for medium and large collections.Steven G. Fullwood, Schomburg Ctr. Lib., New York

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