If you’ve visited recipe websites, you’ve probably seen ads for Ron Douglas’ cookbook, Americas Most Wanted Recipes. 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.

Who Uses Cookbooks These Days?

I have a couple of cookbooks I’ll crack open at home because there’s an old recipe in there that I don’t have on my computer. Other than that, I don’t use cookbooks. Instead, I keep all of my recipes online. I can even upload my own custom recipes on some sites and access them from anywhere on any computer. I can even share recipes with others rather than having to lend out a cookbook or writing out the recipe.

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’ Americas Most Wanted 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 his books. It’s almost like an online testing lab with very honest researchers. Add a bit more salt, less cream, cook this at a lower temperature and other modifications have perfected these recipes.

Are They Popular Recipes?

When I go out to eat, I enjoy going to The Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, Olive Garden and on special occasions maybe even Ruth Chris Steakhouse. When I want to make a copy cat recipe at home, it’s almost always going to be from one of these restaurants. So, I had to look through the list of recipes to see if I would even want to make them. Perfect! There it was, PF Changs Lettuce Wraps and even those Cracker Barrel Fried Apples. I found all of my favorites from Applebee’s, TGI Fridays, Red Lobster and even Starbucks. Great, at least I’ll want to make the recipes.

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’m sure you’ve made purchases before and been turned off by the constant “up selling” they do before you finish the transaction. They’ll tell you about an added feature if you just pay $10 more. I hate that! Just give me what I bought and let me go on my way. I was thrilled to have to deal with that on Ron Douglas’ site. I wanted his book and that’s what he gave me. Actually, he gave me both volumes of the book AND threw in some extra books about grilling, southern food, holiday cooking and even one for people with diabetes. It was a nice touch to have those things thrown in at no additional cost.

Things I Didn’t Like

There were a few things in the book that I thought Ron could have done better. For starters, there aren’t any pictures of the recipes. That wasn’t too bad since these are all restaurant recipes I kind of knew what they should look like before I even started. But, pictures would have been nice. He can also be a little too vague with some recipes. Instead of just telling me to use ground beef, tell me what grade of ground beef. The fat content of the beef can dramatically change the taste of the food. The good thing is, membership to his cooking website is included and you can find answers to these questions in there. Would have been nice if they had been in the book.

Should You Buy The Book?

I liked this book and I’ve used it several times. It’s paid for itself a few times over for me already. As much as I like the book and recommend it, you may feel differently. If that’s the case, you’ll be happy to know, Ron offers a full 60 days for you to review everything and decide whether you want to return it or not. I don’t think you’ll need do that, but if you do, be reassured that the transaction is handled by the very reputable Clickbank business. They’ll make sure any refund requests are handled immediately.

When you add up everything you get with this book, you’ll quickly realize it’s well worth the price and is actually quite the bargain. The cost of the book is less than a typical bill after a dinner at one of these restaurants.

If you’ve visited recipe websites, you’ve probably seen ads for Ron Douglas’ cookbook, Americas Most Wanted Recipes. 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.

Do I Need a Cookbook?

I have a couple of cookbooks I’ll crack open at home because there’s an old recipe in there that I don’t have on my computer. Other than that, I don’t use cookbooks. Instead, I keep all of my recipes online. I can even upload my own custom recipes on some sites and access them from anywhere on any computer. I can even share recipes with others rather than having to lend out a cookbook or writing out the recipe.

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’ Americas Most Wanted 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 his books. It’s almost like an online testing lab with very honest researchers. Add a bit more pepper, less sugar, cook this at a higher temperature and other modifications have perfected these recipes.

Are They Popular 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 Easy to Purchase?

My initial reaction to the website was “ugh… run away.” Seriously, it seemed a little on the amateur site and made me feel like someone was selling something to me. I don’t like that. But, I did find all the recipes I was looking for and I pressed the dreaded purchase button. I was really quite surprised with how well things went. The book was available as an instant download. I was able to look through my purchase right away.

I’m sure you’ve made purchases before and been turned off by the constant “up selling” they do before you finish the transaction. They’ll tell you about an added feature if you just pay $10 more. I hate that! Just give me what I bought and let me go on my way. I was thrilled to have to deal with that on Ron Douglas’ site. I wanted his book and that’s what he gave me. Actually, he gave me both volumes of the book AND threw in some extra books about grilling, southern food, holiday cooking and even one for people with diabetes. It was a nice touch to have those things thrown in at no additional cost.

Things I Didn’t Like

There were a few things in the book that I thought Ron could have done better. For starters, there aren’t any pictures of the recipes. That wasn’t too bad since these are all restaurant recipes I kind of knew what they should look like before I even started. But, pictures would have been nice. He can also be a little too vague with some recipes. Instead of just telling me to use ground beef, tell me what grade of ground beef. The fat content of the beef can dramatically change the taste of the food. The good thing is, membership to his cooking website is included and you can find answers to these questions in there. Would have been nice if they had been in 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 request one.

When you add up everything you get with this book, you’ll quickly realize it’s well worth the price and is actually quite the bargain. The cost of the book is less than a typical bill after a dinner at one of these restaurants.

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