I purchased this book and Alfred Portale"s 12 Seasons Cookbook at the same time. Both are gorgeous to look at and flip through, but I find myself going to this one time and time again for recipes I actually plan to try. Clearly, Gordon Ramsay is a man in love with food and his craft. Don"t let what you may have heard about him (e.g., he does not roam through the dining area of his top rated restaurant to glad-hand patrons and solicit their thoughts, believing that anything leaving his kitchen is perfect and beyond criticism) deter you from picking this up!