Rating: 
Summary: Here's what you need to know about this one...
Review: Before buying this book, I had taped many of Rachel's shows and had tried the recipes, most of which appear in this book. Some of those meals have become staples in our house and saved me endless hours of frustration in the kitchen, testing recipes which didn't work or didn't taste good.
Most of hers not only taste as if they took far longer than 30 minutes to fix but satisfy a wide range of tastes, from experienced gourmets to picky eaters. Using her example, I've learned how to get a tasty meal on the table nearly every night of the week, saving time and money (we eat out less often).
Having said that, a few caveats:
1. You do need to try out the recipes before serving them to guests and may need to tinker with the seasonings and amounts. Although she does note how many teaspoons, cups, etc to use in recipes, Rachel often notes, as an aside, that cooks should just "eyeball" the amounts and if you watch her tv show regularly, you know that she rarely measures anything...so amounts listed are really just "jumping off" points for your own preferences. I like this. Those who feel they need more guidance may not.
2. The dessert section relies strongly on ice cream, sorbets and pre-made cookies...with some notable exceptions. Her shortened "Baklava" , for example,is preferred by my family over the super-sweet, traditional Baklava and her easy apple cake truly does turn a cake mix into a cake that seems homemade.
3. Some of the helpful tips on the tv show are omitted from the cookbook (Soaking onion slices in ice water to cut down on their irritating qualities).
Even with these shortcomings, however, I'd recommend this cookbook. In fact, I'm giving several copies to friends this holiday season, including one friend who is a beginning cook.
Rating:
Summary: Love it!!
Review: I received this for Christmas, and I definitely enjoy cooking with this book! I do agree that it doesn't always take 30 minutes for one of these meals. I'm not one who prepares everything all of my produce as soon as I step in the door from the grocery store. But I'm realistic, I just add on prep time, but I do find that it doesn't add on too much time to the meal. I am a huge fan of French Onion soup, and there is a wonderful recipe for Oh-So-Good Onion soup in here. The only slow part is having to thinly slice six onions. I have also enjoyed the Chicken Parmesan recipe. The sauce made waaaay more than was needed for two people, and I had enough left over for two addditonal meals. Many of the recipes do call for alcohol of some sort (there is dry sherry in the Onion soup), but most cooks on Food Network (and the world) use alcohol- Sara Moulton, Emril, Tyler Florence, etc. When you cook with alcohol, the alcohol evaporates anyway. Now many of the desserts call for liquors, and of course, this does not evaporate, but you can use substitutes from different sources. I also find that these recipes are rather easy to adapt to a low calorie/low fat diet. The Chicken Parmesan recipe calls for the chicken to be breaded, browned and broiled, but I just sauteed the chicken in Pam using the spices in the recipe instead- still very yummy!!! Rachael does say that her meals are healthy- and I would agree that most are healthy in that they are balanced. However, some meals are fried, breaded, etc. I do recommend watching 30 Minute Meals if you haven't already to get a better idea of the style of these meals. One reviewer said she was hoping there would be more tips on things like timing. I am STILL working on my own timing, but watching her show will DEFINITELY help you with this! I have seen her prepare many of the meals included in this cookbook, so I know everyone can pick up a thing or two about her style by watching. I have found, though, that timing is what has slowed me down when using these recipes. Desserts are not a focus of this book. She emphasizes that she does not bake, and you can't really bake in 30 minutes anyway. However, the ones I've tried have been quite good. She has one recipe that is not included in the book that is very good! Her recipe for Fudge Chocolate Wreath that I saw on 30 Minute Meals around Christmas was a huge hit. I did not make it in the wreath shape, but the taste was wonderful. She uses currants in her fudge, and I was a bit weary of that, but it added a nice cherry flavor. All around, I am definitely enjoying this book! I do recommend it for day-to-day cooking needs over my other favorite cookbook, Sara Moulton Cooks at Home.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Really 30 Minutes
Review: I've watched Rachel's show and really liked it. I wanted her book because I get home from work around 6:30 and prefer to eat dinner before 7. "30 Minute Meals" right? Not really. A closer look at the recipes shows the ingredients call for "2 cups of chopped whatever" and "1/4 cup washed thisandsuch" or "1 cup cooked macaroni." Chopping, washing, and cooking pasta all add on time to the meal preparation. Rachel says you're supposed to do this on your "big shopping day." Fat chance. I have 30 minutes to cook dinner every night. When am I supposed to find a full day to go to the market, bring everything home, chop, peel, wash everything and stick it into individual, well-marked baggies?
Also, there is no nutritional information provided for any of the recipes. From the amount of salt, butter, cream and cheese she uses in her recipes, there's probably a good reason why she doesn't want you to know what the fat, sodium, and cholesterol content of her dishes.
I'll use one or two recipes out of this book but overall, it's a disappointment to me.
Rating:
Summary: Not spectacular.
Review: I had pretty high hopes for this book, and it didn't really live up to them. Many of the recipes take more than 30 minutes to make, which I found dissappointing, because I tried to use a few of these meals for nights of the week when I know I'll come home with very little energy (or time) to cook. Alot of the Asian-fusion type recipes call for sort of exotic ingredients like tamari, dark soy, fresh ginger, rice wine vinegar, etc. I didn't want to buy a whole bottle of something and then only use it for a few recipes. I think it sort of goes against the spirit of a 30-minute meal book - to me this sort of book should rely more on pantry staples, but that could just be my opinion. There are a lot of good ideas for quick cooking in this book, things like pan frying very thin cuts of meat, tricks to make something taste like it was simmered all day, using pre-packaged pizza dough to make calzones (although the spinach and artichoke calzone filling itself was AWFUL), and quick cooling rice. There are also some recipes that I really like. The boef bourguignon definately goes into my standard repetoire, as does the special fried rice. But some of the side dishes seem a bit gimmiky, especially the desserts. I know that a complete meal to Rachael Ray is a main dish, sides, and dessert, but most of them just feel unnessacary. I think most people would prefer to make a batch of cookies or a cake or something when they have time, and eat that, instead of yet another concoction of store-bought cake, canned fruit, and vanilla ice cream. Sorry if this reveiw is kind of wishy washy, but that's how I feel about this book. Would I reccommend it? Maybe, but read through it first. There's a lot of recipes that I'll probably never make. I guess, being a fan of her show, I was expecting a little more.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Stuff
Review: This is the cookbook that I use most often. It takes me more than 30 minutes to make the meals, but not a whole lot more. Being a college student I do not have a lot of money or time; this books helps me get a healthy and tasty meal with very little cost. Like she says in the book, she tries to use the same ingredients repeatedly so that it is cheaper and easier. Plus, if you want to buy a cheaper ingredients, the meals still come out delicious. Rachael Ray is definitely my favorite chef, and I think her excited and enthusiastic attitude towards cooking is reflected in this cookbook. I feel the food that I prepare from her recipes, makes my body feel more nourished than the fast food and frozen food I am used to eating. Some recipes I enjoyed were the Philly cheesesteak, pecan crusted chicken tenders, and the onion rings and burgers.
Rating:
Summary: Healthy, Quick and Delicious Meals
Review: I am a huge fan of Rachael Ray's and this book contains many of the recipes she makes on her show "30 Minute Meals". What I love about this book is that the recipes are made with fresh, healthy ingredients (including a number and variety of vegetables) and are delicious! I have yet to make a recipe from this book that I didn't like. I love how the book is set up - entire dinners are already planned for the reader. Rachael's "theme style" dinners are fun and creative! I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: RACHAEL RULES...AMAZING
Review: Reading Rachaels book is just as much fun as watching her great show.You can almost hear her giggle between pages!!Her recipes are very easy to follow.You also get the feeling that she really loves what she is doing and that she is extremely thankful for all that she has.Rachael you truly are a class act and my days are a little brighter since discovering you on food network.keep up the great work because you are very much appreciated!Good Job!!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT cookbook
Review: I'm a big fan of Rachael Ray's Food TV show 30 minute meals and just had to buy this book. There are tons of recipes here, built around themed dining. Most of the recipes are so easy to follow and require ingredients that you can readily buy in your local supermarket. These recipes can really be made in 30 minutes if you are REALLY organized like Ray is on her show and move fast.If not, allow for extra time.I've tried a few recipes from this book and also off the show and they are really good. If you like the show or are looking for fairly quick and easy meals, give this book a try!
Rating:
Summary: Healthy, Quick and Delicious Meals
Review: I am a huge fan of Rachael Ray's and this book contains many of the recipes she makes on her show "30 Minute Meals". What I love about this book is that the recipes are made with fresh, healthy ingredients (including a number and variety of vegetables) and are delicious! I have yet to make a recipe from this book that I didn't like. I love how the book is set up - entire dinners are already planned for the reader. Rachael's "theme style" dinners are fun and creative! I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: I am impressed!
Review: Flavorful recipes using everyday foods that can be made in 30 (okay, more like 40) minutes. A good variety of dishes to please kids, parents and visitors alike. We are sold on the meatball soup, easy flavorful and healthy! Don't necessarily count on the recipes coming off in 30 minutes the first time around, but with a bit of practice these meals can be done in less time than it would take to get in the car and drive to a local drive-through. Have fun with the recipes, there are a lot of terrific ideas waiting for in this book!
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