Rating: 
Summary: RACHEL RAY 30 MINUTE MEALS
Review: I have purchased hundreds of cookbooks in the 37 years I've been married and am really delighted with Rachel Ray's collection of recipes in her first book. I have personally utilized many of her recipes. Two of my favorites are Gran'pa Emmanuel's Pasta Concotions and Mini Turkey Patties with Cranberry Sauce. Her recipes are easy to follow, simple to make, and truly take thirty minutes, which fits in MY lifestyle for sure. I have purchased this book, not only for myself, but have given it as gifts to my friends and family. I am delighted that she has a SECOND book out, Rachel Ray's Open House Cookbook, which I have also purchased for myself and as gifts to others. Anyone that truly leads a busy life, (and that's most of us! ) will find her cookbook a welcome addtion to their kitchen as I have. Can't wait for her THIRD book to be published. I will be the first on line.
Rating:
Summary: very good for ideas as well as recipes
Review: I like the concept of quick meals in a reasonable amount of time. There are things used for convenience (like canned stock for example) but without the typical convenince foods (like packaged stuffings). I miss her personality in her books. The way she is on her TV show, her bubbliness. I would like to see a bit more personality in her books (I have 2).Sometimes i find her recipes to have a lot of ingredients. More than I might use in a typical *week-day* meal. I think that is part of the trade-off you make when you quick cook... You need things to replace the flavor of *slow-cooking. However, I havent had any difficulty finding ingredients for the recipes. As with her other books, there is a heavy slant towards italian and mexican foods. Perhaps these 2 lend themselves to quicker cooking due to being more *spiced* than some other cuisines...but at this point I would like to see a few less italian choices in her books. Also, in my current dieting state...some of her recipes are just too high fat for me to incororate. I could alter them but I think the fat adds flavor and some of the flavor you miss from longer cooking times. A few things I like very much are the burgers she *doctors* up to make different styles of foods. Asian flavors, indian flavors, italian flavors...etc. This is a great idea for week-day cooking. I like the curried turkey burgers very much. Also, the soups are great, hearty one dish meals. Served with a vegetable or salad (her salads are very easy and tasty...and unlike alot of other recipes have fewer ingredients). Again, with the soups, I think they are heavy on the italian-meditarain side of flavors. I dont think this would be the *one* cookbook I have, if i had tohave only one...but its a great addition to a collection.
Rating:
Summary: Like the simple directions
Review: I like the way the book is made for those who don't want to get out every measuring cup etc... I would have liked an index so that later when you want to look up something it would be easy to find. I have her 30 minute Veggie meals and this book has an index. I really like Rachels' easy to follow instrutions, and the recipes are fairly easy to adapt if you are missing an item.
Rating: 
Summary: No Photos
Review: I like to watch Rachel Ray on the Food Network, and was used to seeing how the preparation of the food evolved. There is no such luxury in this book. The recipes are good, but no clue is given as to how the food would look when finished. To me, this is half the fun of preparing food. Keep this in mind if you are ordering this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome Cookbook!
Review: I love her show! She is so upbeat and just giggles and makes you smile! I decided to try the cookbook, however after reading some of the reviews about it I was a little unsure. I am glad that I did buy it! Everything is easy to make most of the stuff in the book I have seen on her show so I know what it is supposed to look like! I have a baby and I love to cook, but sometimes it is difficult. I am glad that these meals only take 30 minutes and they are all to die for! I hope she writes another one soon!
Rating:
Summary: Dynamic Lady & Cook Books!!
Review: I LOVE Rachael Ray!! She is Awesome! Her recipes are great, her books are great & her show is great! She brightens up a room when you turn on her show! She is cute, bubbly & refreshing! I can't believe some of the insensitive remarks made from a few of the hateful people giving their opionions on her. Hateful opinions to someone they don't know personally. maybe Rachael would feel the same about them! But to each his own. She is great!! Her recipes are easy & delicious. I can get them done in about 30-40 mintes.She has made my life easier with food good enough for company. GO RACHAEL!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great books, with a couple of caveats...
Review: I love Rachael Ray. Her show, "30 Minute Meals" is a favorite; it focuses on healthy foods, fresh produce and easy to follow recipes. This family friendly style of cooking was translated into her book, "30 Minute Meals" and I have enjoyed each recipe I have tried. A large proportion of the meals are family friendly as well-- my 6 year old and 2 year old are not finicky, but even so they have been very enthusiastic about the recipes. Now for the minuses-- 1) unlike the show, recipes are not grouped together with a main dish, side and a dessert/drink. This is rectified in the sequel, but it is not easy to always pick dishes that can be cooked at the same time and still finish in 30 minutes. 2) no pictures! I like pictures of the finished product. Not a biggie, but it bugged me. 3) I like the "pinch of this" and "dash of that" style of cooking. If you *have* to have precise measurements, this may not be your book. 4) I am a profecient cook, yet many of the dishes are really 40 minute meals for me. If you're a fast chopper and can multi-task, you may get these meals done in 30 minutes on the first try. Otherwise... plan for a little extra time. This is not a book for an advanced chef, it is simple food and it makes no pretensions to anything else. However, if you have a new cook in the family, or you are looking for new ideas for weeknight meals, I highly recommend this book. Ideal for your niece or nephew's first apartment!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing and healthy
Review: I love this cookbook. My mom gave it to me for Christmas and I thought, oh, no, another cookbook. I've made 3 recipes in the last week: linguine with red clam sauce, curry in a hurry, and coq au vin. All were wonderful and very easy. I am going to buy this for all of my friends. I am on Weight Watchers and find that the recipes are low in points and high in taste. Watch the curry paste in the curry recipe. Tone down with yogurt.
Rating:
Summary: Great...even for beginners
Review: I ordered this book after getting addicted to the television show. I had literally never cooked a meal before in my life that didn't come from a box or a can, and now I am working my way through every recipe in the book. My boyfriend and I have LOVED every single recipe and are excited about trying the rest. This is a fantastic book and all of the meals really can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. (Even for me, the rookie)
Rachael Ray is the best!!
Rating:
Summary: Terrific! Superb! Outstanding! A must for everyone!
Review: I ordered this book after watching Racheal Ray for a month on Food TV. I had made her recipes on the show and none of them were less then terrific. When the book arrived it went through the family getting recipes tagged to try. So far the five we have tried have all been excellent! My picky husband is in love with everything we make out of this book and my 12 year old is in the kitchen doing over 1/2 the work while we time ourselves. We manage in the kitchen to the table in 23-28 minutes! A great timesaver for this family that still eat's together 5 nights a week. THANK YOU RACHEAL FOR THE BOOK AND THE SHOW!!!!
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