I preordered this book (placed my order on Feb 21), and it arrived Mar 13 (it didn't hit the stands until Mar 12, so I was impressed with the Amazon delivery service -- especially since I did the Super Saver shipping). But anyway, about the book...
I was looking forward to this book's release, since I enjoy the show. I compare Robin Miller to Rachel Ray's "30 minute Meals" series, so I'm also comparing their cookbooks. The recipes in this book are very similar to Rachel's recipes. If you're looking to spice up your dinner time, you'll find little difference between Robin's book and Rachel's series (they have the same types of recipes with interesting ingredients and flavors that "normal" folks like me would never think of trying). Most recipes don't have tons of ingredients, but they do have ingredients that require everyday folks to make a special trip to the grocery store. Don't expect to open this book and just start having dinner.
Both cooks claim to have the secret to great dinner in a flash. I sum up the difference between Robin and Rachel as this: Robin just takes you a few steps back and tells you HOW to make it quick, not just how to cook. She comes out the winner because she gives you the secret: pre-planning, prepping, and a well-stocked kitchen.
The first chapter in the book explains her strategies, such as "In the Bag" -- creating meal kits and storing them in fridge or freezer for later use, and "Morphing It" -- using one dish to create many others. Not exactly rocket science, but if you're a full-time working mom like me, you just never quite heard or saw it put this way.
She also includes a section on how to get your kitchen to be "quick fix" friendly. Prepping, storing, freezing, 5 basic sauces to prepare and store, her top 10 never-without pantry and fridge items.
The recipes include time-saver tips, ways to "quick fix it" your way. The Morph It section starts with a main recipe, and the "morph it" recipes follow (no searching through indexes to find the matching recipes -- a BIG PLUS). All the recipes include timing guides for prep and actual cooking time, so you can plan when you want to prep and when you want to cook. The index is complete, but is organized like the indexes in those coooking magazines at the grocery store.
The print in this book is small! It's in a green ink and a brown ink, which is sort of easy on the eyes, but it could be a bit bigger. Also, all the recipes that are on the left page have the ingredient list on the inside of the page, near the center fold. I don't know why they did this, because I found myself pulling the book apart to see the recipe list. This will definitely wear the book out quicker than normal.
I'm leaning more towards Robin's book, only because of her overall strategy included in the book (prepping ahead, morphing one dish into many). The authors did a good job of trying to make the book organized and not chaotic or daunting. The language is very friendly, not formal. It stays true to the whole concept of de-stressing the dinnertime dilemma. Rachel's great too -- this book just speaks more to women like me, who feel guilty about how many nights I put $5 pizza on the table when my family deserves better.
UPDATE: I've had the book for 2 months now. Still love it! But one downer: the dessert section could have been taken from a Sandra Lee "Semi-Homemade" recipe book. Cool Whip, jam, chocolate sauce, with a bit of fruit thrown in.
NEW UPDATE: This book has really changed the way I shop and cook. I have several very helpful habits now!! I ALWAYS have pre-cut onions, green peppers, celery, and potatoes in my freezer. When I make any gravy or sauce, I make a big batch and store it in a ziploc bag. And once or twice a month, I'll cook a whole bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts, slice them up, and toss then in ziploc bags in the freezer. Just these few tricks have TREMENDOUSLY changed how fast I get dinner on the table. Even if I didn't like the recipes (which I mostly do), these new habits made the book price worth it 20x over!!!!!
