Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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166 of 174 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Have Cookbook, October 30, 2003
This book, like many others, is often mistaken as a "I hate to cook!" book, when in fact it is more of a "I have no time to cook!" book. Cooking is one of my favorite passions, however working 50 hours a week really doesn't lend well to cooking elaborate meals. Rachael Ray provides a menu-style book that is both cost-effective and does not require unusual ingredients that are hard to find. The meals are easy and always 'homestyle' delicious. The only drawback, as many have pointed out, is that her deserts leave a lot to be desired. But it IS geared towards getting a meal done in 30 minutes, and as mentioned, I usually don't have time to make creme brulee. :-P
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86 of 90 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Here's what you need to know about this one..., December 4, 2003
By A Customer
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.
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60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must have for Rachael Ray fans!, June 19, 2003
If you love the show "Thirty minute meals" on the food network, you would absolutely enjoy this book. She gives the whole menu-including the main, the side(s), and sometimes even dessert. They are listed together in 2 or 3 pages so that way everything is right in front of you. You don't have to fumble through pages to find what you need. There is a wide variety of food choices-fruits, vegetables, soups, salads, pasta, seafood, chicken, steak, drinks, dipping sauces, bread with toppings, and quick desserts(mostly ice cream with unique toppings that are simple). Ingredients are common and she doesn't use spices that you will probably never use again. The sections include:
MAKE YOUR OWN TAKE-OUT
MONDAY THRU FRIDAY DINNER SPECIALS
FAMILY-STYLE SUPPERS
DOUBLE-DUTY DINNERS
PASSPORT MEALS
BIG NIGHTS: VERY SPECIAL DINNERS
HEALTHY HUNGER BUSTERS
Alot of the menu plans are exactly from her show. I think most of the newer episodes. Not sure about that though. The only thing that I would like different is if it had pictures. It only has about 5 pages in the middle of the book. However, I highly recommend this book- Rachael Ray fan or not.
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