30-Minute Meals Reviews

• Enjoy Cooking and Family in Busy Households

  
  By A20IIR0422G3A5 on 2003-12-02
  Rachael Ray shows us how to make healthy dishes from basic, fresh ingredients in, ideally, 30 minutes or less. Unlike her later 30 minute meal books, this first in the series does not group two or more dishes into meals which can take less than a half an hour to prepare. This is largely because the book was written before Rachael showed up on the Food Network show of the same name, which introduced the 3 course meal format. In spite of this timing, almost all of the dishes in this book have shown up on early seasons of Rachael's show.

  In many ways, the grouping of dishes by type rather than by meal is an advantage, making it easier to match up different pasta and salad courses on different days. The drawback is that you have no hints on how to coordinate your time in preparing the three dishes at one time, although this is not exactly rocket science.

  The main chapter headings / dish types are:

  Pastas 29 dishes
  Salads 28 dishes, some suitable as main course salads
  Take out lookalike 39 dishes, primarily burgers, sandwiches, pizza, Tex-Mex, and Asian lookalikes
  Comfort Foods 34 dishes such as chilis, sauces, soups, and casseroles
  Full meals 5 menus for small party (8 to 12) quick cooking
  Meatballs 5 recipes

  I believe it is an important symptom of one of Rachael's main objectives that many of her dishes are named after family members. She presents the great Italian love of food and family together when you don't have Nona and three aunts at home all day to do all the prep work and braising.

  One recent book on cooking traditional recipes slowly to recapture both the joy and flavors of this cooking makes the suggestion that Rachael's style of cooking is too hectic and has too little flavor. While the first has an element of truth, I say it does not remove the `Joy of Cooking'. It actually rescues it from the drive in take out window. On the latter point, this author if plainly wrong. I compared Rachael's Caesar Salad to a recipe from Martha Stewart and Rachael's was superior in taste, as Miss Martha really overloaded her dish with raw garlic.

  It is very fortunate that the cuisine on which Ms. Ray's food is largely Italian, as the Italian cuisine has spent centuries perfecting the concentration of flavor in foods such as balsamic vinegar, cheeses, hams, and tomato concentrates, all of which are available in first class products at the local American supermarket.
  The only drawback to using these products and prepackaged meats and vegetables is that you may be paying more for the same meal than if slower, prep intensive recipes were used. For thirty-something parents who are in the early middle of their career, this cost is probably inconsequential when compared to the benefits. It is certainly both economically and nutritionally inconsequential when compared to the fast food fare.

  I have a lot of respect of Rachael's not overloading the book with suggestions for the pantry. Stocking up a pantry without specific recipes is a waste of time and money. I also strongly suggest the reader play close attention to the tips on knife use. Very important.

  I'm afraid Rachal's recommendations on equipment are not helpful. One look at her Food Network show and you may see a Dutch oven, two large saute pans, a grill pan, and a blender in action at one time. Don't scrimp on the pots and pans. Do what Rachael does, not what she says in this department. I will give her credit for getting by with just one very good knife.

  Rachael is not Mario or Martha or Emeril. She is teaching you how to do it fast, without loosing the fun and the flavor. As always, the price of the book is very right. Enjoy yourself!
  
  

• RACHEL RAY 30 MINUTE MEALS

  
  By A1JWVH7C595S9I on 2000-04-06
  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.
  
  

• New show, old book

  
  By on 2002-06-04
  The path to 'Celebrity Chef' is well traveled. Open a restaurant with your name, start a TV show (with your name) then write a book with a tie in to the show. If you think the book is a result of Rachael's application of this success formula, you'd be wrong. Based on the publishing information the book was originally published in 1998. Rachael's Food Network show of the same name isn't more than a year old which makes one wonder: what's going on here?

  Rachael's original show "30 Minute Meals" was a regional production in New York. This fact helps explain who Dan Dinicola is and why he wrote an introduction. He was part of the orginal show, not the Food Network incarnation. This leaves me with the feeling that either Rachael (or the publisher) cranked out another printing to capitalize on her recent Food Network success.

  Are business practices important if the recipes are good? Probably not and I didn't mark the book down because of it. I would say the book is "solid" and delivers what most people expect: good tasting recipes that can be made in 30 minutes. The recipes are easy to make so you don't need to be a culinary master to have them turn out perfectly. The ingredients used are also common enough to be found in most supermarkets. One thing I liked was that many recipes measure in "handfulls" and "glugs" which helps a person trust their own inner chef and grow beyond the rigidity of a recipe.

  So why only four stars then? Well, I took one off because the book lacked color pictures of the food. I'm a fan of food pictures for inspiration. I also would have taken one star off because there is a lot of overlap between the book and the show (especially since the show now appears daily instead of weekly) but I didn't think it much of an issue because the current price point of the book is such that it keeps value even if kept as a paper reference to the show's recipes. Just remember that much of what you pay for in this book you've already seen on TV.
  
  

• buy it

  
  By A2607QZNOC2RZV on 2002-04-19
  My husband bought me this book for mothers day after we had been watching Rachel for about a month or so. At first I thought she was a dork, but after watching the first episode and then making the meal the following day, I was (and still am)hooked. I have just placed an order for three more so that I can give then to several friends, as well as ordering her other books.If you've happened along this book by chance, and have no previous knowlegde of Rachel Ray or her show, I cannot express this enough. Buy it!. But I have to go now, 30 Minute Meals is on in 5 minutes.
  
  

• No Photos

  
  By A222SKV3TP00CT on 2003-06-17
  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.
  
  
• Awesome Cookbook!
  By A3QMR5UAC3V14Y on 2002-10-10
  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!
  
  
• No pictures. A So-So book.
  By A3FJAHEU9HF2P4 on 2003-06-09
  LOVE the show. But the book is lacking. There are absolutely NO pictures. I'm the kind of person that requires photos in a cooking book. The pages are a khaki color with green ink. The pages are "busy" but do include some hints and notes. I am not italian, so I do not own most of the items. Honestly, I do not know (or even able to pronounce) most of the items.

  As far as the recipes, I have read a few and just adapted to what I have on hand. I know that Rachael would still be pleased.

  Not all the recipes from the show are in the book. But she has a 2nd one out, so maybe they can be found there. What I do is go to Foodtv.com and print them from there.

  I have looked at my book a total of 3 times. It is collecting dust on a shelf in my kitchen.

  Go to the website for recipes and save some money.
  
  

• Rattle them pots and pans
  By A8F2AZWB20X1H on 2004-05-02
  If you're tired of heating up leftover leftovers but aren't quite up to cordon bleu, Rachael Ray's "30-minute meals", derived from her hit show on the Food Channel, offers up all kinds of yummy possibilities. Ray is fun to watch on her show; she's perky and down-to-earth and doesn't make cooking seem like some kind of exalted rite that intimidates beginners who haven't progressed beyond Boiling Water 101. Her bouncy exuberance comes across in her book and makes it enjoyable to read. I especially like the way her book is organized; there are special sections on Top Ten Meals With Fewer Than Ten Ingredients, Top Ten All-Time Favorites from her TV show, 30-minute pastas, salads and veggies, make your own take-out (pizza, sandwiches and Tex-Mex), burger recipes, Asian flavor, comfort food, and her own family favorites.

  Can all of these meals actually be made in 30 minutes? Well, unless you're as well-organized as Ray on her show with everything right at hand, slicing and dicing up a storm, probably not; but none of them should take more than 45 minutes and some of them really can be made from start to finish in half an hour. Her book is pretty heavy on pastas, which are typically quick to prepare, and if the Asian isn't 100% authentic, it's still fun to make and delicious to eat. Ray's instructions are simple and direct, easy for anyone to follow. What's more, none of the meals are difficult to prepare and all of them emphasize healthy eating. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys good eats without all the hassles that go into preparing them. Grab it and hit the kitchen.
  
  

• Read This Before you Think about Buying This Book!
  By A1KL4IPNLIDJQY on 2003-01-20
  First of all, I love the show "30 Minute Meals and think Rachael Ray is GREAT! BUT..... this book came out before her 30 Minute Meals show, and the recipes were created several years ago before she "Fine-tuned" them for the show. If you compare her recipes in the book to those you get from her show you will see a big difference, and the new fine-tuned recipes she has on the show are MUCH better. I was very disappointed with the book. My advice to anyone wishing to purchase this book....... You know she's going to come out with an updated version eventually, so save your money for the real deal, the newer recipes!
  
  
• Yummy and healthy
  By A9GBOJ5WNWPGU on 2003-12-07
  This is a great book that contains wonderful ideals for quick, easy, healthy meals. Although the recipes have consistently taken me more than 30-minutes to prepare, I have never been disappointed with one yet. I admittedly don't like to cook, and find it easy to avoid cooking altogether by eating unhealthy fast-food, but this book has definitely helped me avoid the temptations of easy, low-prep., unhealthy eating that has become the staple of my diet. This book will definitely make it easier to make healthy eating more consistent, but I'm convinced that the only way to really stick to any diet is to make it part of your routine by making it a habit. A friend of mine who is a clinical dietitian gave me an amazing book entitled The Power of Habit. It explains how our eating (when we eat, what we eat, and how much we eat) is all habit. It teaches you how to change your eating habits to make healthy eating a permanent, automatic part of your lifestyle. 30-Minute Meals gives you great, easy, low-hassle recipes, and The Power of Habit teaches you how to stick to them. I highly recommend both books.
  
  
• I Wanted More
  By A2KU7O2Z4IFZLL on 2003-05-29
  I am such a HUGE fan of Rachael Ray and her TV Show "30 Minute Meals," that I couldn't wait to get my book in the mail. But when it came, I was so disappointed to find that there wasn't one picture in the entire book! I am still a novice at cooking and am drawn to the pictures of an entree before I attempt to make it. If you're not an expert who can use their imagination to know what the dish will look like, you'll probably be a bit disappointed like me. The only reason I'm still going to try the recipes is because I watch her show, have made her meals, and have been pleased with the results.
  
  
• Rachel Ray's book inspired me to COOK!
  By A1PYAK9PPS3JUX on 2002-03-15
  A big thank you to Rachel Ray for this book! I have been trying to learn how to cook for about 2 years now (with not much success). I was first inspired by Rachel Ray's show, and then sought out the book.

  She designed the recipes so that you wouldn't have to run out and buy oddball items that you'll never use again. If you buy fresh parsley for one recipe, you'll more than likely use it in the next one. No waste! The fact that I make these recipes and they turn out great make me want to cook more! I would recommend this book to anyone, from the novice to the expert.

  One more thing I've noticed is that this book teaches you the basics so you can move on to make your own recipes. Don't hesitate on this book-buy it. You won't be sorry. Nor will your full belly after trying some of these recipes...
  
  

• Terrific! Superb! Outstanding! A must for everyone!
  By A2KFTP2C21V8AP on 2002-02-27
  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!!!!
  
  
• Good, but flawed
  By A3W0JF0YF3H0OH on 2003-03-13
  I purchased this book because I wanted a collection of the recipes from the show. Some of the best are in here, included the fabulous Curry with built-in chutney. But the recipes I am looking for are hard to find, as there is no index and the chapters are organized in a playful but not-so-helpful manner. For instance, I saw an interesting recipe for a chicken pot pie made with a hollowed out bread round. I know it's in here, but is it in the "Comfort Food" chapter? "Kid's Favorites"? "Meals with fewer than 10 ingredients"? It's a bit frustrating. Finally, there are too many burger recipes (11) for my taste.

  On the plus side, the book does not suffer from the overly cutesy manner that Ms. Ray often affects on the show. It is a straightforward listing of the recipes. I just wish that the book was better organized, had included an index, and a few pictures.
  
  

• Thai it, you'll like it.
  By A25YSK28SR626G on 2003-01-22
  I was given this book as a Christmas gift. I've used it many times already in just one month. The recipes are practical, easy and tasty for cooking every day dishes. The mini meatball soup, Carbanora, and Thai it you'll like it Chicken are very good. I will make them again. Can't wait to try the Curry in a Hurry next. This book has helped me cook more meals at home and not feel overwhelmed in the kitchen. It is a good book for someone with limited cooking skills and someone who doesn't want to spend all night in the kitchen after work, so these recipes are perfect for weeknights. A lot of the recipes can be served with some rice or salad and you have a complete meal. There are a lot of italian pasta recipes in the book, so I would have liked more Asian/Mexican and hearty soup recipes. I would like to see a follow up book to this one, with more 30 minute recipes. You really can't go wrong with this book, and you will be sure to find a few recipes that will become favorites to make on a regular basis.
  
  
• very good for ideas as well as recipes
  By A1NOWEOLKMRRXM on 2003-04-14
  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.
  
  

• 30 Minute Meals Is The Best
  By on 2002-07-18
  I read a few of the negative comments, all I have to say is that when you are a hit the whiners come out. Just go to her site on the Food Network and you will probably see these same people there. This is one of the books of hers that I am adding to my library. Eventually I will add all her books. Anyone that can make a healthy meal without spending a fortune or all day in the kitchen is a winner in my book. Rachael keep the cookbooks coming and don't let the whiners get you down. Jealousy abounds when you are a hit.
  
  
• not a cook
  By on 2002-09-06
  Love it! I am an awful cook but this book has helped me make great dishes that even my picky father in-law will eat. The way she gives directions has helped me become more comfortable with my cooking. Her recipes are mostly Italian, so if your not into that cuisine you may want to pass.
  I will buy all of her books!
  
  
• Buyer Beware...
  By A1QO88MU0PYJON on 2006-01-18
  30-minute meals? I don't think so. What it refers to in the title is the actual cooking time it may take to make the meals. The preparation prior to cooking puts it well over 30-minutes. Don't be fooled.
  
  The lack of organization to the book is another drawback. It would be helpful to have an index to direct you to what you're looking for. Basically it's a book with a bunch of recipes thrown inside. With all these complaints from me, I still bought the book and actually my family has enjoyed several of the meals I've made. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time to prepare and cook the meals. Again, don't be fooled by the title.
  
  
• E.V.O.O Oh No.No.No.
  By A2TFMPIKTVDI1V on 2002-12-19
  Rachel Ray has to be the most annoying person on cable television, if not, at least in the top 10 - right behind Bill O'Reilly, Suze Oreman, and that Oxy/Orange Clean fool.

  Yes, some of her recipes may be enticing but who can stand to watch her for 30 minutes with her "delish" and her "evoo" and her "MMMHHHMMMmmmmHHHMMMHHHHhhmmmm" as she stuffs her mouth with her own creations. I surely can't. And WAY too much hand movement - I don't care if she is Italian. No excuse. Kill the stereotypes.

  So, in summary - mediocre recipes and annoyance at a blistering level - forces me to give Ms. ...D.A.D a single star (actually, a single star is the lowest rating amazon.com allows). But at least with this cookbook you don't have to hear her mouth. Praise the Gods.
  
  

• Another flavor-of-the-month chef
  By AOM6Y2A4J0WOG on 2002-08-27
  A very average collection of recipes from the Food Network star-of-the-month Rachael Ray. You've seen these recipes before in different forms in hundreds of other cookbooks. Skip this one.
  
  
• Highly disappointing - I'd skip it.
  By A1VGXRO7JW0Q5V on 2005-08-15
  Having read rave reviews of Rachel Ray's cook books, I had high expectations. When I got the book and scanned the table of contents, I was already a little leery - many of the recipes seemed like things for which you'd barely need a recipe and the range of foods was really limiting. Plus it's organized by odd types like "make your own take out" - so I needed to scan individual recipes to find what to do with the chicken in my refridgerator.
  
  The first meal was mostly thrown out. My husband and I ate small amounts, but supplemented with other things. The leftovers went in the garbage. My kids had peanut butter sandwiches - so much for kid-friendly.
  
  There are much better cook it in a hour or less cookbooks and I strongly recommend AGAINST this one. I actually bought two online and I'm planning on returning the one I haven't used.
  
  
• Like the simple directions
  By on 2003-10-13
  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.
  
  
• A Tasty Symphony Filled with Zesty, Fresh Variations
  By A1K1JW1C5CUSUZ on 2007-01-18
  
  When someone makes a huge impact on American kitchens like Rachael Ray has done in the last ten years, it's well worthwhile going back to the origins of the phenomenon to understand it better. In the case of Rachael Ray, our friendly guide to home cooking that tastes like six hours went into the preparation . . . when the time was much less, that search begins with either her 1998 book, 30-Minute Meals, or the 1999 version.
  
  As background for this review, let me explain that I cook most of my own meals. But my idea of a quick meal is one that takes less than ten minutes. So thirty-minute meals seem like a lot of preparation. But I find myself craving from time-to-time the more subtle flavors that restaurants produce and often plop fresh ingredients of the most unusual sorts into everything to make them livelier. I was pleased to see that Ms. Ray shares my taste for subtle flavors and freshness. I was delighted to see that her ideas can provide the variety I'm looking for without spending much more money or time. In fact, if I make full-size recipes, the left-overs will keep me going through several meals. The extra time in preparation won't be more than an extra five minutes per meal. That's very attractive to me.
  
  This book is a wonder of efficiency. Like a good chef who wants to be able to provide lots of variety from a restaurant kitchen, Ms. Ray takes just a few ingredients, a few ways of preparing foods and turns those basics into virtually infinite zesty, fresh variations.
  
  I especially appreciated that she doesn't require me to learn dozens of new cooking methods, each of which is fraught with potential error. I only need to do two new things: Add cooked garlic to many dishes and reduce cooked anchovies into a seasoning. Neither activity is anything I would have tried without this book. I've seen, smelled and eaten too many disasters where the person cooking didn't have the garlic and anchovies under control. With Ms. Ray's guidance, you can't miss. She even has pictures to demonstrate and instructions to explain what to do.
  
  So what's in the book? Pastas (simple from your cupboard, complex like from a restaurant -- but still fast to produce, pestos, and some heartier options); salads to either complement the pastas with freshly made dressing or to serve as entrees . . . include warm salads; better tasting, healthier versions of the most popular take-out foods (pizza, sandwiches, burgers, Tex-Mex, Indian, and Asian); and great comfort foods whether from the Mediterranean menu, Tex-Mex, or northern Continental foods.
  
  Ms. Ray has a great instinct for what's healthy, featuring lots of foods low in fat . . . or healthy fats like olive oil. In fact, the only adjustment you need to make to any of the dishes is to substitute whole wheat or whole grain pasta for regular pasta to reduce the glycemic load.
  
  The book is as friendly as it can be. Everything is treated in a humble, simple way. Even measuring is simplified so you can get away from running your kitchen like experiments you did in high school chemistry.
  
  Don't know anything about cooking? No problem. With this cookbook, you'll wow most people with the tastes and freshness you deliver. They'll never realize it didn't take you long.
  
  Spend the added time you gain eating and laughing with those you love!
  
  
• Great quick recipes!
  By A1Q2QLFUAM4F6W on 2004-10-17
  Ever bought a cookbook and fell in love with at least ONE of the recipes in it? And even if you only loved that one recipe in the whole book it would be worth your money?
  
  Well in this book that recipe has to be the Mu Shu Pork pockets. I love them because they are flavorful and really do taste like the mu shu pork you get in chinese restaurants. I think it's the crushed gingersnaps that are the secret ingredient. My kids love these too. So everybody is happy!
  
  Oh, and I love the curried turkey burgers too. Way to go Rachael Ray! Her books are great for moms on the go or anyone who wants flavorful quick food that didn't come out of a box or can.
  
  
• RACHAEL'S FIRST BOOK IS A HIT
  By A2JP0URFHXP6DO on 2004-12-14
  Rachael's Rays first 30 minute recipe collection from her Food Network tV show is sure to please her fans and anyone who is on a time budget. In truth, many receipes to take more than 30 minutes but perhaps i'm just not as fast when it comes to preparation, but even if it takes 45 minutes to an hour, that's certianly not bad.
  
  Ray calls for ingredients that are common and can be found at any grocery store. No need to seek out exotic items that can only be found at specialty markets. There are over 150 recipes contained in the book, all simply and easily prepared, along with Ray's invaluable time-saving tips and secrets.
  
  Rachael's style is breezy and fun with a lot of hip little cooking lingo that fans of her show are sure to recognize. As mentioned, unless one is really a pro at maneuvering about the kitchen, you won't finish most of these recipes in 30 minutes but that's not a bother to me. What I love most about Ray is that unlike most Food TV hosts, she is not a professional chef and therefore doesn't have the smugness that many other TV cooks do and I think this helps her relate much better to the everyday person.
  
  If I have one complaint about the book it's the lack of photographs. Photos are a must for a cookbook in my opinion.
  
  
• 30-Minute Meals
  By A2QFJ05OE7VZ41 on 2005-10-11
  Every thing that I have tried out of the book has been great.My whole family has enjoyed the food.
  
  
• A well-intentioned book
  By A1DXPVASYA5U2Y on 2006-01-15
  Here is what I like about Rachael and her 30-Minute Meals book. I like the fact that Rachael has inspired very busy Americans to get back in the kitchen and out of the drive thru lines by offering them her quick, usually healthy and usually tasty recipes and tips. I like that she presents it with an undying enthusiasm that, though nauseating sometimes, is contagious and gets people excited. And I like that her recipes are user friendly and contain ingredients that can be found in just about every supermarket in America, as well as on most pantry shelves in our country's kitchens.
  
  Now, here is what I DON'T like about Rachael and her 30 Minute Meals book. The book is horribly organized. There is NO INDEX, which makes it very difficult to find anything in this book. What good is a 30 minute meal if it takes you an additional 30 minutes to find a recipe? This is probably attributed to the fact that it was her first book and both she (and her publishers) had a lot to learn. Secondly, not all of her meals are 30 minute wonders. It may take 30 minutes to make, but prep time was obviously not taken into consideration. Take her "Beef and Cider Pot" recipe, for example. The recipe calls for 1 and a half pounds beef sirloin, cut into bite-size chunks, 2 medium potatoes, very thinly sliced, 1 medium onion, chopped, 2 carrots, peeled and diced, 1 turnip peeled and diced, and a handful of chopped fresh parsley. That prep work alone would take the average person close to 30 minutes and they haven't even started cooking yet! Thirdly, though many of her recipes are rather tasty, so many shortcuts tend to compromise quality. Her recipes are usually satisfying, but hardly stellar.
  
  All that being said, I think this is a great book for people who are short on time but are committed to treating themselves and their families to homecooked meals. I applaud Rachael for giving people a vehicle to get back in the kitchen. In an era where fast food and prepackaged, nutrition-free foods rule, that is a very good thing, indeed.
  
  
• Great for people who don't cook often
  By on 2003-09-10
  This is one of the best cookbooks for people who don't cook often and who have little experience cooking! I always watch the show 30-Minute Meals, and I liked the recipes that were on the show, I just wondered if they were actually as easy to prepare as they are on the show. Once I bought the cookbook, though, my fears were laid to rest! This book is a gem.
  
  
• Rachel's 30 Minute Meals
  By A3045K4443PK99 on 2005-03-20
  Just thought we would share our experience with Rachel Ray's first book, 30 Minute Meals. Organization is key! You must prepare the ingredients ahead of time before you begin cooking to really make the 30 minute recipes in 30 minutes - but the recipes are fantastic and by no means, bland. We've only had the book a few weeks, and I can tell you that my 11 year old son was very enthusiastic about planning and making the menu suggestions from the book. So far we've made over 5 of them and all have been great. The book is wonderful for new cooks - young and old alike.
  
  Rachel Ray makes cooking look easy and her enthusiasm encourages you to want to try to cook a meal in 30 minutes instead of running out for fast food - and these recipes are much better tasting!
  
  
  

• 30-Minute Meals 2
• Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats--A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners (A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook)
• Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Get Real Meals: Eat Healthy Without Going to Extremes
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