Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2 by Rachael Ray (2003)

This is our favorite of the Rachael Ray cookbooks - #1 is a little too plain and the Veggie cookbook is obviously not really her thing. Regardless of your feelings about Ms. Ray's abbreviations or your ability to actually pull off a meal in 30 minutes, Rachael Ray is excellent for helping people who did not grow up cooking to become independent cooks. She explains what is important and what can be left out, how to measure approximately by sight, and how to substitute. Rachael Ray is great for someone who would like to cook better but doesn't know where to begin, or for someone who is great as long as s/he has a recipe but is at a loss otherwise. These recipes are a great basis for learning to improvise. That said, there are plenty of recipes in here and in her GetTogethers book that we use constantly, just as-is. ( )

I know many people don't consider Rachael Ray to be a real chef, but to me she's just fine. I remember how I felt when I realized that I could actually put a whole meal together in less than one hour - heaven! The book is about 30-minute meals, but if you're a mere mortal like me it will probably take you a bit longer than that. Still, it is a great find, and the recipes are fun and easy to follow. With the extra plus of not having to hear her say "EVOO" every five minutes... ( )

I enjoy a lot of what she's done, and I'm especially happy with the overall taste simplicity of the meals. She doesn't use too many strange or hard-to-find ingredients, and often includes information about possible ingredient substitutes. That said, I don't much care for the way this book is arranged. It's set up menu-style, which makes finding different kinds of recipes a little harder than it really needs to be. I know she does her shows like that, and TV takes to that form very well, but cookbooks take to that form less well. Also, I like cookbooks that include nutritional information, and this one does not. I know it's easy enough to look up online now, but still.... it would be a nice addition. ( )

The problem with this cookbook is that, although many of the recipes are quite good, they generally take longer than 30 minutes to prepare. Perhaps they take 30 minutes if you are a professional cook. I agree with other reviewers that the show is better. That is why I have not purchased any more of her cookbooks. ( )