Eating in: The Official Single Man's Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this book in 1996, and it was my introduction to the culinary arts. I truly didn't start using it until 1999, when I found myself in an apartment without roommates. This book taught me how to setup a kitchen, and provided me with the basic know-how required to make some truly delicious meals for myself. It also provided me with much needed confidence in the kitchen.
This book is a treasure, and it is truly unfortunate that it is out of print. If you are a young man, or woman, and need help learning how to take care of yourself by learning to cook this is the book for you. I've collected many cooking books since this one, and still turn to this one the most. It is the easiest and most entertaining "how to" book I have ever read.
My simple recommendation is buy the book and enjoy a wonderful introduction to becoming a true epicurean.


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Light the candles. Pour the wine. Cozy up on the couch.You're in for the night.That's because you've just discovered the quickest route to a woman's heart.Your kitchen.If you've been using the wrong room, here's the inspiration you've been seeking.An easy cookbook.With an awesome goal:"Better Dating Through Cooking."So you can slice, dice and entice.Even if you don't know boil from broil.The secret?Easy illustrated cartoon-strip recipes. So if you can read the comics, you can learn to cook.And not sissy dishes either -- but tempting, romantic homecooked masterpieces that are a cinch to prepare (but look like you spent all day.)Like mouth-watering Dijon Chicken. Succulent Shrimp Scampi. Creamy Fettuccini Alfredo. And the ultra-seductive Steak 'Her Name Here' with the wildly impressive flambe finish!Does it work? Put it to the taste test: if both you AND your lovely dinner date are not 100% satisfied, just send the book back within 30 days (minus the food stains, please!)But we're sure they'll have to pry it from your garlicky fingers after you try out the most rewarding chapter in the book: BREAKFASTS!So click "Eating In" into your shopping cart today...then invite someone verrrry special over for dinner.Because now you can look like Paul Newman in the kitchen.Even if you cook like Alfred E.

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Kid Food: Rachael Ray's Top 30 30-Minute Meals Review

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(More customer reviews)If you want bang for your buck, pick up Rachael's 365 book instead of this one. The recipes here are mostly found in that book as well. These recipes really aren't all that innovative, as far as kids recipes go (you already know how to cook hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches, right?), and the Rachael Ray 365 book has lots more information about altering recipes to suit your needs and other really helpful hints.

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Rachael guarantees, Yes, your kids will eat it! These Top 30 kid-friendly meals, a collection of her greatest hits, will have the whole family asking for seconds. Break the weeknight routine with hassle-free cooking and delicious results.

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Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds Review

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(More customer reviews)Perhaps Rachael Ray is becoming a bit overexposed as she now has many cookbooks flooding the market, a televison show and a magazine. While I applaud her moxy and industrious nature, I am beginning to think that she is spread too thin. This latest offering, "2,4,6,8 - Great Meals For Couples or Crowds" is not up to par with some of her earlier offerings. The idea is great - menus sized for the number of guests that you are planning on cooking for - and all of this is supposed to be accomplished in 30 minutes as well.
For starters, the recipe lists are long - so that tells me right away that only an accomplished cook will be able to achieve these menus in under 30 minutes. A newbie in the kitchen will struggle to put these dinners on the table in under an hour. Some of the ingredients are a bit exotic - personally, I like that as I cook like that all the time. But again, for a newbie or perhaps a mom with fussy eaters, this could be a problem. The other issue is the portion sizes. I made the "Crab Cakes With A Creamy Grainy Mustard Sauce" with the "Wilted Spinach With Tomatoes" (page 69 listed as Appetizer-as-entrée). This was supposed to be a menu for two - but the crab cakes amounted to a half pound per person. This was WAY too much for myself and my husband! (I ended up taking half of this mixture and transforming it into a crab bisque the next day - it was wonderful!) If I ate like the portions suggested, I would be as big as a house! 1/2 pound meat portions seem to be the standard here. That was very disappointing to me, but I shouldn't be surprised, Ray always states that she is not skimpy on portions.
The menus are clever enough and most will be satisfied with the offerings here. There is plenty of variety: Indian food, Italian, Tex-Mex, Moroccan and more. You will certainly get ideas for your family or guests. I think the book is good overall, but not my favorite. I think her "Express Lane Meals" and "Classic Rachael Ray" are far better offerings.


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If you’re like Rachael Ray, mealtime is a time to hang out and reconnect with family and friends. That means you could be making a late dinner for you and your sweetie one night and making brunch for your entire family the next day. No matter how many people join the party, Rachael firmly believes that cooking should be fun, easy–and done in 30 minutes or less.Transforming recipes for four into recipes for two or eight can be a tricky guessing game. If you use twice the amount of chicken will you have to cook it twice as long? Is it possible to make a satisfying pot of soup for two without having to eat leftovers for a week? What’s the best–and most economical–way to feed a crowd of eight?With Rachael Ray: 2, 4, 6, 8there’s no need to guess, because Rachael has designed right-sized menus for every occasion, with perfect meals for two, four, six, or eight. For date night you don’t want tons of food, so Rachael’s Croque Madame sandwich with a Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette salad and a killer vodka cocktail strike just the right note.For family dinners, double dates, or those who love leftovers, Rachael whips up classic meals for four like Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza or Grilled Shrimp with Chorizo Skewers. For poker night with your buddies, Rachael knows exactly which ingredients stretch into a 30-minute meal for six, like Uptown Sweet and Spicy Sausage Hoagies. Throwing adinner party is a pleasure when you’re armed with stress-free meals for eight like Italian Chicken Pot Pie and Boozy Berries and Biscuits. With complete menus for family dinners as well as easy and impressive meals for entertaining plus lots of super simple desserts that taste like a million, no matter what the occasion, the perfect meal for your crowd is never more 30 minutes away.

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Pillsbury 30-Minute Meals: 230 Simple and Flavorful Recipes for Everday Cooking Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this from a friend for my bridal shower and i cook from it atleast twice a week if not more.

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Introduction; Beef; PorkChicken; Turkey; Fish & Shellfish; Vegetarian; Index.

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Comfort Food: Rachael Ray Top 30 30-Minute Meals Review

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(More customer reviews)This title and three others like it by Rachael Ray in the 'Top 30 30 minute meals' series are, for the content, relatively expensive and inconveniently sized volumes of recipes reprinted from Rachael's previous books. Looking through two of the titles I recognize every recipe I see from earlier books. While Rachael is the nominal author of these books, I fully believe they were assembled by her publisher and a copy editor with maybe a day's input from Miss Rachael for all four books together.
This is becoming a common practice among major cookbook authors, with Mark Bittman's re-releasing his 'How to Cook Everything' in three volumes, cumulatively more expensive than the original book.
One may for a moment equate these books with the music world's 'Best of' releases, but the experience is simply not the same. A 'Best of' album's tracks are based on a genuine audience vote with their purchases and air play. These recipes are simply Rachael's opinion and that of a few of her colleagues. The parallel also breaks down in the sense that listening to, for example, 'The Who's top twelve hits introduces you to a whole new experience of listening to 'My Generation', 'I'm Free', and 'I Can See for Miles' on the same album.
My 3 star rating is not based on the quality of the recipes. It is a warning that these volumes are, in fact, reprints and not new recipes. So, if you already own many or most of Rachael's books already, you may be disappointed if you buy these books.
One other consideration if you do NOT own any of Rachael's books is that for not too much more money, you can get 10 times as many recipes in her 'No Repeats' book of almost all new recipes.
In every way, this is a better purchase than one or all of these minibook samplers.

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Curl up in front of the fire with the delicious homespun fare of Rachael's comfort food. Treat yourself with these Top 30 meals, a collection of her greatest hits. The perfect way to unwind after a busy day--you deserve it!

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Classic 30-Minute Meals: The All-Occasion Cookbook Review

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(More customer reviews)"Classic 30 Minute Meals" is the latest offering from the prolific Rachael Ray. This is not a 'new' cookbook but a collection of some of her 'greatest hits' from her earlier books. If you have her original "30 Minute" books, then you won't need this one. However, if you want some of the best recipes and want to skip some of her "filler" material (repeats, variations on a theme), then this is the book for you.
There are complete menus (which I really like) for everday dinners, parties, datenights, and even kid chefs. As usual, these are standard Ray fare: pastas, tex-mex, burgers and lots o' chicken recipes. But overall, the menus are well balanced, easy to prepare and full of fresh ingredients. Although I am not crazy about "Rayspeak" (EVOO, Yum-O, etc.) I do like her ideas. Because I am a seasoned cook, I have been easily able to make her recipes in 30 minutes - but I realize that some of the ingredient lists are a bit much and the prep time will vary depending on your skills and tools. I respecially like the datenight menus as I am an empty nester and now it is just my hubby and myself. (The only complaint I have is that sometimes her portion sizes are rather large - there is no way that I can eat a half pound of meat! So, on occasion, I do have to adjust a bit.)
I would recommend this to someone who wants to venture into Ray's world but doesn't want to buy the entire collection.

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An outstanding collection of Rachael Ray's best 30-Minute Meals, now in one volume. Features over 150 meals selected from 8 of Rachael's best-selling titles.

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Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats--A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners (A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook) Review

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(More customer reviews)I agree that this is Rachael's best and most diverse collection of recipes to date. I actually did a rough count of the recipes by the protein or main ingredient. This is approximately how the recipes stack up: 53 meatless (many do contain cheese, however), 11 lamb, 4 egg, 8 ground turkey, 21 ground beef, 80 chicken, 21 beef (steaks, London broil, etc.), 5 ground pork, 16 pork (chops, tenderloin), 9 turkey (cutlets), 10 ground chicken, 29 fish (halibut, cod, swordfish, salmon, tuna), 11 veal (ground, cutlets, etc.), 30 shellfish (shrimp, crab, mussels, scallops, calamari), and 48 sausage, etc. (ham, prosciutto, chorizo, Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, bacon, salami, pancetta, etc). According to the listings in the front of the book, there are 48 pasta dishes, 33 soups and 20 burgers. I may have miscounted a few, but I think these numbers are fairly close. Perhaps some reviewers got the impression that the ingredients were repetitive because of the technique Rachael sometimes (but not always) uses of providing a master recipe with variations by swapping out ingredients. For instance, there is a master macaroni and cheese with broccoli recipe, followed by macaroni and smoked gouda with cauliflower, Tex-Mex mac and cheddar (with ground beef) and a chipotle mac and cheddar with chorizo and tomato.
While many of the recipes are Italian or Italian influenced, reflecting Rachael's heritage, with Tex-Mex following closely behind, there are also Spanish, Cuban, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, French, Cajun, Greek, German, and Carribbean influenced recipes as well. There is also plenty of "American" fare as well, although there are fewer traditional "comfort food" dishes in this book than there are in some of her other collections. The subtitle of the book is a hint at that. It truly is "a year of deliciously different dinners." And, after several years of watching Rachael's show regularly and making many, many of her recipes, I find that I can come close to the 30 minute mark in completing the meals, especially after the first time making a particular recipe.
As for pictures, if you are familiar with buying cookbooks, you realize that you trade off photographs for affordability. If this book were full of glossy photos of the food, it would probably have a list price of at least $40. I don't know of anywhere else you can find such a large and diverse collection of recipes for so little money.


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Even your favorite dinner can lose its appeal when it’s in constant rotation, so mix it up!With her largest collection of recipes yet, Food Network’s indefatigable cook Rachael Ray guarantees you’ll be able to put something fresh and exciting on your dinner table every night for a full year... without a single repeat! Based on the original 30-Minute Meal cooking classes that started it all, these recipes prove that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every night. Rachael offers dozens of recipes that, once mastered, can become entirely new dishes with just a few ingredient swaps. Learn how to make a Southwestern Pasta Bake and you’ll be able to make a Smoky Chipotle Chili Con Queso Mac the next time. Try your hand at Spring Chicken with Leeks and Peas and you’re all set to turn out a rib-sticking Rice and Chicken Stoup that looks and tastes like an entirely different dish. As a best-selling cookbook author and host of three top-rated Food Network shows, Rachael Ray believes that both cooking and eating should be fun.Drawing from her own favorite dishes as well as those of her family, friends, and celebrities, she covers the flavor spectrum from Asian to Italian and dozens of delicious stops in between. Best of all, these flavor-packed dishes will satisfy your every craving and renew your taste for cooking. With so many delicious entrees to choose from you’ll never have an excuse for being in a cooking rut again.How about a brand-new 30-minute dinner every night for an entire year? Tired of making the same old same old, week after week after week? With Rachael’s most varied and comprehensive collection of 30-minute recipes ever, you’ll have everyone at your table saying "Yummo!” all year long. It’s amazing what a half hour can do for your tastebuds … 365 days a year!

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