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Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals: What to Keep on Hand, What to Buy Fresh for the Easiest-Ever 30-Minute Meals
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Customer Reviews
Rating:  - Great idea, poorly executed--neither delicious nor 30-minute meals
As a mother of two small children, I don't have much time to cook. I'm always on the lookout for easy AND delicious meals. When I saw this cookbook at the bookstore, I got very excited. The title of the book, "What to have on hand, what to buy fresh for the easiest-ever 30-minute meals," sounded too good to be true.
Well, it was. Whoever came up with the title is a marketing genius. It was exactly what I wanted. (Well maybe, not "exactly" what I wanted. If it were the "easiest and delicious" meals, that would have hit the jackpot.) Unfortunately, however, the book itself falls short of its title. I tried a handful of recipes and found that...
1) I'd have to have a bigger kitchen to keep all of the things on her list in stock. I just don't have the space for all of the things Rachel Ray said I should have on hand.
2) The meals I tried were not always "easy" and often required 30 minutes for just prepping! Some required both my husband and I prepping for 30 minutes! Infuriating!
3) I think I only tried one meal that actually tasted good enough for me to want to cook it again.
This book was a huge disappointment. I almost gave it 1 star, but I reserve that designation for the absolute worst books. Plus, the idea of the book is a good one, hence the two stars.
Rating:  - Delicious, if maybe not the easiest
My criteria for judging the worth of a cookbook boils down to this - are the recipes in the book good and can I prepare them in a reasonable amount of time? Based on that, this cookbook is one of the best cookbooks I own. This is the only Rachael Ray cookbook I own, somebody got it for me for Christmas, so I am unfamiliar with how it compares to others she has written. But I have made about a dozen recipes out of it and all but one were very good. Everyone in my family likes the recipes, even my 11 month old baby enjoys a good deal of it. I'll admit I am not fully using the book to its intended purpose with the concept of stocking my pantry and then hitting the express lane for what I need for each meal - but if I were, her suggestions for what to keep on hand are good and close in line with the types of things I never let myself run out of.
There are a couple of things that keep me from giving this book 5 stars.
The book is arranged into 3 sections; Meals for the exhausted, Meals for the not too tired, and a section that I can't remember the exact title of, but I call "Meals that I will never attempt unless I've been on vacation for two weeks and have an extra woman in my kitchen." The Meals for the Exhausted section literally wears me out - and I know my way around a kitchen fairly well. These recipes also really mess up my kitchen, using a lot of pots and pans and utensils. I also frequently don't get them done in 30 minutes. But I'm willing to let that one slide as it probably has more to do with an 11 month old hanging from my pant leg than any fault of the author.
Overall, this is a very good cookbook. I haven't had the problem finding ingredients that other reviewers have had and everyone in my family has really enjoyed the recipes.
Rating: - Too cumbersome.....not kid friendly recipes....
First, I have been and continue to be a huge Rachael Ray fan. I love her shows and my mouth waters as she creates some of her recipes before my eyes. However, this book was a huge disappointment. Because I work fulltime and have a family, I am always looking for quick recipes to make for my family that call for ingredients that I know a finicky husband and small child will enjoy. I heard about this book...and not expecting I could ever be disappoint by Rachael Ray...I bought it right away....I even preordered it before it's actual release! Since I received the cookbook...I have spent several hours rummaging through the recipes to try and find one that wasn't cumbersome as well as "kid/family friendly". Unfortunately, I have yet to find one. I don't recommend this book for someone who is trying to cook simple/classic meals. There are more lamb recipes that I could've imagined (and unfortunately my family doesn't like lamb) and many of them call for ingredients that I wouldn't even eat. So needless to say, I will probably be selling the book "used"...although never utilized!
Rating:  - If delicious is what you are looking for get something else
I have made 3 of the recipes in this book and all 3 have been horrible. I made the sweet peas and pasta, chicken ceasar burgers and the italian tuna cassarole. After making the second recipe, (chicken ceasar burgers) I told my husband I was putting the cookbook away because both the recipes I have made were, well, yuck. Then I ventured into the cookbook one last time. I made the tuna dish. This was the worst! We had to ditch it and make something else. If you like great dishes get Paula Deen or Ina Garten recipe books. From those I haven't had a bad dish!
Lastly,I have made the recipes in thirty minutes so that aspect is correct.
Rating: - Just what it claims...
I've made four or five dishes from this cookbook. With washing and chopping and helping with homework, I don't know if I've gotten them done in 30 minutes, but they were quick, fun, and different. I've never cooked much real Italian food, but I am enjoying trying these recipes with a Italian flair.
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