I'm a long-time fan of Rachael Ray and own several of her cookbooks. When this one was released, I didn't really have an interest - I figured I had enough of her recipes in my repertoire and didn't really like the idea of the step by step instruction pictures. I'm confident enough in my cooking that I thought I didn't need that.
I received this cookbook as a gift. I was pleasantly surprised. A lot of good stuff. Many new recipes I hadn't tried that weren't just slight spins on previous recipes she's written, not to mention the fact that my husband likes these new recipes. I've written before, he is a tough person to cook for - very picky and specific with his likes and the things he doesn't like.
The majority of this cookbook is devoted to the new recipes along with the corresponding photo instructions. There is also a 30-minute meal section, a section of sides and starters, desserts, simple sauces and one of my favorite features of her tv show - bottom of the jar sauces. The bottom of the jar sauces are practical and perfect for someone like me who likes to get every penny's worth out of the things I buy. For instance - peanut butter. There's some left at the bottom of the jar, not enough for a sandwich, but the remaining peanut butter can be turned into a Thai peanut sauce or dressing. (Except the time I made Thai peanut dressing, clearly relabeled the jar "Thai peanut sauce" and my husband inadvertently dumped it on toast, splashing it all over the kitchen.:) There are ideas for bottom of the jam or marmalade jar, mustard, you get the idea. It's a fun concept to get creative with on your own. (Fun to me, anyway:)
My mother taught me how to cook. I have many happy memories from days shared with her in the kitchen. She always encouraged me to be creative. I remember once I made "fruit soup" for my dad. I must have gone heavy on the lemon juice judging by the way his face scrunched up when he tasted it. My mom said, "It's wonderful, he loved it!" and quickly whisked me back to the kitchen. Rachael Ray was just starting to become popular when my mom died. My mom was a huge Food Network fan and I often wonder what she would have thought of the shows I follow on the network today. I think she would have liked Rachael. Rachael's ingredients are accessible, there's rarely an item you can't find at any grocery store, the recipes are easy, tasty and quick, and often she teaches you a method, not just a recipe. Once you learn a method, your imagination can take over and create many more recipes. That was definitely my mom's style. My older son, who is on the autism spectrum, has developed an interest in food preparation and with these easy recipes, there are plenty of steps he can help me with. My boys also stray from their addiction to chicken nuggets to eat some of these recipes-mostly those involving chicken, but hey, it's a change of pace!
In summation, this is a cookbook I had no intention to buy that was bought for me and is now my current favorite go-to cookbook for dinner. It is available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Rays-Look-Cook-Ray/dp/030759050X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348342921&sr=1-3&keywords=rachael+ray
or at the Food Network online store: http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Rays-Look-Cook-Ray/dp/030759050X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348342921&sr=1-3&keywords=rachael+ray
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