Rachael Ray 365:No Repeats by Rachael Ray (2005, Paperback)

I have watched Rachael Ray off and on for several years. Did you know she used to be a food buyer for a gourmet restaurant? Did you know she used to have a LIVE audience and she would do the same thing, prepare 30 minute meals right in front of them? Now that's some hustling! That was in the early days before she became a star!

I purchased this book at a book signing 2 weeks ago. I know I will love making the recipes. I work 2 jobs and I need a way to make interesting meals without making the same thing over and over! Rachael has been criticized by FOODIES (gourmet food addicts & experts) for the very thing that makes her great. FOODIES say she doesn't use gourmet foods and when she is cooking she talks so that even the inexperienced cook can understand what to do.

Is she really cooking in 30 minutes? On Rachael Ray's show, she cooks from start to finish in 30 minutes. One must realize that she is well practiced at this but she gives you tips on how you can do it too. In fact, I learned some of those same tips when I was in some CULINARY ARTS classes in college. It's like you get the knowledge without attending the class! (Now these tips are not all that I have learned, but I thought they would help)

1. Use a GARBAGE BOWL for all your garbage until you're done.

2. Pre-wash your vegetables and herbs (Rachael does it after shopping)

3. Use proper cutting techniques and good knives. (a dull knife requires more work and effort and is actually dangerous to use)

4. Use a tray to collect everything you need and get it out all at once at the beginning of your cooking.

5. Have a well organized kitchen. Now I did watch an episode where even Rachael couldn't find one of her utensils, but for the most part she knows where everything is. The only thing that really changes on her set is the ingredients that are in her little cabinet. I will say this, it is very easy to have too many pots, pans, dishes, utensils, and ingredients. Right now, I know I'm about to get there if I don't act fast and tidy it up. You really don't need 10 wooden spoons and 5 spoonulas. If you pare down your kitchen equipment, it will be easier to find what you need.

6. Plan your meals. You can plan your meals even up to a month ahead. Shop based on your menu. Keep in mind what is on sale and in season.

7. Know your recipe. Yes you can cook more than one thing at a time! It has taken some practice, but my family appreciates when everything is done at the same time. Start with the most complicated or longest cooking item first (usually an entree or meat dish). If you're having rice and steamed vegetables, get those pots ready and hot. Then get those cooking while you're working on the first menu item.

8. Take shortcuts. One of Rachael's favorite shortcuts is the use of chicken stock. She says it often gives that all-day-cooking kind of taste. There's even some tips on shortcuts in this book.

9. Make variations of a recipe. Once you know a master recipe really well, you can make a variation by substituting ingredients.

10. Use cuts of meat that cook quickly. If you have a large chicken breast, you can cut it into smaller portions so that it will cook faster. Also, if you cut your vegetables all about the same size, they will cook more evenly and will be finished cooking at the same time!

I hope this helps! Please send me a message if you have any questions. Please also see my auction for Rachael Ray's SIGNED 365: No Repeats

This book took care of the "what to make for dinner" dilema in our house. If you can't find an idea in here then there is not much hope. Easy, fast meals just as you expect from the Queen of quick meals.

Love this book! I have all of Ray's previous books, and I often watch her show when I am cooking my own family dinner. We are huge fans of her Cooking Round the Clock book and her Cooking Rocks (for kids) books. On average, I use recipes from those books at least twice a week.

Her first book that I purchased was her 30 Minute Get Togethers and the first couple menus that I used were NOT 30 minute meals for me. However over the years I have learned to adapt. I have gotten quicker at chopping veggies and will use already prepared things if necessary. Ok, on to the new book.

This is her biggest book by far. I got it the day it came out and spent at least two hours pouring over the recipes and marking ones I want to try. For the most part I was thinking I would be anal here. I would start with recipe number one and go from there, making every single recipe and not skipping a one. But I husband really wanted to try #37-Warm Lemon Chicken Sandwich with Arugula and Pears. Not something I would normally make, but it sounded intriguing. WONDERFUL! Even my picky eaters (I have two) gobbled it up. We then went on to #38-Grilled Flank Steak Sandwich again we were not disappointed.

If you are looking for a cookbook that offers quick, but unique and tasty meals, this is the one!

I was amazed when Rachel Ray said on Oprah that she never attended cooking school. I wonder how she ended up on Food Network. If you try to make food based
of these recipes in 30 minutes you need all known and unknown gods to help you.

If you have connections and you are pretty as Rachel Ray, you can stand in her place and do the same thing if you are told what to do. Easy.

I give her 3 stars only because Rachael Ray is hugely likeable TV personality, and she works hard and knows how to get too much hype.

You can do it also if you have a stove and connections. Even if you are not as pretty as she is (Martha and Orphan are opposite the word pretty but they did cooking, selling, decorating, all that) just follow their promo techniques, and you will be enlightened.

I love Rachael !! She is an amazing cook and this book helps you become amazing at it as well. I am not much of a cook in the kitchen so after purchasing this book i have learned a thing or to about how to prepare nice meals for my family... How impressed everyone is with my new found skills...
A must have for anyone who loves to cook ... A +++++++++++++

I really wished that this cookbook had more pictures.There are only about 5 total.The recipes also had too many expensive ingredients and are hard to find at a regular grocery store.I really wanted easy 30 minute meals and i only found a few.I did like the way Rachel was fun about some of the titles of her recipesI would give the book a 6 out of a 10.

This is an easy to follow cookbook. if you are just learning or want a twist on a classic meal this is the cookbook for you. when you use this cookbook, you feel as though you are watching her show (she injects comments just as if you were watching). the ingredients are written in a contrasting color so they are easy to spot. most of the recipes are from her shows so you could save your money and use the search function on the website. however, I am a purist and feel the need for the paper.

I don't really like the book I bought. I don't like the set-up of it. I bought it because I really like Rachael Ray and most of her stuff, but I find this book too difficult to just look stuff up. I also don't like the way she interchanges the recipes referring back to the previous one but changing a few ingredients. It's a good idea - but just not my style I guess.

Nice book with lots of great recipes - wish there were more photos, as I'm a visual person and think the visual on food can be as important as the taste and texture, too.

After watching Rachael Ray and many other chefs on the Food Network TV, I decided to buy Rachael Ray's 365 No Repeats to give it a try. I was flipping through the book and the section MYOTO caught my eyes. MYOTO stands for Make Your Own Take Outs. I love good restaurant meals and who doesn't? So I picked one recipe and decided to gave it try. My dinner that night was so delicious and definitely restaurant quality! I'm totally convinced Rachael Ray has recipes with simple techniques, and most importantly, it taste good.

Her books are highly recommanded!

I first became curious when I saw a Rachael Ray program on PBS.Then I realized that she was on regularly on the Food network.Curious,I went there,and watched.Now I have all but one of her books.I by nature am not a cook,but with her book,and in the way she presents her subject,I'll continue to buy into whatever she writes.I just love the little doll to death!

Bought it to send to my son who is away at college - couldn't part with it - had to buy another one for him - had to keep mine.

I received this cookbook as a gift, so thought I would give it a try as I often have a hectic schedule and not a lot of time to repair meals. I was rather disappointed to discover virtually no photos of the plated finished products. In fact, there are only 8 such pages. Many of the recipes call for ingredients that are not staples in most kitchens and are also not readily available in our small town grocery store. Most recipes require ten or more ingredients with several requiring more than 20 ingredients. While I realize I am by no means a gourmet cook, I didn't even recognize what some of the ingredients were. Many of the recipes also call for liquor of some type which is not a staple in my home. I was also a little disappointed to discover that a new recipe was in fact only a variation of the proceeding one by either adding or omitting one or more ingredients. For instance, there is Cod in a Sack, French Fish in a Sack, and Spanish Fish in a Sack. I have tried a couple of the recipes. One I found I could easily complete in the recommended 30 minutes, and it was quite good, while the other took much longer. I do not think I would purchase this for anyone, and I would be hard pressed to recommend it to most of my friends or acquaintances as I did not find it easy to use.

Wow! What flavor these dishes have. I've tried about 16 recipes and I'm in love with each and every one of them. If you're tired of your dinner meals and they're just too routine, try these. Even the more common dishes have been livened up with herbs, spices and lots of flavor. I promise you won't get bored. And who could get bored with 365 of them? They are delish.

NEW A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

A 30 MINUTE MEAL COOKBOOK

A Best Selling Author and Host of 3 top-rated 3 Food Network Shows, son to have her own show on ABC promoted by Oprah.

I have to say I was disappointed with this cookbook. The title makes you think that there will 365 completely different recipes, but she gives you a bunch of different variations of the same recipe throughout the book. And since I've actually heard her say that people eat with their eyes first I wonder why she was so skimpy with the pictures? It is written in her trademark casual style and the directions are idiot proof. I probably would not purchase another one of her cookbooks.

This was my birthday gift to my daughter who loves to cook but really enjoys RR recipes and ideas: this book offers 365 of them- something new for everyday. She has several friends who use RR and share ideas - their only complaint is how much clean up there is. Maybe RR will share her clean up ideas in another book!

NEICE LOOKING FOR THIS BOOK AND IT WAS HER BIRTHDAY, GOT A SUPER DEAL, AND SUPER FAST SHIPPING. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD VERY GOOD DEALINGS WITH EBAY OR HALF.COM. WHENEVER I NEED SOMETHING I ALWAYS GO TO EITHER ONE OF THE SITES. THANKS, JENNIE (HOTLIPS40)

I bought this for my girlfriend who loves to cook and she loved it. Not only does it have that many recipes, but many of them are set up to be changable by a couple ingredients to make a completely new dish. So you have a recipe listed, then it has a new part that says, "Change this ingredient to this for another dish." It's really great.
If I did have a complaint about it, it would be that there are not enough pictures of the dishes in it. My girlfriend prefers to see a picture of what the dish should look like and this book only had a few of them.
We have had several dishes from this book and they have all been great!

This book is a life saver when it comes to saving time and energy. 30 minutes is great when you have children to tend to. It provides a tasty twist to your everyday meals.

LOVVEEEEEEE RACHEL RAY'S RECIPES!!!!!! I use this book nearly everyday...tweak an ingredient here n there for a new dish or follow exactly - never disappointing meals that are sooooo easy, straight forward and delicious.and also easy to maintain a shopping list and uphold the budget at the same time.I give this book as a housewarming gift and everyone raves about it.

I love her shows, I love her magazine, and I loved several of her other books. This one did not disappoint. There is a lot here to like. Many of these recipes I would repeat because they are very good.

I have two cautions that could be important considerations for you if you want to buy this book:

1. These are not ALL 30 minute recipes. There is more cooking time and sometimes there are many ingredients involved in some of these.
2. If you or someone you cook for has a shellfish allergy (as I do) or just a shellfish or general seafood aversion, about 20% of this book will be unusable to you.

If you like to cook, you like variety, and you don't mind it taking a bit longer than 30 minutes sometimes, then I highly recommend this book.

I enjoy her no fuss approach to cooking and she follows through with this book. Often she starts with one recipe and varies it 3 ways (counts as 3 recipes). She mostly uses common ingredients we can all find and I do just skip over recipes calling for specialty items that are expensive and I don't even know if the family will eat them. And I personally do the same thing with switching out different ingredients to vary the menu. I bought this book because I own a few of her other cookbooks and I was not disappointed in this one. Drawbacks? Even using her techniques I seldom finish preparing a meal in 30 minutes!!