Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book: Her Biggest Ever Collection of All-New 30-Minute Meals Plus Kosher Meals, Meals for One, Veggie Dinners, Holiday Favorites, and Much More!: A Cookbook

By Rachael Ray

In the 10 years since she served up her first 30-minute meal—and thousands of delectable dinners later—Rachael Ray has learned just about all there is to know about getting a great tasting meal on the table in a hurry, whether it is one of her patented 30-minute miracles or something just a tad more involved for a special gathering. Rachael’s Big Orange Book is the ultimate resource for busy cooks. Need kitchen inspiration? It’s all here and it’s all new—and bigger than ever!

Just one for dinner tonight? Forget the cold cereal. Rach has a chapter of recipes that make dining on your own a thoroughly civilized occasion, with great meals that won’t leave you with a fridge full of leftovers. Vegetarians on the guest list? No problem! Choose from dozens of meat-free meals that are every bit as satisfying as your tried-and-true standards and savory enough to please the carnivores in your crowd. Observing a Kosher menu? Check out the selection of menus just for Kosher cooks, all ready in less than, you guessed it, 30 minutes. There's even a mother lode of burger recipes for fans of the bun—so many options you could make a different burger every day for a full month!

In addition to her latest 30-minute creations, Rachael has put together an array of menus and recipes for easy entertaining, from quick snacks to serve for game night and easy hors d’oeuvres, to soup-to-nuts menus for her favorite holidays and special occasions. Whip up a pasta buffet for a special mom on Mother’s Day, please a crowd with a super-simple Oscar party menu, and give thanks for not one but four fantastic menus that keep holiday stress to a minimum by getting you out of the kitchen in record time.

Best of all, these recipes have all the huge flavors you’ve come to expect from Rachael, with something to please every taste—and every food budget. You’ll even find the treasured family recipes that Rachael and her husband, John, have enjoyed for years; see if they don’t become beloved family traditions in your home as well. Whether this is your first introduction to cooking the 30-minute way or you are a long-time convert, you’ll find irresistible new recipes here to make the most of every second you spend in the kitchen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9780307954992

Rachael Ray

Rachael Ray is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty cookbooks. She is the host of the Food Network’s 30 Minute Meals and Rachael Ray’s Kids Cook-Off, as well as the Cooking Channel’s and the Food Network’s Week in a Day. She is also the star of the syndicated talk show Rachael Ray; founder and editorial director of her own lifestyle magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray; and founder of the Yum-o! organization.

Reviews for Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book

[cattylj-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is one big cookbook. Monstrous, even. I found some of the sections a little odd, as well as the ordering - holiday menus, from my family to yours, starters and snacks (not an unusual section, but it’s the second to last section, would have expected it near the beginning). However, there were other sections that you don’t usually see outside of speciality cookbooks, but are fantastic - meals for one, kosher meals, burgers. The vegetarian section actually has some great recipes, which isn’t always the case unless you buy a strictly vegetarian cookbook.

In a book this size - 200 recipes - not every recipe has an accompanying photograph, which is a drawback for me. I know it’s not a must have for everyone, but if I can’t salivate over a picture first, chances are good I won’t end up making it. The other thing I’ve come to expect from cookbooks are a section on tips and tricks for cooking the recipes within, which is not include. Another trend in recent years is to include nutritional information, which is missing here. Again - that’s not a must have for everyone, but it bumps it down a notch for me. All in all it was fun to page through and I have more than one recipe bookmarked.

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Some of the recipes look good and they are fairly simple, but I don't keep most of these staples in my cupboard so there's no need to keep the book on hand.

[carrieprice78 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I got this book as a holiday present. In my earlier days, I really liked Ray, a lot. My food horizons have expanded as of late and I turn to her recipes less frequently than before. I can still appreciate what she does, though, and this is a good book: it compiles her best recipes from previous books. I admire Ray because she encourages using natural, whole ingredients. She also really pushes for people to make their own food instead of ordering take-out. In fact, I think she has whole chapters devoted to "Make Your Own Take-Out." Her Southern Italian heritage figures heavily into her cooking. Otherwise, if it's authenticity you're looking for, you won't find it here, but the recipes are good nonetheless. And fairly quick.