30 Minute Meals

TV presenter and author Rachael Ray has forged a successful career in helping people to cook. Her show, 30 Minute Meals, is on the cable Food Network and is very popular with viewers looking for simple meals that can be prepared quickly. Everyone wants to give their families nutritious meals but work commitments mean that time spent in the kitchen is limited. Ray shows how it is done, proving that knowing the right techniques can result in quickly made but tasty fare.

Ray grew up in Lake George, New York where her family was in the restaurant business. Food preparation was in the blood and she often uses recipes based on her Cajun and Italian family background. In addition to the television show, she has also written a series of books on the 30 Minute Meals theme.  These titles include Comfort Foods, Veggie Meals, Cooking Around the Clock, Get Togethers, 365, A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners, and For Kids.

The celebrity cook runs a relaxed kitchen, dispensing with precise measurements. There is a nostalgic feel to the show because of the 1950s stove on the set. The recipes use ingredients, such as garlic, fresh herbs and chicken stock, to enhance flavor. 30 Minute Meals is a hit with the critics too and the show won an Emmy Award for Best Service Daytime Show in 2006. Ray has also developed her career as a TV personality with the endorsement of products.

Classic dishes are loved by all but can take a lot of preparation and cooking. Ray, using the 30 Minute Meals method, has adapted many of them. Following her recipes, it's possible to whip up Clam Chowder or Macaroni and Cheese for supper. Even dinner parties for family and friends, often a tense occasion for the cook, can be relaxed affairs.

Ray has an excellent website, full of useful tips and ideas. Her recipes are reproduced and there are videos showing the techniques. Dishes include meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, pasta and desserts. There is also advice on how to plan a menu and how to prepare food for a party.

A lot of people buy cookbooks but never actually cook and they stay on the shelf. Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals actually encourage people to cook and give them the confidence to try recipes that they wouldn't have contemplated before. There is no need for complicated pull your hair out recipes. With the Ray method, you can serve and bask in the praise!