It's probably completely bizarre, but I like to watch the Food Network while I run on the treadmill. Think of it as having something good to run for, I guess. Also, there's not much else on that time of day when you don't have many channel options to pick from. Plus, if I'm lucky, I'll hit a Rachael Ray rerun. You know, "30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray" the awesome show that is actually fun to watch and doesn't leave you feeling like you'll never enter your kitchen again out of pure intimidation.I've become slightly addicted to her show. I love that it's in real time, so it's actually possible to cook that same meal in thirty minutes. Hence the title. I love that Rachael Ray seems to be having so much fun at what she's doing. I love that they are meals like I might actually cook. On that note, I decided to check out some of her many cookbooks to see if I might start cooking as she. She has a lot of cookbooks, but I just got three. "Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals Get Togethers" "Rachael Ray 365:No Repeats" and "Classic Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals". I eagerly dove into these books, excited about what I'd find. A really good cookbook will read almost like a novel for me. These did not. I skimmed and even after a few minutes, I set them aside. Not that the recipes weren't good, it's just the shear volume. It was kind of overwhelming. Also, there were hardly any pictures. I get way more excited about a recipe when I can see what the final product looks like. Another downside is that some of her favorite ingredients are ones that I'm unlikely to use very often, like prosciutto and veal. The recipes look really, really yummy. But I'm probably not going to make them on a day-to-day basis. They just tend to be a bit more decadent than I have time or funds for. The book I should have gotten was her "Get Real" cookbook. That looks more like my pace.
I love trying new recipes. I love learning new techniques and expanding our food repertoire. But I'll have more time for it when my kids are bigger. When that day comes, Rachael will be my go-to gal. For now, I think I'll get some of her episodes on DVD from the library and enjoy those instead. Maybe it'll motivate me to run more often.
That is funny that you mention reading a cookbook. I decided that since I do not like to cook much that I would start reading some cookbooks. I start with the ones I own to see if that sparks my interest a little more to start cooking more and enjoy what I do. My kids actually enjoyed me reading them the recipes and looking at the pictures.
ReplyDeleteI got 365-No repeats as a Christmas gift and I've yet to make anything from it. None of the recipes appeal to me very much and seem a bit complicated for 30 minutes. I've never seen her show though. Does she do her own prep work in the 30 minutes? or is it already chopped, diced, etc for her? And does she use a pre-made food to make it faster?
ReplyDeleteShe does her own chopping and prepping. On occasion, she'll say that she had prepared something beforehand, but mostly she does it right there. And she works fast. No poring over recipes or wondering where all her measuring cups disappeared to.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you. I love watching the show. I got the 365 -no repeats book and was disappointed, too. I had these grandiose plans that I would follow her recipes for an entire year. I made it one week but found my family wasn't really into some of the more "exotic" recipes, like butternut squash mac-n-cheese. I also ended up substituting a lot in the recipes because I'm not about to pay $11.99 for 2 oz of some cheese that I can't even pronounce, and the recipe called for a 1 lb of it! I must say, though, that when I take just the ideas of the recipes and then adjust them for the tastes of my picky eaters, the book does perk up my normally hum-drum dinners.
ReplyDeleteI borrowed the "Get Real" book from a friend and found kind of the same problems. I did like her salad recipes, though. That avocado dressing one I made for you the other day came from her "Get Real" book.