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Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds
If you’re like Rachael Ray, mealtime is a time to hang out and reconnect with family and friends. That means you could be making a late dinner for you and your sweetie one night and making brunch for your entire family the next day. No matter how many people join the party, Rachael firmly believes that cooking should be fun, easy–and done in 30 minutes or less.
Transforming recipes for four into recipes for two or eight can be a tricky guessing game. If you use twice the amount of chicken will you have to cook it twice as long? Is it possible to make a satisfying pot of soup for two without having to eat leftovers for a week? What’s the best–and most economical–way to feed a crowd of eight? With Rachael 2, 4, 6, 8 there’s no need to guess, because Rachael has designed right-sized menus for every occasion, with perfect meals for two, four, six, or eight.
For date night you don’t want tons of food, so Rachael’s Croque Madame sandwich with a Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette salad and a killer vodka cocktail strike just the right note. For family dinners, double dates, or those who love leftovers, Rachael whips up classic meals for four like Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza or Grilled Shrimp with Chorizo Skewers. For poker night with your buddies, Rachael knows exactly which ingredients stretch into a 30-minute meal for six, like Uptown Sweet and Spicy Sausage Hoagies. Throwing a dinner party is a pleasure when you’re armed with stress-free meals for eight like Italian Chicken Pot Pie and Boozy Berries and Biscuits. With complete menus for family dinners as well as easy and impressive meals for entertaining plus lots of super simple desserts that taste like a million, no matter what the occasion, the perfect meal for your crowd is never more 30 minutes away.
Transforming recipes for four into recipes for two or eight can be a tricky guessing game. If you use twice the amount of chicken will you have to cook it twice as long? Is it possible to make a satisfying pot of soup for two without having to eat leftovers for a week? What’s the best–and most economical–way to feed a crowd of eight? With Rachael 2, 4, 6, 8 there’s no need to guess, because Rachael has designed right-sized menus for every occasion, with perfect meals for two, four, six, or eight.
For date night you don’t want tons of food, so Rachael’s Croque Madame sandwich with a Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette salad and a killer vodka cocktail strike just the right note. For family dinners, double dates, or those who love leftovers, Rachael whips up classic meals for four like Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza or Grilled Shrimp with Chorizo Skewers. For poker night with your buddies, Rachael knows exactly which ingredients stretch into a 30-minute meal for six, like Uptown Sweet and Spicy Sausage Hoagies. Throwing a dinner party is a pleasure when you’re armed with stress-free meals for eight like Italian Chicken Pot Pie and Boozy Berries and Biscuits. With complete menus for family dinners as well as easy and impressive meals for entertaining plus lots of super simple desserts that taste like a million, no matter what the occasion, the perfect meal for your crowd is never more 30 minutes away.
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2006
37 people are currently reading
787 people want to read
About the author
Rachael Ray
82 books295 followersRachael Domenica Ray is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author. She hosted the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray. Other programs to her credit include 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels, $40 a Day, Rachael Ray's Week in a Day, and the reality format shows Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off and Rachael Ray's Kids Cook-Off. Ray has written several cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, in 2006. Ray's television shows have won three Daytime Emmy Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 7, 2017
For some reason, I had a lengthy food network phase in middle school. (Maybe I just liked the general concept of eating?) I didn't cook regularly until 22, but preteen me really loved Rachael Ray.
...So I bought this cookbook for $2 at a HPB closeout. It's not like it wasn't worth that price or that the recipes don't sound amazing, but I feel like Ray's speaking style is a tad annoying in prose form. She also seems to not know how to talk about different cultures when she talks about their food--not exactly in an appropriating way or a hateful way, but she certainly hits on a country's stereotypical touchstones and runs with it. Then there's the line to the effect of "I love Spain! I've never actually been to Spain [...]."
My biggest issue with the book is that it doesn't seem as convenient as her 30-minute meal pledge claims. I doubt that half of these courses would be finished in half an hour, and she prescribes a lot of ingredients that are hard to track down if you aren't, say, a New Yorker. Dandelion salad? Should I go out and pick those, or does she think that's available at Kroger?
Nonetheless, I don't want to seem too harsh on this book. Everything sounds really good, and the prep for these recipes certainly isn't the most taxing thing you could do in the kitchen. Nostalgia aside, I just feel like Rachael Ray isn't quite as in-tune with what the average home cook might need from a recipe.
...So I bought this cookbook for $2 at a HPB closeout. It's not like it wasn't worth that price or that the recipes don't sound amazing, but I feel like Ray's speaking style is a tad annoying in prose form. She also seems to not know how to talk about different cultures when she talks about their food--not exactly in an appropriating way or a hateful way, but she certainly hits on a country's stereotypical touchstones and runs with it. Then there's the line to the effect of "I love Spain! I've never actually been to Spain [...]."
My biggest issue with the book is that it doesn't seem as convenient as her 30-minute meal pledge claims. I doubt that half of these courses would be finished in half an hour, and she prescribes a lot of ingredients that are hard to track down if you aren't, say, a New Yorker. Dandelion salad? Should I go out and pick those, or does she think that's available at Kroger?
Nonetheless, I don't want to seem too harsh on this book. Everything sounds really good, and the prep for these recipes certainly isn't the most taxing thing you could do in the kitchen. Nostalgia aside, I just feel like Rachael Ray isn't quite as in-tune with what the average home cook might need from a recipe.
September 10, 2008
Rachael Ray's TV persona grates on me a little (okay, a lot), but her recipes are totally my style. I've read this cookbook cover-to-cover (several times); her prose and meal "titles" may be asinine, but out of the several dozen Rachael recipes I've tried, only one was a never-again. Quite a few of the meals I've tried from this book have become staples in our meal rotation. For me, it's the perfect balance between "interesting" food and "everyone will eat it" food - not too funky or fancy, but lots better than your average pot roast and potatoes.
April 5, 2008
I was so excited to try this cookbook. Well, it fell a little flat...several recipes came out too salty and weren't worth the amount of time needed (all took longer than 30 minutes). A couple of good recipes emerged, but overall not worth the investment when so many great recipes are free online.
February 29, 2024
I have the same opinion of most Rachael Ray cookbooks...it seems like she tries to come up with lots of random recipes by throwing ingredients together. There are hardly any pictures in any of her cookbooks.
January 21, 2024
I need pictures. I am just not that great, so I need pictures Rachael!
April 11, 2024
To be honest, I can't remember much about this, so I'll assume nothing really stood out.
April 20, 2022
Great to have a resource for cooking for different size groups and very nice that the recipes, while scalable, are not repeated but carry the 30 minute concept into all the presentations. Rachael Ray deserves kudos for great meals, simple yet yummy.
May 16, 2008
I'm trying to get back on track... and eat healthy. I've caught Rachael Ray's show several times in the afternoons before I head to work, and was curious. So I checked this book out of the library. A number of the recipes look appealing but she uses a lot of olive oil, butter and salt. I'm tweaking the recipes I liked to make them healthier.
January 25, 2009
This book was pretty good. There is a great green bean, pearl onions and balsamic vinegar recipe that I paired with the broiled flank steak - which is also good.
Although those were my favorites included in her book, she does have other tasty recipes included.
The nice thing is that the book is split into sections based on the number of servings you desire
Although those were my favorites included in her book, she does have other tasty recipes included.
The nice thing is that the book is split into sections based on the number of servings you desire
October 19, 2011
This particular Rachael Ray cookbook is one of my favorites because it realyl breaks things down by serving. It is much easier to make some of her two and four person meals, which is nice. The book itself contains great pictures and commentary, and is very user friendly. I dislike that some of the ingredients are so tough to get.
June 3, 2009
I didn't really like this book. All the recipes that sounded interesting were in the "crowds" section and that wasn't what I was looking for. The recipes also seemed to require a lot of ingredients that would end up getting expensive.
February 7, 2010
so this was my second rachael ray book, and i have to say that even though this one is also lacking pics, i liked it more than the first book of hers i bought since this one is divided by group size, and that's really helpful....
April 13, 2011
Has some great recipes. Got my husband and I cooking together which is a blast. Learned how the make the best tasting, quickest asparagus ever in this book. Now I make it very often and the whole family loves it! In the oven or on the grill.
May 13, 2007
Oh my goodness ~ I got this as a gift for Christmas, and Quin and I both love it. It is supposed to be 30 minute meals, but it takes me about 40 to 50.... still in the learning process.
August 8, 2007
easy to make delicious meals for entertaining or just the fam!
July 23, 2008
I didn't care for any of the recipes in this one. Rachael is obviously reaching for new ideas, and the recipes were not very appealing.
November 23, 2007
Yucky. Everything is heavy cream & bacon.
January 6, 2008
Love Rach! Easy recipes that look as though you've slaved for ages in the kitchen.....
May 11, 2008
Right now I am collecting more for the autographs than actually cooking from them! :)Have autographed bookplate.
July 25, 2008
While I can't say I have read it cover to cover, I have been through this cookbook dozens of times. There are tons of great recipes in here!
October 31, 2009
Ican never make her meals in 30 minutes...
June 22, 2010
my only complaint ever is that sometimes the ingredients are not easy to get / too expensive.. have to change it up..
October 26, 2010
I like her recipes, she has really good ideas, I just can not listen to her talk. This is the best way to get the recipes and not make my ears bleed.
April 23, 2011
Loved the variety of recipies and the way it can be broken down or boosted up to fit your dinner crowd :D
September 22, 2013
In Rachael's own way!!! She is amazing!!!
August 23, 2015
Didn't care for this book. I don't use it at all.
July 14, 2016
I flipped through this and tabbed recipes that looked good. Most of the ones that sounded good to me were the smaller meals. I look forward to trying some of these!
July 21, 2012
can I give this a 1/2 a star?
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews