Review by Barb & Ron Kroll

Cookbook Title:

Rachael Ray's Book of 10
(Clarkson Potter) ISBN 978-0307383204 0307383202

Theme:

Rachael Ray provides 300 recipes for family meals, comfort food, one-pot meals, potluck dishes, vegetarian meals, gourmet dinners, everyday meals, quick and easy desserts and romantic dinners at home. The quick simple recipes are a compilation of the most-requested recipes from Rachael Ray.

Sample Recipes:

Walnut parsley rosemary pesto. Spinach and goat cheese chicken rolls. Sausage, pepper and onion subs. Cider sauced chicken breasts. Smoky turkey shepherd's pie. Salmon burgers with Caesar slaw. Gyro burgers with Greek salad. Roasted asparagus. Smoked Gouda fondue with almonds. Indian spiced vegetables. Ginger noodles. Chipotle potato salad. Grilled cheese and watercress sandwiches. Toasted ravioli.

Notable Elements:

In the foreward to this 384-page cook book, John Cusimano, Rachael Ray's husband, reveals that, at home, Rachael Ray is a great cook who loves to prepare meals for friends and family. The John's Faves section includes recipes for his favorite Rachael Ray dishes, like hazelnut crusted chicken with Gorgonzola sauce.

The Chicken chapter features kids' favorite chicken recipes, such as honey nut chicken sticks.

In the Best Dishes to Show Off section, Rachael Ray provides easy gourmet dinner recipes, such as black cherry, black pepper lamb chops with sweet pea risotto.

Tone / Style:

Written as if Rachael Ray was teaching you how to make the recipes, Rachael Ray's Book of 10 features clear instructions and her favorite abbreviations (e.g., EVOO for extra-virgin olive oil).

Rachael Ray's quick recipes are organized in 30 top ten lists, in 10 chapters. Each chapter contains three lists of ten, based on theme. For example, the pasta chapter is subdivided into vegetarian pastas, most-requested pasta recipes and favorite family pasta recipes.

Each chapter begins with an index of recipes. Rachael Ray introduces each chapter and recipe. In her recipe for grilled eggplant rollups, she notes that eggplant makes a great substitute for pasta in this pasta-free cannelloni dish.

Colored Tidbit sidebars, at the end of some recipes, include Rachael Ray's cooking tips and ingredient information. In one, she notes that London Broil is also called shoulder steak. In another, Rachael Ray explains what's in giardiniera (pickled hot peppers, cauliflower, carrots and celery). In a third, she explains that you can substitute bacon for pancetta.

Visuals:

Thirty-five color photos by Ben Fink, in two sections in the middle of the cookbook, depict delicious dishes from Rachael Ray's Book of 10.

Contents:

1. Let me Entertain You
   • Our family's faves
   • Best dishes to show off
   • Super easy
2. Stretch-a-Buck Meals
   • Family faves
   • Most requested
   • Great rollovers
3. Burgers
   • Figure-friendly faves
   • John's faves
   • Gut-busters
4. Vegetarian
   • Comfort foods
   • Spicy picks
   • Sammies
5. 30 Days No Repeat Pasta
   • Vegetarian
   • Most requested
   • Family faves
6. Seafood
   • Go fish!
   • Who ya callin' "Shrimp?"
   • Seafood for a steal
7. One-Pot Meals
   • Family faves
   • Potluck picks
   • Soups, stoups and chilis
8. Chicken
   • Kids' picks
   • All-American
   • International
9. Meat
   • Grill great
   • $10 meals
   • For cold months
10. Date Night / Fake Outs
    • Surf 'n' turf
    • John's faves
    • Cheap dates
    • Desserts (bonus!)

Author:

Rachael Ray

Claim to fame:

Rachael Ray is the Food Network host of 30-Minute Meals. Rachael Ray's Book of 10 is her 16th cook book.

 
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More Rachael Ray cookbooks:

Yum-o! The Family Cookbook

Just in Time!

2, 4, 6, 8 Great Meals for Couples or Crowds

Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book

Rachael Ray Cooking Lessons with Photos