Rachael Ray's Look + Cook: 100 Can't Miss Main Courses in Pictures, Plus 125 All New Recipes: A Cookbook

I love cookbooks, I must have hundreds and my mother (from whom I inherited my passion for cooking) has thousands. A few of my early purchases were of the "Look and Cook" variety, such as  French Country Cookery (Anne Willan's Look & Cook)  but I have since moved on to cookbooks that rely on the reader to have mastered the different techniques that are required for each specific dish. Then I saw Rachael Ray on television cook some of the dishes from this new cookbook of hers. I must say that I was impressed with both the style of the dishes and their ease of preparation. The recipes are new, trendy and very approachable. The photos that demonstrate the preparation of the dishes do so in a step-by-step fashion are well shot and very easy to learn from. Some of the recipes in this book were posted on Rachael's website before the book was released so I had the opportunity to try out a few earlier as well as some new ones that are only in the book.The look and cook portion of the book includes 100 recipes and is divided into 3 chapters:1. Cozy Food - Includes recipes for some great comfort food, such as: Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes; Pimiento Mac n' Cheese; and fresh Onion and Wild Mushroom Soup2. Make Your Own Takeout - Restaurant-style dishes that can be prepared faster than you can pick up something to-go, recipes include: Chinese Orange-Barbeque Cashew Chicken and Crunchy Tuna Tacos3. Fancy Fake-Outs - These are simplified versions of dishes that are usually reserved for the advanced home chef, including: Almost Tandoori Chicken; Individual Beef Wellingtons; and Veal and Olive Ragu with PappardelleThe back section of the book includes 5 more chapters (125 additional recipes), but they are in her 30 Minute Meals format and do not include photographs. There is also a link to her interactive website where you can see select dishes being made in real-time.So far my favorite recipe is for the Chicken Cutlets Brasciole. The chicken breast filets are butterflied and pounded; the breasts are then stuffed with a mixture of raisins, toasted pine nuts, parsley, lemon zest, cheese, garlic and bread crumbs and is served atop a tomato, wine and tarragon sauce. Delicious!This book is full of great recipes, some of which will become regular fare at my house. Although the Look and Cook feature is not really necessary if you are an advanced cook, this book is still worth having for its creativity and ease of preparation alone. It should be a big hit with the beginning and intermediate home chef as nothing is assumed and each technique and process is both shown and explained in detail. Advanced cooks will still be inspired by Rachael's ability to simplify classic recipes and to substitute easy to find ingredients for those that have been used historically in the well-known versions.Ms. Ray has both her fans and her detractors. Some find her a little too "cutesy" with her made-up words and expressions (like EVOO for extra-virgin olive oil), but I find her somewhat unorthodox style to be refreshing (and she's not too hard on the eyes!). All in all I find this to be a very fine cookbook and one that I will be recommending to quite a few of my friends who would appreciate both the recipes and the step-by-step style of the photography and instructions. This will not become a go-to cookbook for me, but I am very glad that I own it and I will be cooking recipes from it from time to time.

A day with Ray is always fun! but if you have great recipes and easy to follow books it helps things go alot faster and easier.We bought this book for our daughter in law for christmas who LOVES Rachael Ray and I must say its one of her best cookbooks she has out there by far!~I just loved how easy she makes it to follow and the pictures make it even better. After thumbing through it before wrapping it up I have decided to get two more of them. One for myself and one for our daughter who doesnt enjoy cooking because nothing turns out for her.I think this cookbook will most definatly help her because she can follow each step and if she doesnt understand it she can look at the picture. Thanks for a great idea and a super christmas present this year!! Way to go Rachael Ray!! we enjoy all her new ideas and all the enjoyable easy 30 min. recipes!!WHAT A GOOD BUY!!!I would recommend this to anyone who has trouble cooking or is just starting to learn or it would make an awesome house warming gift!! Good Price and great seller A++++++++

For most of my life I ate from a simple very bland menue. It was not until I got married that my food world view was expanded. My wife has expanded from the 10 things I grew up eating to almost a 100 meals that I now like. However I am still very picky and there are numerous things I am not yet willing to try (I dont like seafood, things on the bone, condiments and many vegatables).So with 100 receipes we found 10 that I would try and I liked 9 of the 10 and am willing to add these to my future meals. My wife loves the cook book and has found many other recipes that she has made. The instructions are easy to follow and the pictures are very helpful to show what the final product should look like. I have always said if we can find one great meal from a cookbook it was worth the price and since we have found more than a few this book really paid for itself.

Hands down the best cookbook I have ever purchased. Alot of times these recipes sound very intimidating or you can't really visualize where she is going with it and what it will turn out like. With this cookbook every recipie has step by step pictures along with pictures of the finished product so you can tell if you are on the right track and so you can see exactly what it should look like. I wish there were more cookbooks like this out there. I am a visual person so I tend to be draw to recipies that I can see the finish product to decide if I think I will like it. I cannot visualize it by the name and the directions. I recommend this cookbook to everyone I see it is wonderful! The recipies are easy too and delicious! I have tried some things like french onion pizza that I never thought I would ever try and I found out that I like them!

I have made several recipes from Rachael Ray's Look + Cook. Some of my favorites have been the Summer Corn Fettuccine and the Steakhouse Chili. I enjoy this new style of cookbook with the pictures of the steps and the finished dish. A bonus is the other 125 plus recipes in the back of the book that don't have pictures but you can go online and cook with Rachael Ray. Who wouldn't want to cook along such a funny woman and excellent cook? I liked this book so much that i told my mother and sister-in-laws about it and the great recipes i have found in it. Not in the mood for something really heavy yummy recipes for light recipes are inside here as well as ones that are a tad on the heavier side when you decide you want to go all out. Plus it has a great new feature it tells you what the dish would be great paired with to make a complete meal. This is by far her best cookbook.

great recipes. my sister and I love using it. I have quite a few recipe books that i have collected over the years and this one is definitely one of my top ones to grab. I also love that Rachael Ray makes these recipes on her show so that you know exactly what the steps are and your able to follow along with her and the book easily. I love that the book is separated into chapters so its easier to find the type of recipe your looking for :) overall i am very happy with my purchase and will continue to purchase her line of cookware and cooking accessories.

Some good recipes and that it is a paperback.

Loved it. It’s the kind of recipes I like to cook. Lots of easy recipes.

This book has nice photos, easy to read layout, I liked the photo by photo cooking guide. My kid is kinda picky and nothing was of interest to him. I wouldn't buy this again.

Lost my original in a house fire. Glad to finally replace it!