[.ca] Kid Food: Rachael Ray's Top 30 30-Minute Meals (ISBN 1891105221)

Upgraded Kid Food for Adults Who Want Zest and Beautiful Appearance in a Portable Edition:
How many Rachel Ray cookbooks do you own? That's an important question when considering this book because you may already have some of these recipes in other cookbooks (such as Rachel Ray: 365) by this delightfully speedy provider of zesty dishes. Here's another question: How much "fixing up" will your kids tolerate? My four were always on the conservative side. Here's an example. Our oldest would go into a restaurant and order a grilled cheese sandwich as follows (and this was before he ever saw Jack Nicholson's famous scene in Five Easy Pieces): "Here's how to prepare my grilled cheese sandwich. Put American cheese slices on plain white bread. Do not toast or grill the bread. Do not add tomatoes, ham, or anything else. Put a small container of mayonnaise on the side, but not touching the bread." Almost all of these dishes are too adventuresome for what our kids would have tolerated with a few exceptions: cheesy popcorn, chicken cutlets, chicken and stars soup, chicken and dumplings, stuffed potatoes, and fettuccini all'Alfredo. So if your kids groove on Kraft macaroni and cheese and see vegetables as evil, they may not be ready for these dishes, However, if you enjoy kid favorites . . . and would like a more adult version, you'll be pleased very much by this book and its recipes. The ingredients are well chosen, and the herb and spice selections are inspired. Consider the quesadilla recipe. Most people put in some American cheese, diced chicken, and perhaps some cut up tomato bits. Ms. Ray adds a little finely chopped onion, a palmful of chopped cilantro leaves, a Serrano pepper, coarse salt, a half pound of chorizo (smoked sausage from Spain or Mexico), a touch of barbecue sauce and a blend of Mexican cheeses. As you can see, that's a novel and interesting dish. Not all the dishes are upgraded as much, but there's always at least a little element of sophistication added in time-efficient ways. Be aware that this book has only 30 recipes in it (along with some side dishes). But it's quite compact. You could easily fit it into a purse or pocket to take along to cook at an event where you've been asked to prepare food away from home . . . or when you are on your summer vacation if you prepare meals sometimes. One of the beauties of this little gem can be found in the close-up photographs of the dishes. With these visual images to stimulate you, the food presentation will undoubtedly be improved. It just made my mouth water to look at these luscious images. Dig in!