Comments for Charlotte's Kitchen

Comment on Rachael Ray Hard Anodized Nonstick 5-Quart Oval Saute Pan with Glass Lid, Orange by leenbean "leenbean"

leenbean "leenbean" — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:34:39 +0000

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

I like this pan, October 21, 2007

leenbean "leenbean" (Waupaca, WI United States) -

This review is from: Rachael Ray Hard Anodized Nonstick 5-Quart Oval Saute Pan with Glass Lid, Orange (Kitchen)

I like this pan a lot. I didn't realize how long this pan was and was a bit concerned about using it on my conventional size stove, but I have to say this pan is great! Fries really well and clean up is a breeze. I am very picky about my cooking pieces and would recommend this to anyone. Storage takes a bit getting used to, but it is looks nice enough to live on the stove top.

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Comment on Rachael Ray Hard Anodized Nonstick 5-Quart Oval Saute Pan with Glass Lid, Orange by Jethro

Jethro — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:14:47 +0000

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

Good Quality, Poor Design, Mediocre Performance, February 9, 2009

Jethro (Oregon) -

This review is from: Rachael Ray Hard Anodized Nonstick 5-Quart Oval Saute Pan with Glass Lid, Orange (Kitchen)

The overall quality and performance of this pan is actually pretty good, as long as you don't try to use the parts of the cooking area that are hanging over the edge of the burner.

The design of this pan is flawed from the start -- the oval shape makes for extremely uneven heat distribution, which makes for some rather large cold spots at the outer reaches of the pan. With a round pan, all of the edges are an equal distance away from the edge of the burner. With this pan, the narrow part hangs 1/2" over the burner on each side, while the long section of the oval hangs a full 3.5" over on each side. Very poor design.

I also find this pan to be excessively l-o-n-g... whatever area the marketers claim is saved on the stove top from the narrow design is quickly eaten up by the added length. In reality, this pan offers no advantages over a 9" round pan -- unless you consider having a 'warming section' in your saute pan to be an advantage.

I bought this pan only because my wife wanted it for Christmas (a year ago). It is the last oval pan I will ever purchase.

Edit: After using this pan for almost two years, I have upped my rating to 3 stars, mainly because I am impressed with the build quality. The non-stock coating is still completely intact -- something I was pleasantly surprised with considering the way my Cuisinart Anodized non-stick pan surfaces degraded in a similar time-frame. I would rate the build quality of the Rachel Ray pan very close to that of the Emerilware pan that I own (which is made by All-Clad). I still think the oval shape is a poor design, but I am very pleased with performance if I don't try to use the outer edges.

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Comment on Rachael Ray Hard Anodized Nonstick 5-Quart Oval Saute Pan with Glass Lid, Orange by E. Hornaday

E. Hornaday — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:25:43 +0000

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

Great for Folks With Disabilities, December 2, 2007

E. Hornaday (Lawrenceville, NJ United States) -

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This review is from: Rachael Ray Hard Anodized Nonstick 5-Quart Oval Saute Pan with Glass Lid, Orange (Kitchen)

I have Lupus, and suffer from the growing loss of mobility in all of my limbs. I love to cook, but have struggled to continue using my expensive cookware because it is now too heavy for me to safely manage.

I have agonized over this development and had feared that I would be forced to replace my cookware with really thin (light and cheap) aluminum pots and pans. If so, I knew I would be giving up a lot of cooking flexibility and the quality I had learned to rely on and love.

At least, I thought that until Rachael Ray put out her imaginative cooking line! Not only does this five-quart oval saute cook like a dream, it weighs about half of what my other cookware does, has that great helper handle to lift it and serve the contents, and cleans easier than ANY pan that I own at any price.

As a result, I can continue to do what I love -- cooking -- despite my illness! When you're disabled, you have to give up a lot of things that had been meaningful in your life, not to mention independence. I applaud ANY product that is disabled-compatible.

In reading the reviews for this great pan, I hadn't noticed anyone raving about its weight. For folks like me, that's a really huge deal.

Thanks, Rach!

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Comment on 30-Minute Meals by JLind555

JLind555 — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:53:30 +0000

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

Rattle them pots and pans, May 1, 2004

JLind555 -

This review is from: 30-Minute Meals (Paperback)

If you're tired of heating up leftover leftovers but aren't quite up to cordon bleu, Rachael Ray's "30-minute meals", derived from her hit show on the Food Channel, offers up all kinds of yummy possibilities. Ray is fun to watch on her show; she's perky and down-to-earth and doesn't make cooking seem like some kind of exalted rite that intimidates beginners who haven't progressed beyond Boiling Water 101. Her bouncy exuberance comes across in her book and makes it enjoyable to read. I especially like the way her book is organized; there are special sections on Top Ten Meals With Fewer Than Ten Ingredients, Top Ten All-Time Favorites from her TV show, 30-minute pastas, salads and veggies, make your own take-out (pizza, sandwiches and Tex-Mex), burger recipes, Asian flavor, comfort food, and her own family favorites.

Can all of these meals actually be made in 30 minutes? Well, unless you're as well-organized as Ray on her show with everything right at hand, slicing and dicing up a storm, probably not; but none of them should take more than 45 minutes and some of them really can be made from start to finish in half an hour. Her book is pretty heavy on pastas, which are typically quick to prepare, and if the Asian isn't 100% authentic, it's still fun to make and delicious to eat. Ray's instructions are simple and direct, easy for anyone to follow. What's more, none of the meals are difficult to prepare and all of them emphasize healthy eating. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys good eats without all the hassles that go into preparing them. Grab it and hit the kitchen.

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Comment on 30-Minute Meals by VIRGINIA J. LAVISH

VIRGINIA J. LAVISH — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:10:34 +0000

89 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

RACHEL RAY 30 MINUTE MEALS, April 6, 2000

VIRGINIA J. LAVISH (Clifton Park, New York) -

This review is from: 30-Minute Meals (Paperback)

I have purchased hundreds of cookbooks in the 37 years I've been married and am really delighted with Rachel Ray's collection of recipes in her first book. I have personally utilized many of her recipes. Two of my favorites are Gran'pa Emmanuel's Pasta Concotions and Mini Turkey Patties with Cranberry Sauce. Her recipes are easy to follow, simple to make, and truly take thirty minutes, which fits in MY lifestyle for sure. I have purchased this book, not only for myself, but have given it as gifts to my friends and family. I am delighted that she has a SECOND book out, Rachel Ray's Open House Cookbook, which I have also purchased for myself and as gifts to others. Anyone that truly leads a busy life, (and that's most of us! ) will find her cookbook a welcome addtion to their kitchen as I have. Can't wait for her THIRD book to be published. I will be the first on line.

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Comment on 30-Minute Meals by B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold"

B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 17:23:02 +0000

188 of 195 people found the following review helpful:

Enjoy Cooking and Family in Busy Households, December 2, 2003

B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) -

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This review is from: 30-Minute Meals (Paperback)

Rachael Ray shows us how to make healthy dishes from basic, fresh ingredients in, ideally, 30 minutes or less. Unlike her later 30 minute meal books, this first in the series does not group two or more dishes into meals which can take less than a half an hour to prepare. This is largely because the book was written before Rachael showed up on the Food Network show of the same name, which introduced the 3 course meal format. In spite of this timing, almost all of the dishes in this book have shown up on early seasons of Rachael's show.

In many ways, the grouping of dishes by type rather than by meal is an advantage, making it easier to match up different pasta and salad courses on different days. The drawback is that you have no hints on how to coordinate your time in preparing the three dishes at one time, although this is not exactly rocket science.

The main chapter headings / dish types are:

Pastas 29 dishes
Salads 28 dishes, some suitable as main course salads
Take out lookalike 39 dishes, primarily burgers, sandwiches, pizza, Tex-Mex, and Asian lookalikes
Comfort Foods 34 dishes such as chilis, sauces, soups, and casseroles
Full meals 5 menus for small party (8 to 12) quick cooking
Meatballs 5 recipes

I believe it is an important symptom of one of Rachael's main objectives that many of her dishes are named after family members. She presents the great Italian love of food and family together when you don't have Nona and three aunts at home all day to do all the prep work and braising.

One recent book on cooking traditional recipes slowly to recapture both the joy and flavors of this cooking makes the suggestion that Rachael's style of cooking is too hectic and has too little flavor. While the first has an element of truth, I say it does not remove the `Joy of Cooking'. It actually rescues it from the drive in take out window. On the latter point, this author if plainly wrong. I compared Rachael's Caesar Salad to a recipe from Martha Stewart and Rachael's was superior in taste, as Miss Martha really overloaded her dish with raw garlic.

It is very fortunate that the cuisine on which Ms. Ray's food is largely Italian, as the Italian cuisine has spent centuries perfecting the concentration of flavor in foods such as balsamic vinegar, cheeses, hams, and tomato concentrates, all of which are available in first class products at the local American supermarket.
The only drawback to using these products and prepackaged meats and vegetables is that you may be paying more for the same meal than if slower, prep intensive recipes were used. For thirty-something parents who are in the early middle of their career, this cost is probably inconsequential when compared to the benefits. It is certainly both economically and nutritionally inconsequential when compared to the fast food fare.

I have a lot of respect of Rachael's not overloading the book with suggestions for the pantry. Stocking up a pantry without specific recipes is a waste of time and money. I also strongly suggest the reader play close attention to the tips on knife use. Very important.

I'm afraid Rachal's recommendations on equipment are not helpful. One look at her Food Network show and you may see a Dutch oven, two large saute pans, a grill pan, and a blender in action at one time. Don't scrimp on the pots and pans. Do what Rachael does, not what she says in this department. I will give her credit for getting by with just one very good knife.

Rachael is not Mario or Martha or Emeril. She is teaching you how to do it fast, without loosing the fun and the flavor. As always, the price of the book is very right. Enjoy yourself!

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Comment on Rachael Ray Tools 3-in-1 Vegetable Peeler/Brush “Veg-A-Peel”, Orange Reviews by Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:08:49 +0000

Nice peeler for those who suffer with carpel tunnel or arthritis, January 3, 2011

Shana "That's my opinion- I could be wrong!" (Northern NY) -

This review is from: Rachael Ray Tools 3-in-1 Vegetable Peeler/Brush "Veg-A-Peel", Orange (Kitchen)

What I love about this peeler/brush is that the larger handle is wonderfully easy to handle. I've recently been suffering with severe carpel tunnel & arthritis in my right hand and it has been hard to find kitchen tools whose handles manuver easily and that won't cause pain with extended use. This peeler works very well in that regard. It doesn't take much pressure at all to peel potatoes, apples or carrots. This peels potatoes really nicely the blade is very sharp & moves smoothly and you can peel potatoes/apples without losing half of them with the peeling.

The brush is large, has nice stiff bristles and cleans even the dirtiest of veggies very nicely.

The only thing I didn't like on this peeler is the potato eye remover tip. The tip is large and plastic so if you are peeling a smaller potato with smaller eyes you really can't remove the complete eye. I still have to use a small paring knife to get the eyes completely out of potatoes. I wish this had a sharper metal tip so you wouldn't have to have another utensil to finish up your peeling.

Overall, I'd rate this a 4.5. I would recommend this to people who have problems handling the smaller handled peelers. The only drawback is the tip for removing the eyes, but I'd definitely purchase this again.

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Comment on Rachael Ray Tools 3-in-1 Vegetable Peeler/Brush “Veg-A-Peel”, Orange Reviews by V. Older

V. Older — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:13:38 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

It works!, March 19, 2010

V. Older (SAN JOSE, CA, US) -

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This review is from: Rachael Ray Tools 3-in-1 Vegetable Peeler/Brush "Veg-A-Peel", Orange (Kitchen)

Nice sharp peeler and very comfortable in the hand. I like that the handle is a little bigger so it's easier for me to use. I'm gettin' up there in age and every little bit helps. Easy to clean. Does the job. And of course it's easy to find because it's a very bright orange.

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Comment on Rachael Ray Tools 3-in-1 Vegetable Peeler/Brush “Veg-A-Peel”, Orange Reviews by Stephanie Smith "love to shop!"

Stephanie Smith "love to shop!" — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:52:44 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

who would think i'd like a fancy peeler?, March 22, 2010

Stephanie Smith "love to shop!" (Omaha, NE United States) -

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This review is from: Rachael Ray Tools 3-in-1 Vegetable Peeler/Brush "Veg-A-Peel", Orange (Kitchen)

I grew up using the (you will cut yourself) swivel peeler. This is oh so much better! It swivels slightly & the tip for removing potato eyes is plastic, so you won't cut yourself if trying to use it to peel jicama. I know most people would use a paring knife for that, but I have poor knife skills. On hard things like jicama, I can hold the tip for leverage. Awesome peeler!

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Comment on America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking Reviews by T. Alexander

T. Alexander — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:40:10 +0000

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

Great for the novice cook or all around foodie!, April 6, 2010

T. Alexander (Pasadena, CA USA) -

Fun:

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This review is from: America's Test Kitchen: Let's Get Cooking (Video Game)

About a year or so back I bought Personal trainer. Its an electronic cookbook for the dslite. I was amazed by all the dishes in it and with all of its features I was able to make so very memorable dinners.

Now comes America's Test Kitchen: Let's get cooking. One of the complaints I read in reviews was how Personal Trainer had many foreign dishes. (Nothing wrong with that in my opinion.) This sequel responses by giving us some of the most common American recipes. All of the original features are here that made the first book so good. Now with new features like a calender that lets you add birthdays and special events. And reminds you upon turning on the the DSi how many days to the event. You can exclude ingredients for food allergies, Assign task for family members, send some of the recipes to other DSi. Review your dishes, place notes, mark on the calender what you've done or tell it to place recipes that your interested in doing in your try it folder. Set a date or just mark it as soon. and video clips show you step by step how to do the more dificult task.

My only complaint is that they removed the serving program. It was on Personal trainer and allowed you to reduce or increase the number of servings and it calculated the change in measurements based on those changes. My only guess is that with all they added they had to sacrifice that option. I miss it but not enough to reduce my rating.

This program is great for the bachelor, college student on their own or for parents to give their children to teach self reliance with learning how to cook a meal. With supervision of course. a great gift for any of those reason or if you just want to buy a cook book.

This is a great idea. I hope that famous chefs decide to produce a DSi version of their cook books. Bobby flay, Emeril, or Rachel Ray would be great for this format.

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