The Best 30-Minute Recipe

I've owned this cookbook for over a month and I can't say enough good things about it. I own several ATK cookbooks, including the big Best Recipe (original and new edition), Best International Recipes, and Best Cover and Bake Recipes (the last one I also highly recommend).When you cook a recipe from these folks, you're basically guaranteed it's going to come out tasting good. But, at least with the other books, you are often committing yourself to 1.5 hours of cooking. I don't mind that every now and then when entertaining or on a weekend, but that's simply not practical for busy people, i.e. moms, workers, etc.Not so with Best 30 Min recipe. My husband works long hours in finance and I am a physician in a demanding residency program, but thanks to this cook book, I make about 3 fresh, homemade meals a week. We make it through the rest of the week thanks to yummy leftovers and eating out once or twice. On the weekend, I look through the book, pick 3 recipes, go grocery shopping for the week and then have ingredients on hand for 3 meals that really do only take 30 minutes. A few have taken a few minutes longer, but in general they actually keep to 30 minutes.As other people have mentioned, the tips on doing things faster or "best jarred tomato sauce" are very helpful. For instance, now when serving pasta, I drain the boiling water into the serving bowl and let it sit until ready to serve. So I now serve my steaming pasta in a hot piece of Polish pottery which keeps the pasta warm at the table.Here are the recipes I've tried so far and have loved:1. Skillet lasagna - the noodles are simmered in the sauce soaking up delicious tomato and sausage flavors, and my husband loved only one pan to clean!2. Baja-style Fish Tacos - with chipotle mayo - wonderful3. Beef teriyaki - I cook some brown rice the day before b/c it takes an hour, then microwave to serve with this yummy homemade sauce. Forget that nasty manufactured stuff in a bottle.4. Italian Sausage and Peppers and Hoagies - super easy, in a zesty, fresh tomato sauce5. Asparagus, Ham and Gruyere Frittata - made for breakfast for my grandma, would be wonderful for a ladies only brunch (served with the Baked French Toast from "Best Cover and Bake")6. Pasta with 20min Tomato, Vodka, Cream Sauce - go heavy on the red pepper and saute the garlic with some chopped prociutto. A very classy, but not-too-heavy meal for company with a green veggie or salad.7. Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce - so easy and yummy8. Mix and match stir fry's with several different homemade sauces9. Un-stuffed chicken breasts with Dijon, Ham, and Gruyere - like cordon bleu, but easier!Nine recipes (and counting) that I love in one cookbook; that's more than I can say for any other book on my whole shelf!Haven't loved:1. Skillet Lamb Shepherd's pie - okay, just not super flavorful.2. Seared Sea Scallops with Orzo - kind of bland, main flavoring came from capers, which it turns out I don't like. Orzo just can't substitute for risotto, which of course takes much longer than 30 min.I completely disagree with the criticism about ATK repackaging recipes and selling again. At least as far as this book is concerned. (Yes, it's true, I wouldn't recommend the Best International Recipes for that reason. The good recipes are located in the other books I own.) But the 30 min book is VERY different. Really tailored to those people who want to put a delicious, home cooked meal on the table in 30 minutes.I own a few of the Rachel Ray 30 min cookbooks. While I do like how she pairs together foods to make a meal, and uses lots of fresh vegetables, they rarely take only 30 min to prepare (hello? washing and chopping takes time!), are hit and miss on tastiness, and talk about repackaging recipes?? Sheesh. They just keep repeating.So all in all. This is best cookbook I've ever owned. I've already gifted it to my mom. We talk constantly about what we've cooked and what we like. Planning to give it to friends and sisters for every birthday/holiday until everyone has one.

I am a fan of the PBS show "America's Test Kitchen" by the team at Cook's Illustrated. I have always had good results using their recipes, but many of them are rather involved and take over an hour to get to the table. I was looking for good tasting meals I could serve in under an hour. Seeing the other reviews of "The Best 30-Minute Recipe," I decided to give it a try.Thus far I have made Asparagus, Ham, and Gruyere Frittata, 30-Minute Chicken Provencal, Chicken & Rice with Broccoli & Cheddar, Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole, and Ravioli with Butternut Squash, Almonds, and Parmesan. Every dish has been absolutely delicious and easy (in fact, the Ravioli dish was restaurant quality!). All have taken me over 30 minutes, but I am a slow cook to begin with, and I expect to improve on speed as I make the recipes multiple times. My family has loved every meal.Each recipe makes at least 4 generous servings. Directions are clear, and many techniques are illustrated. I also enjoy the background information on how a particular ingredient or method was chosen for the recipe. As you see how they have used a basic method to make variations on a particular dish (braised chicken, for example), it helps you to see how you might create your very own version of a dish by varying some of the ingredients.This cookbook is appropriate for advanced beginners through experienced cooks. It would be a PERFECT wedding gift!I would have liked nutrition information for each recipe, as well as more photographs of each category of dish (perhaps at the beginning of each section). Another improvement would be to format the book so that the ingredient list is on the same page--or 2-page spread--as the preparation instructions (in some cases the instructions are on the back of the page with the ingredient list, which leads to awkward flipping back and forth, further increasing my cooking time).I have a lot of cookbooks, and I enjoy cooking, but most nights I want something fairly quick and easy. I never thought there would be a way to combine great flavor with quicker, easier preparation, but "The Best 30-Minute Recipe" has done it! This is now my favorite cookbook, and I am excited to try each new recipe. And I'm not the only one--when I tell my husband what is for dinner he now asks, hopefully, "Is it a 30-Minute recipe?"

This is a great book for those who care about eating decent meals but don’t have the time to cook for hours (aka, everyone who actually works for a living). Book was delivered today, and on a whim I opened a random page and chose a recipe. Turned out to be pg. 173, so I made “Pasta with Shrimp, Tarragon, and Cream.” Luckily for me, the grocery store had jumbo shrimp on sale, so it was economical, too. The recipe was clear, easy to perform, and the taste was excellent. I paired it with a Caesar salad kit (sorry, not sorry). I would have had to pay a lot for this meal in my fave Italian restaurant, but it was quick and easy at home. Honestly, I would have given the book five stars, but I do love good recipe photos, which this book skimps on. Still, I bought it in “used, very good” condition for just over $10, so I can’t complain. This is a terrific book to add to your weeknight dinner repertoire. Money well spent.

Great ideas in this book. Require a bit of changing habits, but useful and a good read.

I was very pleased with the new best recipe cookbook so I felt confident buying other books from Cooks Illustrated online.I think the cooking instruction given in this book to cook your meat in the microwave says it all.None of the recipes are particularly appealing. What a bad buy.

Ho scoperto la rivista di cucina e gastronomia Cook's Illustrated in America e subito ne sono stata conquistata. Questo libro non tradisce le mie aspettative. Le ricette sono chiare, abbastanza semplici anche per chi come me non è una cuoca provetta e ricchi di consigli. L'unico problema sono le dosi, in tazze e cucchiai, ma ormai si trovano misuratori americani con una certa facilità

Ce livre, avec sa version de plus de 30 minutes (The New Best Recipe) sont mes bibles de la cuisine. Dedans, on y trouve non seulement des recettes simplifiées, mais aussi de nombreuses explications sur des opérations basiques en cuisine, des choses "qu'on n'ose pas demander". Pour un débutant c'est l'aubaine! Aussi, le cheminement qui a amené les auteurs a telle ou telle recette est expliqué comme une histoire ("Nous avons essayé avec moins de farine, ça faisait ça, puis avec plus de farine, ça faisait ça, donc avec tant de farine c'est mieux"). J'aime beaucoup les lire, on y apprend beaucoup de petites choses qui nous servent ensuite lorsqu'on cuisine "au feeling".

A+