30 Minute Meals

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30 Minute Meals

Genre	Cooking
Creator(s)	Mark Dissin
Starring	Rachael Ray
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	445, as of March 06, 2006
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Food Network

30 Minute Meals is a Food Network show hosted by Rachael Ray. Her first of four shows on Food Network debuted in the fall of 2001.

At the beginning of each episode, Ray opens with the following greeting to her viewers: "I'm Rachael Ray, and I make thirty minute meals. Now that means, in the time it takes you to watch this program, I'll have made a delicious and healthy meal from start to finish." The series usually lives up to that promise, as Ray pulls ingredients out of the refrigerator and pantry, and gets them on the stove and eventually onto plates in under her 30 minute time limit. The series focuses on preparing fast, healthy foods at home while minimizing time spent in the kitchen for home viewers. Ray will often prepare a salad or use various greens and vegetables to complement her dishes.

One of Ray's trademarks is her tendency to reinvent classic dishes. To date, she has shown her versions of Clam chowder, Macaroni and cheese, Meatloaf, Chicken a la King, and various other comfort foods and traditionally slow cooked recipes. She often includes tips and tricks to speed the cooking process, as well as ways to add more flavor by emphasizing the use of fresh herbs, chicken and beef stocks. Garlic is also a regular staple in her recipes.

The series has also led to a group of cookbooks. The original 30 Minute Meals: Comfort Foods book was widely successful, and has since led to 30 Minute Meals: Veggie Meals, 30 Minute Meals (1), 30 Minute Meals 2, 30 Minute Meals: Cooking Around the Clock, 30 Minute Meals: Get Togethers, and the newest: 30 Minute Meals: 365, A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners. As of February 2006, there were also three mini-30 Minute Meals cookbooks, Cooking Rocks!: 30 Minute Meals for Kids!, and two additional cookbooks on the way.

Ray used a santoku knife during the early days of the series and popularized its use among at-home cooks. Currently, she uses a Furi Gusto Grip knife that Ray self-designed. The popular oval pan that Ray uses is manufactured by the Analon Company.

To the disappointment of some, the brands of food that Rachael uses during her show are not real brands. They are not allowed to use a logo, so a graphic designer designs labels for the foods.

The show also boasts a running joke of sorts in that Ray will often carry a large number of items to her cooking space in order to save time on trips back and forth. Whenever she does this she often comments about how her mother is probably watching and wondering why she just doesn't make two trips.

"30-Minute Meals" was awarded an Emmy for Best Daytime Service Show in 2006.

[edit] Catchphrases

On 30 Minute Meals, she has several catchphrases, including:

"E-V-O-O" (extra virgin olive oil)
"How good is that?"
"Oh My Gravy!"
"Yum-O"
"Insanely Good!"
Her closing line is: "Remember, a great meal is never more than 30 minutes away, enjoy."
"De-lish"
"Figure-friendly"
"Spoonula"
"Screamin' Hot"
"Good to go"
"Sammie"(sandwich)
"Stoup"(A soup/stew hybrid, thicker than soup, but thinner than stew)
"Shimmy-Shake"
"Juzsh"(A euphemism for stir)
"S 'n P"(Salt and Pepper)