This document compares the cooking shows 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray and Jamie's 30 Minute Meals. While both aim to create meals in 30 minutes, Rachael Ray focuses on comfort foods using pantry items and chicken stock, while Jamie Oliver prepares three-course meals using fresh ingredients and appliances. The document also summarizes the personalities and appeal of each host along with the sets and styles of their shows. It then discusses a test where the author tried to prepare dishes from each show, finding Rachael Ray's recipe took over an hour while Jamie Oliver's took 50 minutes due to limitations of appliances.

1. The purpose of this project was to compare and analyse each aspect of two popular
cooking shows that attempt to show viewers how to cook a meal in thirty minutes or less. The
American show, 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray, has been on the air for at least 10 years, and
has gained quite a reputation and a large following. Rachael Ray creates simple meals that are
akin to comfort food. In contrast, the British show entitled, Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals, is quite
new, yet the chef, Jamie Oliver, has quickly gained popularity for his work. Unlike Rachael Ray,
Oliver works quickly to create a full three-course meal that is fresh and healthier.
The opening title sequence to each show is quite indicative of its host’s individual
personality and cooking style. The main colours used in Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals are variants of
blue; furthermore, the title utilizes blocks to display several different scenes at once, of Jamie
Oliver cooking speedily, a countdown timer, as well as other fast-paced scenes, such as streets
and pavements bustling with cars and people. Similarly, the introductory music is upbeat and
quick tempoed—quite in keeping with the images in the title sequence. This fast-paced
introduction is indicative of Oliver’s personal cooking style, which is often a “race against the
clock” to finish a full three-course meal in under thirty minutes. In contrast, the title sequence for
30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray displays bright, vibrant colours like orange and blue, and the
music is very upbeat and fun. Rather than providing image that convey what the show is about,
Ray instead interacts with each word in the title. She is shown stepping off the ‘0’ in “30”;
picking up the ‘M’ in “Minute”; and sitting on top of the ‘L’ in “Meals.” Furthermore, Ray is
depicted sitting on a couch playing with her pet dog in the foreground before spinning a clock
around to display the full title: 30 Minute Meals. The relaxed, yet cheeky introduction ties
greatly into the atmosphere of Ray’s show, which is quite laid back, as well as the meals she
makes, which are family-oriented comfort foods.

2. The set of each show is quite different from the other, and as a result, has a greater effect
on each of their respective audiences. Jamie Oliver’s show is filmed in the kitchen of his own
home, and therefore, has a much greater appeal to his viewers because it has a much more
personal feel than a show that is filmed on a set. Furthermore, his kitchen is illuminated by
natural sunlight streaming through windows. Decorative plates and photos adorn the shelves on
the wall, and viewers can often see the pictures on the refrigerator that Oliver’s children have
drawn . All crockery, appliances, and ingredients are set up in a very easy-to-grab manner—
there is no searching for items in Jamie’s kitchen, nor does he bring pots and pans out from a
hidden shelf or cupboard. Furbishing the left side of the kitchen is a dinner table, which Jamie
Oliver uses to display his meals as he finishes cooking each course. A timer is displayed
throughout each episode to show what has been completed in what amount of time. Furthermore,
the show utilizes different camera angles—viewers can see close ups of the food that is cooking
in pans, being chopped up in the food processor, or being placed in the oven. Overall, Jamie
Oliver’s kitchen is extremely ideal to the modern viewer. It does not charm his audience merely
by its aesthetics, but by its appeal to the family life. His kitchen gives viewers a sense of reality
and desire for the type of lifestyle that it represents.
Rachael Ray, on the other hand, utilizes vivid and lively colours on her show, which is
filmed on a set. Though the set has gradually changed over the years of filming, its core colours
remain the same. Whether tiles or paint, the background colours always remain green, often with
a touch of red and yellow. While the stovetop Ray uses is quite modern, her other appliances,
such as her yellow oven and refrigerator, exude a unique vintage feel and 1950’s style
appearance. As a result the set of her kitchen gives viewers a sense of nostalgia. In the article
entitled, “The Essence****” Cheri Ketchum says, “The vibrant colors…***” Furthermore,

3. Rachael Ray uses a lot of her own, name-brand crockery and products, which are sold on the
Food Network website. Though she promotes her own products on the show, Ray does not
promote food brands or stores. Instead, the labels and boxes of such things as chicken stock and
pasta are replaced with more generic images. The show also provides viewers with extra tips and
ideas in a bubble that is displayed on the bottom left of the screen. These tips usually include
such sayings as, “An assembly line saves time,” or “Save asparagus trimmings for a great soup!”
*Needs closing*
Both Jamie Oliver and Rachael Ray have very distinctive personalities which serve well
in attracting certain viewers to their shows. Oliver draws in his viewers by his down-to-earth
attitude, as well as his general attitude towards cooking. He informs his audience that “if you do
what [he] says and do what [he] does” it is possible to create a wonderful looking and great
tasting meal using fresh foods in 30 minutes or less. Though his cooking is essentially what
Oliver calls a “race against the clock,” he remains calm and efficient throughout each episode,
which further imparts the belief that it is very much possible to make a delicious family meal
within a 30 minute timeframe. Because the chef dresses very casually, often in plaid shirts and
jeans, or khaki’s and button down tops, viewers see him as an equal, rather than a highly paid
chef who knows everything there is to know about food. Similarly, Jamie Oliver’s speech
includes common everyday words and phrases, as opposed to complicated cooking terms. He
tells viewers to put their stovetops on “full wack,” and to “dump” food into the pans. He often
describes food as “beautiful” and uses his hands quite a bit when discussing or describing the
flavors of food and their cooking process. Overall, Oliver’s show is attractive to viewers because
of his “ordinary man” persona, and the way in which he makes the cooking process seem very
simple—for example, in the way he cuts down the preparation work by using a food processor or

4. microwave. Jamie Oliver’s show appeals to both men and women; therefore, his target audience
are people who enjoy good food, but do not want to, nor do they have the time to, spend all day
cooking. Moreover, Oliver expects his audience to have certain kitchen essentials that will help
the cooking process along. After watching the ease with which he cooks, most viewers are very
likely to think “that looks simple enough—I could do that!” and be much more interested in
cooking.
Similarly, Rachael Ray attracts viewers by her enthusiastic approach to cooking. While
she discusses her process while making each meal, Ray also speaks to her viewers on a much
more personal level, as though she and her audience are old friends sharing secrets and
memories. This intimate disposition is quite appealing since it makes viewers feel as though they
know the host in a special way. Unlike Jamie Oliver’s marathonian manner of cooking, Rachael
Ray seems to take her time while cooking, giving a very relaxed appearance to her cooking
methods. Similarly, Ray’s dress is often very relaxed as well. She almost always wears jeans
paired with a nice blouse, and minimal makeup. While she is quite like Jamie Oliver in that she
uses everyday language, Rachael Ray is very well known in America for her creation of certain
words and abbreviations. She has coined the term “GB,” which means “Garbage Bowl” ; the
term “stoup”—a dish that is thicker than soup, but thinner than stew; and the exclamation “Yum-
O!” Rachael Ray’s most popular term, however, is “EVOO,” which stands for “Extra Virgin
Olive Oil.” The abbreviation is so popular, in fact, that in 2007 it was added to the Oxford
American Dictionary. ***website citation**
Overall, Ray’s television persona appeals greatly to women, especially mothers and
wives who feel that they are unable to find the time to make a delicious meal for their family. 30
Minute Meals with Rachael Ray provides its target audience with a sense of relief and comfort.

5. Her show imparts the sense that after a long and grueling day, with a little bit of work, it is
possible to make a quick meal that a family will love, without feeling any pressure or having to
resort to pre-prepared or frozen meals. The show seems to be generally aimed towards women,
as well as people who enjoy cooking but are inexperienced, and those who enjoy simple and
delicious comfort food.
Though the initial, basic ideas behind both 30 Minute Meals shows are quite similar, the
dishes that both chefs offer are vastly different. Jamie Oliver offers a full three-course meal in
every episode—the type of meal that one might expect when eating at a restaurant. In order to
cook each meal quickly in the time frame allotted, he utilizes appliances that further the process
along—for example, rather than wasting time chopping and dicing vegetables or mixing certain
things like flour and water by hand to make dough, Oliver puts the ingredients in a food
processer to save time. Furthermore, he is a strong believer in fresh, quality ingredients. Oliver
uses herbs that he has grown, and often tells viewers to invest in good quality meats or other
ingredients when a recipe calls for it. Most of the ingredients that he uses that are tinned or
prepackaged are often things that would take hours to make, like pastries or pasta sauce.
However, rather than buying ready-made pasta sauces. He shows viewers how to easily make a
quick substitute from tinned tomatoes, seasonings, and other simple ingredients.
Rachael Ray, on the other hand, does not offer full three-course meals. Most often, she
makes an entrée and appetizer, or entrée and dessert. Much of the food preparation is done by
hand rather than using blenders or processers. Furthermore, she relies upon chicken stock quite a
bit for flavouring, whereas Jamie Oliver uses fresh herbs and vegetables. While Oliver seems to
offer classier meals, Rachael Ray is more likely to offer new twists on family favorites, such as
macaroni and cheese, pastas, or casseroles.

6. In an attempt to discover if Rachael Ray and Jamie Oliver’s recipes do, in fact, yield
meals in 30 minutes or less, I chose two similar meals: Jamie Oliver’s dish entitled, “Pregnant
Jools’ Pasta with Chicory Salad and Frangipane Tarts,” and Rachael Ray’s “Mushroom Crostini
and Chicken Ragu.” The first meal I made was Ray’s, which overall was relatively simple. The
recipe claims that the total cooking time is 24 minutes, though it took me a little over an hour to
cook everything. It took quite some time to prepare the vegetables and meat for cooking—about
30 minutes overall. It was somewhat painstaking to dice my pancetta and chicken, as well as to
cut up the onion and grate my carrots. Rather than waiting until close to the end of cooking the
ragu sauce to make the pasta, the recipe says to begin boiling the water and pasta before
beginning anything else. Therefore, my pasta was ready before the sauce, since it took some time
to brown the pancetta and chicken. The other dish, the mushroom crostini took no time at all to
make, though it took several minutes to wash and cut up my mushrooms. Overall, my appetizer
turned out very tasty., and was quite enjoyable. The chicken ragu did not have much flavor, and
did not seem worth the extra effort it took to prepare.
Jamie Oliver’s sausage ragu, salad, and dessert seemed quite simple to make. Though it
required a much faster pace and level head to finish quickly, I found myself looking forward to
the end result. While I did everything Oliver said to do before cooking and preparing the
vegetables (e.g. getting all pots and pans, appliances, utensils, and ingredients out, turning the
stovetop on to heat pans, etc), it still took me about 50 minutes overall to complete. The biggest
issue for me was the size of my food processer. Since it was on the smaller side—a size better
suited for individuals or couples, rather than a group of four to six—I was unable to fit all of the
vegetables in at once. As a result, I had to put small handfuls of onions, celery, and carrots into
my processer at a time, and remove some every few minutes to make room for more vegetables.

7. Likewise, I had to cut my sausages up in order to fit them all in. Because of these unwarranted
difficulties, it took me about 15 to 20 minutes to prepare the initial mixture for my ragu. Once
everything was in the pan, and my pasta was boiling it was smooth sailing. The tarts were quite
simple—requiring only that I make the topping and drop small spoonfuls of frangipane and jam
into my pastries before popping the tray into the oven to bake. Similarly, the salad took the less
amount of time, since I merely had to chop up the chicory and throw it into a bowl with my
watercress and rocket. I am positive that had I been able to use appliances similar to those that
Jamie uses on his show, like his big food processor and garlic press, that my meal would have
been completed much more efficiently and on time.