As already mentioned, I am on a quest for Mother's Day food ideas this week and came across this recipe for a Limoncello Dessert via Rachael Ray. Though it sounds interesting, I was immediately disappointed to find out that there is nothing about the actual preparation that requires any form of culinary skill, and the ingredients are all items that come fully prepared. When it comes to making this dessert, the terms pouring, scooping, and arranging may apply, but definitely not cooking or baking. I honestly believe this is the epitome of why some people dislike Rachael Ray.
But conversely, this is also why some people love her. She (re)creates familiar items that (for the most part) sound relatively good, look relatively good, and taste relatively good. They are excessively easy to prepare, require very little to no culinary skill whatsoever, and result in a home-cooked meal or dish which is done in a short amount of time.
So, the debate continues. Is it better to have a television personality that teaches the masses that there are easy ways to prepare dinners, or should cooking shows simply be a showcase of taking the gastronomic arts to the next level?
Personally, I would think that a Mother's Day dessert should require a little more effort than simply scooping out some ice cream and drizzling it with Limoncello, but maybe that is just me. I do have to say though, if this is really all someone is capable of preparing - due to skill, time, or other reasons, is it really such a bad thing that the (admittedly quite lovely) little dessert wasn't really made from scratch?
(image: FoodNetwork.com)
5-22-2008 @6:39PM lexi said... Donna if u hate r.ray because she smiles to much then honey you are missing a really good man in your life! She is happy doing what she enjoys and makes Alot of money too. So its really sad to see people like u who have really sad lives (i say this because u must be in a mess if u will hate someone because they are happy)take time out to actually look at her show simply to hate on her. If u hate her so much then dont watch her show! It's simple.But then again some people need to bring down others to feel good about themselves.Thats just the way the world is.
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7-11-2008 @3:25PM lisa said... hate rr, she gross to look at and listen too, plus no talent. This goes to show you the junk on tv.
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1-30-2010 @11:18AM Buck Naked said... Get her out of the kitchen I cant stand her,,,, yet I cannot help but think of her in the boudoir.
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5-08-2007 @4:44PM Cigarlady said... This is why I like Nigella better, she makes food that is quick but still real food, not a bunch of boxed/jarred stuff. There's lots of quick things to cook and some short cuts are alright like ice cream with a homemade sauce or bagged lettuce. Rachel and Sandra Lee go so overboard and it's mediocre food. Teach quick meals and then people need to make it more than once. If you know a recipe by heart it goes a lot quicker.
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5-08-2007 @5:01PM lindseyQuinn said... This is such a trolling post. ...
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5-09-2007 @10:53AM Sarah said... RR herself admits she is not a baker, so I think everyone would agree her desserts are not her strong suit.
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5-08-2007 @5:13PM wintem01 said... My problem with many of the quick and easy chefs is that they expect everyone to keep all these "everyday" items (like saffron, pickled okra, caviar, baby artichokes, etc. Please.)on hand or to have a staff that loads their pantry with all the ingredients. Rachel is still more everyday-ish than a chef like Emeril. To me, each has their part to play, one easy and one more gourmet/skilled. I like to cook, but sometimes I love a really good 5 ingredient recipe, too.
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5-08-2007 @5:39PM Dan said... It's ok to make dessert from store-bought ready-to-eat ingredients, even more so if the rest of the meal was a lot of effort.
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5-08-2007 @5:23PM Quine said... Whether or not a Mother's Day dessert (gift, meal, etc.) is vastly complex to make requiring great skills and preparation and/or made from scratch matters not if the item is not made from the heart.
And I think, this is one reason why Rachel Ray "works" for many people. No matter what, she always seems to find a sense of fun, wonder and Oh Yeah, yummo enthusiasm in her food constructing. Bam.
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5-08-2007 @5:35PM twhayde said... A perfect Mothers Day present that almost any child can do, and proudly say to their Mother that they made it for them.
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5-09-2007 @10:05AM Donna said... What Lindsey said...definitely a trolling post.
Having said that, let me be the first to add that Rachel Ray's choice of ingredients isn't why I hate her. I hate her because she smiles too much.
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5-08-2007 @5:51PM John said... We all know that 90% of restaurants don't make their own desserts; specialty houses prepare them and deliver the products every day. Very few restaurants make the extra effort of having a full-time pastry chef with his own set-apart kitchen area. So Rachel is not doing anything unusual.
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5-08-2007 @6:08PM thefishie said... I think both the store-bought ingredients and from scratch versions are ok. It depends on your needs at the time. There's been a few times recipes from The Cake Mix Doctor have bailed me out of a last minute pinch, and times where I prefer to skip the mix and go for the gusto.
Having both types of "chefs" on Food Network probably is a necessity to cover their bases. I like catching that quick recipe sometimes when I need a dinner in 15 minutes, and the more complex for when I have the time to spend.
Not that I have any great love of Rachel Ray.
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5-08-2007 @6:58PM Angela Pitt said... Can you say, YUMMO!?
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5-08-2007 @9:26PM Madeline Miller said... I think Rachael's dessert recipes are not representative of her recipes in general. While she is definitely not a chef, she is even less of a baker (as she clearly states whenever asked).
Generally, I find her recipes use generous amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables and do not rely heavily on prepared or packaged foods. They are definitely there, but I think it's a common misconception that everything she does comes from a can or a package. Sandra Lee is a much better example of arranging packaged foods instead of actually cooking.
And I like Rachael Ray's recipes for exactly the reasons you state. I am a lawyer, not a chef. I don't want to become a chef. I just want to make dinner at home in under an hour.
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5-08-2007 @9:47PM Adam Fields said... I'm a bit baffled as to why this requires a recipe. Have we sunk so far that people need detailed instructions to serve ice cream with cookies?
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5-09-2007 @6:21AM bdw said... I got my own apartment at 16 ,and was considered quite the accomplished chef by my friends. My piece de resistance? Ground beef sauteed with onions and a little oregano, then served over an undistinguished bed of white rice. My secret ingredient? A can of mushroom soup. I could have used Rachael back then.
I'm a little better now.
I currently live in a small town in Connecticut that has a large percentage of Italian-Americans, something of which there were very few of in the melting pot where I grew up. I "get" Rachael: she's a very nice Italian-American housewife with personality and drive. I see her show occasionally when I'm channel surfing, and sometimes I stop.
I am also getting a definite whiff of class distinction here. So she's not a WASP. Some people need to get over themselves.
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5-09-2007 @8:05AM Sindy said... I am neither a Rachel Ray lover or hater.I have to say that I like Rachel Ray less than I used too but I think the real reason is that she is very "over-exposed" That said...I think Rachel Ray uses a variety of prepared items along with lots of fresh things. Most of the time the "prepared" foods she relies on are pre-cut bagged veggies. Who cares who washes and cuts up your veggies??? Does that make you a better cook? Is there anyone out there who always cooks full on, complicated,100% made from scratch meals ALL of the time? So why so much hate? If you don't like that sort of cooking then watch one of the other cooking shows. I use recipes from lots of different cooking shows it just depends on how much time and energy I have. Some days I am a Rachel Ray cook and somedays an Emeril. Not to mention for someone just learning too cook Rachel Ray cooking is a good starting point. The Food Network has a wide range of veiwers and they have different types of shows that reflect that.How boring life would be without diversity!
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5-09-2007 @9:16AM Laura said... I can take her or leave her. Her little saying like "EVOO" (which, after referring to it as this, she still feels the need to say "Extra Virgin Olive Oil"), sammies, etc. are fairly annoying. But, if she gets the average person to get in the kitchen to try their hand at cooking...well then, more power to her.
Like I said, she's certainly not my favorite by any means...but, she can make a good hash! ;)
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5-09-2007 @10:26AM Adriane said... I don't quite understand RR. It seems like people will go lengths to call something "homemade" but that takes as little effort as possible. Many mention time as a factor; they are not "chefs" --Let me tell you, it does not take oodles of time (well it could, but it doesn't HAVE to) or years of training to cook- it simply takes a little effort.
What RR brings to the table is inginuity (I will throw her a bone for that), but what she lacks is heart- she enjoys food but makes it seem like ACTUAL cooking from scratch daily is unthinkable for the modern day person.
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