I know, I know, it seems like we have Rachael Ray news at least once a week here, but hey, the girl is popular and seems to be EVERYWHERE (your television, Dunkin' Donuts, boxes of Triscuits) so...
Ray has just signed a new two-year deal to continue cooking for Food Network. Besides her 30 Minute Meals show (she'll do 60 episodes under the deal), she'll also host a new program titled Rachael's Vacation, which sounds a lot like her $40 A Day show only in foreign countries. The new show starts on January 12.
She'll continue to do her daily syndicated show too, of course.
During the crazy holiday season, everyone could use a holiday planner, with ideas for things to cook, cookie swap recipes, customized placecards, and more.
In a special surprise election held yesterday, TV food icon Rachael Ray was named President of the United States.
Her challenger, Martha Stewart from the state of New York, put up quite a fight, but in the end, Ray squeaked out a win in electoral votes. Many people cite Ray's ability to seemingly be in every single state in the country at the same time, giving speeches and cooking demonsrations for crowds of supporters. Others cite Stewart's time in prison as working against her.
This is really the most logical next step for Ray, who has 27 shows on Food Network, her own monthly magazine, a daily syndicated TV show, her face on various products in the supermarket, DVDs, a Christmas CD, cookware, a new endorsement deal with Dunkin' Donuts, and her own planet named after her. Ray has said that the first thing she plans to do as President is to add the word "awesome" to the Pledge of Allegience.
After the jump, the complete statement from President-Elect Ray.
How can someone who puts out such a fun food mag put on such an unbearable TV show?
I want to like Rachael Ray, the TV show. I really, really do. Honest. But it's just an annoying hour to me. Maybe it's because I'm a guy. One minute Rachael will be teaching us how to make some cool quick meal with pasta and vegetables, and then five minutes later she'll be talking about women in abusive relationships or how someone can organize the shoes in their closets. It just doesn't work for me. (And there's also the whole thing with her voice and bubbly personality, which I can take on 30 Minute Meals but when it's an hour every day...). But it's really popular, so maybe I'm not the right audience.
But Every Day With Rachael Ray? That's a great little magazine. It has a bunch of recipes that you feel you can actually cook (unlike some mags), quick guides to eating in various cities, tips on shopping, tips on buying wine, interviews. It's well-done. If there's one quibble I have is the whole "celebrity fridge" feature in the back of every issue. It's kinda funny to see what celebs have in there, but do we have to have some quiz about what they have? On the same page where we can see the answers?!? It seems to be a quiz made for people who find the TV Guide crossword difficult.
I love holiday issues of cooking magazines (I collect them), and Rachael Ray's is no exception. This is the Thanksgiving issue, and she covers everything from Herb-Roasted Turkey with Dried Plums and Stuffing to the best Pecan Pie.
Speaking of turkey: have you tried making it on the grill?
Holidays, of course, are made for booze! Check out these recipes for the Pumpkintini and Cranberry Punch.
In the print edition (should be on the site too, bu the link is wrong): You might be making candy this season (and you're certainly making some for our Candy Day tomorrow, right?), so check out which candy thermometers work best.
This book has a great premise. At the beginning of the book, Rachael gives her readers a list of pantry ingredients
that they should always keep in their home, including various spices, flour, milk, fresh fruits and vegetable, pasta and
assorted canned goods. Once you've taken the list to the store and stocked up, you will have all you need (except the
actual cooking equipment, which you might need to make another trip for) to fix every recipe in the book. All the
recipes call for ten items or less - hence the name of the book - and there is a backup shopping list with each one, so
you can be doubly sure that you have everything you need before you start. Sticking with her easy-to-read style, the
recipes are not intimidating and should be a good start for a beginning cook or a good starting point for a more
experienced cook who is short on time.
Time Magazine has named their Top 100 Most Influential
People. There are scientists, academics, leaders, and revolutionaries like Steven Levitt (economist), Oprah Winfrey, and
Bill & Melinda Gates. And there among the group of Artists & Entertainers, which also includes Ang Lee, Howard
Stern and Meryl Streep is...
Her feature story for Time is written by Mario Batali (whom I would have
picked long before I'd ever pick Rachael Ray), who says that the 38-year-old Rachael Ray has "has radically
changed the way America cooks dinner" in less than five years. Of course, this has also made her rich with
millions of cookbooks sold, a magazine, and about a gazillion shows on the Food Network. Hey! Now we know how old she
is.
So I would have chosen Mario Batali, but I guess the reason that she is chosen for this list is that she is
influential. I mean, how many people out there call it "EVOO" now?
There are lots of packaged mixes at the store that can make cooking a meal for your family fast and easy after
a long day at work. Generally speaking, these mixes are grains with spices and sometimes vegetables and include favorite
brands include Rice-A-Roni and Zatarains. Hamburger Helper operates along similar lines,
but calls for the addition of meat. These options are already a cut above precooked frozen foods, but there is still
something commercial about them. Many new gourmet mixes, with fresher vegetables, original spice combinations and
unusual grains are coming out, like the Trader Joe's Spelt with Red and Green
Peppers mix pictured here, which make for a lovely change on the dinner table.
To add a touch of homemade flavor to what is essentially a meal from a box, without taking too many extra
minutes out of an already busy evening, try sauteing some garlic in the bottom of the pan before adding the mix, or
dicing an onion or a shallot and
tossing it into the pot with the cooking liquid. Read the ingredients and see what might pair well. This spelt mix, for
example, would be good with extra peppers or, since it was well spiced, a vegetable like sweet potatoes or squash to
round it out. Or, for heartier fare, take an example from Hamburger Helper and heat up some sausages while the grains
cook and toss them in before serving.
Did you know that you don't have to sit back and just read Rachael's mag or watch her TV shows, you can
actually be in the magazine or guest star on her show?
This is a great recipe for Cooking Live because it is so quick. It's definitely the kind of meal that can go from
nothing to the table in under 30 minutes - provided that you have the ingredients, of course. Fortunately, the
ingredients are things that you are likely to have around the house, so if you pick up some pork chops on your way home
from work, you will be good to go. First, we'll prepare the rice and as it cooks, we can cook up the pork chops. Serve
the pork, with a bit of sauce, over the rice and add a small side salad and you have a delicious and simple meal.
If you have seen Rachael Ray on TV - and we know that you have seen at least an
episode of one of her many shows - you have no doubt heard one of her many "Rachael-isms". A Rachael-ism is a
term that refers to one of Rachael's favorite expressions and is, in fact, a Rachael-ism itself. The use of these words
in everyday conversation has been termed Rachaelspeak by the editorial staff at Every Day with Rachael Ray. They have helpfully compiled a glossary of Rachael-isms that will help you to better understand
Rachael and her shows. The list includes the definitions of Yum-O!, Good to go and EVOO, as well
as pronunciation tips.
Their online store also stocks shirts emblazoned with Yum-O!
and Got
EVOO?, both of which would make great gifts for any Rachael fans in your life.
This is one of my favorite food mags now. Each issue is jam-packed with recipes and info.
On the cover: Rachael drinks another cup of coffee (tea?) She
seems to have one in her hand a lot. She needs the caffeine, considering the 35 TV shows she currently does.
A guide to romantic weekend getaways (yeah, Valentine's Day is coming up).
One feature I don't like: a behind the scenes look at Ray's wedding. Yeah, she ties in the food to the story,
but really...
I don't understand the No Recipe Zone column. This one is for Cheddar and Apple Turnovers, and it's supposed to be done without
directions. Then you turn to the column and there are directions. WTF?