"rachael" news and stories

Rachael Ray will never again have to explain to her viewers what "EVOO" stands for because it is the name of her very own brand of extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil is being "specially produced in Italy for Rachael" and is almost guaranteed to turn "dish from so-so to 'Yum-o' in no time," so not only can you use in all of Rachael's recipes, but you can look at her smiling face on the bottle's label. Rachael's site notes that the oil is a certified Product of Italy, made from only Italian olives (just in case you were wondering if they imported theirs before processing for some reason). It is sold in 17-oz. ($8.95) and 34-oz. ($17.95) bottles.

Of course, she may not have to spell out "extra virgin olive oil" every time she mentions EVOO anymore, but don't be surprised if she starts including the web address of her online store in its place.

Source

Warning: The post below contains spoilers, so if you TiVo'd last night's "Iron Chef America" and don't want to know who won, I suggest you stop reading now.

Last night, the oddest battle in the history of Kitchen Stadium took place, a battle of the Food Network All-Stars that pit Mario Batali and Rachael Ray against Bobby Flay and Giada de Laurentiis. The theme ingredient was cranberries. It seemed to take Rachael and Mario several minutes to find their groove, with Rachael seeming to get flustered and Mario looking a little impatient, although the pair seemed to have the dishes they would do divided up already. It looked like things started out very smoothly for Bobby and Giada, on the other hand, who both appeared focused. As time wore on, however, Rachael adapted more and more to the kitchen and the pressure of the time began to affect Giada's performance. Bobby did his usual good work, but unfortunately, the judges weren't as impressed with Giada's plates as they were with Rachael's -- although it probably didn't hurt that Mario bribed them all with cranberry Bellini's halfway through the competition!

From the fact that both women seemed a bit stressed out at the end of the cooking period, it seems as though neither would be eager to return to the stadium. If the Food Network is thinking of doing another All-Star battle, however, how about Ina Garten vs. Paula Deen?

The full title of this new Rachael Ray book is Express Lane Meals: What To Keep on Hand, What To Buy Fresh for the Easiest-Ever 30-Minute Meals. Quite a mouthful, wouldn't you say? But in almost the time that it takes to say the name of the book, you can have a meal on the table because Rachael Ray is that fast.

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.

Source