Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American television personality, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day. Ray wrote cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, in 2006.Personal life:
She was born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Elsa Scuderi, an Italian (Sicilian) American and James Ray, who is of French, Scottish and Welsh descent. Ray grew up in Lake George, New York. Her family owned a restaurant on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, called the Carvery, and her mother managed restaurants in upstate New York.
One of her first jobs was at the candy counter at Macy's in New York City, where she eventually managed the fresh foods department. She later helped open a New York City market. Moving back to upstate New York, Ray managed Mister Brown's Pub at The Sagamore, a hotel on Lake George. From there, she became a buyer at Cowan & Lobel, a gourmet market in Albany. Ray credits the concept of 30 Minute Meals to her experience working at the store, where she met people who were reluctant to cook. She taught a course in which she showed how to make meals in less than thirty minutes. With the success of her "30 Minute Meals" classes, WRGB (the local CBS TV affiliate) asked her to appear in a weekly segment on their newscasts. This, along with a public radio appearance and the publication of her first book, led to a Today show spot and her first Food Network contract in 2001.
On September 24, 2005 in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, Ray married John Cusimano, a lawyer and lead singer of the rock band The Cringe. She owns homes in Lake Luzerne, New York, and Manhattan's Greenwich Village.
CareerCooking:
Ray teaches simple recipes that she says can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, although critics claim that her 30-minute concept does not account for preparation times and meals cannot be completed in half an hour. The best time a reviewer managed was 49 minutes.
Ray says that her Sicilian maternal grandfather, Emmanuel Scuderi, and her Cajun ancestry serve as a strong influence on her cooking. She uses ingredients such as fresh herbs, garlic and chicken stock to boost flavors. She believes that measuring "takes away from the creative, hands-on process of cooking" and instead favors approximations such as "half a palmful". To critics of her shortcut techniques, Ray responds, "I have no formal anything. I'm completely unqualified for any job I've ever had." She acknowledges that she cannot bake (because it requires measured ingredients), that she cannot make coffee, and that she burns bread under the broiler.
On her television programs, she has used catch phrases such as "EVOO" (extra-virgin olive oil), "yum-o", "G.B." (garbage bowl), "Oh my gravy!", "entréetizer" (entrée-sized appetizer), and "stoup" (cross between a soup and stew). In 2007, The Oxford American College Dictionary announced the addition of the term EVOO (short for extra virgin olive oil), which Ray has helped to popularize, and credited her with coining the phrase.
The set of 30 Minute Meals uses a yellow Model 61C Chambers stove from the 1950s, notable for its top-opening broiler, super-insulated oven, and unique Thermowell.
On November 12, 2006, Ray and Mario Batali defeated the team of Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis on an episode of Iron Chef America during which cranberries were the secret ingredient. On March 18, 2007, Food Network debuted a Rachael Ray episode of its special Chefography series, on which she stated that "the worst day of (her) life" was Iron Chef America, admitting to being anxious about it weeks before.
Television:In 2005, Ray signed a deal with Oprah Winfrey and King World Productions to host a syndicated daytime TV talk show. The show, Rachael Ray, premiered on September 18, 2006. Recurrent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show were used to fuel the launch, much as Dr. Phil's show was spun off based on his own frequent visits to Oprah. The show tapes in New York City. In coordination with the syndication announcement, Ray said, "People know me for my love of food, but I have so much more I want to share."
Ray has appeared on The View, The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Larry King Live.
For Sesame Street’s 38th season, Ray appeared in an episode to present "pumpernickel" as the word of the day.
On January 12, 2008, Ray's television series Rachael's Vacation premiered on the Food Network. The show is a five-part food travelogue shot in various European countries.
In 2008 Ray became a producer of a Latin cooking show on the Food Network called Viva Daisy!. The show starred Daisy Martínez.
In August 2009, Ray appeared as herself on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for charity for Yum-O! and her own charity for animal rescue with Regis Philbin.
