Rachael Ray

With her never-ending energy, catchy phrases, and penchant for fast, easy cooking, Rachael Ray has become a household name. While Ray has met her fair share of criticisms from gourmet foodies, she never loses momentum. Her likeability factor and honest appeal have catapulted her into the media spotlight.

Rachael Ray

Early Years

Born August 25, 1968 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Rachael Domenica Ray practically grew up in the kitchen. Ray moved to Glens Falls, New York when she was in first grade.

Restaurants and cooking were in her veins. Her family owned a restaurant on Cape Cod and her mother worked as a food supervisor for a chain of restaurants in upstate New York.

Ray has a younger brother named Emmanuel (Manny) and an older sister named Maria.

Early Jobs

Ray’s first job out of college was at the candy counter at Macy’s Marketplace. From there, she went on to manage the fresh foods department, then worked for New York City gourmet market Agata & Valentina. She moved back upstate and worked as a manager of Mister Brown’s Pub at the famous five-star resort, The Sagamore, on Lake George.

After becoming a food buyer for a gourmet market in Albany (Cowan & Lobel), she discovered that people who were short on time were receptive to healthy, easy-to-prepare meals. She taught cooking lessons for “30 Minute Meals” at the store and gained local attention.

She began doing a weekly cooking segment on the local CBS affiliate, made a public radio appearance, and released her first book, which sold 10,000 copies locally.

Her first national appearance was a segment on the Today Show. From there, The Food Network came calling in 2001.

Personal Life

Ray at Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People 2006 awards

Rachael Ray married lawyer John Cusimano on September 24, 2005 in Tuscany, Italy. The two own two homes, one in Lake Luzerne, New York, and one in Greenwich Village in Manhattan.

Rachael Ray Lingo

Ray has adopted her own abbreviated language that seems almost fitting for a show that caters to those who are short on time. Among the Racheal-isms:

• Eyeball it – A term for adding ingredients without measuring them.
• EVOO – An abbreviation for extra virgin olive oil. The term is being added to the 2007 edition of the Oxford American College Dictionary.
• Yum-o – According to Ray’s website, this is a response to something that is beyond yum.
• So delish – This is another expression that describes how good something tastes or smells.
• G.B. – Ray calls this the abbreviation for “garbage bowl,” a bowl used to collect scraps of fruits, vegetables and other trash created during cooking.
• Stoup – Ray’s cross between soup and stew.
• Sammies – Ray’s abbreviation for the word sandwiches.
• How good is that? – This is an expression that begs an answer to the question of how delish or yum-o something is.

Professional Life

Ray’s first show on the Food Network, 30 Minute Meals, earned much attention. With simple, straightforward food preparation that even involved some shortcuts, she spoke to a wide audience. Her quick and easy meals fit the needs of many Americans’ busy lives.

TV Shows

Rachael Ray soon found her popularity earned her more gigs on the Food Network, including $40 a Day, Inside Dish, and Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels. On $40, she made eating out accessible by imparting her knowledge of the best inexpensive eats in a variety of cities. Inside Dish allowed Ray to go head-to-head with celebrities and Tasty Travels took her to eating destinations across the country.

Her Own Talk Show

Ray at a 2006 book signing

Oprah Winfrey took a chance on Ray, helping her secure her own daytime talk show, The Rachael Ray Show. With the blend of celebrity interviews, cooking segments, and Ray’s personality, it had the makings of great daytime television. The show premiered in September 2006 and has since gained excellent viewership.

Books and More

Of course, what celebrity chef would be complete without a cookbook to market? Ray is no exception, churning out edition after edition of her 30 Minute collections. In all, she has written 14 best selling cookbooks.

Taking it one step further, Ray also released a holiday CD in 2006. No, she wasn’t singing, but she did select some of her favorite songs of the season on How Cool is That Christmas. She also released a kids’ compilation CD, called Too Cool for School Mixtape.

Endorsements, Print and TV Appearances

Ray has been the spokesperson for a variety of products, including Price Chopper stores and a sandwich for Burger King. She now has her own line of cookware and santoku knives. Ray became the Nabisco cracker spokeswoman in late 2006, appearing in commercials and providing recipes on the product boxes.

With her rising success, Ray ventured into other media, releasing her own magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray in October 2005.

Facts

• Ray posed for the men’s magazine FHM in 2003.
• She was named number 92 on FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in 2004.
• She ranked #71 on FHM’s list of the 100 Sexiest Women 2006.
• Ray’s 30 Minute Meals received an Emmy Award in 2006 for Outstanding Service Show.
• She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2006.
• Ray appeared with Mario Batali on Iron Chef America, defeating the team of fellow Food Network hosts, Bobby Flay, and Giada De Laurentiis.

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