Reno 911! Invades the Rachael Ray Show

Do I ever have a treat for you! Do you watch Reno 911!? If you don't, it's time to find Comedy Central on your TV and make it happen. So what in the heck does this have to do with Rachael Ray, you may ask?

Well, an ERR reader (thanks, Jimmy!) was kind enough to send me a link to this promo for tomorrow's show, when some Reno 911! folks stop by to visit Rachael. Don't watch this at work. You'll get caught laughing out loud:

It's a Keeper: Pork Chops with Andouille French Bread Stuffing & Green Bean Salad

Do you have one food that your parents fed you ALL THE TIME and you therefore can no longer eat it? I thought mine was pork chops, mostly because shake and bake pork chops were served about three times a week in my house. That and Stove Top Stuffing. So, when I saw Rachael make Pork Chops with Andouille French Bread Stuffing & Green Bean Salad on her talk show, I challenged myself to make it, if only to overcome my hatred of pork chops and stuffing. Since I never make pork chops and stuffing, this ended up being a great departure from the usual for us.

With the help of my husband, this meal came in at about 40 minutes. If you are making it by yourself, I would do it on a weekend when you don't have to worry about time. I'm not even sure it's intended to be a 30 minute meal, since it's from Rachael's talk show, not her Food Network show. I used whole wheat bread for the stuffing to make it a little bit healthier but other than than, I didn't make many changes. Here is the recipe with my comments in brackets:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) plus 1/3 of a cup, divided
1 package (4 links) andouille sausage, chopped into bite-size pieces
4 bone-in pork rib chops, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick
Salt and pepper
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 small red onions, 2 chopped and 1 sliced, divided
4 cloves garlic, 3 chopped, 1 cracked peeled and left whole
1 fresh bay leaf
5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from the stem
1-2 tablespoons hot sauce, to taste, plus a dash for the salad dressing
4 cups French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes [I used whole wheat and it was wonderful!]
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided
1 1/2 pounds green beans [I buy the ones that are already trimmed. That saves some serious time for a slow chopper like me.]
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 ounces of whisky, such as Southern Comfort (about 2 of the small, airplane-size bottles) [No SoCo in my house, so I use Seagram's Seven whisky. I think SoCo would be bset if you have it.]
3 tablespoons cold butter [I don't know why it has to be cold, but I just smile, nod and play along.]

Preheat oven 400°F.

Place a medium-size pot of salted water over high heat and bring up to a boil.

While the water is coming up to a boil, place a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the chopped andouille sausage and cook, stirring every couple of minutes until it is brown and crisp, about 4-5 minutes.

While the sausage is cooking, place a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Season the pork chops liberally with salt and pepper, and place in the hot skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side until brown. Transfer skillet to the oven to finish cooking, about 10-12 minutes. [If your skillet does not have an oven-safe handle, Rachael recommends covering the handle in tin foil before placing it in the oven.]

To the skillet with the sausage, add the celery, green bell pepper, chopped red onion, 3 cloves of chopped garlic, bay leaf, thyme and hot sauce to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the bread cubes and enough chicken stock to moisten the bread, about 1 1/2 cups; you want the bread to just barely stick together with the andouille and veggies. Remove the bay leaf and take off the heat to keep warm.

Add the green beans to the pot of boiling salted water. Cook 1-2 minutes for crunchy beans or 4-5 minutes for softer beans. [Go crunchy!] Rub the inside of a large bowl with the whole garlic clove. [When making this just for the two of us, I make the dressing in a separate bowl so that we don't drown the salad in dressing. I just find it difficult to cut a recipe like this in half.] Add the mustard, honey, white wine vinegar and a dash of hot sauce and whisk to combine. In a slow steady stream, whisk in 1/3 cup of EVOO. Add the sliced red onions and the warm beans, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Remove the pork chops from the oven and transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil and let rest. Add the Southern Comfort to the pork chop skillet away from the heat then return the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat to let the alcohol cook out. (Remember: the handle is very hot so use a kitchen towel or pot holder to move it about.) Once it is done flaming, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release the brown bits. [No flaming for me.] Add the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock and turn the heat up to high, cooking until the stock has reduced by half. Turn the heat off and add the butter, stirring until it has completely melted.

To serve, divide the andouille-French bread stuffing between 4 plates, top each portion with a pork chop then pour a little of the Southern Comfort sauce over the top of each chop. Serve the green bean salad alongside.

Rachael Ray Hosts Burger Bash

Rachael Ray's first duty at the Food Network sponsored South Beach Wine and Food Festival was to host the Amstel Light Burger Bash. The event pitted teams against each other to determine who had the best burger in the land. As you may recall, Rachael is the self-proclaimed Queen of Burgers, so this was the perfect event for her to host.

Eater informs us that the winner of the Burger Bash (drumroll please) was New York City's Shake Shack. Other participating teams included BLT Burger (New York), Chair 8 (Telluride, CO), City Hall (Tribeca, NY), Clarke’s (Miami Beach, FL), David’s Café (Miami Beach, FL), DB Bistro (New York, NY), Envy Steakhouse (Las Vegas, NV), and Father’s Office (Santa Monica, CA). You can see a full list of participants here. It looks like a story featuring the winner will be in an upcoming issue Every Day with Rachael Ray.

I found the photo above at Yumsugar and they've got more of them for you to look at, too! Anyone else looking forward to Rachael's future burger joint, or is it just me?

Appearance Alert: Oscars Tonight!

Jacob over at Food Network Addict was kind enough to send me an e-mail to let me know that Rachael Ray will be at the Oscars tonight. He is lucky enough to be attending the South Beach Wine and Food Festival and was even luckier to attend a demo by Rachael. She said she was getting on a plane to LA to attend the Oscars. She mentioned also mentioned her trip during a show last week (with Tim Gunn) that she would be wearing a design by Project Runway's Uli Herzner. So watch the Red Carpet to see Rachael tonight!

This Week on Rachael Rays Talk Show

Here are the highlights from Rachael Ray's talk show this week. For the recipes from this week's shows, check out the shopping list and the recipe archive. The recipes are listed by category in the order they appear on the show.

Monday: Anchorwoman Makeover. Rachael's team gives an news anchor from Oregon a makeover and Adrian Pasdar from Heroes talks about his relationship with his wife, Dixie Chick Natalie Maines. Dr. Brantley busts "diet myths that could be harming your body."

Tuesday: Rach's Oscar Video Diary. Rachael goes behind the scenes at the Oscar's and brings back a video diary. Also, tips on how to improve a mother/daughter relationship and new accessories trends.

Wednesday: Jarod "the animal guy" freaks Rachael out with some animals and Cortney Thorne Smith talks about her New Year's wedding. She also shares the one item she can't live without. Rachael also provides tips on how to redecorate on a budget and she prepares a Mushroom pasta.

Thursday: Celeb Fashion for Less. The Insider's Lara Spencer reveals secrets for getting celebrity fashions on a budget. This episode also includes a touching mother/daughter moment and a visit from stars of Reno 911! in the kitchen. And, if you've never heard Rachael's husband's band, The Cringe, now is your chance. The band will perform a song from their new album.

Friday: Sex Myths & Truths. Keep the kids away from this episode! Dr. Manny visits to answer sex questions that people have but are too embarrassed to ask. Also, how to get out of debt and Rachael takes us on a tour of her hometown in upstate New York.

Food Network Awards

A rare Saturday post from me because I just had to share this picture from the Food Network Awards posted by Jeff at Side Salad. Doesn't Rachael look great? Read Jeff's entire review of the event here (sounds like the rest of us didn't miss much).

Rachael Ray Roundup

I check the statistics for Everything Rachael Ray pretty often (you'd be shocked what people search for) and I still sometimes think: "Does anyone read this darn thing?"

Blogging can sometimes be a lonely experience, so imagine my joy when I got an e-mail yesterday from a very happy reader. She saw the Appearance Alert posted here on Tuesday and headed down to Madame Tussaud's to see if she could get a look at Rachael.

It turns out that the late announcement of her appearance meant that there wasn't a mob. The ERR reader got to meet Rachael and shake her hand. She said it was an amazing experience and thanked me for letting her know about it. It was so nice to hear that (a) someone was so happy to meet Rachael (b) that Rachael met her expectations and (c) that someone was actually helped by my little blog. So, there you go - people actually do read this darn thing.

Here are some Rachael Ray posts and news that I gathered from around the blogosphere this week. If you write a post about Rachael or see one that you think should be included in the Roundup, please e-mail me!

• Talk show ratings update - Broadcasting & Cable says that Rachael's talk show "pulled its largest audience to date, averaging a little more than 3 million viewers on a 2.4 rating, unchanged from last week's season high."
• Hip and Pop has some pictures of Gabrielle Union's appearance on Rachael Ray's talk show.
• Bricks and Stones has some pictures of Rachael and her husband John Cusimano at the release party for his band's new CD.
• Learn about Rachael's favorite jeans from The Fashionable Housewife.
• Residents of Omaha - make sure you enter this contest being run by a local TV station for a trip to New York City to be an audience member in Rachael Ray's Talk show. You have to watch a show tomorrow morning to enter.
• The Work at Home Business Opportunities Weblog offers a discussion on what Rachael Ray can teach us about branding.
• Mike at TV Food Fan has a picture of Rachael Ray's wax figure, while Yumsugar has pictures of Rachael posing with it.
• TV Envy offers some thoughts about Colby joining Rachael Ray's talk show. So does Jacob at Food Network Addict.
• An associate producer from Rachael Ray's talk show, Andrew Kaplan, is co-producing all 34 of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival's culinary seminars, according to the Miami Herald.
• Check out a review of the Cringe's new CD, Tipping Point, at Courier Press. Why is this relevant? Because her husband John is the lead singer of the band.
• Rachael Ray's magazine is never on the shelves at this library (because people are reading it).
• The Wren's Nest features a recipe I have been eyeing lately - Chicken and White Bean Stew from the March issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. She loved it, so now I really have to try it.

Rachael Ray's Best Day Ever

On the heels of my update about Rachael Ray's success in growing the viewership for her talk show, I learned that the news is even better than I thought.

Broadcasting and Cable reports that Rachael got her "her highest-rated show of the season Feb. 14, averaging a 3.3 rating/9 share in the Nielsen metered markets." These numbers mean that Rachael got a 38% bump from the average number of people watching her timeslot a year ago.

Taking the New York market as an example, Broadcasting and Cable found that Rachael's talk show "hit a 6.8 rating/16 share at 10 a.m. on WABC, more than double its February 2006 time period performance in the top market." Yowzer.

However, the huge numbers probably have something to do with the huge winter storm that kept people at home and in front of their TVs. Rachael also made one of her most popular recipes on the Valentine's Day show: Drunken Pasta with Beets and Swiss Chard (pictured above). It's similar to the dish she made when she won Iron Chef, but I can't bring myself to try it. Why? Well, I can't use an entire bottle of wine just to boil pasta in. I just can't.

[Photo from Rachael Ray Show]

Colby Donaldson Becomes a Regular

I am a Survivor fan, an Us Weekly fan and a Rachael Ray fan, so imagine my happiness when I saw this: Us Weekly Magazine reports that Survivor's Colby Donaldson will be a regular "content buddy" on Rachael Ray's talk show (she thinks calling them experts is too stuffy).

Us lays the snark on pretty thick by asking: "He withstood water torture and the torturous Jerri Manthey in the Australian outback, but will Colby Donaldson survive Rachael Ray’s uncompromising perkiness?" It reports that Colby's role will be "hanging out at Ray’s kitchen table and dishing about what men really want." Colby seems to have hit it big with this gig, since he will also do interviews and set visits for Entertainment Tonight.

Here's what he told Us about his new job:

"Audiences first got to know me being myself on TV having a wild adventure. I'm thrilled to now be with Rachael Ray enjoying this daytime adventure with real people. I love hanging out with Rachael and the food perks are pretty great too! It's good to know my days of eating bugs are over!"

[Photo from Us Weekly]

Appearance Alert: Madame Tussauds New York

The NYC Official City Guide reports that Rachael Ray will make an appearance at Madame Tussauds New York tomorrow, Wednesday, February 21 from 5:30-6pm. She will be unveiling the new wax figure of herself created by the museum. Here's a little blurb on what visitors will see:

Rachael’s wax figure stands in a replica of the brightly colored kitchen from her hit syndicated daily daytime show. The figure holds a coffee mug and is wearing a red wrap dress, brown tank top, horseshoe diamond necklace and tall farylrobin brown boots. Madame Tussauds visitors will be able to get into the kitchen and stand next to and take photos with Rachael’s figure.

Send me pictures if you go!

It's a Keeper: Pork Schnitzel with Caramelized-Onion Egg Noodles

I think I mentioned that I was planning our first trip to Europe (we leave in about a month) and because I am SO excited about it, I decided to make a dish in honor of our stop in Germany: Pork Schnitzel with Caramelized-Onion Egg Noodles. This recipe can be found in the 30-Minute Meals feature of the February 2007 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Maybe those of you who know how a real schnitzel is made can clue me in as to the authenticity of this recipe. I don't have a pan large enough to fit more than one piece of pork at a time, so this recipe took about 45 minutes instead of the 30 it probably should. My guests added some brown mustard to dip the schnitzel in and said it took the dish from good to great. I loved it all by itself!

Now, this meal is certainly not very healthy, so I supplemented it with some green beans that I boiled for a few minutes then sauteed with garlic and olive oil. I also used whole wheat egg noodles. But this recipe still has white flour, white bread crumbs, egg, cream and a large dose of deep frying. So, consider it a treat instead of a regular menu item! Here is the recipe with my comments in brackets:

Salt
1 pound extra-wide egg noodles [I used Healthy Harvest, which is a whole wheat blend]
4 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced lengthwise
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme or poultry seasoning [I went for the thyme, but either would definitely be good, so use whatever you have.]
Four 6- to 8-ounce boneless pork loin chops
Flour, for dredging
2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half [I had cream left over, so I used that. If you are deep frying it, does it really matter?]
2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Vegetable oil, for frying [Canola worked perfectly]
Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a generous handful)
1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

2. While the pasta is working, in a deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt, pepper and the thyme and cook, stirring, until the onions are golden, 20 minutes; set aside. [That's about how long it ended up taking.]

3. Place each pork chop between wax paper or plastic wrap and pound with a mallet or small heavy skillet to 1/4-inch thickness. [After one pork loin, this turned into a job for my husband.] Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides, then lightly dredge in flour and shake off the excess. Transfer to a plate. In a shallow dish, beat the eggs and cream. On another plate, season the bread crumbs with the nutmeg.

4. Preheat the oven to 250° and place a baking sheet on the middle rack. in a large skillet, heat a 1/4-inch-thick layer of oil over medium heat. [Seems like a whole lot of oil, but it was the perfect amount.] Dip the pork chops in the egg, then in the bread crumbs, and fry in the skillet 2 at a time, turning once, until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining chops.

5. Toss the noodles with the parsley and reserved onions; season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the pork schnitzel with lemon wedges. [Darn it - I forgot the lemon wedges! Don't make the same mistake as me.]

Rachael Ray's Talk Show Clips

Here are some clips from Rachael Ray's talk show. I hope those of you who haven't seen them before get a kick out of these.

Bungee Jumping with Rachael Ray:



Shark Diving with Rachael Ray:



World Record holder for a chewing gum bubble gives us tips:



All about one of Rachael's favorite garnishes, gremolata:

This Week on Rachael Ray's Talk Show

Here are the highlights from Rachael Ray's talk show this week. For the recipes from this week's shows, check out the shopping list and the recipe archive. The recipes are listed by category in the order they appear on the show.

Lots of celebrities this week. How do you feel about how the show ask celebrities to provide every day sort of advice? I kinda like it.

Monday: Joan Lunden and Gabrielle Union. Joan Lunden offers tips on taking your kids to the dentist and on how to balance career and family. Learn skin care secrets and see a machine that will show you what you will look like in 10 years. This episode also features Gabrielle Union, who talks about dating and her new film, Daddy's Little Girl. They prepare meatballs two ways in Rachael's kitchen.

Tuesday:Is Chivalry Dead? Rachael is conducting a search for top model who's over 40 and she reveals the finalists. Then Colby Donaldson carries out some random acts of chivalry, which are recorded by secret cameras. Also, new beauty products, including talking eye shadow, are discussed. Rachael shows us how to make chicken with walnut and red pepper stir fry.

Wednesday: ER's Hot Doc John Stamos. On Wednesday's show, Rachael welcomes ER's John Stamos. He talks about being a Hollywood bachelor. Also, learn how to blowdry your hair so that you look like you just left a salon. We also get to hear about Rachael being inducted into a wax museum. Rachael and John prepare a Greek burger.

Thursday: The Ultimate Oscar Party. Go behind the scenes of the planning of an Oscar party and Rachael offers tips on throwing your own Oscar Party. Rachael also shares tips for getting a movie star hairstyle and Dreamgirl Anika Noni Rose talks about the film. The highlight of the week for me will be an appearance by Project Runway's Tim Gunn who "rates Rach's fashion hits and misses." Make it work, people!

Friday: Heat 'n Eat. Rachael shares five meals that can be made in just one afternoon and then heated up throughout the week. Also, natural disaster preparation tips and a look at "which stars will be shaping the face of fashion for the next decade" and how to get their look.

Updates: Remember the woman who wore the same pjs for 5 years? Her local paper wrote a little piece about her that gives some behind the scenes information about their interaction with Susan Lucci.

Rachael Ray Roundup

Another week has flown by. I get a three-day weekend and the weather is so nice here in Northern California that we are thinking of having a barbecue on Sunday. And since I live near Sacramento, we could go skiing in Tahoe on Saturday (60 minutes away) and have a barbecue outside the next day. I'm never moving. Now, whether I would be able to walk the day after skiing is an entirely different issue.

Here are the blog posts and news stories I found this week about Rachael Ray. If you write a post or run across a post that you think would fit well in the roundup, please feel free to e-mail me. Have a great weekend!

• Katerina at Daily Unadventures in Cooking gives us the details on how to clean your garbage disposal, which she learned from Rachael Ray.
• In a very funny post, Vicki of Living Life and Catching Light progresses from a skeptic to a true believer in Rachael Ray's recipes from Express Lane Meals.
• That Journalist includes Rachael Ray's You Won't Be Single for Long Vodka Cream Pasta as her recipe of the week. You can find the recipe for this dish in 30 Minute Meals 2 (my favorite Rachael Ray cookbook).
• The Desert Sun newspaper published a transcript of Rachael's interview with First Lady Laura Bush. Go read it - you might learn something!
• Jacob at Food Network Addict found pictures of Rachael's appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. And, of course, he worked his usual magic on them.
• ECrush.com took a poll asking which daytime talk show host was most deserving of a big box of chocolates this Valentine's Day. 38% said Tyra Banks, Oprah came in with 25%, and Rachael Ray (16%) and Dr. Phil (11%) brought up the rear, but at least they were included!
• Bug n' Belle is back in the Roundup this week with an Express Lane Meals recipe extravaganza! She made Chicken with Scallion-Lime Sauce and Sweet Carrot Rice, Chicken Sausage and Egg Sammies, Road to Morocco Lamb with Pine Nut Couscous, and Crab and Corn Chowda-Mac. Go check out the results.
• How cute - Yardsalequeen has a picture of what the first cover of Rachael's first cookbook, 30 Minute Meals, looked like.
• Just Jared has some pictures of John Stamos and Gabrielle Union during their respective appearances on Rachael Ray's talk show.
• Mike at TV Food Fan tells us what he thinks about Rachael Ray's talk show ratings. And thanks for the compliments, Mike! I was having a very bad blogging day when I read Mike's post, so I really appreciated his kind words.
• You can check out the red dress that Rachael wore to the Heart Truth Fashion show at the Reagan Presidential Library. The dresses worn by Rachael and five others will be on display through May 13 along with red dresses worn by many First Ladies.

Rachael Ray's Talk Show: Ratings Update

Rachael Ray's talk show is the only one left standing from this year's freshman class. She started the season with three other syndicated talk shows: The Dr. Keith Ablow Show, The Megan Mullally Show and the Greg Behrendt Show. All three of her companions have now been cancelled.

According to the New York Post, Rachael's show is in no danger of cancellation. She is the only one with decent ratings among the new talk shows, but all the daytime talk shows are taking hits these days. Here's a list of the ratings so you can see how Rachael's doing:

Oprah: 9.5 million viewers
Dr. Phil: 7.212 million
Live! With Regis and Kelly: 4.832 million
Maury Povich: 3.537 million
Ellen Degeneres: 3.374 million
Rachael Ray: 2.903 million
Jerry Springer: 2.543 million
Montel: 2.47 million
Tyra Banks: 1.978 million
Martha Stewart: 1.839 million
Megan Mullally Show: 1.041 million
Greg Behrendt Show: 1.046 million
Dr. Keith Ablow Show: 1.442 million

The Post notes that there are 13 talk shows on the air right now, which is simply too many for the demand. Therefore, it makes sense that the lowest rated ones got the boot "especially since daytime talk ratings have been declining for years."

While none of the shows are doing really well, at least Rachael is doing better than her fellow new shows (and better than the show that is probably her main competition for viewers, Martha Stewart).

Also, Broadcasting and Cable recently stated that: "One talker hit a new season and series high in the week ending Feb. 4: Rookie champion Rachael Ray, which jumped 9% to a best-ever 2.4 rating."

So, things are only going up for Rachael Ray's talk show!

[Photo from Rachael Ray Show]

Rachael Ray and Her Husband Are Doing Well!

Happy Valentine's Day! In honor of today, I thought I would share an article about the state of Rachael Ray's love life, since I already gave you a Valentine's Day menu to try out.

Every single day at least one person lands on Everything Rachael Ray using the keywords "Rachael Ray divorce." But Rachael Ray hasn't gotten a divorce! I am pretty sure all those people should be worrying about karma instead of Rachael's marital state.

The LA Daily News recently confirmed that Rachael and her husband, John Cusimano, are not getting divorced. In fact, they are doing very well. Here's what John had to say about the recent rumors regarding the state of their marriage:

"It is what it is, and I guess it's part of the job description, so we ignore it," says Cusimano, who celebrated a one-year anniversary with Ray last September. And it appears she's standing, er, cooking by her man. "We'll be performing on Rachael's show shortly after our new album comes out, probably around March 1," says Cusimano of The Cringe's new CD, "Tipping Point," scheduled for a Feb. 20 release.

...

"If we're playing in New York or somewhere where she is, she'll arrange to be there," says Cusimano. "But she's like her own little rock star, so it's not like a family affair where we're driving around together. That part's kind of annoying, but you do what you gotta do."

So, there you go. Now all the "Rachael Ray divorce" people will get their answer.

Rachael Ray Interviewed by the Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Free Press sat down with Rachael Ray when she was in town for the International Auto Show Charity Preview. There aren't any real news flashes in this interview, but it's interesting nonetheless.

I really don't know how many times Rachael has been interviewed, but I wonder if she ever gets tired of it. I guess it's her job, so she doesn't really have a choice, but I saw a clip on her talk show of this interview. She fit it in by eating her lunch at the same time as answering questions. She's a busy girl.

The interview isn't too long, so here's the whole darn thing:

• On her energetic onscreen persona: "People would be surprised, actually. It takes a lot of caffeine to get me to work. My work is what gives me energy. I get excited talking about food and travel. On this show, it's easy because of the live audience. They give me energy. But I don't wake up with it. It's not there innately."

• On her relentlessly optimistic appearance: "I'm always optimistic. I like life. But I'm not always up. I get home, I get very quiet. You'd probably be surprised how quiet I get at home."

• On the toughest part of daily TV: "Nothing really. It's easier because of that live audience energy. There's a learning curve, as with anything. It's a new gig. I think every day it feels more and more comfortable. To me, it's a very easy gig because you get such a huge payback from that group of live people. It's a lot easier than talking to your vegetables alone for 14 hours."

• On Oprah Winfrey's role in getting her going: "Certainly hugely instrumental. You can't get a stronger force behind you than Oprah and King World" (her producer and syndicator).

• On the best meal she ever made: "It depends how hungry I was when I ate it. I don't really make stuff for the 'ta-da' factor. I'm happy with a lot of the meals I've made because they've made me happy eating them. I've never really done a showstopper."

• On her worst culinary disaster: "The time I tried to bake for my mother's birthday a lemon cottage cake. I sifted four times, walked around all tippy-toed and the cake still never rose. It was a big lemon hockey puck. I cried for four hours."

• On how often she cooks at home: "Every night that I don't have a business function to do after work. We eat dinner at 10, 10:30 p.m., but we cook. It's what I use to relax even when I don't feel like eating. I'll go home and cook, take two bites and put it in the fridge and John (her husband) will eat the next day."

• On her burgeoning presence as an endorser (she has a big deal with Nabisco): "A lot of people in the food industry have asked me to work with them over the years, and I've said no to them. But ... I love Triscuits; they're very tasty, especially the rosemary ones. ... Because I actually use the product, I don't mind giving them a hand."

• On the best advice for starting cooks: "Don't take yourself too seriously. Don't try to make the cover of Gourmet magazine, you know, your first weekend off. Make things you can imagine in your head. Things you can make readily and easily and no problem. Or make something you love to eat whenever you go out so you can get that same pleasure at home. Or a simplified version of it."

• On going over the $40 limit on her Food Network show "$40 a Day": "I always do because I used to be a waitress so I'd leave huge tips. And my crew ate most of it. I couldn't eat anymore. I got fatter and fatter the more of those episodes I did. ... I'm a salt and fat person."

• On making the case for extra-virgin olive oil -- EVOO, the acronym she created: "EVOO just got in the dictionary and they gave me a little certificate for it. So I think I put it on the map, eh?"

• On her own wheels: "I have two. To and from work (in New York), I have an electric car, a Toyota Prius. And to go home to the mountains (the Adirondacks), I have a BMW X5."

Appearance Alert: South Beach Wine and Food Festival

I have been such a slacker when it comes to telling you about Rachael Ray's pending appearance at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival this year. I think it's because I'm in denial. It's cold here in Northern California, so I think I haven't written about it because (a) I sure would love a trip to South Beach and (2) I sure would like to see Rachael Ray at one of her appearances. Alas, neither is in store for me any time soon, but that doesn't mean that you can't go!

The Food Network is sponsoring the South Beach Wine and Food Festival this year and Rachael Ray will be appearing to do a cooking class for kids! The Festival is being held February 22-25, 2007, and most of the tickets will cost you dearly. Rachael Ray's appearance, which only cost $35, was sold out over a month ago and maybe even before that.

You can also enter an auction, which Jacob at Food Network Addict was kind enough to discuss.

It's a Keeper: Rachael Ray's Valentine's Day Menu

The Associated Press asked Rachael Ray for the perfect Valentine's Day meal. Ready, guys? This could make you Mister Perfect! Rachael recommended cognac-sauced steak, caramelized onion-dressed salad with toasted hazelnuts and chocolate cups with whipped cream for dessert.

To make this meal, Rachael hinted that preparing the dessert first would be best. Then it has some time to chill. She said make the salad next but "hold off on tossing the onions with the greens until just before serving." All the recipes, other than the chocolate cups, can be found in Rachael's new book,2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds.

My husband has class on Valentine's night, so we celebrated an early V-day using Rachael's recipes (except for the dessert because I don't do chocolate). This meal involved minimal chopping, which made it very low stress. You only have to chop onions, garlic, hazelnuts and some parsley. You can be lazy like me and buy chopped hazelnuts, then you'll have even less stuff to chop.

We followed the usual drill in our house when we make steaks. I become the sous chef and my husband is the chef. So I wander around the kitchen throwing things in pots and pans and every once in awhile he asks "what's next?" It's also fun to cook together like this on Valentine's Day! In case you are cooking for someone else, I found that the timing noted in the recipes were right on target. Here are the recipes and pictures of how they turned out for me:

Caramelized Onion Dressed Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts (Start to finish: 25 minutes)

1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, peeled [No peeled ones in my store. They only had chopped ones with the shells on them. They might not have looked as pretty, but they tasted great and it was one less thing for me to chop.]
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 plum tomatoes, sliced
4 cups baby spinach or arugula (or other greens)
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and put it in the oven. Toast the nuts for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just lightly browned. [When she made this on her talk show, Rachael says your nose will know when they are done and she is definitely right. All of a sudden you will think, "does it smell like hazelnuts in here? That's when they're done.] Remove them from the oven and cool. Transfer the nuts to a cutting board and run your knife through them once to coarsely chopping them.

While the nuts are toasting, place a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the onions. Season with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar and a big splash of water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan and cook for another 1 minute.

Transfer the onions to a bowl and add the mustard and remaining vinegar. In a slow, steady steam, whisk in the remaining oil. Set aside.

In a salad bowl, combine the tomatoes, greens, cooled hazelnuts and blue cheese. Pour the caramelized onion dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. [The picture above was done pre-tossing.]

Makes 2 servings.


Cognac-sauced Pepper Steaks
(Start to finish: 20 minutes)

Two 10- to 12-ounce shell steaks (also called club steak or New York steak, but any sirloin will do), 1 1/2 inches thick [They call it New York steak in my California grocery store)
Salt
1 heaping tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 nip of cognac (or 2 healthy shots) [We didn't have cognac, so I used kirsch that I had from making fondue at Christmas and it tasted great!]
3/4 cup beef or chicken stock [I meant to buy beef, but habit took over and I bought chicken stock, for some reason]
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Season the steaks with salt, then sprinkle one side of each with the pepper and press it in with your fingers. [Not your elbows, that would hurt the meat.]

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the steaks, peppered side down, and cook for 4 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 3 minutes for medium-rare. Go a minute longer on each side for medium to medium-well. [Our steaks were pretty thick, so we did 5 minutes on each side and they ended up exactly medium.]

Transfer the steaks from the skillet to a plate and cover them loosely with a piece of foil to keep them warm while they rest. [Make the tin foil so that steam can escape, but the steaks will still stay warm.]

Return the skillet to the heat and add a drizzle of oil. Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Saute, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat, add the cognac, then carefully return it to the burner and let it flame up. Be sure to stand back. You might need to tip the pan toward the flame to get it to ignite. Do not let the contents spill onto the burner. [We didn't flame it because the sides of the pan were too high. Maybe next year?]

Once the flame dies down add the beef stock and the cream. Increase heat to high and cook until it is lightly thickened. Add the parsley to the sauce, then pour it over the steaks.

Makes 2 servings.

This Week on Rachael Ray's Talk Show

Here are the highlights from Rachael Ray's talk show this week. For the recipes from this week's shows, check out the shopping list and the recipe archive. The recipes are listed by category in the order they appear on the show.

Monday: First Lady Laura Bush stops by to talk about her fight against heart disease and discusses her Valentine's Day plans with the President. The show also goes behind the scenes in the White House kitchen and The Insider's Lara Spencer stops by with celebrity gossip. Also, we get to got backstage at the Heart Truth Fashion Show that Rachael participated in and chat with Kelly Ripa.

Tuesday: This episode looks like a keeper - Mario Batali helps Rachael play Stump the Rach, then he redid Kristin Davis' Mom's meatballs and they show Rachael the recipe. Also, how to talk to your kids about s-e-x.

Wednesday: This episode includes a search for the Ugliest PJ's in America. Susan Lucci offers tips on PJs. Dr. Brantley explains how to interpret your food cravings and Stacey Ballis shares last-minute gift ideas. Rachael prepares a three-course romantic dinner for Valentine's Day and her husband John Cusimano stops by to share it.

Thursday: Rachael has her first Celebrity Mystery Taster of 2007 and Gretta busts beauty myths. She also shares "the affordable must-have eye cream that will keep you wrinkle free!" Rachael also has a new chili recipe to show us.

Friday: The show starts with some information about kids and their body image. Country music star Vince Gill talks about his wife Amy Grant and performs for the audience. Also, tips on how to keep your pet safe from animal ER doctors.

Updates: Reading this article about the family that won the kitchen makeover makes me even more happy for them!

TV Alert: Late Show with David Letterman

Rachael Ray is appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight, so rev up your DVR.

Will Dave be nice or will he be mean? I'm taking bets. Other guests that night include comedian Brian Kiley and The Fab Faux.

Rachael Ray Roundup

Happy Friday! Some of you only have a three day weekend coming up. Not me, so I don't want to hear about your fun plans. I'll be at work. Sigh.

Here are all the Rachael Ray posts around the blogosphere that I found this week. If you write a post about Rachael Ray, let me know about it so I can include it in the Roundup. You can e-mail me at everythingrachaelray@gmail.com. Have a wonderful weekend!

• What would it be like if Anthony Bourdain had a blog? Awesome. He's a guest blogger at Michael Ruhlman's blog and he has something to say about each and every Food Network star.
• Finally, someone in the media who is not a Rachael Ray basher. Angie Fenton of Louisville Courier-Journal says this about Laura Bush's visit to Rachael Ray's talk show: "Success may be the sweetest revenge, but having the first lady spontaneously appear on your afternoon talk show has to be worth something too."
• Glitterati Gossip has tons of pics from Katharine McPhee's appearance on The Rachael Ray Show.
• Bug n' Belle offers another recipe review, this time Chicken Divine from Express Lane Meals. It qualifies as another winner.
• Rachel at Rachel's Bite went international this week with Rachael's recipe for Salt & Pepper Tofu with Chili-Soy Sauce and Red Rice with Chorizo. She also spoiled her doggies by making Potted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Chicken for them.
• Jacob at Food Network Addict has more pictures of Rachael Ray from the Hearth Truth Fashion show (and Kelly Ripa too, just for fun).
• Katerina at Daily Unadventures in Cooking got inspired by Rachael's recipe for Gemelli with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and tweaked the recipe to make Roasted Red Pepper Linguine with Prawns.
• Cate at Sweetnicks tried Rachael's Twist-a-Ronis and love love loved them.
• Another sucess story resutling from being mentioned in Every Day with Rachael Ray - Ron & Frank's Gourmet Drink Mixes was picked as Best Oddball for its Peanut Butter Cup hot chocolate mix when the magazine tested hot cocoa mixes.

The One Year Project

Have you ever wondered if anyone goes through Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats, A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners cookbook one recipe at a time for an entire year? Seems like an impossible feat, but the One Year Project proves us wrong. H, L and Baby A are going through the entire cookbook, starting at recipe one and ending at 366 (there's one bonus one for Christmas pasta).

After watching the Food Network for awhile, H thought it was odd that "people can watch elaborate meals being prepared on TV all day, then stick a frozen pizza in the oven...." After picking up 365: No Repeats, A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners, H and her family decided to work their way through the entire book:

We have decided to follow the book from start to finish. No matter the recipe, no matter whether we want to eat what is in the book, no matter whether it’s a blazing hot summer’s day and Rachael says we should have roast lamb. That’s what we’re going to do.

H started the One Year Project site to hold the family accountable, on the theory that "[p]hotos and reports will stop us eating what we want, when we want, when we want it."

When I saw the One Year Project, I was stunned! I wrote to H to tell her that she didn't have to make them all in a row, that Rachael included little "It's a Keeper" and "Save for Later" boxes on each page so that she could skip around. But she was having none of it! She said they were committed to move through it day by day in effort to avoid the cheating that might occur if they went out of order. Also, if they skipped recipes, the end would be filled with meals they tried to avoid.

I think we all know that I am a huge Rachael Ray fan, but I don't think I could do what the One Year Project is documenting. Could you?

TV Alert: All-Star Chocolate

The Food Network is running a special called All Star Chocolate: "Food Network brings together your favorite talent to share chocolate recipes." Rachael Ray will be making her Chocolate Cups with Whipped Cream. Paula Deen, Nigella Lawson, Giada De Laurentiis and Ina Garten also offer chocolate-themed recipes. Airtimes for the episode are: February 07, 2007 9:00 PM ET/PT; February 08, 2007 12:00 AM ET/PT; February 10, 2007 2:00 PM ET/PT; and February 11, 2007 8:00 AM ET/PT.

I guess it's time to make a confession. I don't like chocolate. They should kick me out of the girl club. I know!

[Photo from morgueFile]

The Rachael Ray Home Collection

Just when we thought Rachael Ray couldn't put her name on one more product, she surprises us with a foray into the world of home textiles, according to RetailNet. It reports that Rachael will debut the Rachael Ray Home Collection on February 12 during an industry event called Domestics Week in New York. Rachael is teaming up with a textiles company called WestPoint Stevens, which has also introduced a Betsey Johnson collection of bedding this year.

I think this jump into home products makes perfect sense. Every Day with Rachael Ray has many lifestyle magazine elements instead of just being about food, so it goes along with what she's already doing. Plus, there's definitely room in the market for people whose home decor style is more "Rachael Ray" than "Martha Stewart." Oddly enough, the company Rachael is teaming up with also produces Martha Stewart's Everyday line of home products. Now, isn't that special?

[Photo from Every Day with Rachael Ray]

It's a Keeper: Turbo Classics Menu

When I have friends over for dinner for the first time, I just take all the thinking out of it and make Rachael Ray's Pesto Torta and her Turbo Classics menu: Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon, Pesto Mashed Potatoes and Sweet and Bitter Greens Salad with Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Dressing. You can find all these recipes in Cooking 'Round the Clock.

We started with the Pesto Torta. This really couldn't be any easier and I've never met a guest that didn't like it. Next time I make it, I think I will cut the recipe in half, since I think it would look prettier that way with the dish I use to make it. I just serve it with Triscuits and sometimes a sliced baguette. Rachael's recipe is here, but you can see my tweaks over at the Sacramento Food Group, since this is what I brought to the Sacramento Food Bloggers Potluck.

Next on the menu is the Roasted Garlic Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary. I like serving this when I have friends over because you just throw the darn thing in the oven. This cuts down on the necessity of multi-tasking while cooking, chatting and drinking a glass of wine all at the same time. Plus, everyone seems to like the flavors here: garlic, rosemary, lemon and white wine. The only scary part is making sure that the chicken is fully cooked. That's my husband's job. He says he can just feel how firm it is in order to tell it's cooked through. Sounds like magic to me.

Also on the menu was Sweet and Bitter Greens Salad with Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Dressing. I tweak the salad a bit, since (a) I don't like romaine and (b) they never have watercress in my grocery store. I still use the endive, but with organic mixed greens instead. If you make sure that your guests like blue cheese, then you can be pretty sure they'll like gorgonzola. The combination of walnuts, pears and gorgonzola is just divine. Plus, it really makes you look like a fancy chef when you bring it to the table.

If I could have taken a good picture of the Pesto Smashed Potatoes, I would have. They ended up more brown than green, which simply didn't look appetizing when photographed. But the flavor was familiar enough to be comfortable, but with a bit of flair to make it interesting. If I make this menu just for us, I omit the mashed potatoes, due to our strict adherence to Phase 4 of the South Beach Diet. Tee hee.

Give this menu a try next time you have a dinner party!

Quick Meal Tips from Rachael Ray

The Reno Gazette-Journal recently devoted its food section to quick dinners, so of course they had to include Rachael Ray. The Gazette-Journal's Johnathan L. Wright featured some of the tips from Express Lane Meals on how to shorten your cooking time for many common tasks:

• "Stock up on basics like skinless, boneless chicken breasts when they're on sale. Place extra breasts in small freezer bags with a splash of water and pound them into cutlets for go-to meals in single or multiple servings."
• "Wash and dry greens, herbs and vegetables, then place them in plastic storage bags to save time later on rinsing."
• "Keep a list of staple foods you use most often. Shop for staples every two weeks so that during the work week, you can Express-Lane it every couple of nights with only fresh meat, produce or fill-in ingredients."
• "Hearty sandwiches . . . can make a meal. Skip the chips and serve the sandwiches with a quick salad made by mixing leftover cooked vegetables with a can of drained black beans, extra-virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lime juice, cumin and salt."

I'd add a couple things, like use a garbage bowl and keep your knives sharp. Get a big cutting board and place it right next to the stove, so you can chop and drop things as you go. Anyone have any others to add?

This Week on Rachael Ray's Talk Show

Here are the highlights from Rachael Ray's talk show this week. For the recipes from this week's shows, check out the shopping list and the recipe archive. The recipes are listed by category in the order they appear on the show.

Monday: Rachael greets Heroes' Ali Larter and starts her hunt for the worst kitchen in America. Also, tiops on how to spice up your mariage and a recipe for meatball heroes.

Tuesday: Katharine McPhee performs her new single and talks about her struggle with bulimia. Learn about how Good Housekeeping decides which products are the best of and the hunt for the worst kitchen America continues. Also, Rachael and Katharine make a yummy looking salad.

Wednesday: Learn about how Renee, the weight loss challenge participant is doing and learn how to avoid the pitfalls that step-parents usually encounter. Rachael also gives a recipe for franken stuffers, which are a twist on pigs in a blanket.

Thursday: Rachael talks to parents about whether they should let their teenagers get plastic surgery. Mena Suvari stops by to talk about her new movie, Factory Girl. Rachael also shows us a recipe for 15-minute skillet tamale pie.

Friday: The finale of the Worst Kitchen in America series and how to redo your kitchen on a budget. Dr. Manny returns to talk about what behavior is normal and which is cause for concern. Also, Rachael revamps a classic chicken recipe with world flavors.

Updates: Want some of those Simply Divine Brownies that were the snack of the day last week. Find out more about them here. You can also learn more about that website (IDoNowIDont.com) here you can sell engagement rings here.

March Issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray

I'm telling you, if you don't have a subscription to Every Day with Rachael Ray, you are missing out! I think it's worth buying just for the fact that every recipe has a picture, which is perfect for cooking-skill-challenged people like me. Here's what's in the March issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray (where has 2007 gone?).

In my favorite feature, On Hand, we get recipes for kids that can be made by adding just five ingredients to the Every Day Kitchen, including Corn Cakes with Apples and Sausage, Chicken Pasta and Pizza Pockets. The equipment feature, Well Equipped, studies pepper mills while the Have Your Way With feature check out out four recipes for leeks.

The 30-Minute Meals section of the magazine offers recipes for for St. Paddy's Corned Beef and Cabbage Stoup, Sweet Red Chowder with Leek, Corn and Crab, Beet Risotto with Roasted Asparagus and Ricotta Salata, and Turkey Saltimbocca with Honey Polenta and Kale. Rachael also shares a menu for a birthday dinner for her sister. In the No-Recipe Zone we learn to make Chicken Parmesan Subs.

The Burger of the Month for March is Cordon Croquettes, which doesn't exactly look like a burger to me, except I guess the batter on the outside takes the place of a bun?

In the entertaining section, Get Together, Rachael hosts a poker party and visits a Boston-area pub owner for "an authentic Irish feast" that includes Brown Bread with Smoked Salmon, Apple and Watercress Salad, Shepherd's Pie and Irish Cream Rice Pudding. Also, learn how to set a gorgeous table with items from the dollar store and learn three new twists on a Bloody Mary.

From the world of travel, Go Away takes us to the great outdoors of Los Angeles, a political insider's tour of Washington, D.C. and tells us what gear we need for a trip to San Antonio.

Waiting for my issue to arrive now!

Rachael Ray Roundup

I usually like to take time on Fridays to tell you any behind-the-scenes stuff about Everything Rachael Ray, but, um, there isn't any this week. It was pretty quiet here in the ERR offices (aka "my living room"). Maybe because my husband and I are trying to plan our first trip to Europe? Or maybe it's because some of the craziness surrounding Rachael Ray has eased up a little bit.

Have you been watching her talk show? If it was a bit much for you at first, I really recommend watching it again. She's hitting her stride. I read one comment saying that she's just like your Italian Aunt, boisterous and talking with her hands while cooking. That seemed like an apt description to me.

Here's the Rachael Ray news and blog posts I found this week in the Blogosphere. If you write a post about Rachael Ray, make sure you e-mail me so I can include it in the Roundup!

• Nicky at Deglazing offers several Rachael Ray recipes among her list of suggestions for Super Bowl parties.
• Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic at Chow's The Grinder discusses food brand placement on TV and notes that the Food Network (and Rachael Ray) don't participate.
• Susan at Susan's Spa gives her thoughts on Get Real Meals.
• Bug n' Belle is a new Rachael Ray fan. I have to agree that Leek-y Chicken is a great dish.
• Yumsugar is running a poll on what your favorite magazine is. When I voted, Every Day with Rachael Ray was running in second behind Cooking Light.
• Ali at Something So Clever included several Rachael Ray recipes in her weekly meal plan, including Chicken Lo Mein, Chorizo Stuffed Bread Bites/Keilbasa & BBQ Sauce Stuffed Bread Bites and Chicken Parm Meatball Subs. Sounds like a good week to me!
• Recipe Voice offers a review of Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds.
• Erin at Erin Cooks is not a fan of the name "Double Chicken Dumpling Stoup," but the recipe was a hit.
• Celebrity Dog Watcher has an idea for a custom stamp: Rachael and Isaboo.
• Marisa Sgroi of St. Joseph University's The Hawk newspaper lists Rachael Ray in the Hot category (as opposed to the Not category) because Rachael's recipes mean she's "no longer forced to hit up the Wendy's drive-thru" when she leaves campus late.
• This week, TeamSugar asks who you would rather have make you dinner - Martha or Rachael. Martha was winning when I voted.
• Vera at I'm Not Obsessed has some pictures from Mena Suvari's visit to Rachael Ray's talk show, while Hot Celebs Home has pictures of Katharine McPhee performing on the show.

Appearance Alert: The Heart Truth Fashion Show

Rachael Ray will be making an appearance tomorrow at 11 a.m. as a model in the 2007 Heart Truth Red Dress Fashion Show. The event is being held in the tent at the Sixth Street entrance to Bryant Park as part of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Heart Truth is an organization aimed at increasing awareness of women's heart disease.

The fashion show coincides with National Wear Red Day, which is also tomorrow. The show will feature red dresses worn by many stars including Rachael Ray, Angela Bassett, Billie Jean King, Danica Patrick, Katharine McPhee, Kelly Ripa, Kerry Washington, Paula Zahn, Phylicia Rashad, Rihanna and others. Their dresses will be designed by many top designers including Betsey Johnson, Calvin Klein, Carmen Marc Valvo, Carolina Herrera, Daniel Swarovski, Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Jovovich-Hawk, Kenneth Cole, Michael Kors, Narciso Rodriguez, Nicole Miller, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang and more.

[Source]

Update: Here's Rachael in her red dress from the Heart Truth Fashion Show:

I Hate Mayo Club

Rachael Ray's talk show recently featured a member of the I Hate Mayonnaise Club. In case you haven't heard this about Rachael - she is a die hard mayo hater. I'm the same way - just seeing mayo makes me cringe and there's none in our house because I really can't even pick up the jar in the store. Icky.

Due to her mayo hatred, Rachael has created several mayo-free dressings. She shared one for spicy salsa salad dressing on her talk show. It couldn't be easier to make: throw a bunch of lime juice, a little EVOO, a pinch of salt and some pepper in a jar with just a bit of salsa in it (this is one of those bottom of the jar recipes). The salsa dressing can be used on shredded cabbage and sliced fresh red bell pepper to substitute for cole slaw. She also poured it over guacamole salad (chunks of avocado, cilantro, red onion, tomato and chopped jalapeno) and put some tortilla chips on top.

You can see video of these recipes here in my new favorite feature of Rachael's talk show website - the food flix gallery.

Rachael also makes lots of unique potato salad recipes that are mayo free. Here are a couple for my fellow mayo haters or for anyone who might want to lighten up a recipe that is usually full of yucky extra mayo calories:

• Bacon and Leek Warm Potato Salad
• Grilled Potato Salad
• Mom's Potato Watercress Salad
• Chipotle Potato Salad
• Pepper and Potato Salad

Man, just writing "mayo" over and over again in this post was tough for me....