Watching Rachael Ray

Today, Rachael takes us all backstage on one of the biggest nights of her life - Café Uno Notte. I’m totally distracted by those big ass earrings… and the fact that her shirt is tucked in and the pants a little tight. But anyway…

She brought together five teenage chefs and President Clinton together to help her with the first annual charity event for Yum-O! and to launch the new Yum-O! Cookbook. Pretty daunting task for these kiddos, who not only cooked, but created their own menu. Rachael pulled them from all over the country to New York two days before the event.

Rhianna 17 says that she likes to make people happy with food. She was picked on in Jr High for being “the fat girl” and learning to cook helped chang her life. She wants to be a culinary teacher. Brett, 18, has been cooking since he was 11 and he loves to cook for his family, and teaches his younger brother helping him to open up to Brett and enjoy the meal at the end of the day. He’s also an assistant at the Young Chef’s Acadamy. 17 year old Aria is called the cake girl. She started her wedding cake business at 13, and is pleased to clear up misconceptions of how young she is by brandishing her portfolio. Bernie, 16, has been cooking as long as he can remember as his dad and grandparents are all professional chefs, and he wants to open his own restaurant. Chloe, 15, says she’s like an artist, plates are her canvas. She loves watching people discover new flavors - seeing their face as the taste explodes in their mouth is worth it.

They thought they were coming to New York to help Rachael cook something, but they discover upon arrival just who they will be cooking for - they’re the chefs, and will be running the kitchen with the help of Iron Chef Michael Symon.

With 24 hours to prep and create a menu,, Michael Symon takes them on a shopping trip through New York Markets and discover some of his favorite places to taste and work together to pull off a menu worthy of a president. Aria is tagged to make a big fancy cake, and Michael pairs up those with a little less experience with the more confident ones to even out the nerves a bit.

With 8 hours to prep and cook, they check over the finalized menu, and everyone gets their own Chef coats. The menu sounds fantastically yummy. They’re off and cooking, and the nerves are high, as they hope they don’t cut their fingers off, or stick to the meatballs, though Symon doesn’t leave them alone, there to help wherever he’s needed. Then disaster strikes with Aria and the cake! The third layer crumbled as she tried to place it on the cake, so now she has to go with two tiers instead of three, and she is struggling to not cry and says it’ll be fine, it’s all good. Hang in there Aria!

Out in the dining room, KC is on hand to take over the decorating of the entire tent, including framed pictures of the young chefs highlighted on the walls along with a chalkboard filled with their sayings. She shoes off to the kids, and they’re thrilled with the look and the way they’re showcased. Everyone gets an Enviro-Tote with Yum-o! on it too. She shows Rachael around when she arrives, and then President Clinton arrives for a tour of the kitchen as well.

The kids are shocked and amazed to meet President Clinton in the kitchen. Brett says he almost blacked out, but said some great things - to have someone that big give you the time of day is amazing. Rachael and President Clinton are shocked at how good the food looks - in a good way. President Clinton talked about their families with them, and Rhiannon says it’s mindblowing to think that someone like him thinks of her as a role model.

The dinner went off fantastically, and when it came time for desert - Aria’s cake - Rachael surprises each of the kids with a $10,000 scholarship toward their first year of collage, no matter where they want to go. Yum-o! wasn’t forgotten either, as they raised $200,000 for the charity during an auction. Everyone agrees that it was a fantastic evening, and it was topped off by Carly Simon giving a little mini concert - bringing many of the folks to tears. (..I don’t get it. But then again, I’m not a fan. Heh.)

To finish off the show, it’s dinner time, with Ratatouille.

Rachael joins us from the elevator today, and she’s in another of the gathered shirts that fit her so well - she should totally wear these every day. (…is it just me or is she doing just that this week? *L*) They’re really flattering. Anyway! She welcomes Elizabeth Hasslebeck to the show, who’s got a shirt/dress thing that’s… awful. Over leggings. Or something. Sure, she’s a stick, but ugh, ugly. ANYWAY! She declares that the ladies of the View watch her every day, and there is mutual butt kissing and congrats for awards and shows, etc.

They talk about the View, of course, and Elizabeth says it’s like being a relaxed family, and it’s a special thing to be able to sit and talk to your friends about everything. She says that they do talk about the Hot Topics before hand, but if the energy is really there, they stop and save it for the show. It’s never as good unless they save it for the table. Rachael says sometimes she’s scared of them when they get heated, and Elizabeth says yeah, it makes her nervous sometimes because everyone looks at her like she’s crazy, but she never gives up. She admits that she can’t remember any time when the ladies changed her mind about something.

She’s been on the view for Five years now - she says “Long enough to get knocked up twice!” She is thinking of having more kids, but right now she’s got to learn to handle the two she has. She doesn’t want to be outnumbered yet, because right now she fears her three year old daughter who runs the house. She’s thrilled when Rachael explains how to make the perfect hard boiled egg.

And Elizabeth’s favorite things? Her running shoes, and baby wipes - the latter of which I TOTALLY agree with. Baby wipes are good for EVERYTHING - even cleaning glass! Love them! The third is her paint chip wheel. Oookay… She also gives some parenting advice behind the scenes, if you’re of a mind to care. Heh.

I’m kind of disappointed that there was no mention of Rosie, since she was just on the show last week and talked about the View as well. Sigh. Way to softball the interview, Rach. (For the record - I didn’t even like Elisabeth when she was on Survivor. But that’s just me. Heh.)

Next up, further proof that today’s show is just not for me. I own two pairs of shoes - three if you count the winter boots my daughter wears more then I do. I don’t get the shoe fixation of women, but whatever, I’m no fashion diva on a good day. Heh. Susan Discorfano-Caiafa, however, has so many shoes that they live in every single closet in her house - even in her teenage son’s room. So Gretta, of course, takes her to Zappos.com Warehouse, and send her on a shopping spree. She just had to pay for her new shoes by giving 10 or more pairs per new pair to charity. Susan got some fantastic new shoes (I can appreciate a sassy shoe - on other gals!) and thinned her collection from over 350 pairs down to 180 or so. Still a lot. But whatever.

You can also go and pledge to donate a pair of your shoes to Soles 4 Souls, and enter to win a chance for a qvc gift card to get a pair of shoes from Gretta’s new collection.

Then Jennifer, a librarian at Eagle’s Landing High School in GA, says that she’s the Deen Brothers’ biggest fan. She’d love to have a signed cookbook for her school’s library - so Rachael brings he to New York to get said cookbook, from Jamie and Bobby Deen themselves! They donate all of their cookbooks to Jennifer’s library. The Deen boys then join Rachael in the kitchen to make Pimiento Cheese & Celery Sticks which is one of the first recipes they did when starting the business out of the house with Mama Deen. Click here to win a copy of their new cookbook. The boys also brought Rachael a fluffy robe with matching slippers. Awwww.

And hey - what’s for dinner? Thai-licious Turkey Sliders.

We started with a recap of last weeks competition, as we all know any reality competition thrives on the recaps. From start to Chrissey’s leaving, and a reminder of the prizes at stake - its finally time for this weeks Competition to begin!

The first challenge is Meatball Makin! Everyone has the same ingredients, and they have 90 seconds to mix and make golf ball sized meatballs. The most at the end gets the advantage. The ladies take of their rings, one puts it in Pete’s pocket and they admit his nickname is “Sweet Pete.” Awww. Hey, can they cook? Prove it! The stopwatch goes off, and they start mixing and rolling - the meatballs are flyin! (Ok, not really, but how exciting can a recap of meatball making be? I know, right?)

The winner is Pete with 15 meatballs! Whoo! (… oh hush.)

Next up is part two of the challenge. Rachael mentions her express meal concept. Each of the sacks of groceries has 6 ingredients, and they can use 4 from the pantry. They’ll have a time limit of 30 minutes. Rachael names off all the ingredients that are in the bags, and Pete, as the winner, gets to dole them out as he sees fit.

Angie: smoked ham, bell peppers, frozen corn, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, low fat sour cream
Pat: turkey bacon, ground turkey, asparagus, artichoke hearts, instant polenta, hearts of romaine
Pete: fresh pork sausage, vine-ripe tomatoes, snow peas, couscous, spinach, Parmesan Reggiano
Suzanne: spicy smoked sausage, mushrooms, green beans, yellow squash, whole wheat penne, radiccio.

The celebrity chef for this week is Ming Tsai. Ming tells the contestants that he’s looking for originality, presentation, and balance of flavor and nutrition. Rachael asks them if they can cook - hits the stop watch and they’re off to the kitchen to start the challenge.

While they are busy, Ty Pennington is on hand at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show conference in Chicago where he checks out the latest and greatest in new appliances, showers and baths. From refrigerators that dole out shaved ice, to naked people in showers “Wow, this is awkward!” There’s baths that turn into steam saunas, tubs that automatically cut off before overflowing, whole chickens that cook in 10 minutes in a new oven, a shower that tans you and fights wrinkles while you get clean and colors everywhere.

Ty joins Rachael in the studio next, and shows off some new gadgets in person. He admits that he tried to smuggle the fridge, but it wouldn’t fit in his bag. Heh. He does show off some cool stuff though: a set of drawers that opens by itself, just using a knee, foot, fingertip, whatever, and it closes just as easily. He has new recyclable counter tops that he loves to use, and bamboo sinks that are beautiful. There’s also a pizza oven that sits on a counter top, that mimics those used in the big kitchens. Nice! I want one of them!

They talk then about Extreme Home Makeover, and how it’s changed Ty as a person - he jokes he was a terrible child, so that worked out. He also talks about his magazine, and how he is something of a control freak, but loves to bring his friends and family in - even if it means pretending it’s Christmas in August.

He shows off some of his new furniture line - including pieces that include docs for all those things we carry in our pockets - cell phones, ipods, and such. He’s all about the little details to add function while still looking pretty. A lot of them come in mix and match forms, so you can design your own take on the piece as a whole and create your own look. Nice!

Time to check in with our kids in the kitchen! Pete is making Spinach Salad with shallot and orange dressing, with snow peas and cous-cous cake with sausage. Pat made a turkey burger with a sauce - a fork and knife burger. Hers is already done! Angie makes a quick Sunday Supper, and Suzanne did a ragout over penne, and a tri-colored salad. No one is even breaking a sweat and Rachael teases them about the judge being fantastic chef and they all admit they’re worried. Everyone finishes with time to spare - now it’s time for the judging.

While Mink is making his decision, we’re off to the kitchen where Rachael makes dinner - Ham and Cheese Mac.

Then - it is judgment time for the Hey Can You Cook contestants. Cue Spooky Lighting! Chef Ming told Angie that the Sunday Supper idea was nice, the texture differences were great, but the sweet potatoes were crunchy and needed some seasoning. She’s in the bottom two. Suzanne is told there was a lot of positives - it was hot, well seasoned, the pasta was al dente, the only one to do two dishes, but the portions were huge and he says it is an American problem. People are just eating too much, but Rachael points out that aside from that she made healthy choices and Ming agrees and declares her today’s winner.

Sweet Pete is up next, and Ming says it was the healthiest dish by far, and the presentation was the best - he might be working at Blue Gingers soon. However, the Couscous was dry and needed seasoning. He’s still in the competition and takes his seat at the table.

Which means Pat is also in the bottom two. Ming loved the sauce, says it was well seasoned and beautiful, as was the salad that had great balance. But the Turkey burger - she didn’t try it, which is mistake number one. It was cooked through.. and through and through and through. The problem was the polenta, and it absorbed all the moisture from the turkey so it was very dry. And because of it, Pat is the one to be eliminated this week, as Angie takes her seat at the table.

That’s it for today - we’ll see ya when we see ya!

Monday
Hey, Can You Cook?!

It’s week two of Rachael’s competition, and the battle to survive is heating up! See who the celebrity chef deciding their fate will be, and which aspiring cook will have to head home. Then, are you desperate for a kitchen facelift? Extreme Home Makeover’s Ty Pennington shows you the latest gadgets and appliances in futuristic kitchens that you won’t believe!

Tuesday
Elisabeth Hasselbeck

The View co-host and mother of two is sharing her top three “mommy must-haves” and her secrets for staying slim. Plus, do you think your shoe addiction is out of control? A woman with 358 pairs needs major help kicking the habit … so why is Gretta enticing her with her latest creation? Then, the Deen brothers fulfill the dreams of their number one fan, and Rachael has a new spin on mini-burgers.

Wednesday
President Bill Clinton

You’re invited to a star-studded gala for Yum-o! See what happens when five aspiring teenage chefs get the experience of a lifetime as they prepare dinner for celebrities including President Bill Clinton, Larry King and Mariska Hargitay! Then, get a rare musical performance from Carly Simon during this incredible one-night only event.

Thursday
Valerie’s Mother’s Day Surprise

Rachael pulls off the ultimate Mother’s Day surprise to an unsuspecting Valerie Bertinelli! See what leaves her in tears, and get her tips for planning the perfect celebration on the special day. Then, you know him as Ugly Betty’s loveable playboy, but you won’t believe Eric Mabius’ real-life love story! And for dinner, it’s Rach’s Drunken Spaghetti - a simple Italian dinner with a huge wow factor.

Friday
Patrick Dempsey

It’s the moment we’ve been McDreaming about all season … Grey’s Anatomy’s Patrick Dempsey is coming to the studio! He’s a hot doc, a new dad … but see if he can he handle a round of a new game called “Ray’s Anatomy.” Then, the Jonas Brothers are tearing up the music charts, and now they’re sharing a special Mother’s Day message for the woman they love.

Today’s the day - Rosie Day! Rosie O’Donnell is taking over the Rachael Ray show for a full hour of fun and confetti! Yay! They even start off the show like Rosie used to do on her daytime show, with an Audience introduction, and they even have John McD on hand to play the piano, and a curtain on stage - she loves the curtain, and Rachael was uber excited to be introduced on the show. Rachael looks lovely today - I like the shirt she’s wearing and think she looks fabulous.

She chats with John McD, and he says he’s been doing a lot of musicals and is a new daddy - and shows the picture of his baby - Beaureguard, a 5 month old Boston Terrier. CUTE! They joke about him being a deduction on his taxes. Beau can come over and play with Boo anytime! John plays her over as they spin their way to the kitchen. Cue the sizzle reel!

The Queen of Nice is in the house! She joins Rachael at the Kitchen table for a sit down, and the crowd goes wild! Rosie misses the ‘hug’ of an excited audience and jokes that after the show she made her kids do the standing applause every time she entered the room for 6 months. She says if you need a celebrity fix, hit the mall - you’re loved there! Rachael asks about some of her guests on her show - who were some of her not so faves? Apparently Robert DeNiro doesn’t like to speak, and Keanu Reeves was the same way. She had to lean over and said “Hate to tell you this, it IS a talk show - you have to talk!”

The one guest she wishes she could have gotten was Johnny Carson, though she appreciated his ability to step out of the limelight and live his life privately after fame. Rosie Jokes “It’s hard for most people - it’s like a drug. I’m going to go home and life with my kids and… is Rachael Ray free, because I’m available!” She loved the familiarity that she had with her fans with the talk show, and how she’d have so many conversations about things in the store.

They talk about her kids not watching TV - apparently the school they send them too has a no media policy. The system believes that the amount of media and images we’re pummeled with deadens the ability to learn. They have a movie night every week, and it’s part of why she wrote the book Crafty U - people kept asking what she did with her kids, and that book is the answer. Rachael says she’s crafting challenge, and Rosie admits to being cooking challenged. She made a grilled cheese for Vivi (5) and she exclaimed “I didn’t know you could COOK mama!”

The point of the book is that you don’t HAVE to be good at it - it doesn’t matter. You’re building memories, nothing else, so it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t look like what is in the book - go to her website and see what they REALLY look like. All that it is, is going to the craft store, spending 10 bucks and making what you can from it.

They talk about the View, and Rosie said she loved the experience right up until the last three weeks. What she learned, though, was it is always better when she’s the boss. She didn’t get to choose topics, and “then there was that little republican and whatever…” She has nothing but respect for Barbara Walters, and considers her a feminist hero. They did a little mother/daughter dance, where she’d get her feelings hurt and Barbara would be “why is she crying?!”

She talks about visiting Martha Stewart in prison, and how she’s really just one of us - What did she miss most in prison, Martha? “the flavor of lemon” - it’s not an act! Funny stuff!

There was SO MUCH that went on in this show - if you love Rosie even a bit you should hit up the official site and see all of the behind the scenes clips, and show clips! They even did some crafting, with a project from the book, and finished off with a song and dance number! CONFETTI!!

All of that and DINNER TOO! Go Greek Fried Fish with Roasted Veggie Greek Salad.

We’re back to Rachael’s obsession with Dancing with the Stars with today’s first guest - Carrie Ann Inaba! How cute is Carrie Ann? They talk about how great this season is, but Carrie Ann refuses to say who she thinks will win. She only admits that Kristi Yamaguchi has set the bar so high that it’s hard for everyone else. Because of that, though, the growth of the teams is increasing so fast that it’s very exciting! Of course - it’s always exciting, but yeah!

Since DWTS is all about the dancing couples, they showed some pictures that we don’t get to see very often of Carrie Ann’s former life (does anyone else hear the judging announcers voice say her name every time I type it? Just me? ok then…). She, back in the day, danced with Madonna’s crew - and was even bald! “Everyone thinks Brittney shaved her head first - but I did! And? They all think she was the first to kiss Madonna on stage? I got to kiss her every night!” Rachael asked how it was, and Carrie Ann gives Madonna Kisses a TEN! Like there was any doubt…

Carrie Ann doesn’t actually practice her reactions, but in her little black book that she takes notes in, she has a list of 100 adjectives that she says before every show so that she has them available for her reactions since it moves so quickly. She says that when she’s shopping for shoes she gets that tap on the shoulder where people are demanding to know why she gave someone a bad score. She says even if they tell her off, she gets giggly about it, and likes it. It keeps her in check too, because it’s just opinions and they can help her see things in a different way.

Next up - some fun, Dancing with the Staff! They videotaped the staff dancing at a recent staff party, and Carrie Ann gets to judge their moves. Jason’s up first, and gets a 7 with his bouncy style, shoulder wipe and pulling the rope. Carrie Ann called him spunky and cute and reminded her of back in the day as a Fly Girl.

Hallie and Steff net themselves a 9 for having actual chorography - that they busted out in just 15 minutes. Carrie Ann is giggly and impressed with what they did in that time.

Doan is up next with a very white boy routine that made me laugh out loud - he busted out some pushups and a floor spin and for pure entertainment, Carrie Ann gave him a 10 and the trophy, calling him a bad mamajamma like she never seen.

Next up, it’s Bear Grylls, of Man vs. Wild. My kids LOVE that show - I can’t watch it, too many creepy crawlies. He’s actually a very shy guy, seeing out of place as he joines Rachael on the couch to talk. She says no one could pay her enough - and I agree! He says it’s kind of what he’s done all his life - he started doing such stunts when he was a kid and was “quite difficult” for his parents. He loves it - says part of him spends a lot of time cold, wet, scared, but he gets home and he loves it all - he says it’s a priveledge. Rachael isn’t sold on the deal and wonders how his wife kisses him after he drank his own urine. He admits that he doesn’t tell his wife the details - else he wouldn’t be let back in the home, let alone the bed!

He says his kids are somewhat adventurous as well, and he tried to repress it a little bit, but it’s irrepressible. He tells them no, you have to have a proper job! Bear admits that he’s quite scared of something - big cities, and interviews. Rachael laughs “You eat bugs, and I’m scary?!”

Rachael puts him to the test with some ‘floor of the minivan’ findings. He even gets her to much on an old French fry - though she isn’t the most willing. He also jokes that the melted chocolate in the jean pocket isn’t really chocolate…

He ends the segment by giving some tips for women surviving with some things that we have on hand in our purses. The edge of a credit card can double as a knife to cut food, use a tampon as kindling to start a fire, and your bra can be used to filter drinking water - better then a dirty sock, right? He demonstrates the bra technique, and admits that it tastes a lot better then using his sock!

My man Colby’s in the house next with some super nifty summer products:

Blue Lizard Sunscreen - stronger then US sunblock, and the bottle changes colors to let you know when you’ve been out in the sun too long!

Top Tag Pet ID - it’s a little usb tag that has all your information stored, so can be plugged into the computer to get all the instructions for your dog for dog sitters, or boarders, kennels, vets or even if you lose your pet - they can find all the info right in the tag.

Oakley Split Thump MP3 Sunglasses - cool shades with your tunes and headphones built right in. My son wants these REALLY BAD…

Davis Key Buoy - a little key fob that has a buoy built in, and if you drop your keys in the lake as your wake boarding, it triggers the buoy and they float to the top of the water so you can find them again - perfect for people who love water sports, and hate losing their keys!

Hey, what’s for dinner? Sausage and Onion Kabobs on Roasted Pepper Salad.