Watching Rachael Ray

So, all alone Saturday night, with the kids off at Auntie’s, I decided I’d give one of those recipe’s listed last week’s Bare Pantry Recipe’s a try. They’re supposed to be easy, fast, and stress free, AND I had most everything, or could fake it, so why not - right? Right.

I considered the Aglio Olio, but then my friend, Jamie, told me that she learned the meaning of the word Puttanesca in her Italian class this week. A pasta dish is named Puttanesca because it is easy - as apparently the word “puttana” is Italian for, um, let’s just say, a “Woman of the Night.” Now how could I POSSIBLY resist making Tuna Puttanesca Sauce after learning THAT? Exactly. I couldn’t.

The recipe is rediculously easy. All told putting it together, from ingredients to plate, took a whole 15-20 minutes or so. I didn’t have (or like) olives, or capers, so I just ignored those. I topped it off with some grated cheese, with some toast on the side.

My first comment to my above friend was “Holy cow - anchovies DO melt away!” though I never got the ’salted nuts’ smell/taste that she promises. The end product was EXTREMELY tasty, though I think the tuna + anchovies gave it an overwhemling fishy taste. Not bad, just fishy. Of course, being Alaskan, I’m kinda used to the whole fishy thing, so it wasn’t offputting. It’s extremely filling, and yummy, and it put me into a delightful food coma where I sat around, belched loudly (because I’m all class, you know) and declared myself full to the gills. (HA! See? More fish humor!)

And I didn’t have to share a single bite with the kids. Aaaaaaaah, now THAT is awesome!

Rachael, Ray, Rachael Ray, 30 minute meals, RR, TV, a day, Food Network, Everyday

Tonight, we decided to make the Meatza Pizza burgers that we found in Rachael Ray Top 30 30-Minute Meals, Kid Food. I included the recipe after the ‘more’ tag for those who want it.

Prep for this was ridiculously easy, and I don’t think it qualifies as a 30 minute meal, as the burgers can be pulled together in about 20 or so. I did use ground chorizo sausage mixed up with the ground beef, and dried spices (all but the minced garlic I had on hand. Jarred.) - but fresh wouldn’t have taken much longer at all.

We did discover a problem, however. Our burgers fell apart before we could flip them. Not sure if it’s because of the moistness of the sausage, or what, but they started to crumble. So! Being the industrious mom that I am, we just let them crumble, and tossed the mixture into the pot with our Rice a Roni cheesy rice we were having with the burgers. All mixed up together it was like a psuedo hamburger helper with a TON of taste.

In fact, I’ve never seen my 8 year old clean her plate so fast! It also got my nephews and niece’s seal of approval!

So - Meatza Pizza burgers (turned crumble with Cheesy Rice a Roni)? A total win all the way around! And now that they’re back outside playing, I can plop the rest of the crumbled burger/chorizo mixture onto a bun and munch away happily. Ha!

(Sorry no picture - the kids wanted to go watch a ball game, so we were in a hurry and I forgot.)

(more…)

The key to growth in any enterprise is to diversify - and no one knows that better then Warner Music and Scripps - the parent company of HGTV and the Food Network. They’ve recently struck a deal for distribution that will allow Warner to market and distribute DVDs of popular TV programs - such as 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray!

The deal is just one of several recent efforts by Warner and other music labels to diversify. With CD sales plummeting another 20% in the first quarter, executives are realizing that the traditional model of music sales is dead. In response, major players are trying to expand into other forms of entertainment such as film and television, while multiplying their digital platforms and getting more aggressive in advertising, merchandising and endorsement deals for signed performers.

For example, Sony BMG Music Entertainment last year started marketing music compilations selected by Rachael Ray. Executives now start developing revenue streams beyond music sales before they even sign an artist.

Folks just can’t get enough R’n'R!

I had planned on another cooking experiment this weekend, but my mom and I are headed out of town for a few days for a local-ish Writers’ Conference in Homer where we’ll get to see Amy Tan! Cooking will have to wait until I return!

I’ll be posting as usual from there on Monday and Tuesday! Have a great weekend, all!

Rachael, Ray, Rachael Ray, 30 minute meals, RR, TV, a day, Food Network, Everyday

Desperate to remember that quick and easy pasta recipe on a 30 minute meal from days gone by? Search no more - if you NetFlix, anyway!

Newly released: Rachael Ray’s Fasta Pasta 1.

Bubbly Rachael Ray shares her secrets for making quick, delicious pasta and other Italian fare in this four-episode collection from her show, “30 Minute Meals.” From vodka cream pasta and grilled vegetables to broiled lamb chops and bruschetta, these dishes are ideal for entertaining friends, family or that special someone. Other recipes include gemelli with roasted red pepper sauce, mixed greens with Romano cheese crisps, and tortoni sundaes.

Rachael, Ray, Rachael Ray, 30 minute meals, RR, TV, a day, Food Network, Everyday

No, no, no - I haven’t decided to stalk the Foodie Tycoon, at least not yet. I have found, however, a young family that’s almost halfway through a one-year project; One meal a day, every day, from Rachael Ray’s 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners. They’ve started at the beginning of the book, and have not missed a day. (If something comes up and they cannot cook that night, they have a special guest cook who fills in.) Despite food preferences, an allergy, a toddler who may decide not to eat at all, and a new pregnancy with all the morning sickness and cravings that entails - they’ve made, photographed and reviewed every single meal for 147 days now.

The nice thing about H, L and Baby A, is that they are honest about their opinions. If it was hard to make, if it was bland, if it was another in a line of catastrophes - they admit it with humor and honesty. If it looked awful but tasted fantastic, they admit that too. If it looked just as good as it tasted - it’s 5 stars all the way.

Of course, the big question is… why?

Why this Blog, “One Year Project”? Well, we are extremely fascinated by the cult of the Food Network and the notion of the celebrity chef. Rachael Ray is particularly fascinating as she seems to inspire incredible feelings of love or loathing. The idea that people can watch elaborate meals being prepared on TV all day, then stick a frozen pizza in the oven is somehow peculiar.

Sounds like a plan to me! Be sure to check out H, L and Baby A’s adventures in culinary experimentation at the One Year Project!

And I’ve just ordered a couple RR cookbooks myself. Stay tuned for more of my family’s adventures in RR Cuisine as well!

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Tonight we decided to talked another 30 minute meal. Seen on the May 10th Rachael Ray Show with Craig Ferguson, the girls and I felt like burgers, and chose the ‘manly’ Meat & Potato Burger. We’re meat and potato kinda people, and so this clearly looked like the one! The boy was at a friend’s house, the girl at Softball practice, so that meant the Pup and I would throw together this meal on a bun.

Here are the listed ingredients - and what we added/changed.

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup of heavy cream or half and half
Salt and pepper
2 pounds lean ground sirloin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 small onion, grated
4 poppy seed Kaiser rolls
A couple of tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 bunches watercress, cleaned and trimmed of thick stems

Our changes - We added garlic. Because you cannot have too much garlic. And we grated the onion, a little, then gave up and chopped it. Dried parsley, as we have few fresh choices up here, and there were no poppy seed rolls, so we used cheese/onion Kaiser rolls instead.

It took 45 minutes to make, as again - I had an 8 year old helper. Who clearly LOVED helping…

Everything was easy to do, and it came together pretty quickly. However, apparently, I have spoiled my kids, as the burgers just “Weren’t as good as your meatloaf burgers, mom. These are ok? But done with YOUR recipe for burgers would have been better.”

[Remind me to double their allowances. Heh.]

So, our general review is that the recipe is alright, but could have been better. Definitely add something to the potatoes to give it more flavor - cheese, perhaps, a little more salt/pepper, something. Rating 1-5, it received a solid 3 across the board and a request not to bother with watercress again, and to use my own burger stuff.

It was, however, very filling. Hours later I’m still full.

E! THS showcased Rachael Ray as promised on Saturday night. While E! THS is known for snarky and less the favorable portrayals of stars (and receiving criticism lately for going ’soft’), I felt the show was balanced and true to what we know of Rachael Ray.

They interviewed her teachers and councilors from High School, her mother and sister, as well as former employers, her crew and even l Roker - who got her the big break on the Today Show after seeing her on a spot during her local news.

From her start in her parents restaurants, to dishwasher at Howard Johnson’s to working (by choice!) from 5:45am-midnight at Agatha and Valentina.

Her first commercial for the restaurant featured Rachael behind the omlet station, and Joe Desantis says “She was great right off the bat. You could just see it, she had a presence.”

I loved what her teachers said of Rachael in High School. She was a cheerleader and they loved to “throw her around” as she was “game for anything.” And her French teacher proved that Rachael Ray and I have something in common: “I could always tell when she was participating. I could hear her voice… sometimes above all the others.” Ha! I gave my French teacher a set of chattering teeth the day I graduated. He said he’d never gotten a more appropriate reminder of a student before. Awesome.

Rachael worked her way up through the gormet food section of Macy’s after dropping out of Pace college, but parted ways when they wanted her to become a buyer for accessories - but she wanted to work in food, she loved the marketplace, and all the ins and outs of the service and food industry.

In 1993, she found herself at Agatha and Valentina, where she took her cues from her Mother’s strength for dealing with customers and the more old fashioned oldtimers who would be rough on a girl:

1. Never ask someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.
2. Understand you aren’t there to be buddies
3. Speak directly and look them in the eye
4. Tell them what you need and never insult them, and
5. Never accept an insult from anyone.

This is a tried and true method for earning respect with all those we work with and for.

After being held up by the same teenage boy twice in the same week, she left NYC and went home to regroup, before getting a job in Albany at Cowan & Lobel which was an hour away. She had to get her drivers license, and tells the story of her first test during which she killed a cat. She did get her license, though and that is where the 30-minute meal concept came to be after polling her customers on why certain things weren’t selling. Naturally, it was a huge success, and she garnered the attention of the local news crew.

It was the beginning of her success, of the Rachael Ray Empire.

Lest you think it was all sunshine and roses and biography background, they also went through her love life, her ex-boyfriends, and the times where she wasn’t sure where her next paycheck was coming from. And, of course, there was the interview with the owner of the Rachael Ray Sucks website community, Misty Ling who can’t handle Rachael’s cut sayings and perky personality.

“Her movements became more exaggerated, she became a cartoon of who she was…. the constant arm movements bother me. Evoo.. if your going to abriveate it, abbreviate it. It’s overkill, enough is enough. All thinks Rachael we make fun of.”

As Rachael herself says “They are perfectly entitled to think so! I don’t need to make the dumplings to feel fulfilled.” And about the tabloids “If that’s the price you have to pay, hey - it’s worth it.”

The show was well worth watching, so catch a replay if you get the chance on one of these dates: Monday, May 7, 11:00a - Wednesday, May 9, 10:00p - Saturday, May 12, 4:00p.

While it probably will be termed as overly positive - I think that is more indicative of the subject, then the spin of the show. Love her or hate her, Rachael Ray is a dynamic, energetic workaholic who gives her everything to each and every project. You can’t fault her for that - especially when we get the benefits of her down to earth, easy-going ways.

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It’s the beginning of the show’s biggest month ever which must not be too difficult, really, as they’ve only been on a season and it’s May Sweeps time - but hey! Who am I to complain! Big guests and loads of food and fun! This week we have:

Monday: The Prom at Enterprise High
After a tornado in Enterprise Alabama, RR goes on location to share the story and create a prom night the students will never forget.

Tuesday: Judge Judy
A glimpse of the real Judge Judy, who’s a softy with her 11 grandkids, and get the two pieces of advice she swears by. Also, two friends wear the same outfit - who wears it better?

Wednesday: “It’s not your Fault your Fat”
Oh the haters will be jumping all over this one! Dr. Manny is back with some surprising reasons you may gain weight even if you are doing everything right. And it’s another Wild Wednesday, with more animals and squeals from Rachael who doesn’t do well with creepy crawlies!

Thursday: Grey’s Anatomy’s Justin Chambers
A behind the scenes peek at TV’s Sexiest Hospital. A father of five, he tells of his perfect date night and how he handles the sexy scenes. And a 4 year old who won’t leave the house without makeup - huh?!

Friday: A Dame of a Mystery Taster
A living legend stops by as Mystery Taster and moves the audience to tears. Also, identical twins who try to put years of friction behind them.

All this and daily What’s for Dinner Recipes! Check out The Rachael Ray Show website for your grocery list, and let’s eat!

Rachael, Ray, Rachael Ray, 30 minute meals, RR, TV, a day, Food Network, Everyday

I got in trouble the other day, for making my first RR recipe without my older daughter there to help. She loves to cook, and she loves Rachael Ray, and naturally she was mad that her younger sister got to help instead. So I remedied that situation tonight, but trying out yet another meal.

After gathering info on what the kids felt like having for dinner, we decided to try the French Dip with Italian Attitude as the whole family adores them, although the general attitude was “We’ll try it, but nothing beats our Auntie’s French Dips!” They knew it would be different, but Rachael Ray had huge shoes to fill if this was going to go over well with MY kids.

A quick trip to the store (I had to go anyway, I was out of my elixir of life - namely, Diet Coke) and the ingredients were gathered. We did, again, make a few substitutions because of where we live and the availability of certain ingredients. And we had to double the recipe, as it was written for 2, and there’s 4 of us.

So! The ingredients and our adjustments:
1 wide baguette
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano - [I] again, too expensive. We used grated Italian Cheese Blend - the kind in the can you shake over spaghetti? Yeah, that stuff.[/I]
1 small onion, chopped
2 large clove garlic, divided, 1 chopped, 1 crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef stock
1 sprig of rosemary leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound sliced roast beef
6 slices provolone cheese
[I]Additions: 2 slices pepper jack cheese for The Girl, and mushrooms. because we like them, darnit.[/I]

We overtoasted the bread a little bit, but it was salvageable. We also added the onions/mushrooms from the sauce to the sandwiches, and also in a cup for dipping.

The biggest problem we had? The sandwiches were too big! We all cut them into smaller pieces so that we could soak them in the sauce, but oh… such a small price to pay! It was FANTASTIC and a BIG hit with the kids. While they ALL agreed that they loved Auntie’s Au Jus sauce better, they agreed that this Italian version was pretty darn tasty and would certainly eat it again. In fact, here’s their rating on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the worst, five being the best:

The Boy: 6.5! Not that it’s BETTER then Aunties, it’s DIFFERENT and are you gonna eat that piece? Yeah? bummer…
The Girl: 7! It was good! And easy! and did I mention GOOD?
The Pup: 82!!!! (No, dear, seriously.) Oh, ok. Yeah, definitely a 9 then.

Clearly, I’m going to have to rethink my rating scale. As for me, I give it a 4.5. It was good, and we’ll definitely make them again. I think it needed more garlic. Everything’s better with more Garlic!

–

Today on the Rachael Ray Show, President Bill Clinton spent the majority of the hour at the Kitchen Table, and along with Rachael Ray’s Yum-o! Organization announcement, they talked extensively about what President Clinton and his Alliance for a Healthier Generation is doing as well to help battle obesity in American kids.

Bill Clinton is still a dynamic speaker, and it’s clear he really cares about this Alliance, and helping families that work so much, and lack the time to come together in the kitchen, at the table, and rely on fast food and other things to keep them fed. It’s not a quick fix, as it’s not been a quickly growing problem. He’s working with schools to give better choices on their school menus.

President Clinton spoke a bit about his own struggles with weight, (Hello! we remember his Presidential runs to McDonalds, right? Hee!) and like Rachael, he preaches all things in moderation. It’s ok to splurge once in a while, as long as you’re basic diet is healthy!

It was a really good show, and if you missed it, try and catch a replay.

Rachael, Ray, Rachael Ray, 30 minute meals, RR, TV, a day, Food Network, Everyday, President Bill Clinton, Yum-o!, Healthy Kids

So, tonight, after watching yesterday’s Rachael Ray show and getting all nostalgic for stuffed peppers, I decided to tackle my first RR Recipe; Stuffed Pepper Stoup. I printed the recipe, checked what I had on hand, and headed off to the store, with the ingredient list in hand:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
Salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice (eyeball it)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bay leaf
1 quart chicken stock
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup orzo pasta
12-15 basil leaves, shredded or torn
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to pass at table

As I live in Alaska, I knew I may have to make some adjustments, and sure enough, that’s what happened. Nothing too major, and one addition because of taste, and we were good to go. The adjustments to the original recipe were the following:

Added mushrooms. Because I like them.
There were no fresh basil leaves at the store, so I bought dried basil instead.
A little slice of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese cost over $10. I’m a single mom on a budget, so we got shredded Italian Blend instead - which contains Parmigian, Ramano and Asiago.

And that was all she wrote! It’s a 30-minute meal, but I had a little 8 year old helper, and thus it took closer to 45. The end result, however, looked just like the picture, and tasted divine! And the smell! Oh my goodness, my house STILL smells good.

It is said to serve four, but even with sending samples down to Nana and Papa for their opinion, we only ate half of it, which means there’s at least four more servings to be had. The biggest surprise was my son, who hates all things soups and stews, wouldn’t stop eating it to tell me how much he liked it. Stuffed Pepper Stoup is a HIT.

The ratings.
I asked each person who tasted it to give it a rating between 1-5, 1 being “never again” and 5 being “Yum-o!” These are the results:

The Pup (8):5! Can we have it again TOMORROW?
The Boy (15): 5! But not an everyday 5, more like a once a month 5.
The Girl (13):4.75. I don’t like mushrooms, mom!
Nana (1 week older then Papa): 4.5! Papa, don’t you eat that last bit…
Papa (1 week younger then Nana): 4.5! It’s horrible. Don’t ever make it again. Really. Though I may have to have several more spoonfuls to be certain. HEY! Nana stole my last bite!
And Me (old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway): 4.5

It was very easy, it came together really in no time at all, and it is definitely something we will have again, soon. So what are ya waiting for? Go try it!

Rachael, Ray, Rachael Ray, 30 minute meals, RR, TV, a day, Food Network, Everyday

On Monday’s Rachael Ray it was all makeovers, all the time. An Audience member was chosen randomly and made over. There was a house for sale staging, and a closet full of bridesmaid dresses were updated for everyday (or Date Night) function.

Gretta’s got some tips before heading off to the tailor.
* Hit up someone who knows how to sew. “It can be a friend or relative that’s willing to help you out,” says Gretta. “But if you don’t know someone, many cities and towns have local seamstresses or tailors or even dry cleaners that can do what you’re looking for.” Before they pin and cut, make sure your get an estimate or quote to find out if it’s worth it for you to reconstruct the dress.
* Look at the fabric before tossing it out. “Even if you think the overall look of a dress can’t be saved through sewing or if the dress is damaged, see if you like the fabric, you may be able to make something else out of it,” Gretta advises.
* Leave some extra fabric. With most of these dresses you will take several inches of the length, but always remember to leave some in the hem so that you can add length back if you need it.
* Customize in the details. Use that extra fabric to create a matching purse, belt or scarf that can help dress the piece up or down.

And of course, there was a hearty Stuffed Pepper Stoup (a soup so think it’s almost a stew) for dinner. The Stoup brought back memories for me, as my mom made stuffed peppers for us many, many times! It’s a total comfort food that I have not had in some time, so this Stoup is definitely on the list of things to try. (The list! It GROWS!)

Coming up this week:

Tuesday: Aaron Eckhart, Nanny Nightmare, Too Attached Mom

Wednesday: The New York vs. Chicago Pizza Throwdown! and more Mom Troubles.

Thursday: This is the biggy. Today, President Clinton sits down for an hour long Kitchen Table Talk. Childhood Obesity issues, and a new partnership to change the way kids eat, Cooking on the campaign trail and President Clinton’s healthy drink he swears by. Don’t miss it!

Friday: Michael J. Fox comes by and surprises a woman who’s raised over $60k for his foundation by flipping pancakes. He’ll talk about family life, as well as his battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

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I mentioned a few days ago one of the hater websites for Rachael Ray, right? Course I did! Well, I’m still eternally amused by some of the things they come up with. Neil Patrick Harris was on the show on April 9th, and one of the things he said was the title of this post. You can see the clip of it here.

What makes it funny? Well! To hear them talk, he snarled at her, more then once, to stop screaming at him because he was standing right there. I wonder if they were watching the same show I was? Seriously? What he said, and was referring too, was that she didn’t yell at him when he mutilated a meatball, as earlier in the show he made the comment about someone else yelling at him in the kitchen, if I remember right. I’ll be sure to catch a rerun of this episode at some point and hopefully be able to verify my take on it.

It just amuses me that some people will find any reason at all to talk bad about folks. It doesn’t stop there! There’s a whole post about washing mushrooms! Now most chefs will tell you not to soak them, because they get waterlogged and you lose flavor. Alton Brown, the science food geek of the Food Network, has proved that you don’t waterlog them unless you soak them for a long time. And agrees that if they don’t look dirty, they don’t even need a quick rinse - but either way, it’s all good - which means they’re BOTH right. (Don’t believe me? Here:

Comes up at about minute 3:30 to 4:30)

So who’s right and who’s wrong? My take is - does it really matter? The biggest question is why on earth these folks keep watching day after day after day? Do they really have nothing better to do then to pick on everything about her? Some people’s kids.

So - here at Watching Rachael Ray this week - I’m going to set up my RR inspired ‘pantry’ (which is really just a shelf) and also pick a couple recipe’s to try out with my kiddos. Be sure to tune in and catch the fun!

Did you know there’s a whole site(s) that is(are) dedicated to proving Rachael Ray sucks? That has little derogatory nicknames for her, and point out everything from her clothing, her posture, her voice and laugh, her cooking, her pet words and every little thing under the sun on every show?

I KNOW!

You know what amuses me the most about those guys? It’s the silliest little thing, but it makes me laugh every time I pop over there to see what today’s irritants are… The thing that gets me is this: They proclaim their hatred all over their little club, but?

They. Still. Watch!

Every Day they’ve a new complaint, every day there’s dozens of comments on each episode, and every single day - they tune in again.

Nice! Thanks for helping make Rachael Ray a hit, guys!

Also: Amazon has Rachael’s new cookbook available for pre-ordering! Rachael Ray: Just in Time: All-New 30-minute Meals, Plus Super-Fast 15 Minute meals and Slow it Down 60 Minute Meals. The cookbook is due to release in November, and is on sale currently for $13.57 with a regular retail price of $19.95.

Monday’s Rachael Ray show featured the website SeenOn right off the bat. SeenOn.com is the place to find what we see our favorite stars on TV wearing, carrying and making use of during our favorite shows. From Addison’s necklace on Grey’s Anatomy, to the briefcase Jack carried the weapons into the Hatch, to the cute little apron worn by Desperate Housewife, Bree - it’s all to be found with a few clicks! Awesome!

Unfortunately, the woman that’s helping her with the segment drove me absolutely NUTS. Danielle Ravano and her ultra perky chipper little voice… You know, people bag on Rachael for being too chipper and loud? But clearly there are worse folks out there. Danielle’s chipper little high-pitched love fest moment about Jack made me throw up a little in my mouth. Rachael’s moment about McDreamy wasn’t bad at all - but Danielle… oh man. As they say on Grey’s Anatomy… Seriously? Seriously.

Also on today: Eva LaRue, scary things in our bathroom, Mini Meatball Soup. Check it out at the Rachael Ray Show Website!

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