{"id":9738,"date":"2020-01-13T12:17:39","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T12:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/?p=9738"},"modified":"2020-01-16T19:52:34","modified_gmt":"2020-01-16T19:52:34","slug":"rachael-ray-skips-the-party-writes-a-memoir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/winter-2020\/rachael-ray-skips-the-party-writes-a-memoir\/","title":{"rendered":"Rachael Ray Skips the Party, Writes a Memoir"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every issue of Healthy Aging\u00ae Magazine features a well-known person but not because they\u2019re 45 or 50. Rather, we highlight the person because they\u2019ve made a major change in their life along the way or later in life, or because they have given back in some way.<\/em><\/p>\n

For this issue of Healthy Aging\u00ae Magazine, we profile Rachael Ray who fits all of the qualifications.<\/em><\/p>\n

By Carolyn Worthington<\/p><\/p>\n

E<\/span>veryone knows the ever-smiling and -upbeat Rachael Ray as the syndicated television star and iconic Food Network television personality. But there is so much more to this 5-foot-3-inch dynamo. She is also a bestselling cookbook author; the founder and editorial director of her lifestyle magazine, Rachael Ray Every Day<\/em>; and founder of Yum-o!, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering children and their families to develop healthy relationships with food, cooking, and more.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s new for the bubbly entrepreneur is her book Rachael Ray 50: Memories and Meals from a Sweet and Savory Life<\/em>. This is not simply another book about reaching the fifth decade of life.<\/p>\n

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Celebrating A Decade By Writing a Book of a Lifetime<\/h3>\n

Just as she has developed her style of wowing audiences with her cooking show, Ray uniquely celebrated her 50th birthday: Rather than throwing herself a big party, she decided to write Rachael Ray 50<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Not strictly a memoir, Rachael Ray 50<\/em> is more of a scrapbook intertwined with personal recipes.<\/p>\n

Through the more than 300-page book, you learn about Ray the person, not just the TV star. Ray, who is credited with popularizing the acronym EVOO for extra-virgin olive oil (actually added to the Oxford American College Dictionary in 2007), put her heart and soul in this book. It is a heartwarming read with many classic and not-so-classic recipes to try.<\/p>\n

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Rachael Ray & her husband, John M. Cusimano after her talk show won an Emmy at the Daytime Emmys 2008 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, CA. Photo: Deposit Photos, \u00a92008 Kathy Hutchins \/ Hutchins Photo<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Ray said the initial catalyst for writing the book was her husband, John Cusimano, who turned 50 in 2017. They celebrated his birthday with a big party for 200 guests that was fun but was not her cup of EVOO for her upcoming 50th birthday. She began to think of the quality relationships rather than the quantity she had experienced.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe party did get me thinking about my 50 years on this planet,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd about what I\u2019d learned from them \u2026 Writing this book is the party I planned for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Childhood Experiences Shape a Career<\/h3>\n

She shares the special relationships that molded her personality from celebrities around the world to her Sicilian-born grandpa, Emmanuel Scuderi \u2014 a master stonemason, gardener, and wonderful grandparent.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandpa taught me about the true meaning of food \u2026 He taught me that meals are as much about stories and life lessons as they are about ingredients and flavor and preparation,\u201d Ray said.<\/p>\n

If you grew up in the New York area as I did, you might share her nostalgic memories of visiting the city at Christmas. I, too, remember the family holiday trip to the city with stops at places, some of which no longer exist: FAO Schwartz on Fifth Avenue (closed in 2015), a ride in a horse-drawn carriage (now confined to Central Park), and lunch or dinner at Mamma Leone\u2019s for big bowls of pasta, spumoni, and rum cakes for dessert (closed in 1994).<\/p>\n

One of my favorite sections of the book is \u201cFriends.\u201d Her chapter in this section on chef and cookbook author Jacques Pepin hit home, particularly because we featured Jacques P\u00e9pin in our fall 2019 issue of Healthy Aging\u00ae Magazine.<\/p>\n

Like me, Ray is a fan of P\u00e9pin. She, too, found P\u00e9pin to have a twinkle in his eye, to be a man of passion, and a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. She was fortunate to have P\u00e9pin as a guest on her show several times. The highlight must have been staging an hour show in honor of P\u00e9pin\u2019s 80th birthday. In true P\u00e9pin style, he gave Ray one of his original paintings, which she hangs proudly in her Adirondack house.<\/p>\n

Very nice!<\/p>\n

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Rachael Ray at an in-store appearance signing copies of her book “Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds”. Photo: Deposit Photos<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Down-to-Earth Reflections<\/h3>\n

You will laugh at her embarrassing moments with celebrities from Michelle Obama to Tony Bennett.<\/p>\n

You will be dismayed at how, even for her, stardom is not without the naysayers. Ray addresses some of the mean-spirited and unfounded criticisms in a red-paged section titled, \u201c#ihaterachaelray.\u201d In the section, Ray clears up rumors about her spread through tabloids and social media. As she notes, it is hard to believe people spend time spreading hateful comments when they have never met her.<\/p>\n

And then there is the food, including the 125 recipes accompanied by beautiful food photography and sprinkled with some of her food drawings.<\/p>\n

Several of our favorite recipes from the book are shared below, including Big Pan Roast Shrimp with Garlic and Creamed Spinach with Taleggio. As a tribute to Mamma Leone\u2019s, try Mamma Leone\u2019s-Style Meat, Spinach, and Sausage Lasagna. With the no-boil lasagna, this meat and vegetable main dish is relatively easy to prepare and perfect for a crowd.<\/p>\n

To learn more about Ray, we turned to CBS Television Distribution, the producers of her show, Rachael Ray, who shared more about her extensive brand outreach.<\/p>\n

Deep Roots of Culinary Traditions<\/h3>\n

According to Ray, she grew up in food. \u201cMy first vivid memory is watching my mom in a restaurant kitchen. She was flipping something with a spatula. I tried to copy her and ended up grilling my right thumb! I was three or four,\u201d said Ray, who insists that cooking is a way of life she was simply born into. \u201cEveryone on both sides of my family cooks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Growing up in a family steeped in culinary tradition, Ray was exposed to a wide array of cooking techniques. The Ray family owned several restaurants in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, before relocating to upstate New York, where her mother worked as the food supervisor for a restaurant chain. \u201cI was surrounded by all different styles of cooking and worked in the foodservice industry in just about every capacity you can imagine,\u201d Ray said.<\/p>\n

By her early 20s, Ray developed a hankering for city life and moved to New York City where she landed at Macy\u2019s, working as the manager of the Fresh Foods Department. She credits her two years there for giving her an education in gourmet foods. After Macy’s, Ray helped open Agata & Valentina, the prestigious New York gourmet marketplace, where she became the store manager and buyer.<\/p>\n

Despite the exciting lifestyle in the foodie circles of New York City, Ray decided to move back to upstate New York and start managing pubs and restaurants at the famed Sagamore Resort on Lake George. From there, she was recruited by Cowan & Lobel, a large gourmet market in Albany, to be their food buyer and eventually their \u201cchef.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a way to increase grocery sales during the holidays, Ray created a series of cooking classes, including a course promising to teach \u201c30-Minute Mediterranean Meals,\u201d which exploded in popularity. The CBS station in Albany-Schenectady, WRGB-TV, discovered Ray and signed her on to do a weekly \u201c30-Minute Meals\u201d segment for the evening news. Nominated for two regional Emmys in its first year, the segment was a major success; a companion cookbook sold 10,000 copies locally during the holidays. With that, a franchise was born.<\/p>\n

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Rachael Ray demonstrating on set. Photo: CBS<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Daytime Show Keeps Rolling Along<\/h3>\n

Ray has parlayed that birthright into her wildly successful career. Her hugely successful syndicated daytime program, Rachael Ray, launched in fall 2006. Showcasing Ray\u2019s warmth, energy, and boundless curiosity, the show \u2014 produced by CBS Television Distribution in association with Harpo Productions, Scripps Networks, and Watch Entertainment \u2014 invites viewers to experience life the Rachael Ray way. Credited with getting America back in the kitchen with her easy approach to cooking, Ray takes the same philosophy \u2014 finding simple solutions to everyday problems\u2014beyond the kitchen and into all aspects of the show.<\/p>\n

Ray\u2019s television work grew to include a series of lifestyle and travel segments, as well as a long-term relationship with the Food Network, hosting shows such as Rachael Vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off, Rachael Vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off, Worst Cooks in America, Rachael Ray\u2019s Kids Cook-Off, Rachael\u2019s Vacations, Tasty Travels, $40 A Day, Inside Dish, A Week In A Day, 3 In The Bag, and 30-Minute Meals, the latter of which earned Rachael a 2006 Daytime Emmy Award for \u201cOutstanding Service Show\u201d and a nomination for \u201cOutstanding Service Show Host.\u201d<\/p>\n

The daytime talker was immediately embraced by critics across the country. Tim<\/em>e magazine wrote, \u201cYou can\u2019t attract her kind of following by just being accessible. Ray, like Regis Philbin, is gifted at being on television.\u201d Newsweek praised Ray as being \u201cthe most down-to-earth TV star on the planet…\u201d People magazine named Rachael Ray one of the top 10 shows of 2006, and Forbes has included her on their \u201cMost Trusted Celebrity\u201d list.<\/p>\n

The show has won numerous Emmy\u2019s and other awards.<\/p>\n

Bestselling Series of Cookbooks<\/h3>\n

In addition to her television endeavors, Ray has turned her 30-minute meals concept into a bestselling series of cookbooks, such as 30-Minute Meals<\/em>, Comfort Foods<\/em>, Rachael Ray Best Eats In Town On $40 A Day<\/em>, and more.<\/p>\n

Love for Animals Sparks Line of Dog and Cat Food<\/h3>\n

Ray has developed a line of super-premium dog and cat food and treats called Rachael Ray Nutrish along with Ainsworth Pet Nutrition.<\/p>\n

Giving Back … Creation of a Foundation<\/h3>\n

Through The Rachael Ray Foundation, which was created for all of the forgotten animals, Ray has donated more than $32 million of proceeds from the sale of Nutrish to animals in need.<\/p>\n

Interior Design Passion Spawns Furniture Line<\/h3>\n

In 2016, Ray partnered with Legacy Classic and Craftmaster Furniture to channel her passion and aesthetic vision for design and interiors into the home furnishings category with the introduction of the Rachael Ray Home Collection.<\/p>\n

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Rachael Ray, a celebrity who prides holding onto her down-to-earth values. Photo: Courtesy of\u00a0 Ballentine Books\u00a0\u00a9 Jeff Lipsky<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

A Wonderful “Accidental” Life<\/h3>\n

\u201cMy life has been a total accident \u2014 a very happy, wonderful accident that I didn\u2019t and couldn’t have planned,\u201d said Ray. Despite her growing celebrity, she is determined to stay grounded and hold on to her down-to-earth values. She still spends as much time as she can at her cabin in the Adirondacks with her husband, John; her family \u2014 the \u201cresearch team\u201d; and her beloved pit bull, Isaboo.<\/p>\n

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