Rachael Ray

Now that I live in the burbs, I’m just getting used to this notion of a “playgroup”. Not that we didn’t have playdates in the big city, but they were definitely structured differently than they are here in our new town. The playgroup I am a part now requires each mom to take turns hosting at their house. Hosting also means that means you provide snacks. Generally the food has been snacky types of things like crackers, cookies and fruit, more kiddie finger foods style. It’s fine because the food is generally geared towards the kids who are always running around and barely eat anyway. This week was my first time hosting so I thought I’d offer up something a little [...]...

Part of the reason I love writing recipes is because of the research process. Reading, watching and yes, eating are all part of the job. It’s fascinating to learn about a family and their culture through their recipes. The process makes me feel like part historian and part detective. Sometimes you have to dig deep because, as many of us have discovered, retrieving an old recipe doesn’t always come easy. Many recipes exist only in the memory and can only be translated via demonstration. How many of us have had a relative tell us “I don’t have it written down, but I can show you.”?  Those moments are priceless because they are the very essence of family and tradition. What [...]...

I never really got into freezing meals. I’m not sure why. Strange way to start a post about freezer-friendly meals, eh? Stick with me. I’m going somewhere, I promise! I guess I never really grew up in a house where meals were prepared in advance and frozen. I was raised by a working mother who was also a single parent so I bet it would have been a great thing for her. And the more I think about it, it seems crazy to me to not have been taking advantage of double batch cooking and freezing given my own lifestyle. I do a lot of cooking both for my family and for work purposes so there’s always freshly prepared food in [...]...

The holidays can be a stressful. there’s a lot to do and often many parties to attend. I don’t know about you but between November and December I feel like a non-stop baking and cooking machine. I’m not complaining but as much as I love cooking, I’m still only human and a girl begins to run out of steam by the 12th of December. Ya dig? Since I still have many parties to attend, there’s no slowing down now so I keep a recipe box section dedicated to super simple desserts. One of my favorite simple desserts to make is brownie pie which I decorate with a powdered sugar stencil. The pie is rich and delicious and the chic dusting of [...]...

It’s no secret I love dessert. But the thing I think I love most (besides the eating) is the experimentation of it all. Each year I challenge myself to come up with new baking recipes and fun twists on classics. I’ll admit, since baking is a science, sometimes my “experiments” don’t always turn out amazing but I have to say most of the time I’m super excited by the tasty results. And tasty results are exactly what I got when I decided to play around with one of my favorite “holiday’ cookie recipes: Pecan Roll Cookies. If you’ve never had them, they are egg-free cookies made from flour, butter, cream cheese and chopped pecans. When they are finished baking, they are [...]...

There’s nothing like a homemade bowl of soup. Do you agree? A well-made pot of soup is a thing of beauty and a deliciously self contained meal needing only maybe a hunk of crusty bread to accompany it. The best thing is a great soup needn’t be complicated or full of fancy ingredients. It doesn’t even have to cook for many hours to taste divine. I love playing around with different in-season veggies to come up with new and exciting combinations. This soup is warm and comforting without being heavy—perfect for a cold winter night. Make up a double batch and freeze because it reheats beautifully. It’s golden color and mild taste make it easy to love. The make ahead option means [...]...

How are you all doing with Thanksgiving prep? The holiday snuck up on me this year. Luckily I’ve been hosting Thanksgiving in my home for 7 years now and I have quite a few tried and true recipes. Even-though I’m a Thanksgiving veteran, I totally understand how people get freaked out about hosting especially if it’s for the first time. Thanksgiving is a big meal ,but it doesn’t have to be stressful if you stick to simple recipes. And by simple, I do not mean boring. Take a deep breath and break down the meal into courses. once you’ve done that, choose one basic recipe for each. You don’t need to make it all fancy-schmancy-out-of-a-magazine perfect for the meal to be special [...]...

I’m a sucker for all things “mulled” come winter holiday time. There’s something just so comforting and festive about the combination of aromas that make up mulling spices. Warm a sachet of fragrant mulling spices into some warming cider or wine and you are will be in beverage heaven.  And just the smell of mulling spices simmering on the stove brings an instant holiday atmosphere to your home. I cannot think of a better drink to serve to guests as they come into your home from the cold. Mulling spices are easily found in many stores this time of year but you can easily put together a sachet of your own and while your at it, make a big batch and [...]...

My house was without power for ten days following hurricane Sandy. We really were very lucky that everyone was safe and that power was all we lost. Still, learning to manage without heat and electricity was definitely a challenge with two little ones to care for given the low temperatures. I have to say we fared pretty well and luckily my gas stove-top was able to be used with the simple light of the pilot using a match. Cooking meals with just a the stove top wasn’t at all difficult since there are many things you can prepare but dessert was another story. Sure you can prepared puddings and such but my family isn’t all that into pudding so I pretty [...]...