Rachael Ray

I don’t think I’d be alone in giving a resounding “YES” to a poll question gauging whether or not pizza is delicious. You can dress it up, you can dress it down, you can make it whatever you want it to be. Now, friends & fellow foodies, I invite you to take the pizza-eating experience full circle and start with a dough that you make yourself. It’s easy, nearly effortless, and is surprisingly versatile. You can make a few batches and freeze them for use later. You can make your next pie a bit healthier by adding in whole wheat flour or ground flaxseed. Best of all, you can control the quality of what your family [...]...

Last week we made fries for a weekend afternoon snack. Since that was all we were eating, they needed a little jazzing up. Fries that could hold their own without the mess of condiments dripping across my couch.  I came up with Masala Fries – fries that were perfectly crispy and given a light dusting of chaat masala. Chaat masala is a finishing spice mix which brings together heat, sourness and a touch of sweetness. Just a little gives the dish so much pop making them completely addictive. And then there is an additional topping. Fried fresh cilantro. If you don’t have cilantro, any other fresh green herb will work. The fried herbs take on an amazingly different flavor and [...]...

If you are following my blog, you know that I started Weight Watchers two weeks ago and have lost exactly 1.5 pounds.  Sigh.  I am following the point system, but obviously this is going to be a slow program for me.  As I also reported last week, I gave up gluten, sugar and dairy a few week before going on WW.  I have to say that although I have lost almost no weight as a result of any of this, I feel much better and I swear I have lost inches.  My skin looks better, my waistline smaller, and I don’t feel bloated.  Plus, the best part is that I do not crave any of the things I am not [...]...

You know which mornings I’m talking about. The ones where no amount of coffee can cut the fog. The ones when you no longer care if your child wears matching socks or insists on putting his underwear on backward. The ones when it’s hard enough to get breakfast on the table, never mind pack a lunch. Last week, I had one of them. The underwear was indeed going on backward and I no longer cared whether the socks matched… We just needed a second sock. Any sock. And then things got even more complicated. I burned his lunch. I was so proud of myself for coming up with a creative twist on cinnamon-sugar toast. I mixed together butter, cinnamon, sugar and — here’s [...]...

I fell in love with Pavlovas a few years ago after tasting one fresh out of the test kitchen at Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. Normally I’m not a fruit dessert kinda gal. Chocolate is and always will be my “thing” but the Pavlova is special. Pavlova  is a meringue based dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside. It’s often served topped with a layer of fresh whipped cream and macerated fresh berries. It’s light and refreshing and honestly the perfect ending to any summer meal.  The end result is such a beautiful presentation, you’ll want to make it over and over again. the best part is, the meringue part can be made a few days in [...]...

My buddy Tim is from the Mid-West with origins that trace back to the Dutch Settlers (we’re talking centuries here). Yet, anything but Midwest comes out of his kitchen.  Last week Bollywood tunes were cranked high as Tim was rolling out ‘roti’ (Indian flat bread) to go with my sister-in-law’s chicken curry. Rotis are something I myself buy from the ethnic grocery store or wait until my mom comes over to the US and makes them. It rarely occurs to me to make them myself. Cooking on the skillet His recipe veered from the traditional ingredient list and the typical circular shape and took on silhouettes of Africa, Iceland and every other country on the map yet the taste was still great! [...]...

As the warm weather approaches, so does that amazing time of year when summer fruits and vegetables overcrowd produce stands. When the cup runneth over, the best deals are had as prices drop to move the surplus. In other words, it’s time to come up with some new ideas to use up one of my favorite summer veggies: red bell peppers. Check out these three fresh new ideas to make the most of this summer’s bumper crop: ROAST ‘EM! I know that by now the idea of roasting a red pepper probably feels pretty familiar. It’s a simple way to get them cooked and ready-to-use after a few minutes of charring on a grill, gas burner, or under the broiler. What’s [...]...

All of this running around, eating on the run has gotten the better of me.  It happened so quickly, but one day I realized I had gained 20 lbs.  Now, if you read my blog, you’ll know that I went through a ton of very stressful incidents in my life and on top of all that, or maybe because of that, my thyroid slowed down and I am now taking Synthroid for the rest of my life.  Needless to say, I need to watch what I eat and lose some of this extra weight that is dragging me down. I saw a nutritionist who told me I was exercising too much and that my [...]...

I am particular about bananas, like most people. I have always liked them slightly under-ripe. My mom likes them on the ripe side, cold from the fridge. My friend can’t eat them whole, but needs to cut them up first. My dear, departed dog Biko wasn’t particular and would eat them from the floor, or the brown ends I would feed him (he could hear or smell me peeling a banana from a mile away and would come running. Oh Biko. Sigh.)  And of course my kids don’t eat them at all. I had some bananas past their prime on my counter this week and needed to bring a dessert to an evening event. My go-to chocolate chip banana bread couldn’t [...]...