Rachael Ray

If you’ve been to a farmer’s market lately-or taken a stroll by a hillside or stream-you may have noticed an edible plant with leaves that look like Lilly of the Valley and bulbs that smell like garlic on steroids. These are wild leeks, also known as ramps, and they are the pride of chefs and home cooks who know how to harness their powerful funk. Ramps start to appear throughout most of the country (they don’t grow in arid climates) as soon as the frost and snow disappear at the start of spring. They have bright green leaves, pink stems, and white bulbs that look much like scallion bulbs. The leaves can be chopped and cooked briefly, while the white bulbs [...]...

we love to hear Rach talk about how she came up with the designs of her products.  Here she talks about the two or three essential pans everyone needs.  See our Video page for all of her product vids. ...

I love to entertain.  I’ll totally own it.  I get such pleasure from opening my home (and a bottle of wine or three) up to great people for a mellow evening in on the couch.  Sure dining out at a fancy restaurant is fun, but when was the last time you could do that under your favorite blanket with no shoes on?  My point exactly. Since the backbone of entertaining is to enjoy your company, I think it an essential part of my exercise as “host” to keep the food as fuss-free as possible.  Until the much-anticipated day comes when my new dream kitchen is fabulous enough to spend the whole night in, I’d rather be in our comfy living room [...]...

I’m a mama of two boys ages three and one and I’m just starting to see glimpses of just how much boys eat. It’s only just the beginning, I know, but I can definitely see where this is heading and I am definitely a little afraid. Feeding a growing family can be costly, especially if you want to add more organics to your diet. Not many of us can afford to buy everything organic but I try and pick and choose what’s most important and buy what I can. One of the things I always try to buy organic is ground beef. We don’t eat much red meat in our house so when we do, we splurge in this area and [...]...

Hi Rachael - Thank you for your tv show. Please teach me how to make successful hard boiled eggs with shells that don’t stick to the eggs. Once again thank you, Emerald Lee Dear Emerald - We get asked this question a lot - here you go! 1. Place the eggs in a pot, cover with water and bring to full boil. 2. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let stand for 10 minutes. 3. Drain, then crack the eggs by shaking the pot and running them under cold water until cool enough to handle. 4. Peel the eggs and enjoy! Here are some of Rach’s favorite hard boiled egg recipes: Deviled Eggs Mayo-less Egg Salad Deviled Egg Salad Cobb-style Meatloaf ...

Dear Cooks: I have offered to host a bridal shower for my sister at my house and I would like to have a casual lunch on a Saturday or Sunday, but I don’t want to spend the whole time in the kitchen. Plus, I’m on  budget. Do you have any recipes that are economical, you can make ahead, and that feed a crowd of 30 or so? Oh, and they should taste good too:-). Thanks! Cindy S. Dear Cindy S.: You are absolutely right, the last thing you want to be doing when you are hosting a party is to spend time away from your guests, plus you end up missing out on most of the fun. Here are three salad recipes sure to please, [...]...

I had the pleasure of having some friends over for dinner on Sunday afternoon.  This included three professional chefs and one food writer, plus their partners, my boyfriend and my children. Two of the chefs and the writer are meat experts and the other chef is a pastry chef.   I thought about all of these recipes I had been wanting to try, but then realized that I might mess up if I tried something new, offend them because it was mundane, or worse, what if I accidentally chose a recipe that I learned from them? I decided the only thing I could do is to cook what I know-the food of my people. I grabbed my boyfriend, a fellow Sicilian, [...]...

I volunteered to bring in cookies the other day but was short on time (what’s new). I made these toffee squares which were equally delicious but took a fraction of the time. They remind me of a favorite dessert from my high school lunch room  - “chocolate squares” - which is actually a good thing. My high school randomly had amazing food: fresh baked bread every day, amazing french toast, grilled bagels with fresh cream cheese. Holy carbs. Chocolate squares were the main course of many a high school lunch. Anyway, these toffee squares are quick and easy - highly recommended. Toffee Squares (adapted from a recipe from thepioneerwoman.com) (click here for printable recipe) Ingredients: 2 sticks butter, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 [...]...

Hot fudge sundae cupcakes. I can’t believe no one thought of these before. Vanilla cupcakes topped with a chocolate ganache layer and a dollop of whipped cream to finish them off. The recipe I used from Joy the Baker called for full size cupcakes but I made mine mini which was perfect - one bite of deliciousness. Then you don’t feel so badly eating two (or three). Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes (from a recipe by Joy the Baker.com) click here for printable recipe. Vanilla Cupcakes: from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes Ingredients: 1 cup flour a scant 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda pinch of salt 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup whole milk 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions: Preheat oven to [...]...