Rachael Ray

I didn’t grow up with paprika.  I am Italian, so I never saw it make an appearance except when sprinkled on Deviled Eggs, which I was told was done “for color” but that paprika had no flavor.  This was probably true, because at the time, the only paprika I ever saw was sitting in my mom’s spice cabinet for decades and therefore void of all flavor.  But that didn’t matter, because it was used “for color.” I continued to ignore this spice, even as I got older and became a very interested and adventurous home cook.  It wasn’t until Rachael used this product one day when we were shooting some web videos: Pimenton de la Vera, which from what I can tell [...]...

This blog, strictly speaking, is for home cookers; competition barbecuers are another breed of person, half-mad from the smell of smoke and meat, and lusting for a glory that is all-too-elusive, even for the masters of the game. But that game has become corrupt. It’s become about specialty equipment, about pellet cookers and automated fans, remote smartphone thermostats and vacuumn tumblers. The art of smoking meat, so pristine and primal a skill, has become as shrouded in fraud and technology as the meat it buries in foil and margarine. It has gotten away from the true path. I am therefore founding the Bare Bones BBQ Contest, an all-natural, back-to-basics, IROC-style skill contest. It is for master barbecuers only. No special equipment [...]...

I am usually all about making dishes completely from scratch, but last week did me in, and some corners needed to be cut. The stomach bug hit all three kids in succession over the course of five days, starting with my son who needed to be picked up from a slumber party at 2 am, and ending with my daughter who was sick in bed on her 12th birthday, while the family party in her honor continued downstairs. My daughter’s favorite meal is from a much loved local restaurant - Chef’s - and she always orders spaghetti parm. I decided to try and make it at home in her honor, while she battled through the stomach flu upstairs. It took no [...]...

On Mother’s Day I think most moms would agree that time spent with their children is their ultimate gift, but let’s be honest here, a little pampering never hurts either. There’s nothing more special than honoring the women in our lives. After all, they not only raised us, they continue to hold us up every day. Spa treatments, flowers and fancy dinners are all lovely ways to show you care, but I much prefer celebrating at home with a delicious brunch. Since there are many moms in mine and my husbands family, it’s a great way to celebrate with all of them without having to split ourselves in two. Entertaining casually in my home is a great way for everyone [...]...

This week I started my apprenticeship with Chef Hemant Mathur, co-founder of Tulsi NYC. For those of you familiar with New York City’s Indian food scene, Chef Hemant’s name needs no introduction. An envoy of the finest Indian fare, Chef Hemant is blessed with hard core culinary training from India and a ‘natural hand in cooking’ – a trait that is very hard to mimic. Since my husband and I have been stalking him for 12 years now, it is of no surprise that I was filled with gratitude when he agreed to train me in his kitchen. I showed up, thinking I knew most of the fundamentals and was here to enhance my skills whilst learn a few bonus dishes. [...]...

I am always on the lookout for a new muffin recipe - I came across this newest one that looked somewhat healthy but delicious and decided to give it a try. They are chock-full of fruit - strawberries, blueberries, and banana - but I am sure they would work well swapping in any fruit you want. You could switch raspberries for the strawberries, fold in chopped apple for the blueberries - there are tons of possibilities depending on what you have on hand. As with all recipes that call for nuts, feel free to leave them out. Sunny Morning Muffins (from a recipe by Sunny Anderson, foodnetwork.com) (click here for printable recipe) Ingredients 1 cup strawberries, chopped 1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons 1 1/2 [...]...

This weekend (and even as I write it I begin to quiver) the whole food world, from superchefs on down to bacon bloggers, is on tenterhooks. Why? Clearly you must not live in the foodiverse, because this is the weekend of the James Beard Awards. Now, I’ve written about the awards before, and not always in a glowing way. As was noted last year following Gabrielle Hamilton’s inexplicable Best Chef award, hype has a way of generating Beard awards, which inevitably generates more hype. That’s still true as far as it goes. But I now think that the Beard Awards are, on the whole, of single value to the world at large, and worth paying attention to. Full disclosure: I’m on the [...]...

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 [...]...

For me it was never a tough decision. I knew I wanted to get married in Puerto Rico. Growing up in New York City with parents born and raised there, I had heard all of the stories, how life used to be there, how they came from families that were poor, but proud and hardworking. How they didn’t have much, but everything they did have was either hand made, or fixed by hand because they could never afford anything new. I have always tried to keep a strong tie to Puerto Rico. As a kid I would go ever summer with my parents, then as I got older I started going by myself and staying the whole summer with family and [...]...