Cooking icon Rachael Ray may have finally reached a height that is not sustainable. Her daily syndicated talk show Rachael Ray is not reaping the level of ratings that will ensure a long run. The venue, which covers the gambit of topics, just might be taking her away from her real specialty – cooking. Has she overexposed herself?
The quirky talk show host is driven by an ambition that seems boundless. How she gets it all done is a mystery. Her other wildly successful ventures include her 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels on $40 a day and her magazine Every Day With Rachael Ray. She also has four of the top 10 best selling cookbooks – another lucrative venture for the multimedia queen. We can’t forget about her cookware which is featured in kitchen shops across the nation.
Part of Ray’s appeal seems to be her no nonsense approach to cooking. She knows her way around the supermarket and got her start doing live cooking demonstrations in that venue. She did stints as both manager and buyer for Manhattan grocer Agata & Valentina. Prior to that, she worked the candy counter at Macy’s and even did a teenage stint at a soda fountain.
The recipes dished up by Ray aren’t of the haute cuisine variety. She sticks with ingredients that can in be found in the homes of mainstream American’s, and it generally is of the comfort variety. Her natural appeal is the speed with which she prepares her healthy fare. Regrettably, she entertains with a goofy monologue as she assembles each mouth watering dish. After viewing a few of her 30 minute segments, you’ve heard the same lame commentary in an unending cycle.
Love her or hate her, she understands food and is making a fortune in an ever growing empire. She portrays herself as just a simple, small town girl who clings to her family and her Sicilian and Cajun roots. She is wounded by celebrity gossip and has taken the tabloids ‘to task’ for reporting trouble in her relationship with husband John M. Cusimano, the lead singer of the band The Cringe.
Rachael entered into her latest venture under the tutelage of Oprah Winfrey. Billionaire O paved the way for Ray’s daily gig, as well as that of friend Dr. Phil McGraw. The show has a contract that runs through 2009. Whether she get’s picked up beyond that date is yet to be determined. No worries for Ray. She has enough plates spinning in the air to ensure her continued success. The savvy entrepreneur is definitely not a one trick pony.
Check out her FHM photos on video from 2003 below.