Rachael Ray

Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author.

She hosted the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray.

Other programs to her credit include 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels, $40 a Day, Rachael Ray's Week in a Day, and the reality format shows Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off and Rachael Ray's Kids Cook-Off.

In 1995, Ray moved to New York City.

She worked first at the Macy's Marketplace candy counter.

When Macy's tried to promote her to a buyer in accessories, she moved to Agata & Valentina, a specialty foods store.

Moving back to The Adirondacks, Ray managed Mister Brown's Pub at The Sagamore, a hotel on Lake George.

From there, she became a buyer at Cowan & Lobel, a gourmet market in Albany.

Ray credits the concept of 30 Minute Meals to her experience working at the store, where she met people who were reluctant to cook.

She taught a course in which she showed how to make meals in less than 30 minutes.

With the success of her "30 Minute Meals" classes, WRGB, the local CBS-TV affiliate, asked her to appear in a weekly segment on their newscasts.

This, along with a public radio broadcast and the publication of her first book, led to a Today show spot and her first Food Network contract in 2001.

Ray hosted 30 Minute Meals on Food Network for 11 seasons from 2001 to 2012, as well as a revival of the series starting in 2019.

Rachael Ray was the host of the TV show $40 a Day for three seasons (77 episodes) from 2002 to 2005.

She would travel to various destinations and attempt to eat three meals for $40 a day.

Ray, who favors a "quick and easy" cooking style, teaches many simple recipes that she says can be completed in 30 minutes or less, although critics claim her concept does not include preparation time.

Ray says her Sicilian maternal grandfather, Emmanuel Scuderi, and her Cajun ancestry both exert strong influences on her cooking.

She uses ingredients such as fresh herbs, garlic, and chicken stock to boost flavors, and believes measuring "takes away from the creative, hands-on process of cooking."

She, instead, favors approximations such as "half a palmful" or "two-pan swirl."

To critics of her shortcut techniques, Ray responds, "I have no formal anything. I'm completely unqualified for any job I've ever had."

She has also repeatedly said, "I'm not a chef."

On her television programs, she has used catchphrases such as "E-V-O-O" (extra-virgin olive oil), "yum-o", "G.B."

(garbage bowl), "Oh my gravy!", "delish," "entréetizer" (entrée-sized appetizer), "stoup" (cross between a soup and stew), and "choup" (thicker than a soup but thinner than a chowder).

In 2005, she signed a deal to host a syndicated daytime TV talk show.

Ray has written several cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, in 2006.

Ray's television shows have won three Daytime Emmy Awards.

Rachael Domenica Ray was born in Glens Falls, New York, the daughter of Elsa Providenza Scuderi and James Claude Ray.

Her mother's ancestry is Sicilian and her father is French, Scottish, and Welsh.

When Ray was eight, her family moved to Lake George, New York.

Her mother managed restaurants in New York's Capital District, including the Lake George Howard Johnson's restaurant, located near the former Gaslight Village amusement park, which attracted many entertainers.

Ray also briefly worked at Sutton's Marketplace in Queensbury, New York, and later offered to do commercials for the business.

She would continue to promote the establishment, especially their cider donuts and grilled raisin bread.

She graduated from Lake George Junior/Senior High School.

The show, Rachael Ray, premiered on September 18, 2006, and aired until May 24, 2023.

Recurrent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show were used to fuel the launch, much as Dr. Phil's show was spun off based on his own frequent visits to Oprah.

The show tapes in New York City.

In coordination with the syndication announcement, Ray said, "People know me for my love of food, but I have so much more I want to share".

In 2007, The Oxford American College Dictionary announced the addition of the term EVOO, short for extra-virgin olive oil, which Ray had helped to popularize, and credited her with coining the phrase.

One of Ray's specialties is burgers.

She has devoted one of her published works to the topic, The Book of Burger.