Cooking news: Being Rachael Ray: How Cool Is That?

"Though the nation's food elite might cringe, Ms. Ray, 37, is one of the most influential people cooking today. Let the big-name chefs fuss with foams and sous vide. She'll stick with hot dog nachos and "jambalika," a dish that is kind of like jambalaya. With more than 4 million books in print and four shows on the Food Network, Ms. Ray has shown America the way back to the kitchen.

As she likes to say, "How cool is that?""

Though these days she seems to be bordering on overexposure (the Food Network is practically all-Rachael all the time, and she's got a new book, a magazine, and a TALK SHOW in the works) she's still entertaining, and still serves up some great recipes.

"It is hard to catch Ms. Ray not working. She flew her new husband, John Cusimano, to Austin, Tex., in September to watch his favorite band, the Foo Fighters, as a birthday surprise. She spent the afternoon, slightly hung over on margaritas, in her hotel room finishing her third book for Clarkson Potter. On her birthday in August, so sick she could barely talk without coughing, she was at her computer writing recipes."

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October 19, 2005

Cooking news: Being Rachael Ray: How Cool Is That?