I must confess-- I am really coming to like Rachael Ray. Most people who see me cooking from the Big Orange Book roll their eyes and grumble about how they don't like her, but come on. Yeah, I get that as a personality she can be kind of unlikeable. On her TV show her stage presence is this super-upbeat obnoxious enthusiasm that comes off as kind of fake and her voice is absolutely grating, not to mention her current level of product-endorsing mega-consumer-oriented brand identty. That stuff sort of bugs me too. No grown woman should ever utter "Yum-o!" But purely as a chef, her food and her method of cooking is really good, and for me that excuses the rest of the stuff.
First, the principle of 30-Minute Meals that made her so famous is incredibly cool if you think about it. She teaches people to develop their cooking skills by giving them recipes not just for dishes but for complete, balanced meals that are not too difficult, not too time-consuming, and not only delicious but usually rather elegant. It's an excellent entre to the world of cooking-- I love the idea of dishes with complex, sophisticated flavors that even a newbie like myself can put together.
Just look at the Rachael Ray cookbook I recieved last Christmas, the Big Orange Book. This book has been enormously helpful to me in my personal development as a cook and a host. It helps me meet so many of the culinary challenges I reguarly encounter. I'm only just a novice chef yet, but my tastes are toward slightly more sophisicated dishes, so its quick and easy-to-make recipes that come out so elegantly allow me to do a good job cooking the kind of food I enjoy. Many of the people I most want to cook for keep kosher, and so the fact that the book has a kosher recipe section helps me with interesting and delicious kosher options. The vegetarian section also contributes to that, as well as for my vegetarian guests. Heck, there's even a meals-for-one section I'm going to now that I'm cooking only for myself. Incredibly useful, and even though I don't like everything in the book there is so much that's interesting and fun for me. The only real complaint I have of her in general and this book in particular is how huge a focus is placed on pasta, and only because it's something I absolutely don't eat-- the recipes for them are still great if you're in to that sort of thing. Otherwise, it helps me prepare dishes that I not only enjoy but am proud to serve to friends. You don't know how many times people have commented on how "fancy" my cooking is, when I'm just making a recipe from the Big Orange Book. Also, because she tells you how to make meals and not just dishes, I'm learning how to balance a plate and pair flavors and foods that properly complement each other.
So, if you're not inclined to give Rachael Ray any credit, I suggest you try and ignore the woman herself and just pay attention to her recipes and cooking techniques. If you've ever been to one of my dinners, chances are you've eaten something out of that book. I really feel like having something like this to learn from is helping me become a real cook. It helps me make good food that's not beyond my skill level, and hey, anything that brings more good food into the world can't be all bad, right?
I don't know why I just took it upon myself to defend Rachael Ray. I'm sure all her endless product-endorsement money comforts her well enough. It must have been Italian balsamic barbeque chicken in polenta for dinner tonight. ;-) Mmmm.
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