Hale Kilinahe: Pith of Pop: 30-Minute Meals

I still do. It's nice to see someone so enthusiastic and passionate about food. And someone who admittedly doesn't use any fancy gadgets. Some people find Rachael Ray annoying. I admit, she is quite perky. She giggles a lot. She has a habit of saying the same things over and over. But I don't care. She's easy to follow. Her recipes work. And she doesn't take herself too seriously. Watching her is like having a friend teach you to cook.

But.

Racheal has become a carb person.

She has surrendered to the food police and now offers low carb, low cal recipes. That is, in addition to the two or three already on the food network that, might I add, I flip away from as fast as possible. I don't want to cook low-carb food. I hate this whole low-carb business with a white-hot passion. And it's disappointing to see Rachael jumping on the bandwagon.

When she's not doing that, though, she's such a valuable resource. She has good ideas on how to speed up traditionally time-consuming recipes. She obviously has a lot of food background and knowledge. Unlike, say, Sandra Lee.

My favorite shows: the French food show and the Rainy Day Relief show with the sausage and Broccoli Rabe soup. Her three-bean chili is a staple at my house.

I get a kick out of the labels they make for the cans and boxes Racheal uses.

I agree. I am a big person and this whole low-carb thing is getting anoying. My doctor told me ot not touch the stuff cause you would die young. I think though that she is pushing it more because it worked for her and she works in an industry where image is 99% of your pull on "channal flickers" so looking sexy or thin is important and if that means dying young than so be it- I guess. P.S. I tried low carb for about two months and only lost 6 pounds not so glamorous as others who claim they lost like 5 pounds a week... ya right!
Posted by Cory at October 19, 2004 03:49 PM

I know you already know my feelings about Rachael, and I appreciate this honest critique. Her recipes do work, and she so down-to-earth that you don't feel afraid to try even her trickier stuff. And that enthusiasm, yeah. That's what makes the show great. In fact, that's what makes Rachael sexy--it's not the cute smile or the silly giggle *sigh*, or even the dorky lingo. It's that passion and enthusiasm, and THAT has never changed on her show, and THAT's why it doesn't matter one iota what she looks like. As for the low-carb thing, I understand your contempt. And people have slipped off into the deep end with this one, but wouldn't you agree that a lot of us could probably stand to be a little more carb-conscious? I mean, it helps not to go overboard on any food, and if you can cut back on emtpy calories here and there, it seems like a good idea to me.
Posted by scrivener at October 27, 2004 02:16 PM

Who cares about the low carb stuff? If Rachel Ray has jumped on the bandwagon, who cares? Has that changed her image any or how she cooks or presents her ideas? Has it changed her perkiness? Has it changed her passion for her chossen profession? The answer to all is a sound no! So quit bashing her.She has done a lot for us with her ideas & belief that you dont have to spend hours over a hot stove to have a delicious , healthy meal.
Posted by ralph erhardt at November 12, 2004 04:35 PM

Who's bashing her? I said I was sick of hearing about carbs. Fully enjoyed spell-checking your comment for you, by the way.
Posted by Jen at November 12, 2004 07:30 PM

Ah yes, the low carb craze. Fill up on high fat foods but dump the carbs. I hate the freaking low carb craze. You want to lose wait, eat the foods you like in moderation and EXERCISE!. People always seem to be seeking the magic bullet, the easy way to weight nirvana without having to do a shred of exercise. But I still like Rachael, she has charisma. What I don't like is her new show Dishing it up or whatever it's called. Rachael acts so star struck around the celebrities, it's really annoying. She needs to get over that aspect and improve her interviewing skills and then maybe it will become and interesting show. As it is now, I feel somewhat embarassed for her the way she giggles her way through the interviews and is obviously totally star struck. Cheers! LeV
Posted by LEV at November 27, 2004 11:19 AM

I watch Rachael but with the sound muted, because the phrase "E-V-O-O Extra Virgin Olive Oil" makes me nuts. Call it by the abbreviation or just say what it is, don't do both every single time. I haven't noticed that she's gone full out low-carb. She certainly didn't for her Thanksgiving show. If she has I'll be avoiding the show entirely as well. Bleh. Isn't that intentionally low-carb show enough?
Posted by Dreama at November 29, 2004 08:15 AM

Yeah, Rachael's EVOO phrase is really annoying. Like you said, just call it what it is instead of always saying both, there's no point in it. Still though, I do like RR and I like the $40 A Day show too.
Posted by LeV at November 30, 2004 11:34 AM