Strollerderby : rachael ray

Anthony Bourdain: No Nuggets For His Tot!

Kate Tuttle — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:31:00 GMT

At least one celebrity chef has promised not to write a kids' cookbook, now that he has a child. No Reservations (the charming television series, not the horrific movie staring Catherine Zeta Jones) star Anthony Bourdain, a former culinary bad boy, says he's changing his life (and even his cooking, a little) as the father of a toddler. According to this story, he's quit smoking (it's amazing how many chefs smoke, despite what it does to one's taste buds) and has begun buying organic foods. Above all, he hopes to introduce his daughter to good, tasty, adult foods. No "grilled cheese sandwich with the crusts cut off."

The article goes on:

But he doesn't see himself writing a cookbook for children, or hosting a television show for them.

"Um, no" he said with a quick laugh. "I'm hardly in the position to speak authoritatively about something I really am just learning myself. I am not Bill Cosby yet. I don't have the sweaters."

Thank goodness. I love Bourdain, but he's a grownup chef who writes for grownup readers. When and if Rachael Ray procreates, I have no doubt we'll see the Teletubbies collaborating with her on some nutella-and-banana "sammies" -- though whether a celebrity "chef" like Ray can dumb her food down any further is an open question, really.

More by this author:

Baby Nearly Starves to Death, Diluted Formula to Blame
Grandmother’s Right? Or Totally Obnoxious?
Health Scam: Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Mama’s Got a Brand New Bag

Rachael Ray, Terrorist?

Amy S.F. Lutz — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:32:00 GMT

I know there are a lot of people out there who don't like Rachael Ray - some complain she's too chipper, others think she takes too many shortcuts in the kitchen. I've even seen her called out for her fashion choices. But I couldn't believe the reason Dunkin' Donuts pulled its new commercial featuring Ray: because one conservative commentator thought Ray's scarf looked too much like a keffiyeh, traditionally worn by Arab men.

Come on. Does anyone, even Ray's most virulent attackers, really think Ray is a secret terrorist?

I guess Michelle Malkin of Fox News does. She wrote in her column, "The keffiyeh, for the clueless . . . has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad . . . Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant and not-so-ignorant fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons."

And so, because of one critical response, Dunkin' Donuts yanked the ad. Which I think is a ridiculous capitulation to a really bullshit objection. Objects derive meaning from their context, and I can't see how this ad can in any way be read as an endorsement of terrorism. Don't these commentators have legitimately important issues to comment on?

Weekly Checkup: South Beach Creator Takes Aim at Childhood Obesity

Amy Kuras — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:03:00 GMT

Nobody's denying childhood obesity is a serious, and growing, problem -- but nobody seems to have any real idea what to do about it.

Now the South Beach Diet creator, Dr. Arthur Agatson, is taking a whack at it. He's sponsoring a meeting and luncheon with scientists, policymakers and celebrity chefs to create dialogue between key people, publicize new ideas and take a look at what progress might be possible.

According to a press release from the Agatson Research Foundation, some of the panelists include Jamie Oliver, Rachael Ray, Alice Waters, Joy Bauer, RD, nutrition correspondent for the Today Show, and David Ludwig, MD, Harvard Medical School and author of "Ending the Food Fight: Guide Your Child to a Healthy Weight in a Fast Food/Fake Food World."

Agatston said, "Our nation's children are currently overfed and undernourished and we can do better. Bringing experts together to influence the foods served in our schools, and to educate schools and parents about healthier options, is a positive step in moving this mission forward."

Woo, I say. Although there's a whole line of processed food with a South Beach Diet tie-in, the actual book has a lot of smart things to say about nutrition and the importance of real food versus fakey, chemically diet stuff. It's what made me aware of the evils of high-fructose corn syrup and that it's in things you'd never expect, and more importantly I actually lost weight and felt really good when I did the diet. And if anyone's going to make it easier for heavy kids to make healthier choices that still appeal, it's likely the team Agatson has put together.

Kitchenista: More 3 Second Meals... Bourdain can Bite Me

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:03:00 GMT

Now that chef Anthony Bourdain is picking on sweet little Rachael Ray, he's the new object of my non-cooking ire. Ok, so perhaps RR was a bit irresponsible for shilling for Dunkin Donuts, I still think she's heading in the right direction by reducing meal prep time and desnobbifying the world of fancy chefs like Martha...

Three second meals are those easy but reasonably healthy alternatives to the fancy things that populate fancy cookbooks and drive many of us to default to McDonalds or other unhealthy sins. So let's talk peanut butter and jelly for dinner, shall we?

If you use natural peanut butter, wheat bread, and 100% fruit, PB & J is a quiet dinner revolution, baby. And it only takes seconds. Yes, there aren't any veggies, but you can throw in some baby carrots for good measure, assuming they're not tainted with salmonella....

For another nummy and easy to prepare meal, check out foodiepalooza's cheesy buttery pasta....

Prickly Chef Calls BS on Rachael Ray Donut Endorsements

Madeline Holler — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:36:00 GMT

Celebrity chef Rachael Ray can just plug her ears with a stack of katrillion dollar bills if she wants to tune out the latest criticisms of Anthony Bourdain. The abrasive chef, who has made a mini-career of belittling her, makes sense to me. So I’ll do what I can to amplify this round of nitpicking at the 30-Minute Meals empress.

Bourdain’s all over her for signing up to endorse Dunkin’ Donuts. He says Ray is influential, especially with children, and that shilling donuts is akin to endorsing crack for kids.

“Juvenile diabetes has exploded. Half of Americans don't have necks. And she's up there saying, 'Eat some [bleeping] Dunkin' Donuts. You look great in that swimsuit - eat another doughnut!' That's evil," he says in an interview with Outside magazine this month.

I don't know about "evil," but the endorsement does strike me as incredibly ignorant. She has every right to make tons of money by any legal means possible. But you’d think some kind of inner decency would tap her on the shoulder and say, “doughnuts? Really?”

Sure, fat kids aren’t her responsibility. We all know it’s up to parents to ensure their children learn about good nutrition and make healthful food choices. And no, one doughnut isn't going to make the little ones bust out of their Gap slims. But endorsements for shit food like this by a person Mommy actually likes confuses the message at home, which is precisely the point. What I feel always gets lost in these discussions about advertising to children is that the decision to have Ray smile and sell high-calorie, nutritionally empty, low-priced pastries was a calculated one. Tests were done. Smart people were hired. Every bit of her endorsement has been orchestrated to sell donuts! (And no, I don't think corporations are evil. I think legislators who are in corporations' pockets and refuse to pass laws banning direct advertising to children, however, are.)

There’s a reason Dunkin' Donuts went with Ray and not obese, inaccessible, full of himself Mario Batali (who also readily pimps himself out for endorsements). Meaning, Rachel’s sweet face, cute figure, aw shucks tone and work on behalf of good nutrition for kids will be just what it takes to get children or even adults to put aside what they know about good food choices -- just this once ... oh, and now ... one more time, that's it! -- and load up with Bavarian creams and a tote box full of Little Munchkins. How bad could it be? Yumm-o!

Rachael Ray Eat Your Heart Out: 3 Second Meals Easy and Tasty

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:03:00 GMT

Rachael Ray is cute. I'll give you that. Plus, the girl can really spell. But I'm not sure she's simplified meal-planning and preparation enough for most parents of young children. Many of you work, and in places where the only take-out options are KFC or McDonald's. You come home tired, hungry, and you want to spend quality time with your sweet littles, not slaving for 5 minutes over a hot stove.

And that is the genesis of the 3-second meal. Because even busy, tired parents have three seconds to spare. Am I right? Here's how it works...

First step, lower the bar. Your kids won't remember homecooked meals as much as they'll remember fondly the time you spent sitting next to them on the couch watching their favorite show.

Second, spread out a huge blanket in front of the television and get everyone their own bowl.

Third, fill each bowl with Raisin Bran and milk and voila! Dinner is served.

You're welcome.

Kitchenista: Ants on a Hill and a Question --Are Celeb Chefs Scaring Mom Out of the Kitchen?

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:34:00 GMT

According to the UK's Daily Mail, celebrity chefs have scared everyday Moms out of the kitchen. Yah. Rachael Ray is what is keeping me out of the kitchen. It has absolutely nothing to do with the unmitigated joy of working all day and then feeding your family at a civilized restaurant (replete with kids' menu and happy hour) and returning home to an un-dirty-dished home. Nope. Not a thing.

Meanwhile, here is the kind of snack that my kids devour and an anti-kitchen-y Mommy like me can prepare in a flash!

Ants on a Hill

Cut and wash several stalks of celery
Slather each stick with peanut butter
Line up about 4- 5 raisins on each stalk

If your kids are anything like mine, the name of the food is more important than the presentation or nutritional value or taste. It's all in the marketing, baby!

Rachael Ray Doesn't Want Buns in her Oven

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Sat, 19 May 2007 21:02:00 GMT

You meet someone, you shack up, you get married, people start bugging you about when you're going to have kids. Even "celebrities" like Rachael Ray aren't immune to such intrusive rites of passage.

Ray recently put the kid rumors to rest by saying:

I don't have time. I work too much to be an appropriate parent. I feel like a bad mom to my dog some days because I'm just not here enough. I just feel like I would do a bad job if I actually took the time to literally give birth to a kid right now and try and juggle everything I'm doing.

Or, for those that can't quite decipher Ray when she speaks plain English: Kids are neither "yumm-o" or "dah-lish" at this point in time.

[from CBB via Mothertalkers]