Rachael Ray knows how to cook up something good. The Glenn Falls, New York native was practically born and raised in a kitchen. Her mother managed restaurants in New York’s Capital District, so it’s no surprise that she would follow in the family business. After a brief stint in New York City, she moved back upstate. While working at a gourmet food shop in Schenectady, New York, Rachael developed her signature “30 Minute Meal” classes. A local television newscast picked her up, and soon, Food Network recognized they had a star in the making. The network signed her to a deal in 2001, launching what would become a multi-media empire. Her “quick and easy” cooking style found success with audiences, and she hosted ’30 Minute Meals’ for 11 seasons. In 20015, she signed a deal to host her own syndicated daytime TV talk show, ‘Rachael Ray.’ Her appearances on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ helped fuel the launch. She would release a series of cookbooks (and biographies). She also used her platform for good. In 2006, she launched the Yum-O! nonprofit organization aiming to help “kids and their families develop healthy relationships with food and cooking.”
