Rachael Ray was born on August 25, 1968, in New York. She held several jobs in the food industry before her signature “30 Minute Meals” classes were picked up by a local television newscast.

She went on to host several Food Network shows, author tons of cookbooks, launch her own magazine, and start a nationally syndicated talk show, Rachael Ray, for which has been nominated for multiple Daytime Emmy Awards since its premiere and has taken home two.

Rachael Ray  hosts the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray, and three Food Network series (30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels, and $40 a Day).

Other programs to her credit include Rachael Ray’s Week In A Day and the reality format shows Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off, and Rachael Ray’s Kids Cook-Off. Ray has written several cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Ray says her Sicilian maternal grandfather, Emmanuel Scuderi, and her Cajun ancestry both exert strong influences on her cooking. She uses ingredients such as fresh herbs, garlic, and chicken stock to boost flavors, and believes measuring “takes away from the creative, hands-on process of cooking.” She, instead, favors approximations such as “half a palmful.”

In November 2006, Ray became a spokeswoman for Nabisco crackers. She appears in commercials and on boxes for the many Nabisco products. Many boxes with Ray’s picture have her recipes.

In 2006, Ray launched the Yum-O! nonprofit organization. Its mission is to “empower kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking.” This is achieved by teaching families to cook, feeding hungry kids, and funding cooking education.

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