Rachael Ray Every Day

rach's letter

fall, to me, officially starts soon after my birthday, one of my least favorite days of the year. It’s not because I care about getting old—I don’t—but because it’s still summer and still hot. John and I make the best of it, playing bocce until it’s dark out and we’ve got a million mosquito bites. But after my birthday, and all the way through October, is everything. Autumn is my favorite time of year for so many reasons. It’s when you’re most comfortable in the great outdoors and in your no-longer-smoldering kitchen. The world is abundant with color and abundant with food. And you start to get that “Oh, yay, the holidays are coming!” feeling that makes you want to chat and make plans with your family and friends. The cool…

dominique crenn

Cassoulet, coq au vin, confit duck—you won’t find any of these meaty French classics in Dominique Crenn’s dining rooms. The food pioneer who made history in 2018 as the first female chef in the U.S. to earn three Michelin stars for her upscale San Francisco restaurant, Atelier Crenn, further distinguished herself from the culinary pack last fall by removing meat from the menus of all of her Crenn Dining Group restaurants to help combat climate change. (Sustainable seafood is still served.) It was an environmental statement meant to shake up the fine-dining scene, the public vocalization of a quiet movement made by Crenn and her team over the past few years to cook more sustainably. (Her Petit Crenn has been meat-free since opening in 2015; Atelier ditched meat from its…

get the buzz on how the appalachian beekeeping collective is revitalizing former coal-mining communities

When coal-mining jobs went away, the economy of rural West Virginia went with them. Unemployment in some counties was double the national average. Enter the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective. In 2017, the nonprofit Appalachian Headwaters (appheadwaters.org) launched this one-of-a-kind training initiative to give displaced coal miners and low-income residents a way to supplement their wages and reconnect with the land through beekeeping. Operating in 17 counties throughout the state, the group has trained 90 beekeepers so far, with 40 more tapped for 2020. We chat with master beekeeper Cindy Bee—yes, that’s her real name—about why the ABC is the bee’s knees. Why bring beekeeping to Appalachia? It can be a great way to earn a sustainable living in rural areas, but the start-up costs and learning curve can be big barriers for some…

oat cuisine

Mushroom Ris-Oat-O SERVES 1 | ACTIVE: 15 MIN | TOTAL: 30 MIN 1 cup water, milk, or nondairy milk½ cup steel-cut oats⅓ cup fresh tarragon leaves, plus more for garnish¼ cup plus 3 tbsp. EVOO2 cups assorted mushrooms (such as cremini, oyster, maitake, and/or stemmed shiitake), torn or sliced¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus shaved Parmesan for garnish½ tbsp. butterCrushed red pepper flakes, for garnish 1. In a small pan, bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the oats and ¼ tsp. salt. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings: In a blender, puree ⅓ cup tarragon and ¼ cup oil until smooth. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 tbsp.…

6 things rach is loving right now

1 LIFE LESSONS “I’m excited to share a few things I know—alongside pals like Bobby Flay, Jacques Pépin, and others—in Erin Zammett Ruddy’s The Little Book of Life Skills. If you’ve ever struggled with making a great cheese board, exiting a party gracefully, or keeping a houseplant alive (um, guilty!), this is the book for you.” 2 TRANSFORMERS “We featured Cubcoats on the show, and since then I’ve been buying them for everybody’s kids. They’re plush toys that unfold into sweatshirts. And they come in a ton of characters, so you can choose based on what the kids are into these days. They even make matching face masks!” Starting at $45 each, cubcoats.com 3 ITALIAN SPRITZ “My girl Mary Giuliani gifted me this Kelly + Jones Eau de Negroni perfume. It reminds me of drinking…

sing a new tune

If You Like Taylor Swift, You’ll Love Ingrid Andress The shiver that shoots down your spine when you hear a song that feels like your inner monologue, only more clever? Ingrid Andress’s Lady Like has a lot of those. The voice that wrung poignancy out of her hit “More Hearts Than Mine” bridges country and pop with thoughtful takes on messy breakups and their messier aftermath. Her “Life of the Party” is the tequila-shot update of “Tears of a Clown” we’ve needed. If You Like Billie Eilish, You’ll Love Elah Hale Elah Hale makes music to luxuriate in. Her unhurried songs create atmosphere often out of nothing more than some spare beats, shimmery keyboards, and her own lustrous voice. Then there’s the pure pop bliss of “Posters,” which, though released in the ick…