2 posts tagged “rachael ray”
I know I haven't blogged in a while but there hasn't been much to report.....especially about pastry since I'm not currently working as a pastry chef. Caring for my mom has been my chief job, and it's exhausting in it's own brain torturing way.
I did take my Mom to see the tulips in the Skagit Valley and they were awe inspiring......
Other than that, it's just been traveling back and forth between Redmond and Port Townsend, which has been made more difficult by the closure of the Hood Canal Bridge. My normal 2 hour commute has turned into 4 hours (on a good day). Last Tuesday the wind was so bad, the water ferry that takes people across the Hood Canal was out of service because the water was so choppy that it could not dock. So I took a 3 hour bus ride all the way around to Port Gamble, got my car, drove to the Kingston Ferry, took that, then got off and drove to Mom's. Total travel time? 8 hours. Yep.
I'll be so glad when the bridgework is done and that damn thing re-opens. This has been such a hassle. It's like living on an island out here in Port Townsend. Taking out the bridge is like severing an artery......a major life giving artery.
We're hoping the tourist based businesses here in town can ride it out, because tourism, obviously, is down.
Enough whining. No wait, I have plenty more whining to do. It's my blog, I can cry if I want to.
There is one ray of hope actually. I'm finally losing some weight. 7.5 lbs so far. No miracle diet.....I'm just counting calories with the help of my iPhone......yep, there's an app for that. It's called, "Lose It" if anyone wants to know.....and it's freakin' free! I think being away from the bakery is helping too.....I'm not eating all those little trimmings and scraps that happen in the pastry kitchen, or any kitchen for that matter.
Ok, back to whining. My mom is doing fairly well physically, basically because I'm there to make sure she takes her medicine and eats and gets up and around occasionally. She fails to thrive on her own and will neglect herself to the point where she does get sick and ends up in the hospital. So really, at this point it is my job to babysit her, run errands, cook, take her out, refill her medicine boxes, etc. She takes so many meds it's almost rocket science to fill her boxes....there's no way she could do it herself. She no longer drives (good thing) and really has no interest in much of anything. She's unable to really carry on any kind of conversation so long periods of time go by where not much is said other than commenting on the weather. She sleeps a lot.
Her lack of cognition and short term memory loss can be frustrating. She asks me what day it is several times in the day, and it's not like it's even important......to her, every day is the same......why worry WHAT day it is? It's going to be the same boring routine day......after day......after day.......after day.........
This routine is rotting my brain. I need to bring some books along with me, since I know I'm not going to get stimulating conversation while I'm there. I've been watching too much TV......and almost getting addicted to the soaps. But not quite. I won't let myself watch enough of the episode to fully understand what's going on, so that keeps me at arm's length. "All My Children" keeps trying to pull me in though.......Susan Lucci doesn't freakin' age I swear!
There are some funny things that crack me up about soaps. I love how every "room" on every set is so lavishly decorated. No clutter.....as if the maid is there 24/7. Even if children are supposedly present in the household, there's no toys for the actors to trip over and the kids don't have much in the way of roles except to say, "Daddy, when is Mommy coming home?" And he'll say, "Soon, son,(even though I actually had her kidnapped) now go up to your room". No tantrums. The kid exits the set and is supposedly happily playing out of the parent's way so they can focus on their own stupid problems. And also, every room has a wet bar. As the actors are discussing their problems, there's always a decanter of hard liquor around. Never a bottle of Johnnie Walker.......it's always decanted. This, I'm sure is because the soap doesn't want to pay the product placement royalty.....or whatever you call it. I also love that they wake up in the morning as fresh as a daisy, or looking perfect after a rowdy nooner. I think I've been watching the soaps with my mom just to have a good laugh. They shouldn't even be called soap operas anymore. They don't advertise much soap.....mostly it's prescription drugs, like Singulair, Astepro, Vesicare, Caduet.......that, along with the prodigious drinking going on in the soaps themselves, they should be called "Drug and Alcohol" Operas..........
See I told you I've been watching too much TV. Another thing I've discovered is that Oprah is a hack and gives way too much air tiime to woo-woo ideas and woo-woo people. She is Queen Woo as far as I'm concerned. Oh, and I still suck at "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy". Actually those Jeopardy questions are hard......I feel like such a pea brain after that show.
Ok, enough TV.......but you know this blog reflects my life as it currently is. I wish I could share some exciting pastry stories or show some pics of cakes I've done.....but......alas.......the life of a caregiver isn't nearly exciting as life at the bakery. Jewlz keeps me apprised of what is going on at the bakery, and it's definitely a soap opera there; I love hearing "the latest", so I still feel semi involved. I stop by a lot. There will be a couple of cakes I have to do for a fundraiser on June 7th, so if they're picture-worthy, I'll post them.
My final rant:
EVOO? I know that's her little "term" but now it's really on bottles of extra virgin olive oil. Just think how many bottles will sell because "EVOO" is on it. "Look honey! I've been trying to find EVOO for ages ever since I started watching Rachael Ray, and now the stores actually sell it! Wow, let's buy TWO!"
See I told you my brain is rotting.
As a professional chef, I'm constantly battling misconceptions about my profession from the general public. I'm always willing to educate Joe Consumer about food and/or the food profession, because I have plenty to say. I also have plenty of "beefs" Ha!
Pardon the pun.
What's my beef today? Well, that would be the "food personality" phenomenon known as Rachael Ray. Never mind the hard working certified, professional, talented, innovative, "done their time in the trenches" chefs that have come and gone and had mild success on the Food Network and other channels, like Anthony Bourdain, Mario Batali, Sara Moulton, Jacques Torres, et al. The Food Network and other "TV Heads" aren't necessarily concerned with "food talent", but "TV Talent". You could be the worlds greatest chef, but if you had an "unmarketable personality" (whatever that is) or are a wee bit homely looking it wouldn't make a bit of difference....they'll pass you by in favor of people like......Ms. Ray. She has what it takes to make it in TV.....a bubbly-til-it-makes-you-gag personality, good looks, and most importantly, the savvy to know how to put some cheese on a Triscuit and make the average American think it's a great new idea.
Sadly, the average American doesn't really have the time to cook anymore, and public knowledge of cooking basics is becoming harder to find. Today's kids are taught cooking basics by busy parents who rely almost entirely on the microwave. Ask a kid to make some mac 'n cheese and he'll look for the convenience pack in the pantry to nuke for 3 minutes. Saute? Braise? Poach? Chiffonade? Julienne? All these terms are foreign to more and more people. I thought food shows were to educate folks about the fun and beauty of cooking, not to reinforce the "mac in the microwave" lifestyle that is ruining our health today. The "food dumbing down" of Americans will not do them any favors in the long run. Rachael has become the new whore for Nabisco...what better way to promote convenience foods and 30 Minute Meals than to team up with the company that makes them? It's a marriage made in heaven.
There's an article in Slate, called In Defense of Rachael Ray but that "defense" is lame at best. Rachael Ray is simply a "manufactured" and marketed celebrity, similar to Milli Vanilli, N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and the Spice Girls....oh wait, let's not forget the newest marketable sensation.....The Pussycat Dolls. I see REAL musicians....talented, with so much more to offer the public, playing for pennies in the streets. I see them playing the bar circuit because they haven't kissed the right butts or been in exactly the right place at the right time, or because they don't fit a "genre" or an "image". They get passed by, and who suffers? The public. Luckily though, the internet has made it far easier for people to find these great talents....they can share their music with a wide global audience and get the exposure they deserve.....the sad thing is, where's the money they deserve too?
It's a similar thing for us food professionals. It's really hard for us to sit and watch people like Rachael Ray telling the public about the miracle of going out and buying ice cream and Hershey's Syrup and then coming home and dumping said sauce on ice cream. She's getting paid BIG MONEY to shill.....even worse, she's referred to as a "chef".
PLEASE!!!
We chefs work our freakin' BUTTS OFF. We're making the sauce....we're making the ice cream. We get paid SHIT.
We are the ones who possess skill and talent, but the nature of the food industry does not allow us hardly even a living wage because people are willing to pay only so much for food. Restaurants can only charge what the market will bear. It's hard enough to keep a restaurant afloat......food workers can't ask for, and don't get high wages because labor is one of the highest expenses in the restaurant business anyway. Restaurateurs operate on very slim margins generally. It's a tough business. Mostly, we are a prideful bunch. We do what we do, because we were foolish enough to follow our bliss rather than to follow the almighty dollar. We have a passion for our work and defend it vociferously.
How would the medical association feel if the dude who played "House" on FOX had a medical advice show?
It would be a sham. It is similar to how I feel as a chef, to see manufactured celebrities dishing out cooking advice because they are pretty and bubbly rather than being skilled and educated in their craft. It's a sham.
If anything, there should be disclaimers on any media appearance of Rachael Ray stressing that she is NOT a chef, because it REALLY insults those of us who are.
Boycott Rachael Ray.
Pardon the pun.
What's my beef today? Well, that would be the "food personality" phenomenon known as Rachael Ray. Never mind the hard working certified, professional, talented, innovative, "done their time in the trenches" chefs that have come and gone and had mild success on the Food Network and other channels, like Anthony Bourdain, Mario Batali, Sara Moulton, Jacques Torres, et al. The Food Network and other "TV Heads" aren't necessarily concerned with "food talent", but "TV Talent". You could be the worlds greatest chef, but if you had an "unmarketable personality" (whatever that is) or are a wee bit homely looking it wouldn't make a bit of difference....they'll pass you by in favor of people like......Ms. Ray. She has what it takes to make it in TV.....a bubbly-til-it-makes-you-gag personality, good looks, and most importantly, the savvy to know how to put some cheese on a Triscuit and make the average American think it's a great new idea.
Sadly, the average American doesn't really have the time to cook anymore, and public knowledge of cooking basics is becoming harder to find. Today's kids are taught cooking basics by busy parents who rely almost entirely on the microwave. Ask a kid to make some mac 'n cheese and he'll look for the convenience pack in the pantry to nuke for 3 minutes. Saute? Braise? Poach? Chiffonade? Julienne? All these terms are foreign to more and more people. I thought food shows were to educate folks about the fun and beauty of cooking, not to reinforce the "mac in the microwave" lifestyle that is ruining our health today. The "food dumbing down" of Americans will not do them any favors in the long run. Rachael has become the new whore for Nabisco...what better way to promote convenience foods and 30 Minute Meals than to team up with the company that makes them? It's a marriage made in heaven.
There's an article in Slate, called In Defense of Rachael Ray but that "defense" is lame at best. Rachael Ray is simply a "manufactured" and marketed celebrity, similar to Milli Vanilli, N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and the Spice Girls....oh wait, let's not forget the newest marketable sensation.....The Pussycat Dolls. I see REAL musicians....talented, with so much more to offer the public, playing for pennies in the streets. I see them playing the bar circuit because they haven't kissed the right butts or been in exactly the right place at the right time, or because they don't fit a "genre" or an "image". They get passed by, and who suffers? The public. Luckily though, the internet has made it far easier for people to find these great talents....they can share their music with a wide global audience and get the exposure they deserve.....the sad thing is, where's the money they deserve too?
It's a similar thing for us food professionals. It's really hard for us to sit and watch people like Rachael Ray telling the public about the miracle of going out and buying ice cream and Hershey's Syrup and then coming home and dumping said sauce on ice cream. She's getting paid BIG MONEY to shill.....even worse, she's referred to as a "chef".
PLEASE!!!
We chefs work our freakin' BUTTS OFF. We're making the sauce....we're making the ice cream. We get paid SHIT.
We are the ones who possess skill and talent, but the nature of the food industry does not allow us hardly even a living wage because people are willing to pay only so much for food. Restaurants can only charge what the market will bear. It's hard enough to keep a restaurant afloat......food workers can't ask for, and don't get high wages because labor is one of the highest expenses in the restaurant business anyway. Restaurateurs operate on very slim margins generally. It's a tough business. Mostly, we are a prideful bunch. We do what we do, because we were foolish enough to follow our bliss rather than to follow the almighty dollar. We have a passion for our work and defend it vociferously.
How would the medical association feel if the dude who played "House" on FOX had a medical advice show?
It would be a sham. It is similar to how I feel as a chef, to see manufactured celebrities dishing out cooking advice because they are pretty and bubbly rather than being skilled and educated in their craft. It's a sham.
If anything, there should be disclaimers on any media appearance of Rachael Ray stressing that she is NOT a chef, because it REALLY insults those of us who are.
Boycott Rachael Ray.
