Rachael Ray

Ray is Sicilian and Cajun French. Her maternal grandparents were Sicilian. Her relatives on her father's side are Cajun from Louisiana. She was born in Glens Falls, New York. Her family owned a restaurant on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, called the Carvery, while her mother managed restaurants in upstate New York. She grew up in Lake George, New York.

Her first job was at the candy counter at Macy's in New York City, where she eventually managed the fresh foods department. She later helped open a New York City market. Moving back to upstate New York, Ray managed Mister Brown's Pub at The Sagamore, a famous hotel on Lake George. From there, she became a buyer at Cowan & Lobel, a gourmet market in suburban Albany. Ray credits the concept of 30 Minute Meals to her experience working at the store where she met people reluctant to cook. She began teaching a cooking course in which she showed people how to make meals in thirty minutes or less. With the success of her "30 Minute Meals" classes, WRGB (the local CBS TV affiliate) asked her to appear in a weekly segment on their newscasts. This, along with a public radio appearance and the publication of her first book, led to a Today show spot and her first Food Network contract in 2001. Later appearances on the Today show followed, and she and Katie Couric became very good friends.[citation needed] Ray is also a big fan of the Howard Stern Show