Rachael Ray is everywhere. She’s on TV, on bookshelves and now you can even buy the Food Network personality’s cookware.
To Lansing resident Misty Lane, it’s too much, and through a Web site she has created she has found out she is not alone.
Originally conceived as a joke, Lane started the “Rachael Ray Sucks Community” (http://community.livejournal.com/rachael_ray_sux/) in 2003 half expecting others to share her disdain for Ray.
“I got really fed up watching her show,” Lane said. “I really didn’t think anybody would join.”
The online group dedicated to Ray-bashing existed under the radar for about two years, until web magazine Slate.com ran a piece in defense of Ray in July of 2005 with a link to the site. Now 1,332 members strong, Lane, who has never met Ray, said the community receives about 300,000 hits every month. more…
While luminous Yanks like Michelle Pfeiffer continue storming our restaurants — she was at Opus in Toronto the other night, FYI — an admirable Canadian has just taken up the task of feeding Americans.
Gabriel Aubry, who has a bedroom smile but is also adept in the kitchen and known best, of course, as the beau of one Halle Berry, just opened a restaurant in New York City. The theme is Cuban, and the locale is the East Village. Cafe Fuego is what they’re calling it.
Two years have passed since the French-Canadian Versace model and the Oscar-anointed Catwoman became an item, and things seem to be in that calm, settle-down place for both. Last week, at a party sponsored by Hennessy Cognac at Gabriel’s new spot, Halle even made an appearance and gave the restaurant the best, highest-wattage shot of publicity it could ever ask for.
“I was a cook before I was a model,” the tousled-haired hunk told InStyle magazine’s Party Hopper column. “I have a metabolism, so I can eat anything,” he boasted when the question of models-who-eat naturally came up. more…
A Florida woman has told the National Enquirer that she carried on a five-year affair with TV cook Rachael Ray’s husband.
Rachael Ray is the talk show circuit’s newest darling, so you can see why Jeannine Walz would pick now to cash in on her dirt. Why Rachael Ray, the mouse-voiced spaz attack who laughs at her own jokes, is popular, though, is still a secret.
Walz says she did drugs with John Cusimano, Ray’s husband and a lawyer, and then the two got their freak on. Maybe Ray has some recipes for food to slather on your lover’s body she can share?
In any case, Cusimano’s sexual requests aren’t sugary, but they sure are spicy. Walz says he shelled out cash for her to spit in his face and rub her bare feet on his face, amongst other things.
“Sometimes he’d be naked. I always kept my clothes on,” Walz says. “John paid me up to $500 for a session. We’d often have sessions at least twice a month … I virtually supported myself by spitting on him. But there was never any normal sex involved. He once offered to pay me $1,200 to perform a kinky sex act with him, but I refused.” more…
London, Nov 19 (ANI): She may be making millions of dollars now that she’s a A-List movie star, but for actress Renee Zellweger, her life had never been happier than when she was just a waitress. more…
Martha Stewartthrew rival talk-show diva Rachael Ray into her wicker-and-jute ring this morning, and, in her inimitably patrician way, gave her a verbal smackdown for daring to air her show with Barry Manilow at exactly the same time Her Martha-ness did.
At 10 am in New York, both Martha (on NBC) and Rachael’s (on ABC) shows featured the ageless crooner Manilow as a musical guest, and Martha was none too pleased. “I’ve never actually met Rachael Ray,” said Martha during her opening monologue, with a rather unmistakable chortle. “I think she’s very fun…lively…uh…young woman,” continued the domestic queen, racking her brain for adjectival possibilities. “She has Barry on her show today … Now that’s kinda weird.” more…
PEARL HARBOR, HI–Three cast members from the ABC drama “Lost” all agreed Naval Submarine Support Command was the winner of the sixth Pearl Harbor Naval Submarine Support Command’s (NSSC) Culinary competition, Saturday, Oct. 14.
Cast-Away cuisine was the theme for this competition. NSSC along with six submarines competed using dishes made with only ingredients that could only be acquired if they were stranded on an island. Dishes ranged from kalua (earth-cooked) pork, macadamia nut-crusted chicken to blackened shark. The winning dish was goat cheese-stuffed pork tenderloin prepared by Culinary Specialist 2nd Class (SS) Kelly Mathis.
The four judges were Terry O’Quinn (John Locke), Jorge Garcia (Hugo “Hurley” Reyes), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie Pace) and Nigel a friend of Monaghan. NSSC and COMSUBPAC staff members approached O’Quinn weeks earlier when a relative of O’Quinn was frocked to chief petty officer at the COMSUBPAC Chief Petty Officer pinning ceremony.
“I met Mr. O’Quinn at the Chief Pinning ceremony at Sharkey Theatre,” said Chief Culinary Specialist (SS) Juan Hernandez, competition organizer. “I thought getting him and some of his friends from the show to judge the competition would be great.”
Locke agreed and word spread quickly. Mathis, a native of Social Circle, Ga. and a fan of the ABC show said he was ecstatic and motivated to win.
“When I heard they were coming, I was beside myself,” he said. “I knew I had to do something extraordinary. I decided on a dish I saw on a television show, but of course I had to add my own touch.” more…
“I hate reality TV, I have to tell you,” said the new host of Top Chef, Bravo’s reality cooking competition. “I think a lot of it brings out the worst common denominator of the human spirit.”
But the Indian-born model and actress, perhaps best known for being married to Salman Rushdie, is satisfied that Season 2 of Top Chef won’t contribute to the decline of modern culture. The reality series pits 15 up-and-coming chefs against one another in an intense culinary contest.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the skills,” Lakshmi said. “I think it’s very compelling seeing someone trying to be really good at their job.” more…
NEW LONDON, Conn. — The most important person on a movie set isn’t always the director, writer, producer, cameraman, sound technician or even the star.
Sometimes, the most important person on a movie set is the chef. This makes Roger Poirier the big man on campus during the filming of the ESPN miniseries “The Bronx Is Burning,” which is taking place at Dodd Stadium.
On a recent Tuesday, Poirier made breakfast and lunch for 190 people. He turned out both meals from a restaurant-quality kitchen housed in a vehicle the size of a UPS delivery truck. Salads, vegetables, starches, chicken, beef and fish were all prepped and cooked in Poirier’s truck and served on a buffet line by his three assistants.
The cooks have been at the stadium since Sept. 23. They all work for Hanna Brothers Catering of Slidell, La., an eight-year-old company that specializes in catering film- and television-production locations. “The Army runs on its stomach, they say, and I think there is some truth to that in the film business as well,” said Jim Hanna, a co-owner of the company. Poirier, 43, has worked for Hanna for seven years, but he has been feeding crews on the sets of commercials, movies and TV shows since his father bought a catering truck when he was a teenager. He is a self-taught cook who keeps all his recipes in his head.
It is almost literally a life on the road. Poirier, who is married with two children, figures he is home in Missouri about two months a year. He has worked TV shows ranging from “Cheers” and “Dynasty” to “Star Trek: Next Generation” and “LA Law.” He has worked just as many movies, ranging from the current “The Guardian,” starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher to the upcoming “The Good Shepherd,” starring Al Pacino and Angelina Jolie. more…
In 2001, both E! and the Style Network began airing Nigella Bites, the first stateside TV outlet for the British sensualist Nigella Lawson. Nigella Feasts finds the hostess up to the same old tricks: She prepares hearty food without fuss; she alternates coy smiles with confidential grins; verbal and voluptuary, she reinvents the double-entendre. This sex bomb is aimed, I think, at housewives. Buford, explaining why the Food Network’s offerings are called “food porn,” insisted, “It’s not erotic … It’s just unreal.” He obviously hadn’t seen Lawson make guacamole.
Or even heard her say “guacamole.” In the first episode of Nigella Feasts, working on a side dish for her cornbread-topped chili con carne, she endowed the word with illicit implications, pronouncing it with the roundest O imaginable, as if the sound itself might ripen the fruit. O, avocados! Having scooped them into a bowl, Lawson first reflected on the succulence of their flesh, then got down to business “massacring the avocados with [her] masher.” She mashed without pity. “Hmm—disturbingly satisfying!” she moaned. You want me to put my chips in that? more…
She’s already got the hottest new talk show on television. Now RACHAEL RAY is looking to heat things up in the game show world — not as a host, but as a contestant.
Rachael is among the many famous faces that will compete in the latest installment of “Celebrity Jeopardy!”
The two-week competition will be taped at Radio City Music Hall in New York from October 5-8 and will be hosted by ALEX TREBEK. It will begin airing November 8.
First, she took daytime television by storm with her highly rated new talk show, now RACHAEL RAY has joined forces with Epic Records to introduce viewers to one of her passions outside the kitchen — music! The label has announced that it will release a series of soundtracks with songs handpicked by Ray.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Epic … Epic is iconic!” Rachael says. “We’ve created soundtracks that I would listen to or play at a party, starting off with my picks for Christmas and a funky mix for kids. I start singing holiday songs on Thanksgiving weekend — that’s when my tree goes up as well — and, the kids’ CD is filled with music that both kids and parents might enjoy.”
The first two soundtrack releases are slated for next month. How Cool Is That Christmas CD hits music stores on October 10, while Rachael Ray’s Too Cool For School Mixtape for Kids will be available on October 31. Other titles will be introduced in 2007.
Through the Epic deal, Rachael has also created unique cellular voicetones — ringtones featuring messages from Rachael — to all major U.S. carriers.
Show Blows Away the Competition With a 2.8/9 Weighted Metered Market Average
“Rachael Ray,” the new daily, daytime show, debuted yesterday with the highest ratings for any first-run syndicated talk show since the launch of “Dr. Phil” in 2002.
The show, hosted by Rachael Ray, opened yesterday with a 2.8/9 weighted metered market average, which was up 17% from its average lead-in (2.4/8). “Rachael Ray” was also up 33% from its year ago time period average (2.1/7).
“It was a wonderful start for Rachael and our show and we couldn’t be happier with the ratings,” remarked King World Productions CEO Roger King. “We look forward to a whole season of exciting shows, guests and ratings.”
Said Terry Wood, President of Creative Affairs and Development for King World, “We are thrilled that viewers across the country tuned-in to check out Rachael’s new show and we are all very proud of Rachael, Executive Producer Janet Annino and our top notch production team for bringing us such a quality program.”
The daytime strip won its time period in New York with a 3.9/16 (10:00 AM on WABC) and had its best top 10 market performance in Philadelphia with a 5.2/20 (10:00 AM WPVI). Overall, the show finished first or second in 28 of its 55 metered markets.
“Rachael Ray” easily beat the three other talk shows to debut this fall. She beat the premiere episode rating of “Megan Mullally” by 133% (1.2/4); “Dr. Keith Ablow” by 211% (0.9); and “Greg Behrendt” by 250% (0.8).
“Rachael Ray” airs on 180 stations nationwide, representing 97% of the United States. more…
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Heather Locklear is set to star in “Angels Fall,” a Lifetime original movie based on Nora Roberts’ best-selling suspense romance novel.
Johnathon Schaech is co-starring in the film, the third of four adaptations of books by Roberts that Lifetime plans to run back-to-back on Monday nights in February.
The first two, “Carolina Moon,” starring Claire Forlani, Jacqueline Bisset and Oliver Hudson, and “Montana Sky,” starring John Corbett, Ashley Williams, Charlotte Ross and Diane Ladd, have completed production. The fourth one, “Blue Smoke,” is in preproduction.
“Angels” centers on Reese Gilmore (Locklear), a chef who is reeling from a shooting spree at her Boston restaurant that left her as the sole survivor. She is slowly starting to put her life back together when she takes a job at a restaurant in Angel’s Fist, Wyo., and gets to know the residents of the town, including Brody (Schaech), an annoyingly stubborn yet mysteriously sexy writer. Reece’s hard-won happiness and sense of security are threatened, however, when she becomes not only the sole witness to a murder but also the killer’s next target. more…
TORONTO — Dan Aykroyd has gone from busting ghosts and singing the blues to promoting Canadian wines.The comedy star announced Tuesday that he’s invested $1 million into a group of Ontario wineries and wants to promote the country’s vintages abroad.
“Everywhere you go in the United States, you see Argentinian, Chilean wine, Australian wine, but you don’t see the Canadian wines on the shelves, and I’d like to try to change that because we have some really worthy, beautiful (wines),” the Ottawa-born actor said in a speech to reporters before excusing himself to go to the bathroom.
“Everything in moderation. I did have three glasses,” the 53-year-old exclaimed after re-entering the room, where a table of wines and spirits was set up.
Aykroyd said he makes investments “very carefully” and spent the summer researching the industry before writing the cheque for Niagara Cellars Inc., which owns several wineries in the Niagara Peninsula including Lakeview Estates, Birchwood Estates, Thomas & Vaughan and EastDell Estates, as well as Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits.
“I’m not really a capitalist — I’m a fan of capitalism, I’m an entertainer,” said Aykroyd, wearing a suit and tie. “So I’m actively looking now to shift out of United States equities, and I’m looking to invest and do something in my home country.” more…
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A grand jury will decide whether country singer Hank Williams Jr. will stand trial on misdemeanor assault charges filed after a cocktail waitress said he yelled obscenities and choked her at a local hotel.
Criminal Court Judge Gwen Rooks ruled Monday that probable cause was established and bound the case over to a Shelby County grand jury.
The waitress, Holly Hornbeak, testified that she had red marks and bruising on her neck and that she was hoarse the next day.
A private attorney hired by her parents demanded $250,000 from Williams two days later, but Hornbeak denied that the case was being driven by money.
“It was a serious attack and this is not something you take lightly,” said Hornbeak, who was 19 when the incident allegedly occurred in the Peabody hotel’s lobby bar March 18.
Afterward, she said, Williams’ publicist, Kirt Webster, gave her his phone number and offered her tickets to a Williams concert that weekend.
Williams, 57, who lives in Paris, Tenn., remains free on his own recognizance. Assault carries up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
Williams sat quietly as his attorney, Leslie Ballin, sought to portray the incident as “a hijacking” rather than as an assault.
“She didn’t go to a doctor, she didn’t take pictures of these alleged red marks and bruises. C’mon now,” Ballin said later as Williams stood at his side smiling. “Talking about victims? I’m representing one here. This is an attempt at a financial hijacking. There was no assault.”
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A grand jury will decide whether country singer Hank Williams Jr. will stand trial on misdemeanor assault charges filed after a cocktail waitress said he yelled obscenities and choked her at a local hotel.
Criminal Court Judge Gwen Rooks ruled this week that probable cause was established and bound the case over to a Shelby County grand jury.
The waitress, Holly Hornbeak, testified that she had red marks and bruising on her neck and that she was hoarse the next day.
A private attorney hired by her parents demanded $250,000 from Williams two days later, but Hornbeak denied that the case was being driven by money.
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Carefully tailored to service the soccer mom crowd racing between work and kids and shopping, “The Rachael Ray Show” is a syndicated daytime talk show-cum-pep rally targeting viewers who are double-parked.
It moves along in energetic rat-a-tat-tat style via a series of manic Rachael McNuggets that casts Oprah’s very own handpicked youngster as a whirlwind of hyperkinetic charisma. Indeed, the opening hour depicts the former host of Food Network’s wildly popular “30-Minute Meals” as a woman in need of
Ritalin to slow it down, modulate her pitch and try a little less hard. Ray has an inherent likability and is certainly easy on the eyes, but she doesn’t talk to us so much as screams and she might want to consider taking a more leisurely approach. As it is, it’s all she can do to keep from using the adoring audience as her mosh pit.
Happy to be here after spending the past five years “talking to vegetables,” Ray emerges to a cool, loftlike brick set (it spins!) and hip R&B theme music. She quickly (everything here is quick) pours herself a cup of completely unnecessary coffee that she sips while reminiscing at the set’s kitchen table. Ray’s occasionally squeaky voice is even more adorably anxious than usual, but the crowd clearly already views her as royalty on Day 1 — screaming wildly with her every breathless piece of jabber. She packs a lot of show — too much, actually — into the kickoff that’s punctuated by her cuddly asides designed to establish a connection with Jane America. more…
During Rachael Ray’s time on the Food Network, she has burned bread at least 50 times, chopped off the tip of a finger, lit Emeril Lagasse’s set on fire and set her own hair ablaze while leaning over a candle-covered birthday cake. Many of her jeans feature a permanent shiny line across the back created from standing too close to the stove.Those incidents make her a poor choice to run your gourmet kitchen, but they add up nonetheless to the most promising newcomer in the ever-competitive world of syndicated daytime talk shows.
“Rachael Ray,” which premieres today, follows a traditional recipe of celebrity interviews, cooking segments and lifestyle tips. But the wild ingredient is the host, a self-described bobblehead who can’t stay in place long enough to boil an egg and who seems stuck permanently in cheerleader mode.
“Everything I do I compare to being a waitress,” said Ray, 38, who peppers her conversations with words like “groovy,”wuss” and “hootenanny.”I try to figure out what people want and expect, and then I try to fill the order for them.”
That eager-to-please attitude is not for everyone, especially those still wiping sleep from their eyes at 11 a.m., but for those frustrated by Martha Stewart’s stringent guide to living, Ray probably will be welcome relief. In the first week alone, viewers will see her jump out of a plane, challenge an audience member to a “bag carrying” contest and create meals for polar bears — stunts that Stewart wouldn’t do for a million gardenias.
That spirit is what caught the attention of the reigning Queen of Daytime TV. Oprah Winfrey’s company, Harpo Productions, is behind the new show and hopes to have the same success it did with its last project, “Dr. Phil.” Winfrey will accentuate her support by making an appearance on Tuesday’s program.
“Oprah got from day one that Rachael knows how to be herself on TV,” said Terry Wood, president of creative affairs for King World, which is partnering with Harpo on the series. “She doesn’t want us to change her. She wants us to take what works and expand it, give her a bigger stage.” more…
Who could possibly be next in the battle of Cheesecake photos? Some I would like to see, some should just stay in the kitchen. Please add your comments and be heard.
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When Rachael Ray’s new talk show kicks off in September, one very special guest will be in the house: Ray’s friend and mentor, Oprah Winfrey.
On Aug. 3, Winfrey, 52, made a surprise stop at the New York City set of Ray’s show, where she hung out for the entire taping, met the audience, got a full tour of the set and shared some on-air coffee talk with Ray.
Afterwards, Winfrey, who rarely appears on other people’s shows, headed to the airport for a flight to South Africa, where she is working on her Leadership Academy for Girls, due to open in January.
Ray’s hour-long syndicated program, The Rachael Ray Show,premieres Sept. 18. The episode with Winfrey will air during its first week. more…
GREENSBORO — If you want to see Oprah Winfrey from a closer vantage point than your overstuffed couch, you’re in luck.
The details are out about the influential television host’s visit to Greensboro in October to headline a benefit gala for Bennett College.
Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Monday and range in price from $250 to $1,000. Proceeds will go to the Revitalizing Bennett Campaign, which has raised more than $30 million of a $50 million goal.
For the money, you get to go to a hospitality hour, attend the gala and hear Winfrey speak and partake of a to-be-determined meal. Those buying certain levels of sponsorship packages will have an opportunity to meet the pop icon herself. more…
Follow up…
College Sells 300 Oprah Tickets in a Day
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Tickets to a fundraiser for Bennett College featuring Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou sold fast in the first day of public sale. more…
Angelina Jolie will only be served by female waiters - because male ones ogle her. The ‘Tomb Raider’ star apparently turned up for dinner at Hollywood’s trendy Dakota restaurant and asked for “a female server only” to bring over her meal.
Angelina, widely regarded to be one of Hollywood’s most beautiful women, is said to be fed up of male strangers admiring her. A source told America’s New York Post newspaper: “The theory is she feels guys gawk at her too much, and this is one way of avoiding that. more…
… THR: You’re at the top of your game now, but were there times when you couldn’t get roles? Raven: I’ve been rejected far more than I’ve been accepted, let’s put it that way. After “Doctor Doolittle” I came out here with my dad to meet with casting agents, and we really started wondering whether we were wasting our time and money. Then I got “Absolutely Psychic” (the original title for “Raven”) and everything changed. But my parents raised me to believe that if I didn’t get a job, it was because it wasn’t the right part for me, not because I was inadequate. They also taught me to have more than one dream, so if one falls through there’s a backup. I love to cook and would be happy going to culinary school in Paris, becoming an executive chef and opening a restaurant. more…
(CBS4 News)MIAMI President Bush didn’t have to wait in line for a seat this evening in the always-crowded Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant in South Beach.
The president was ushered into a private room, where Joe’s president Stephen Sawitz says he had stone crabs, Joe’s specialty, Jumbo Alaskan Killer Claws and New York sirloin.
Sawitz says Bush is the first sitting president since Hoover to dine at Joe’s, and the restaurant had less than three hours noticethat he was coming.
The president is in town for a two-day visit in which he will speak about the economy. more…
The American hip-hop duo, Andre 3000 and Big Boi, celebrated the release of their new album ‘Idlewild’ with a glitzy party held on a 61-foot cruise liner on Wednesday night (26.07.06).
At the bash they knocked back super-strong Absinthe, an alcoholic drink which was banned in America in 1915.
Big Boi ignored the recommended limit of just two shots and downed a staggering eight.
He said: “This stuff is illegal back home. I can’t get enough of it.” The strong green spirit - portrayed in the film ‘Moulin Rouge’ as a green fairy played by Kylie Minogue - was banned in many countries because of its dangerously addictive nature and high alcohol content. more…
Pamela Anderson, who as a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals activist has called out fur-wearers and a fast-food giant, now stands accused of peddling the “delicacy of despair.”
“Pam Anderson is trying to have it both ways,” Andrew Porter, spokesman for the Center of Consumer Freedom said in an email Wednesday.
At issue is vegetarian Anderson’s involvement–or not–in BlackSteel, a Hollywood restaurant run by celebrity-favored chef Jason “Chef J” Harley and replete with non-vegetarian dishes.
Last week, the Center for Consumer Freedom, a PETA adversary and nonprofit group backed by restaurants and food companies, publicly accused “spokes-blonde” Anderson of being in “partnership” with BlackSteel, and “earning a second income with a menu that includes ham-hock ravioli, lamb chops, lobster tails, and the vegetarian sin-of-sins, foie gras.” more…
Robert De Niro may be looking to cash out his stake in celebrity sushi chain Nobu, according to press reports. The actor teamed up with famed sushi chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa to open 16 locations of the posh eatery in cities such as South Beach, Florida, Malibu, California, Tokyo, Japan and Las Vegas, Nevada. Owners of the celebrity hot spot have been meeting with executives from chain companies such as Starwood Hotels and PF Chang’s to help finance even further expansion. A source tells New York magazine part of the thinking between the partners is, “They’ve had a great run, and it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to cash out.” The company is estimated to be worth $250 million, and De Niro is said to own approximately 30 percent. more…
NEWCASTLE, England, July 23 (UPI) — Singer Axl Rose of the U.S. rock band Guns n’ Roses nearly started a riot in England after delaying a concert so he could first eat dinner, a report says.
The 44-year-old singer refused to perform at a reunion concert at the Metro Arena in Newcastle until he was given a roast lamb dinner, prompting fans in attendance to become very disruptive, the Sunday Mirror said.
While the singer waited and eventually dined on his demanded meal, thousands of disgruntled fans waited an hour and 15 minutes for the performance to begin, the newspaper said. more…
PRINCE Charles is aiming to be Britain’s next celebrity chef.
He hopes to knock the likes of Hell’s Kitchen Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver off the top spot with his own book of recipes.
Sources say the prince will include his favourite foods of egg mayonnaise sandwiches, mutton and organic roast lamb and beef.
A royal courtier said: “The prince has always been picky about food - his high standards are legendary. He’s also keen on the organic thing and his Duchy Originals food range has been so popular he felt a cookbook would be a recipe for success.” more…
PASADENA, Calif. — Rachael Ray is everywhere with her Food Network shows, best-selling cookbooks and lifestyle magazine. Now, she’s adding daytime talk show hostess to her crow0ded resume.
The high-energy cook who shows America how to whip up inexpensive meals in 30 minutes promises her hour-long syndicated show, debuting Sept. 18, will present “can-do” advice about cooking, travel, relationships and pop culture trends. more…
NEW YORK - Rappers have long proclaimed their love for Cristal, frequently mentioning the high-end champagne in songs and popping the corks of the clear, gold-labeled bottles in music videos and at nightclubs.
But the makers of Cristal don’t seem to feel the same way about hip-hop — at least that’s one rapper-turned-record executive Jay-Z sees it.
Now president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Records, the multiplatinum rapper has decided to boycott his once-beloved bubbly over comments from Frederic Rouzaud, managing director of Louis Roederer, the company that produces it.
In The Economist magazine, Rouzaud said the company viewed the affection for his company’s champagne from rappers and their fans with “curiosity and serenity.”
Asked by the magazine if the association between Cristal and the “bling lifestyle” could be detrimental, Rouzaud replied:
“That’s a good question, but what can we do? We can’t forbid people from buying it. I’m sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business.”
‘I view his comments as racist’
The comments left a bad taste in Jay-Z’s mouth. The rapper said he would pull Cristal from his small chain of popular sports lounges — where bottles of Cristal sell for $450 and $600 — as well as from his personal flutes. more…
Jeri Ryan is engaged to her boyfriend, French chef Christopher Eme. The two are partners in Ortolan, an award-winning West Hollywood, California, restaurant where Eme is the head chef. The 38-year-old star announced her engagement while promoting her new TV series “Shark” at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California. more…
On Aug. 5 and 6, the zoo invites visitors to “Chill Out” with its penguins, puffins and polar bears. There will be special activities including music, games and crafts as well as demonstrations by ice carvers and ice chefs. Food Network star Rachael Ray will be on hand Aug.6 to prepare a special meal for the zoo’s bears. more…
Jennifer Love Hewitt is using her summer break to perfect her cooking skills. The star is taking a break from all things Hollywood to train to become a top chef. She says, “I’ve learned to cook risotto, steak and spaghetti.”
(CBS)CHICAGO President Bush’s two-day visit to the Windy City has given some Chicagoans a glimpse into the more casual side of the commander-in-chief.
As CBS 2’s Sylvia Gomez reports, diners at one popular Chicago hang-out got more than their usual cup of morning coffee.
President Bush leaned in like an old buddy at Lou Mitchell’s Friday morning. Charm is one of the president’s great strengths.
“I’ll tell you, he’s a very good looking man. When you meet him in person, he’s a very nice man. Very polite,” owner Nick Thanas said.
As he stumped through Lou Mitchell’s diner, a Chicago favorite, the president worked the room for a crowd that didn’t expect to be meeting the leader of the free world.
“We just came by for a Belgian waffle, then they patted us down and checked our purses,” said Erica Swerdlow. more…
Richard Petty was standing next to one of the country’s best chefs, but he wasn’t at all impressed with what he was dishing up.
It was the night before a 2004 NASCAR race at Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Petty, king of the stock car racing circuit, came to a private dinner that Food Network host, restaurateur and cookbook author Mario Batali was preparing for drivers.
The redheaded, pony-tailed culinary star’s spread included penne all’Amatriciana - pasta that’s usually tossed with guanciale, or dried, salted hog’s jowls, tomato sauce and red pepper flakes. The dish might be appreciated by the adventurous diners jamming the reservation book at Babbo, Batali’s New York Italian ristorante, but it apparently didn’t spark Petty’s appetite. more…
Hot cars, hot food: Chef Mario Batali (right) entertains NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip during practice day for the Nextel Cup race in Long Pond, Pa.
The shock rocker’s wife Dita Von Teese has revealed he is a dab hand in the kitchen and can create numerous complex dishes from scratch.
Dita said: “People might be surprised to know that my husband cooks me things.
“He baked me cupcakes on Valentine’s Day.” The sexy burlesque dancer insists she is able to enjoy the calorific treats Marilyn cooks her without worrying about her figure, because she doesn’t seem to put on weight. more…
ASPEN, Colorado (AP) — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was briefly hospitalized early Friday after he fell ill at a restaurant where he was dining with former President Clinton and others, police said.
Aspen police Sgt. Bill Linn said the four-star general told him it appeared to be a combination of altitude sickness and something he ate. more…
Cameron Diaz is feasting on hamburgers and French fries in a bid to change her shape from skinny to curvy. The actress confesses she is desperate to become more “voluptuous” and is indulging all her fast food fetishes so she can put on weight. Diaz says, “All my life, I’ve wanted to be a fleshy voluptuous woman - the kind that bursts out of her clothing, displaying her wealth of femininity. I have to work for the curves I desire.” more…
Amy Sedaris was supposed to be pushing her new comedy, “Strangers With Candy,” which opens Friday (see an interview with Sedaris here), but what really excited her was double-strength vanilla.
The actress/writer has a sideline selling cupcakes at New York’s Gourmet Garage, but she had never heard of double-strength vanilla until it was mentioned in the course of an interview about the movie. A stickler for pure vanilla who tends to put in an extra glug or two when she’s baking, Sedaris said she couldn’t wait to try the stronger stuff. more…
…In addition to an acting career that has included a recurring role on “Sex and the City” (she was Carrie Bradshaw’s publisher), the voice of Foxy Loxy in last year’s “Chicken Little” and Mrs. Kravitz in the big-screen “Bewitched,” Sedaris gets $20 a batch for the cupcakes she sells at New York’s Gourmet Garage.And she is writing a cookbook. And she is thinking of starting a make-your-own-disguise business. And she wants her own cooking show.
“I’ve never seen Martha Stewart’s show. I did ‘Conan O’Brien’ with her a long time ago, but I don’t watch cooking shows,” says Sedaris, whose own specialties are baked goods and Greek food. “I guess it’s because in real life, I would like to do a show like that. But I would want to do it like the old ‘Galloping Gourmet’ — really low-budget.” more…
Rob Schneider was back on the set of his directorial debut film a day after collapsing from heat exhaustion and food poisoning, his spokeswoman said on Friday.
Schneider, a former “Saturday Night Live” player and star of such films as “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo,” was taken to the San Joaquin General Hospital in central California on Wednesday after he fell ill on the set of “Big Stan,” spokeswoman Shara Koplowitz said.
“Rob had a slight case of food poisoning and the 107 (41 Celsius) heat brought on nausea,” Koplowitz said. “He went to the hospital, was treated for nausea and released the same day.” more…
The pop diva is convinced mauve-coloured foods like red grapes and plums - known for their anti-ageing benefits - will stop her developing wrinkles.
The songstress, who devised the diet with her nutritionist, now munches purple meals three days a week.
A source is quoted in Britain’s The Sun newspaper as saying: “It sounds off-the-wall but it’s a huge injection of healthy food in one go. Purple products are nature’s best weapons in the battle against ageing. There’s a saying that ‘a plum a day keeps a facelift away’.” “Purple food can prevent breakdown of collagen and slow the wasting of muscles.” It isn’t the first time Mariah has tried a bizarre diet. more…
It came as no surprise to viewers around the world when Kelly Perdew heard the words, “You’re hired!” from Donald Trump on “The Apprentice 2.” Already recognized as an innovative leader in the business world, winning the competition seemed a natural step in his remarkable life.Kelly is a West Point graduate who completed U.S. Army Ranger and Airborne training, and holds multiple college degrees. His new book, “Take Command: 10 Leadership Principles I Learned in the Military and Put to Work for Donald Trump,” is available wherever books are sold.
Q Give us a behind-thescenes look at a meal during “The Apprentice” competition.
“Believe it or not, we had to prepare most of our own meals. Both Chris and Maria were great cooks. They came up with some really interesting and delicious dishes with the ingredients on-hand in the suite. However, my favorite meal was the sevencourse spectacular dinner we ate while leaving New York Harbor on the Queen Mary 2 after winning the Crest task. I can’t remember how many lobster tails I ate!” more…
Hell froze over, pigs flew, the 12th of never came and now the good ol’ boys of stock car racin’ are drinking wine.
They’re making it too — legally — and NASCAR fans steeped in the beer and bourbon culture of the South are starting to break out the stemware and pop as many corks as they do burnouts.
Budweiser may be “the official beer of NASCAR,” and Coors Light, Miller Lite, Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam sponsor cars, yet wine is slowly weaving its way through traffic and into NASCAR. more…
