It hasn't been easy for Food Network star Rachael Ray to film her popular talk show from home in Upstate New York since the television studios closed in early March.
On Mondays and Fridays, Rachael and husband Mark Cusimano spend hours producing a home version of the “Rachael Ray Show,” now in its fourteenth season. With summer nearly here, the tv host has adjusted to the new normal, sharing her best recipes for the warmer months.
“I’ve always been proud that we’ve tried to make our TV show as comfortable to viewers as possible and we’re achieving that more than ever here,” she told the New York Post, “by stripping it down completely.”
During the interview, Rachael opened up about cooking on camera without makeup and a team of assistants. In this strange period, the celebrity chef with Sicilian-Cajun roots even admitted that Italian cookbooks have proven to be a great prop for keeping the camera stable.
Here’s the recipe for Rachael’s summer-y fennel salad with lemon, olive oil and toasted Marcona almonds.
Ingredients:
Slices of fennel, celery and cucumber (enough to fill a salad bowl with equal parts)
Fennel fronds, dill, leaves of Italian parsley and tarragon
Extra virgin olive oil
One lemon
Salt and pepper
Method:
Use a mandolin to slice wedges of fennel bulb, celery and cucumber. Then add to a salad bowl.
Take the mixed herbs and remove the leaves and fronds. Dice them on a cutting board, then add to the salad bowl.
Squeeze two halves of lemon and drizzle an ample amount of extra virgin olive oil on top.
Sprinkle a small handful of salt and pepper.
Mix the ingredients together. (Rachael uses her hands!)