A long time ago when I got my satellite dish, Food Network Canada was one of the more popular channels I would watch and 30 Minute Meals was one of the shows I would watch. Host Rachael Ray cooks up some very good meals with all sorts of themes and she indeed has them ready by the end of the show. Many of her meals are quite good and she was at one point fun to watch...
However, as a Canadian, we have access to programs from all over the world. While Food Network U.S.A. has mostly American programming, the Canadian version has programs from Canada, the U.K., Australia, Japan (Iron Chef) and the U.S. I seem more comfortable watching the cooks who don't rely on over-the-top theatrics or glib personalities (and many of them aren't the Americans). My problem with Ray is that she seems to have some phony mask on; as if she is trying to sell us that her personality is the real deal. However, the fact that a 37 year-old woman thinks that acting 20 years younger on T.V. is cool to everybody isn't the case. The novelty has worn off and now it is painful to see her act like a Valley Girl. It kind of reminds me of Tiny Toons' Babs Bunny, who needed to be a poser to stand out among the otherwise cooler characters at the Looniversity.
Still, the show is pretty good and if you can stand dealing with her mannerisms, giggles, and saccharine personality you'll pick up some good recipes. Otherwise, Ina Garten, Giada DeLaurentis, Mario Batali, or even Emeril (who is genuine in my book) are better and if you live in Canada there are even more good choices. If you really need to see Rachael, just watch $40 A Day or her other new travel show. Here, she fits in better.
