Cooking Basics for the Reluctant Cook, According to Rachael Ray

B+C: What fruits are best for grilling? Why?

Jonathan: Honestly with the right equipment, you can grill any fruit, but for simplicity, let's stick with fruit that you can throw on any backyard grill. I personally love splitting Alabama peaches and tossing them with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper before throwing them on a charcoal grill. Peaches are a super versatile fruit, so it makes sense that they do so well. They have the perfect texture and sugar content, which makes grilling them incredibly easy. I also love grilling figs, but they can be trickier on my Weber at home.

B+C: Why *should* you grill fruit?

Jonathan: Why not? I love cooking on charcoal grills, and when I go through the pageantry of getting the coals lit, carefully tending to them until they are perfectly ashed over and raging hot, I want to get the most out of that fire. So, I will grill anything I can get my hands on. The natural sugars in fruit offer up the perfect vessel for that smoky charred flavor – which is why we grill in the first place.

B+C: What textures and flavors does the grill bring to fruit?

Jonathan: Grilling fruit that is not quite ripe yet softens them up just enough to bring out the natural sweetness of the fruit, while remaining firm enough to easily slice. When you are cooking over a live fire, they’ll pick up those subtle flavors carried by the smoke. I love how as the char develops, it enhances the sweetness of the peach, while carefully attaching a savoriness that carries the fruit through tremendous peaks and valleys.

B+C: What foods would you recommend pairing with grilled fruit?

Jonathan: While it may be a touch on the nose, I think grilled fruit belongs on pork. Of course, people automatically think of grilled pineapple and pork, but grilled peaches, nectarines, figs, pears, grapefruits, and mangoes all love being tossed with olive oil and herbs before being laid to rest atop a perfectly grilled pork chop.

B+C: How long should fruit be grilled?

Jonathan: Until it's done. Honestly though, that is a matter of preference. When it comes to peaches, I take them as far as I can over high heat, allowing them to burn without compromising their structure. As long as you only char the surface, there is plenty of fruit left to have a good time with the burnt side. I think the most important thing is to not be afraid – if you take it too far, you might find out that's how you like it.

B+C: What about grilled lettuce? Wouldn't it wilt?

Jonathan: Lettuce can be a little trickier. I find that grilling whole heads or little gems and hearts of romaine work best. If you try to grill lettuce leaves, they will more than likely wither away. One of my favorite salads is a grilled romaine Caesar salad – it's simple, and I get to use my grill. If you are feeling a little frisky, grilled Belgian endive is what the gods eat.

B+C: Any best tips for grilling in general?

Jonathan: When grilling just about anything, you want to make sure your grill is hot. The best test for this is to hold your hand over the grill and start counting. If you make it to five seconds, you need to let it warm up a little longer. Then you want to clean those grates with your trusty grill brush. Finally, you need to get those grates lubed up. Take a good grip of paper towels, dip 'em in some olive oil and wipe those grates down with your tongs. When it comes to prepping fruit for the grill, you want a good amount of surface area, so cut the fruit accordingly. Then just pat them dry with some paper towels, toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and you are ready to go.

B+C: Let’s start by talking about your partnership with Genova Premium Tuna. For those who don’t eat it, the fish is often generalized to be kind of gross and smelly. Do you have any tips on how to incorporate tuna into the kitchen for people who’ve never worked with it before?

I love tuna because it's so versatile and easy to work with, especially a high-quality product like Genova Premium Tuna. One of my favorite dishes that my family is loving right now is my Genova Yellowfin Tuna and Artichoke Pasta, which is inspired by the flavors of Tuscany. But you can incorporate tuna into a number of other dishes from appetizers and sides to easy entrees.

B+C: I love the idea of Mediterranean Al Fresco dining. Are there any tips you can give to still achieve this vibe but on a low budget?

When hosting friends and family at my home in Tuscany, I like to up my floral game by reaching into my garden and adding in some fresh herbs – it’s aesthetically pleasing and smells DELISH!

B+C: With summer on the way as well, you created a Genova Yellowfin Tuna and Artichoke Pasta. Can you walk me through how to make that? Any standout tips for home cooks out there making this recipe?

My number one tip is to focus on ingredients. Finding high-quality ingredients helps to elevate even the simplest of recipes. I love that Genova Premium Tuna is made with premium cuts of hand-filleted, wild caught yellowfin and albacore tuna, drizzled with just the right amount of olive oil, which is always my preference because it adds so much great flavor, and it has no additives or preservatives. Just tuna, premium olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt.

B+C: Are there any underrated summer ingredients that you like to throw in pasta besides artichokes? What are the top three local ingredients you find yourself using right now?

Not really, there’s one that's very hard to find in America. I've only found it here once — it's called Agretti. It's in season right now. I have some in the fridge that I brought home from Italy. It looks like seaweed, but it actually grows in sandy soil — and only in the spring. I put it with anchovy oil. You could also make it withGenova Premium Tuna, red pepper flakes and lemon. It's delicious.

B+C: Switching gears to speak on your final season of The Rachael Ray Show. How are you feeling about the show coming to an end?

My life didn't come to an end, and I'm sure I'll still work with many of the people I've been working with at the daytime show for years to come. I'm celebrating the 17 years we had on the show — it's extraordinary to have that kind of opportunity. I love everyone that worked with me — families were built at our show.

I have many, many, many projects coming up, and I'm gonna try and use as many of my friends as possible on them. But I'm extremely proud of our show. It showed people that anybody can be a Rachael Ray and that anybody can change the world on any given day.

B+C: Throughout all of your years filming, is there a funny memory with a guest that still gets you laughing?

There's a million. I mean, we've done over 2,700 shows of the daytime television show, so there's a lot of memorable moments, of course. Maybe one of my biggest laughs is when I almost killed Cloris Leachman…God rest her soul now. She slipped on set and literally fell in the kitchen. An ambulance came and took her to the hospital, and she was hitting on the EMTs while they were literally wheeling her away. A few weeks later she sent me the shoes she was wearing when she fell in a clear box. She signed them and wrote, “Thanks for almost killing me.”

B+C: Is there a recipe from the show that people constantly tell you that they make or just became a fan favorite?

I can't even count how many recipes I've written. I wrote every single recipe for every show. But if I had to pick a fan favorite, I would say anything that says Buffalo or Chili in front of it. I think my Buffalo Chicken Chili is the most downloaded recipe on our website.

B+C: With you being such a culinary inspiration throughout the years and having so many guests, is there anyone in the industry that has inspired you?

There are so many inspirations…my grandfather and my mother are probably my biggest inspirations in the kitchen because growing up we lived in the kitchen, and they instilled my work ethic in me. But everyone that I've ever worked with at Food Network is a huge inspiration — Emeril [Lagasse], Sarah Molten! I have so many dear friends like Bobby Flay and Anne Burrell. Guy [Fieri], I've known since the beginning of his career — I was his coach. There’re so many people that I just love and adore. Jacques Pepin is the greatest living! And chef José Andrés is my biggest partner in our philanthropic efforts. He's the reason I got to start my tours in Ukraine. I worked at the World Central Kitchen, and I'll be going back to Ukraine for my fifth time in June.

B+C: You also recently launched your production company, Free Food Studios. What projects are you looking to focus on? Any specific foods or locations?

We're currently filming another renovation show for A&E. Basically, we go to people's homes that have lost everything to fire or flood — or in two cases, people losing control of their cars and driving through homes — and we try to give 'em a leg up while they're rebuilding their lives. For example, we help them decorate and get the stuff that they need and want, and then we kind of bless the house by having a big food event. We break bread together, and they get to write all of their own menus that I cook for them. Some of them were unusual, but we give 'em whatever they want.

B+C: Would you ever consider going back in front of the camera after the show ends? Maybe for a Tuscany related show?

You bet. And we already filmed a renovation show that focused on my Tuscan home that aired and is streaming on A&E.

B+C: Florence is a hot spot in Italy, especially with the summer coming up. What’s your go-to restaurant spot there?

I haven't been to Florence in years because I live in Tuscany now, but I love Il Latini. It's a beautiful restaurant with a huge farm — a lot of what they serve in the restaurant comes from the owner’s farm. The owner's also very proud of his book collection. He was a big reader and has all his books that surrounded the dining room and hanging prosciutto that's dangling from the ceiling. It's always a wonderful, wonderful time to eat there.

B+C: So besides your production studio, what else is next for you?

I'm going to be working from both Italy and my home in upstate NY. So, it's gonna be a lot of work because I have a lot of TV projects planned — and about to be announced! So, I don't know that there's gonna be a lot of time for much else except, an occasional nap and my work in Ukraine.

Rachael Ray's Genova Yellowfin Tuna Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

For the Artichokes

• Artichokes (fresh or canned, see instructions below)
• 12 small/baby artichokes
• 2 lemons
• 3 Tablespoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• Salt & pepper (or red pepper)

For the Pasta

• 2 Tablespoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 4 Tablespoons butter, cut into tabs
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
• Salt
• 1⁄2 cup white wine (you may use chicken or vegetable stock) 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
• 2 cans (5 ounces each) Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
• A small handful of fresh mint, chopped and divided 1⁄4 cup toasted pistachios, chopped (or pine nuts)

Instructions:

• Serves 4
• Prep Time 15 minutes
• Cook Time 40 minutes

For the Artichokes

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. If using fresh artichokes: Fill a bowl with cold water and the juice of 1 lemon. Trim the tops of the artichokes and a few of the tougher outer leaves. If using canned artichoke hearts in water, use 2 cans, drain well and quarter lengthwise.
3. Using a vegetable peeler or small paring knife, trim the stems a bit.
4. Halve the artichokes and place in the lemon water. Let soak for a few minutes, drain and pat dry on a kitchen towel.
5. Arrange the artichokes in a casserole or baking dish and add the juice of the remaining lemon (then quarter the lemon) and throw the lemon wedges into the dish as well.
6. Add the EVOO, salt and pepper (red pepper, if using).
7. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender.

For the Pasta

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Add the garlic, red pepper (if using) and a sprinkle of salt and swirl a minute more. Add the white wine (or stock if using) and let reduce by half.
3. When the water comes to a boil, salt the water, add pasta and cook a minute less than the directions. Reserve 1⁄2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
4. Add the artichokes into the large skillet along with the Genova Yellowfin Tuna with its oil and gently break up with the back of a wooden spoon or paddle.
5. Add the lemon juice and starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet along with the drained pasta, cheese, half of the parsley and mint and pistachios. Toss to combine, top with the remaining herbs and serve.

1. We thought our first love was perfect and would argue with anyone who wanted us to take things slow with them.

I'll never forget the first time I fell in love at 19. I thought my ex was the "wind beneath my wings" because he had a great sense of humor and was creative like me. I told myself he was the person I was going to marry so I was offended when my parents didn't think he was mature enough to be in a serious relationship. If this sounds familiar, pull up a chair because Menon explains why we tend to idealize our first love.

"Your first love is your first experience with romantic love too, hence you typically see it with rose-colored glasses. The overwhelming emotion is often infatuation, which tends to overshadow the more critical and analytical part of our brain," she says. Sadly, this sounds like something my parents told me before but I couldn't fathom how true it was as a teen.

As the Clinical Director at Southern California Sunrise Recovery Center, Cavins has seen this play out before too. He says, "In your first relationship, there is a tendency to put your partner on a pedestal. The excitement of new love can create a powerful emotional fog that makes it hard to see flaws clearly."

Essentially, this "excitement of having a boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner supersedes" our ability to questions things we normally wouldn't put up with, according to Menon.

2. We tried to ignore the how many times our first loves disagreed with our values or goals.

While some couples are able to make their relationship work despite having a different outlook on life, sometimes it can be a sign that things aren't going to work long-term. Cavins says, "One major red flag is disregarding differences in values or goals for the future. For instance, you wish to become a parent someday while your spouse swears this will never happen— or vice versa. Early on, you might dismiss these differences, believing love will conquer all. However, these mismatched priorities can lead to resentment and challenges over time."

Honestly, I probably should've ran whenever my ex would mock my belief in God only for us to have to attend his mother and stepfather's church whenever I visited. There was so much confusion there, but I tried to dismiss it as something he needed time to work out.

Menon adds, "If this relationship makes you feel like you'e standing in quick sand - where you are trying to move forward but often feel held back in your individual aspirations, it may not be the right fit for you."

3. We thought it was 'cute' when our first loves made suggestions about which friends to avoid or what clothes to wear.

Cavins says, "Excessively possessive behaviors are another red flag that people often ignore easily when they fall in love for the first time. People tend to justify such behaviors by citing that it's due to love or protective instincts." I'm all for being in a relationship where your partner's able to see different sides of a picture, but controlling behavior shouldn't come with that. What might that look like?

Cavins says, "Your partner may frequently check in on you, offer opinions on who you should spend time with, or subtly pressure you into making choices that suit them." For example, your partner could start off making suggestions about your style that slowly morph into them controlling everything you wear. Somehow I went from being a self-professed 'girly-girl' to trying to emulate the style of 'sneakerheads' in a short amount of time. Though I love wearing everything from New Balance to Niké sneakers now, it's in a way that feels cohesive with my style.

You may have brushed this kind of behavior off because, again, you thought it meant your first love wanted the best for you. "It is understandable that such behavior hypothetically may come off as pleasant or affirming; however, they often signal an unhealthy dynamic of control rather than mutual respect," says

4. We always gave in when our first loves forced us to be affectionate.

*Sigh* I'm shaking my head for my younger self because there were many times I didn't advocate for myself in my first romantic relationship. I'd often give in to affectionate or intimate moments despite wanting personal space so I wouldn't be seen as 'boring' or uninterested in my ex. Menon says, "Given the infatuation, your first relationship can feel all-consuming and often is codependent. Hence, this may result in you overlooking that your partner does not respect your boundaries or desire for personal space."

Partly because the excitement of the relationship makes you want to spend all of your time together, until you don't. And then, it is often too late to correct a maladaptive historical pattern.

4. We always made excuses for why our partners would shower us with affection only to ignore us days later.

Let's be clear, 'love bombing' feels confusing and awful. No one should make you feel like you're the center of their universe only to ignore your calls or texts days later. But, this probably happened while you were with your first love. Cavins says, "There's a tendency for people to brush off their first love's emotional unavailability. When, for example, a partner is not responsive and not engaging in intimate discussions or does not express their feelings, some may rationalize this as them being 'just not ready.'" If that were the case, this person wouldn't have made you feel like being with you is something they truly wanted.

Of that, Cavins believes "it's important to recognize these behaviors early" because "they can result in a one-side emotional investment that leaves one party feeling unfulfilled in the long run." Sadly, my first love would have days where he was super sweet to me only to feel like I was smothering him with attention. This is also the same person who begged me to remain in our romantic relationship when he went to basic training although I felt it would be better if we chose to be friends. Imagine my surprise (and hurt) when he told me we should have an open relationship months after getting stationed for the first time.

I should've known better because he was never 100% on board with the idea of marriage until after he graduated from basic training. Cavins calls this "emotional disconnectedness." His further explanation is this is "when the initial chemistry between the partners subsides that emotional attachment matters." To avoid this, he feels "identifying and addressing any of these is critical in a case where you are looking to create a strong and healthy bond."

5. We ignored the ways our former partner blamed us whenever they got in trouble with their parents or an authority figure.

Did your first love have a hard time taking responsibility for things that went wrong by gaslighting you to absorb the blow of their mistakes? If you've furiously nodding, we should start a support group. Cavins says, "A key sign is a lack of personal or relational growth. Healthy relationships encourage mutual development, but if one partner stays stuck in old patterns while the other grows, it can create frustration and distance."

At no point should you be the reason why your first love got in trouble after answering their parents' house phone late at night after telling you to call at a certain time. It's situations like this that should've alerted us to awful behavior, but I can see how easy it is to dismiss things.

What if I'm in love for the first time and recognize these signs?

First, my heart goes out to you for being in a relationship that doesn't feel healthy. It hurts when we realize the person we thought was so great is anything but. The road to letting go of idealization may be long, but you can and will get better. Cavins says, "In the process of self-healing and recovery, the first step that must be taken is self-reflection. Ask yourself all of the necessary questions that arise, such as what this relationship means for you, what your boundaries are, and what this partnership has revealed about you as an individual."

I keep saying this, but relying on journal prompts can help you unpack a lot of things and, thankfully, Cavins agrees. He says, "You could always opt to talk to a specialist or being journaling in order to find some closure and draw meaning from the experience." Also, he wants you to start "making new memories." But, don't be passive about it.

"You will have to engage yourself in activities that will help redirect the focus of your thoughts. This could include joining a new class, engaging in a hobby, or traveling that involves some independence. These experiences can help shift your mindset from loss to growth and reinforce your identity outside of the relationship," says Cavins.

Another important thing you can do is "solicit help from others," according to him. "Calling on people you trust, like friends and family, to talk about these feelings can significantly help in healing," he says. This also helped me navigate life outside of my first real romantic relationship, reminding me that I still had a lot of love in my life that didn't begin or end with my ex.

Here are Menon's tips:

• Let yourself grieve — Let this loss run its course. If you need to feel angry, sad, distraught, nostalgic. Allow yourself the full breadth of this experience. If I ask you right now "don't think a out a yellow monkey", I can bet you just thought of a yellow monkey. We call this "the imp of the mind". When you reject feelings, or thoughts, they come back 10 times more fiercely. To move the feeling along, we must let ourselves experience it.
• Rediscover your identity (So important) — Your first love is often intertwined with self-discovery, and identity formation. Reconsider your goals, interests, values, friendships and hobbies and try to build your own sense of identity and individuality.

I saw my first love again and it feels like we're falling in love all over. Can we have a happy and healthy relationship?

I'm not going to tell you to run even though I told my ex I never wanted to speak or talk to him again. You could easily reconnect with the first person you fell in love with and realize that you're both in a place where you can have something beautiful. However, Cavins and Menon want you to be mindful if you're in this position.

"Reconnection is possible," begins Menon, "if both parties can objectively claim that they have grown emotionally and resolved the issues that held their relationship back." But, "if the reconnection is built on one person growing and the other not, it is likely to fail," she alerts. You'll need to "proceed with caution," she says because "your first love was a nostalgic era in your life that can cloud your judgement." To put it more clearly, she doesn't want you confuse "the fuzzies" with a "true knowing that the two of you can make it work."

Cavins says, "Reconnecting with a first love can trigger a strong wave of emotions, but it is important that such a decision is made with caution and a strong sense of pragmatism. Personal growth is a primary factor. Each party in the relationship must ask themselves how they have grown and evolved as individuals over time. If past patterns of conflict, immaturity, or unhealthy dynamics remain unaddressed, the same issues could resurface."

He wants you to consider these things:

• Are there any active relationships or past engagements that would make it rather difficult? That's because the feelings that come with reigniting old flames are very strong and can alter a person’s life, making it essential to start thinking from all angles before going ahead with it.
• Address previous challenges that caused the breakup in the first place. If the reasons behind the breakup have been resolved or do not exist anymore, then yes, meeting again has its prospects. However, keep in mind that, at times, memories can be selective and unfavorably distort the truth by overplaying the good qualities while avoiding the negative ones.
• Only rekindle things if both individuals are in a healthy emotional state and the decision is grounded in practical, mutual considerations—not just sentimentality or romanticized memories. Clear and honest discussions and an understanding of purpose are vital in ascertaining if rekindling the relationship will be worthwhile for both parties or if it will simply be an act of revisiting unresolved emotions.