Pass me some E.V.O.O., please!

Rachael Ray has built an empire and is perhaps America's #1 TV cook: "She has nearly 4.5 million books in print, a $6 million book contract with the Random House imprint Clarkson Potter, and four shows in regular rotation on the Food Network." Plus, "[t]his week, her food and lifestyle magazine, Every Day With Rachael Ray, will go on sale. Already, more than 800,000 copies have been ordered for stores and newsstands." Oh, and then there's the new afternoon talk show on the horizon. And I almost forgot the line of knives, cookware, and kitchen gadgets. And, soon, her very own E.V.O.O.

I'm not sure if this is a Sign of the Apocalypse or a Sign of the Renaissance. The foodie in me dislikes her common touch and the vulgarity that occasionally overwhelms good taste, but I admire her tenacity and... yes, her common touch -- the excitement and friendliness (and goofiness) that she brings into the kitchen is rather contagious (and highly watchable). Isn't America (and Canada, where many of us watch her) better off with Rachael Ray than without her? She may not be an Iron Chef, but how does an Iron Chef help with the evening meal?

I used to make the same case for Emeril. There's something to be said for culinary passion with a common touch, for bringing an appreciation of good food a dash of experimentation to Fast Food Nation.