No, it wasn’t the theme of celebrity chef Rachael Ray’s latest fundraiser, but it was one of the songs superstar guest Carly Simon belted out for the likes of Bill Clinton, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and Joy Behar.
Who knew there would come a day that little Rachael Ray could gather a former president, famous TV chefs, comedians and a slew of actors under the same roof?
And let’s not forget Grammy award-winning singer Simon who took the stage to belt out a four-song set, including her smash hit “You’re So Vain.”
So what gives?
The big event was a celebration of a new partnership between Clinton’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation and Ray’s Yum-o! Organization, which works with families and schools to teach children healthy eating habits.
Adding extra flavor to the event were five aspiring teenage chefs, who with a little help from Food Network Iron Chef Michael Symon, were selected to cater the big event. Ray says she personally chose the teens from around the country. In addition to getting the chance to show off their culinary skills and hang with Clinton and the Food Network stars in the kitchen, all five amateur chefs received $10,000 scholarships.
During a break from the eat-a-thon Clinton told the audience that poverty and obesity are interwoven and that the nation’s current financial woes will only push more Americans toward unhealthy eating habits. He then revealed that the Big Apple event was able to raise more than $200,000 for Ray’s charity. The event also kicked off the launch of Ray’s new cookbook, “Yum-o! The Family Cookbook.” According to the chef turned TV star, all of the proceeds from her new book, including her $500,000 advance will benefit her Yum-o! foundation.
Ray never ceases to amaze me. Despite the hit she took a while back for publicly endorsing Dunkin Donuts she has remained a star on the rise. Going from a home cook to one of Oprah’s BFFs, scoring a talk show and publishing hit cookbook after hit cookbook—I’m telling you Rachael Ray is EVERYWHERE.