Rachael Ray with hubby John M. Cusimano at the Burger Bash. (Photo by Jeffrey Gurwin)

Last week, a New York Times article on the closure of Gourmet magazine began, “It’s Rachael Ray’s world now—and we’re all just cooking in it.”

In yesterday’s interview between dining editor Pete Wells and Food Network princess Giada De Laurentiis, Wells put forth that “we could have said Giada’s world.” Of course, they didn’t. And just an hour later, the former New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni, also at a Times Talk, asked Anthony Bourdain about Ray as well. Bourdain shared that he would not want to wake up every day and be her—citing how much harder she has to work than he does. (Duh.)

When she walked out onto the stage of the Tischman Auditorium for her cooking demo yesterday afternoon, Ray took the opportunity to describe herself in her own words. She broke down the formula that’s been so effective in making her a star: “My demos are 99 percent chitchat and 1 percent food.”

(That 1 percent consisted of “Que Pasta?” made with a Mexican meat sauce—chorizo from Esposito’s Pork Store—and a meatless bolognese.)

It’s because of her TMI conversational style that the the Feed can tell you why Ray walked onto the stage wearing wide pants and flats. (Because they’re what she wanted to wear after taking off her heels at her home, just two blocks from the New School—she was “all dressed up for the Prez” at Fun & Fit in the City, the Harlem event at which Bill Clinton helped launch Ray’s Yum-O charity, earlier that day. Though he was her favorite guest, dancing with Michael J. Fox came in a close second.)

After fielding an easy first question from an audience member asking what “porcinis” are, another attendee confronted Ray about the star’s signature line of cookware. Her nonstick pans were sticking. Deviating somewhat from her gal-next-door persona, Ray struck a defensive chord, repeatedly asking “What did you do?” before getting back into character, instructing her assistant to take the woman’s address and send her a new set. “We can be pen pals. You can send me love-hate letters about your pots.” It wouldn’t be the first time Ray received hate mail. “I said ‘gyp’ once and a Gypsy wrote me hate mail!” she confided. “I didn’t even know a Gypsy was a thing!” So this is what it’s like cooking in Rachael Ray’s world?—Adam Robb