Vanessa Ray is the co-host of Marriage Under Construction airing on Monday night on HGTV. The co-host for the show is her husband, Derek.
Q: What is your fondest memory from your family kitchen?
A: I always looked forward to Saturday mornings because my dad made pancakes.
Q: What kitchen aromas bring back fond memories?
A: My brother and I loved coming home from school and opening the front door and smelling my mom’s potato soup.
Q: Who is your favourite cook?
A: Rachel Ray. I love that she makes quick and easy recipes with lots of fresh ingredients. I am always using her great cookbooks.
Q: What is your favourite food to cook?
A: Tacos.
Q: How did the first meal you prepared turn out?
A: Surprisingly really good. A friend and I prepared Lime Chicken and fancy potatoes from a Martha Stewart magazine. The only bad thing was our hands smelled of garlic for a week.
Q: What kitchen gadget can’t you live without?
A: The Magic Bullet and the George Forman Grill. Touring, you have to be creative and you can cook anything on a George Forman Grill!
Q: What rituals from your background involving food do you partake in?
A: I am part Mexican. I love making enchiladas.
Q: Is there a cultural dish you have at gatherings that ties into a holiday?
A: Every year my mom decides to start a new tradition. Then the next year she’s forgotten what that was and we get a whole new tradition, and again, the pattern repeats.
marcy cornblum