Lives in the Adirondacks with her dog, a cat and two fishes. Has a brother named Emmanuel (Manny) and a sister named Maria. Moved to upstate New York when she was in first grade. Her family owned several restaurants called the Carvery, in and around Falmouth and Mashpee, Massachusetts.

After college, she began work as candy manager at Macy's Marketplace in New York. She was promoted to the fresh food section, then became a chef and buyer at a gourmet store. She moved out of the City and, while working in a shop in Albany, she held cooking lessons in the store, which caught the attention of a local television station, and became 30 Minute Meals segments. She has authored several cookbooks including "Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals" and "The Open House Cookbook". She garnered national attention from a segment on the The Today Show show during a blizzard.
Has a plaque in her home that reads, "Martha Stewart doesn't live here". Her dog is a pit bull named "Isaboo" (nicknamed "Boo") and her goldfish are named "Jaws" and "Orca.". Lives in a small, rustic, lakeside cabin in the town of Lake Luzerne in the Adirondacks with her husband, John M. Cusimano, and her mother, Elsa. Ray's grandfather Emmanuel was a stonemason who emigrated from Sicily to the Adirondacks. Engaged to musician John M. Cusimano - wedding in September 2005. Her mother is Elsa Scuderi. She lives in the cabin with Rachael and her husband, John M. Cusimano. FHM featured a pictorial of her in the October 2003 issue. She was later voted #92 on FHM-US's 100 Sexiest Women of 2004. Rachael has endorsed products for Price Chopper and Burger King. Ray married John M. Cusimano, a lawyer and member of the band The Cringe, on September 24, 2005 in Montalcino, Italy. Her mother was the food supervisor for several Howard Johnson's. Rachael even was a waitress at Howard Johnson. Has a magazine called Every Day with Rachael Ray. Has a younger brother, Emmanuel, and an older sister, Maria. Carbonara, a pasta dish, has a special place in Rachael's and her husband's heart. She made it for his birthday, the first one they spent together. Gets her love of food "with garlic and oil" from her mother, Elsa Scuderi, and her grandfather, Emmanuel. Has written 14 best-selling cookbooks. Was once a manager at Mr. Brown's Pub in the 5-star Sagamore Hotel in the Adirondacks. Named #71 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006). On the December 5, 2006 episode of her syndicated television show, Rachael Ray, Rachael was presented with a certificate by Erin McKean, the editor-in-chief of American Dictionaries, which declares that "EVOO" (extra-virgin olive oil) will be added to the 2007 Oxford American College Dictionary. Rachael began using this term on her shows on the Food Network - after a while 'extra-virgin olive oil' is a lot to say repeatedly. Has worked with, and is a friend of Oprah Winfrey. In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year at $16 million. Her first word was "Vino", which she heard from her Grandpa Emmanuel. Husband John plays in the alternative rock band "The Cringe".