Rachael Ray Revealed How Her Husband John Cusimano Proposed
Food Network star Rachael Ray and her husband John Cusimano have been married for over 15 years. The couple share their love of food, music, and their beloved honeymoon location of Italy. Ray previously described the unorthodox way that Cusimano popped the question when they were about to move in together.
![John Cusimano and Rachael Ray, both in dark attire, smile for a picture while attend the Michael J. Fox Foundation's 'A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson's' Gala at The Waldorf Astoria](https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/John-Cusimano-and-Rachael-Ray.jpg?w=1024&h=684&strip=all&quality=89)
Rachael Ray was crying before John Cusimano proposed
Ray and Cusimano, an attorney and lead singer for the rock group The Cringe, met at a party in 2001. She commented on how they were “the only short ones” in the room.
“We walked directly across the room to each other,” she told AOL in 2014. “My husband and I have been together on the phone or in person every single day since the night we met.”
Spending their first date cooking dinner (of course), the couple quickly entered serious status. When they decided to move in together, Cusimano had planned on popping the question. Yet the 30-Minute Meals star wasn’t in a celebratory mood due to a glitch in their new home.
“I was crying because the apartment we were about to move into wasn’t ready,” Ray recalled on her magazine’s website of the day of Cusimano’s proposal. “I was afraid we were going to be homeless! John threw the box at my head and said, ‘Here’s a present. Stop crying!’ I actually thought it was a key chain at first!”
Rachael Ray’s signature dish for romance
The talk show host makes no secret of her love for Italian food. When it comes to prepping something on the romantic side, she and her hubby have a special go-to meal.
“For John and me, it’s pasta all the way,” the Food Network star said. “I cook more often than he does, but he’s great in the kitchen! Many nights we cook together. We always stay in, and we really love to make our own meals, our way.”
Ray previously suggested a pasta dish that apparently was a big hit with couples, where engagements soon followed after the meal.
“I taught a very simple penne alla vodka, vodka cream pasta sauce,” Ray explained, according to The Rachael Ray Show website. “And I started getting letters from some of our viewers, that they made it for their boyfriends and they got engaged after they fed them this delicious meal. So, I renamed the recipe ‘You Won’t Be Single For Long.'”
Rachael Ray’s recipes did not include this meal
The couple is extremely compatible when it comes to food. However, Cusimano once whipped up a memorable meal that wasn’t from Ray’s repertoire.
“He’s never served me a strange meal,” the 3 in the Bag host remarked. “However, he did make a strange meal for himself: Champagne-Vanilla Salmon. Good thing I don’t like salmon. I didn’t have to eat it!”
Apparently, her spouse isn’t too selective in menu options, though Ray most likely has plenty of recipes to keep things varied.
“I would never, ever adjust my cooking style for anyone!” Ray insisted. “I simply would not have married a picky eater — that would’ve been a dealbreaker for me. So thankfully I found John. He eats everything!”