Rachel Ray Taught Me Two Things

Anyone who throws a burger on the grill has probably experienced a problem with the edges of the burger shrinking as it cooks. By the time you are finished, the burger can be almost triangular in shape, with the high peak in the center of the burger, sloping down to thin edges. One may be tempted to squash the center down with a spatula, but any wise grill master knows this squeezes out the good juices and can make the burger dry. This has always frustrated me, but not enough that I ever bothered to figure out a solution to my problem.

Then one afternoon we were lazily channel hopping. We came across Rachel Ray cooking burgers. There was the solution I needed. Very simply, when forming the patty, she instructed us to depress the center of the patty, so that the outer ring of the patty is higher than the center. A process similar to what a kid may do in a sandbox to form a “pond”. I tried this the next day, and miracle of miracles, the finished product was a perfectly shaped burger – a similar thickness throughout.

Now I have to confess that I can barely stand to hear Rachel Ray’s voice. Her annoying chatter, frantic pace, and childish smile get on my nerves. I usually flip right pass her when channel hopping. But the burger had caught my eye. It made me give her the benefit of the doubt and I watched the rest of the show. She still got on my nerves, but she also taught me something besides how to cook a good burger. She taught me to keep it simple. She takes basic steps of cooking and explains them in very simple terms. My first reaction was that she was being too simple. But then I remembered Ginelle from our office, who literally had to learn how to boil water when her and her husband first set up house. And I remembered my good friend Toby, who a few years back called me to ask if she needed to freeze leftovers from a restaurant carryout, even though she planned to eat them the next day. The first time she baked a potato, it was a major triumph. Rachel Ray speaks to these people. I hate to admit it, but she provides a valuable service. And yes Jackie, I know you and your foodie friends will cringe when you read this.

I think this is a valuable lesson that we need to keep in mind when designing surveys. Keep it simple. Too often, we, or our clients, assume the respondent knows more about the product or category than they really do. The next time you write a survey, stop and think how Rachel Ray may approach it.