where fashion sits

A trip to the supermarket made me think of my friend Tim. He's done a good job of establishing an aspect of his on-air character so that whenever I think of Rachael Ray, I also think of Tim. Last year I showed you the Rachael themed Christmas card he sent. He refers to Rachael as his "radio girlfriend" and got her to play along during a phone interview on his morning show.

Rachael is turning up everywhere. Her three shows on Food Network were not enough. She's also got a daily show on regular TV too. Ray interviews some celebrities and then cooks with them on the set. One of her previous shows had her traveling to the homes of celebrities to get the "Inside Dish with Rachael Ray."

Ross Crystal has accused Food Network of stealing his idea for visiting celebrities in their kitchens. I met Ross a couple of times when I worked in Los Angeles. Before that, I remember watching him on TV in Washington, DC. His lawsuit says that Food Network rejected his idea for a show called "Showbiz Chefs" but then used the same concept for "Inside Dish." Ross is asking for at least $150,000 in damages. Maybe Kevin & Bean can get in on that action too. They used to do a bit in the early '90s called "Celebrity Refrigerators," in which they took a portable audio recorder to the kitchens of the rich and famous.

I started by telling you that I was reminded of Tim because of something I saw at the supermarket. It was pictures of Rachael Ray plastered on the front of several brands of Nabisco crackers: