Rachael Ray’s Take on New York and Italy

While Rachael Ray is well-known for her ties to New York, she doesn’t exactly relish urban life. The former Food Network star, who has residences in both New York City and upstate, as well as a villa in Italy, admitted that her husband, John Cusimano, thrives on the city’s energy, whereas she prefers the tranquility of their Tuscan retreat.

“My husband loves being in New York,” Ray shared in a recent interview. “I tell him, ‘Hey, enjoy it as much as you want.’ I come up here for work, but Italy is really where my heart is.”

“It’s so serene there. The dog is much happier—she’s not a fan of New York at all. Bella just thrives in Italy. I make sure to spend as much time there as I can. It’s got a swimming pool, 66 acres to explore, complete peace and quiet. The air is fresh, and there are beautiful gardens, vineyards, and olive trees. Honestly, I prefer that lifestyle.”

Ray recently celebrated her 20th anniversary with Cusimano in Italy. “We visited friends and dined at our favorite spots in Florence and Rome. Living in Tuscany, those places are just a hop away,” she explained. “This year was quite different though; typically, we host big gatherings for our anniversary, but it was just the two of us this time, two nights in Florence and two in Rome.”

Back in 2021, Ray had shared that she purchased a home in Tuscany the previous year. “I mentioned this just before heading to Italy for the first time in three years. I really missed it. My mom’s family is from there, and so is John’s. We got married in Tuscany and finally succeeded in buying property there,” she said in her magazine.

When they first bought the land, her husband humorously called it a “war zone,” recalling how it came with two rundown buildings that lacked plumbing and electricity. “He asked me if I wanted to see the house,” she chuckled. “But I fell in love with the landscape and thought that if we could afford a home, we could really make something special.”

“Tuscany has this uniquely sweet air, filled with aromatic agricultural richness—olive trees, vineyards, lush gardens, stunning landscapes. The scents are intoxicating. The first time I touched the ground there 20 years ago, I felt an immediate connection,” she added.

In 2022, she appeared in a limited reality series titled “Rachael Ray’s Italian Dream Home,” which showcased part of her property renovation. Last year, Ray began filming another show, “Rachael Ray in Tuscany,” concentrating on Italian culinary delights.

Despite her love for Italy, Ray recounted some unsettling experiences from her younger days in New York City. She shared a story about being robbed outside her apartment in Queens. “The robber had a gun, and I screamed so loud, I think people heard me from across the river. I think he was more scared than I was,” she recalled.

“I ended up spraying him with pepper spray, and while I felt terrible about it, he seemed really frustrated. I don’t think he would have actually hurt me.” However, she mentioned that he returned later, pushing her into an alley, only to be chased off by a dog that lived in her building.

“I dealt with cockroaches in my apartment, but I stayed because I was really concerned about the dog that was there,” she added, reflecting on that challenging time.