How would Giada pronounce "PEZ"????

UPDATE: Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Rachael Ray will release "a line of Ray-branded compilations and voicetones in a deal with Epic Records." Her first CD will be "Holiday Themed" and hits stores Oct. 3! What is a Ray-branded voicetone?

Just a little taste to get you through your work day...

TV Week is reporting that the Food Network is beginning negotions with several of the network's stars in non-TV endeavors. That is the Emeril cookware, the Ina food products, the Chiarello "Napa-Style" kind of things that the FN had previously not held a stake in. Evidently, freakin' Emeril is making $150 million every year ($90 million from restaurants) and the network caught on that this might be a good idea to cash in on the earnings of many of the people it helped make famous.

I don't know how I feel about this. The article quotes the president of a licensing organization who deals mostly with cartoon character products. Obviously, cartoons are easier to deal with than, say, Sandra Lee on her 5th cocktail.

Food Network wants to "be more like Nickelodeon," which earns huge amounts of money from its licensed products (think of all the Spongebob crap out there right now).

So, what will this mean for the future of Food Network products? There are already a few books, some DVDs, and other things out right now, licensed exclusively by the Food Network. What's next? Giada Pez dispensers?

I'm still working on my Ace of Cakes review. It might be up later today. As many of you have commented, I agree that the show was plesantly entertaining. Good job, FN!