Gratitude Is a Key Ingredient in Rachael Ray’s Recipe for Rebuilding

On top of that, Ray and Cusimano were doing a major renovation of a property in Tuscany that, let’s just say, he was initially less-than-thrilled she had purchased.

“The buildings that I turned into what is now our home there, they had nothing,” she remembered. “They had mulch, animal carcasses, no running water, no electricity. And my husband’s like, ‘Couldn’t we get somethin’ with a toilet?’ It was a hard, hard sell on the hubby.” 

Because of the pandemic, Ray and Cusimano couldn’t visit the Italian property for years, resulting in them again doing a large portion of the renovations on Zoom. However, all the effort seems to have been worth it as she says the home is now “extraordinary” and holds a special place in their hearts (the two wed in Tuscany nearly 18 years ago).