Rachael sits down for a Q&A about her new show and talks about what she’s been doing this summer, and the one thing she can’t live without.

Q: Where do you get the time and energy to do all that you do?

RR: Starbucks. It helps me find a lot of time in every day. Seriously, it’s like everybody else. You get up and you do what you have to do to get your job done. And I love it.

Q: Have you been doing a lot of traveling this summer?

RR: I’ve been staying close to home working on the show – duh! But I did go road-tripping on Route 1 through New Hampshire and Massachusetts. I also rediscovered the wine region in the North Fork of Long Island. On the schedule for the spring is Argentina, Spain, Portugal, France and Ireland – I can’t wait!

Q: Is there anything that actually makes you cranky and irritable?

RR: Yeah, lack of caffeine would make me extremely cranky. And people who are just downright rude - I don't like cheaters or people who cut in line. When I see that I just get ready to rumble. And I rumble easily too. I'm fair, but I rumble.

Q: Are there any hazards to cooking on television?

RR: You bet! On one of my shows, I stand next to the back stove a lot and it's an old stove where the pilot light is always on. After taping hundreds of shows, there's a permanent shiny line across the backside of all my pants from the plastic in the pants melting because I stand too close to the stove. It's really embarrassing!

Q: Since you’re taping in the heart of New York, will you be rooting for the Yankees?

RR: No way! I’m a Red Sox fan. I wouldn’t be a Yankee fan even for a day – that would be treason! But I love going to Yankee Stadium for a game. Though for some reason they don’t have relish there for the hot dogs so I have to bring my own.

Q: Which do you prefer: NY pizza or NY bagels?

RR: I prefer bagels from Montreal and thin-crust pizza wherever it comes from. The bagels in Montreal are so good they should give them another name.

Q: If you could have a dinner party with anyone (living or dead), who would you invite?

RR: Of course, I’d have my husband John and my mom Elsa. If I could invite some loved ones that are no longer with us, I’d have my grandfather and my dog Boo. As far as living, I’d have Bono, Bill Clinton, Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters, Madeleine Albright, Anderson Cooper, Christiane Amanpour, Will Ferrell, and Jon Stewart. Oh, and Charlie Walk, the president of Epic Records. Charlie Walk should be at everything!

Q: What does the set look like?

RR: It’s AWESOME. Our set designer, Joe Stewart, is the man. I’m dying for everyone to see it