Our correspondent in the field (my husband Steve) stopped by the Borders at Royal and Preston on his way home.

His goal? To catch a glimpse of cooking mogul Rachael Ray, who was signing copies of her new cookbook, 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds (Clarkson Potter, $19.95).

Was the experience earth-shattering?

"She looks ... like a regular person," he said in an observation that may win him a Pulitzer Prize.

He also noted that the line to get her autograph "winds, like, all around the building."