Rachael Ray is mourning the loss of her close friend, Anne Burrell. The cookbook author, 56, has spoken out for the first time after it was revealed that the world-renowned chef host died on Tuesday at age 55.

The celebrity chef expressed that she "can’t quite believe" the news and praised her friend in the post. She called Burrell "a strong, vibrant, fearless woman," who was "so full of life and love" and "gone so soon.