I just finished watching Gordon Ramsay’s Xmas Cookalong (that’s Gordon Ramsay, Hell’s Kitchen Gordon Ramsay, fabulous Claridges in London Ramsay, Boxwood Cafe Ramsay, etc,).
I have a couple of things to say about our man ‘Ramsay’ and then I will move on to critiquing the show and will give you the top three hints from the show I thought were of value.
I have met or seen Gordon Ramsay twice. First time, I was sitting in his hotel, The London, in West Hollyweird. He came in with his wife, kids and in-laws. You never saw a man so sweet with his family. He was just a doll.
IT’S A SHOW, PEOPLE! RAMSEY IS A LITTLE HYPER AND THE NETWORKS PLAYED THAT UP TO TURN HIM INTO THIS CURSING, ABUSIVE CHARACTER……. So, let me ask you. When you see Suzanne Sommers on Three’s Company, do you then think she is that person in real life? NO! CHEF MARIAN. C’mon say it with me: NO CHEF MARIAN.
I wish everyone would stop saying what a prick Gordon Ramsay is. You don’t know him personally so you CAN NOT JUDGE! lol
My second meeting was at Nascar this past year. I heard he was going to be the Grand Marshall. As someone with a blog, I am often time ‘comptd’ (how do you spell that word? …..well, it’s free) tickets to events and seated with the press. As a former radio newscaster, I am used to this role. As luck would have it, I have a friend who actually was ‘press’ for this event and invited me to tag along, shoot pictures. When it was time to chose one person to have a picture with him, I scrambled up first and got to see first hand how beautiful he is with his children, how uncritical he was with the situation and how kind and patient he was with my photographer who couldn’t get his act together! I gave him a Chef Marian card. He didn’t snarl. He didn’t look disgusted. He didn’t rip it up.
Now, I have to tell you, I’ve met a ton of Cooking Celebrities….. a conversation with Tom Calicchio at the end of his Feed the Children Event at his restaurant in Los Angeles, where we all got a bit too drunk on wine…. and he played ‘god’, in a mean spirited way, critiquing and laughing at my card to others (in front of me), discrediting me and turning to another conversation, dismissing me. Now THERE’S a real prick. (Sorry children…..close your ears).
But that’s NOT Ramsay. And oooooh…. what Ramsay brings to the plate is priceless. When I traveled the world for three years, cooking in restaurants, taking food and wine classes….. I also hit almost every Michelin Star Restaurant in Europe and England. I got to at least FOUR of his. And I must tell you, he is absolutely brilliant as a chef. If you haven’t eaten his food, you do not know. However, like all things brought over from Europe, I found his food at The London (West Hollywood) to be a watered down version of the real deal. I think he adapted it to American Taste. Bad advice.
And later I found out he sold it, and now is just a figure head. So that’s the deal on eating at his place in West Hollywood.
Now…. on to his show, his ‘interview’….. Xmas Cookalong? It didn’t work for me at all… totally disjointed with a myriad of a totally crazed mix of people, from David Hasselhof to midgets to a flamboyant gay man or two to a tall black man. I think they wanted to appeal to everyone, but even the theme of food could not bring them all together. I mean listening to some woman who does the clothing for a play or movie talking about how many ‘stones’ the costumes weight? I hate to say it, but Chef Gordon should stick to cooking.
I also will say there were three things I learned or re-learned, worth passing on to you:
- Soak pears in grenadine for a holiday color
- Coat potatoes in semolina and cook/roast in the gravy bits you didn’t use for the gravy for extra flavor
- If you do turnips, and don’t just stove top saute them in olive oil and salt/pepper, instead roast them and add star anise, honey, carrots and a cinnamon stick
So, there you have it. All you needed to learn from Chef Ramsay’s Cookalong!
Enjoy this week between Christmas and New Years.
All things magical and bright are making their way to you.
Happy Eating,
Chef Marian
mm@chefmarian/com