So the other night I recorded Ramsay’s The F Word from the beginning and I finally understand the concept which makes the show completely different than what I have earlier described.
The F Word centers around Ramsay bringing in various professions, Doctors, Butchers, Handlers, whatever the case is and putting them to work on a three course menu. He works the through it and then sees how many people are willing to pay for each course.
After this startling tidbit became clear to me it completely changed my opinion of the show. This particular episode had him enter into a pig contest (in which whether he actually thought so or not) he was disappointed that he didn’t win. Nonetheless the kitchen component of the show is now interesting to me. Moreover, he puts his dish up against that of some relatively unknown British star and blindly has people pick one or the other. Great concept. Don’t think it works out for him so well all the time though. I still think the part where he has a weird voice over while describing a dish is a bit self indulgent but maybe, just maybe it was some TV wonk that thought it would go over well.
At any rate, I must say that The F Word is now a guilty pleasure. I won’t go out of my way to watch but I will tape it for when I need to relax my brain a bit. Which is not much these days.
Ramsay says; “I have a very assertive way. It's wake up, move your ass, or piss off home.” I can’t say I disagree. And in fact I agree wholeheartedly.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Showing posts with label The F Word. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The F Word. Show all posts
Monday, February 9, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
Another word on the F Word (file under Christmas Dinner)
Guilty pleasure. Perhaps. Entertaining. Mildly. Informative – well I am still writing about it so there must be something to it.
Gordon Ramsay’s “The F Word” this past week was his Christmas special. I bring this up because while enjoying my guilty pleasure over the past couple of months I have watched as he educated his children as to the life cycle of Turkey in a very real and pragmatic way. He brought turkeys; four of them I believe, from almost birth, and allowed the children to establish a relationship with them. Of course there was the precocious announcement of names which were rather pedantic, but after all, it was children naming them.
I watched with great interest as he and his children played with the birds. Fattened them. Admired their personalities and basically reared them for their inevitable life cycle – Christmas dinner.
Say what you will about Gordon Ramsay, but you do have to admire the fact that he is teaching his children that food is not just something that we buy in markets. That it doesn’t come from some magical place in a land far away. That in fact we all have a part to play in the life cycle of our food. Whether it be vegetables or proteins. I am a big proponent of instilling in children the knowledge that food comes from places that can and should be understood. That yes, shock of horrors, vegetables do come from the ground and are covered with dirt. Shock of horrors, that proteins are raised to become our eventual meal and that in their final days, like inmates on death row, are treated to special diets which both fatten and nourish them, so that they can be even MORE delicious on our plate.
So I say congrats to Ramsay, but more so, to his children, for now having the knowledge that can only be learned from experience. A lasting experience which undoubtedly will leave an indelible mark on his children and countless others lives.
The venerable James Beard once said; “A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Gordon Ramsay’s “The F Word” this past week was his Christmas special. I bring this up because while enjoying my guilty pleasure over the past couple of months I have watched as he educated his children as to the life cycle of Turkey in a very real and pragmatic way. He brought turkeys; four of them I believe, from almost birth, and allowed the children to establish a relationship with them. Of course there was the precocious announcement of names which were rather pedantic, but after all, it was children naming them.
I watched with great interest as he and his children played with the birds. Fattened them. Admired their personalities and basically reared them for their inevitable life cycle – Christmas dinner.
Say what you will about Gordon Ramsay, but you do have to admire the fact that he is teaching his children that food is not just something that we buy in markets. That it doesn’t come from some magical place in a land far away. That in fact we all have a part to play in the life cycle of our food. Whether it be vegetables or proteins. I am a big proponent of instilling in children the knowledge that food comes from places that can and should be understood. That yes, shock of horrors, vegetables do come from the ground and are covered with dirt. Shock of horrors, that proteins are raised to become our eventual meal and that in their final days, like inmates on death row, are treated to special diets which both fatten and nourish them, so that they can be even MORE delicious on our plate.
So I say congrats to Ramsay, but more so, to his children, for now having the knowledge that can only be learned from experience. A lasting experience which undoubtedly will leave an indelible mark on his children and countless others lives.
The venerable James Beard once said; “A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The F Word (file under Different Strokes for Different Folks)
I’ve mentioned Gordon Ramsay here before, if my memory serves, predominantly as it related to the American version of Hell’s Kitchen and as Marco Pierre White’s whipping boy way back when. Look it up, there is a picture of Gordon Ramsay crying in one of Marco Pierre White’s books. At any rate, Chef Ramsay, has a new show airing on the Food Network here in Canada (also I’m sure syndicated worldwide).
I have now watched a few episodes with my finger squarely on the fast forward button. I have immense respect for what Chef Ramsay has been able to achieve in his career. Though I find his methods a bit out there and feel that some of them may be created persona for his television audience rather than entirely real. Though some people that I know have encountered him and assure me that he is just as he appears. Again I take it with a grain of salt.
Intensely curious I watched as Chef Ramsay ripped apart his Commis’ for this, that or the other thing. The show is basically him building dishes, teaching his Commis’ with so called celebrity patrons at his restaurant. I strongly recommend watching just one episode so you can see exactly what I am talking about. It is also strange when he is explaining the recipes through a very surreal voice over to music wherein he says one word and then shows the steps. VERY WEIRD. But I guess in this age of instant gratification and limited attention spans he figures that his audience is only capable of paying attention for that long.
I bring this up because I believe that somehow, somewhere, certain Chefs came to believe that the only way to instill greatness in one of their students was through fear and intimidation. That fear, driving the student, to make the teacher happy. I AM NOT FROM THIS SCHOOL OF THOUGHT. I believe that it is completely unnecessary to degrade your student. While it may be necessary to deflate his ego or the like I certainly do not ascribe to Chef Ramsay’s methods. However, I believe that he has a track record that has worked for him and for the gluttons of punishment that have gone to work with him.
In this way I find that certain Chefs can illustrate plainly the belief that it is better to be feared than loved. I personally do not believe this. I would much rather have people love and respect me than fear me. Check it out for yourselves and you will see what I am talking about.
The great American jurist Thurgood Marshall once said; “What is the quality of your intent?
Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. When we intend to do good, we do. When we intend to do harm, it happens. What each of us must come to realize is that our intent always comes through. We cannot sugarcoat the feelings in our heart of hearts. The emotion is the energy that motivates. We cannot ignore what we really want to create. We should be honest and do it the way we feel it. What we owe to ourselves and everyone around is to examine the reasons of our true intent.
My intent will be evident in the results.”
Enough said!
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
I have now watched a few episodes with my finger squarely on the fast forward button. I have immense respect for what Chef Ramsay has been able to achieve in his career. Though I find his methods a bit out there and feel that some of them may be created persona for his television audience rather than entirely real. Though some people that I know have encountered him and assure me that he is just as he appears. Again I take it with a grain of salt.
Intensely curious I watched as Chef Ramsay ripped apart his Commis’ for this, that or the other thing. The show is basically him building dishes, teaching his Commis’ with so called celebrity patrons at his restaurant. I strongly recommend watching just one episode so you can see exactly what I am talking about. It is also strange when he is explaining the recipes through a very surreal voice over to music wherein he says one word and then shows the steps. VERY WEIRD. But I guess in this age of instant gratification and limited attention spans he figures that his audience is only capable of paying attention for that long.
I bring this up because I believe that somehow, somewhere, certain Chefs came to believe that the only way to instill greatness in one of their students was through fear and intimidation. That fear, driving the student, to make the teacher happy. I AM NOT FROM THIS SCHOOL OF THOUGHT. I believe that it is completely unnecessary to degrade your student. While it may be necessary to deflate his ego or the like I certainly do not ascribe to Chef Ramsay’s methods. However, I believe that he has a track record that has worked for him and for the gluttons of punishment that have gone to work with him.
In this way I find that certain Chefs can illustrate plainly the belief that it is better to be feared than loved. I personally do not believe this. I would much rather have people love and respect me than fear me. Check it out for yourselves and you will see what I am talking about.
The great American jurist Thurgood Marshall once said; “What is the quality of your intent?
Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. When we intend to do good, we do. When we intend to do harm, it happens. What each of us must come to realize is that our intent always comes through. We cannot sugarcoat the feelings in our heart of hearts. The emotion is the energy that motivates. We cannot ignore what we really want to create. We should be honest and do it the way we feel it. What we owe to ourselves and everyone around is to examine the reasons of our true intent.
My intent will be evident in the results.”
Enough said!
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
