Gordon Ramsey in India

David C

David C

New member
Just finished watching GR in India. He is such a self centered B........
He is so full of his own importance the he makes fun of the chef he is hoping to learn from and then when he has to cook their food with them he has the ordasity to change the recipe to what he considers to be a better dish!!
We went to Kerala in Southern India last year and ate some really good food very cheaply. Cabbage thoran was one that really stood out for me. I will post the recipe next time.
 
Fisher's Mom

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
Awww, Jeez, I missed that episode. GR can be sooo pompous!

I look forward to your thoran recipe, David. (I will admit I had to google thoran, though. LOL)
 
Miniman

Miniman

Mini man - maxi food
Gold Site Supporter
Yes he did and they are not happy. There are loads of complaints to Channel 4 here. I went on an Indian cooking demo the other night and she had written to the Guardian about it - saying he was disresptful and rude amongst other things. I saw a bit of the show but wasn't that impressed.
 
FryBoy

FryBoy

New member
I would no more listen to that pompous ass Gordon Ramsey about what constitutes good Indian food than I would listen to DW about how to fix the computer. If you want good advice on Indian food, consult any of the cookbooks by Madhur Jaffrey.
 
RobsanX

RobsanX

Potato peeler
Super Site Supporter
I guess I'm in the minority here. I really enjoy Gordon Ramsay. I suppose if we are going to insult him we could at least spell his name correctly.
 
Miniman

Miniman

Mini man - maxi food
Gold Site Supporter
I do like his cooking, I just think he can be overly arrogant & disrespectful of others who don't think his way & his swearing is way over board.
 
FryBoy

FryBoy

New member
Miniman said:
I do like his cooking, I just think he can be overly arrogant & disrespectful of others who don't think his way & his swearing is way over board.
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Showman first, gourmet chef second. Give me Julia Child or James Beard any day.
 
A

abi_csi

New member
if he spent a bit time listening to other people than his own voice he might of learner something in india!!!
 
David C

David C

New member
I think that the problem with celebrity chefs is that they are seldom in the kitchen of their restaurant, and they loose touch with what is happening to their business.
GR is a prime example with his empire under stress and fall outs at the top.
He is hardly ever seen in his restaurant at Royal Hospital Road which is a good reason not to visit.
I much prefere to visit a restaurant where the chef is in the kitchen doing what he does best. COOKING!
I am visiting London in a couple of weeks and am going to Koffmans where the great man will be behind the pass all night. Pierre Koffman is the chef that taught most of todays stars their trade and is well repected for his skill. He retired about 5 yrs ago and resurfaced in a "Pop up" restaurant for London Restaurant week a couple of years ago. This was supposed to operate for 14 days but ended up with 31 days, such was the response for his cooking. A year later he opened Koffman's at the Berkley Hotel to much acclaim.

I am looking forward to my visit with much anticipation.:thumb:
 
LETHAL GTS

LETHAL GTS

New member
Ramsay's bad attitude is what has made him famous (at least on TV).
I cannot speak for everyone, but him being an ass is the reason why I watch his programs.
I bet he believes that the audience expects his to be arrogant and he doesn't disappoint them in that regard.
 
SilverSage

SilverSage

Resident Crone
LETHAL GTS said:
Ramsay's bad attitude is what has made him famous (at least on TV).
I cannot speak for everyone, but him being an ass is the reason why I watch his programs.
I bet he believes that the audience expects his to be arrogant and he doesn't disappoint them in that regard.
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You got it! It's all about ratings! Without the attitude, he wouldn't have a show.

Bourdain is the same - without Kitchen Confidential, no one would ever had heard of him. His 'bad boy' reputation got him TV shows, not his skills.
 
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abi_csi

New member
Envious of the gastronome delight that David C is in for.
As for Gordon Ramsey, (sorry this is off the subject a bit) I saw a recent pic of him - he looks somewhat odd after his very LA indulgence in a bit of plastic. Surgery that is.
 
larry_stewart

larry_stewart

Member
Ive been to many food festivals, where these " celebrity chefs" do cooking demonstrations. Unfortunately, many of them dont even do the cooking at these demos. They have one of their helpers doing the cooking, as they stand out in front, interacting with the audience, and putting on a show.
 
SilverSage

SilverSage

Resident Crone
I've been that person doing the cooking, while the celebrity did the show.

It's especially common on book tours.
 
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abi_csi

New member
yes ive seen this with my own eyes and couldnt help but think, you surely cant be unable to cook and speak at the same time. when a chef thinks he is too good to cook then there are problems.
 
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Darkginger

New member
I like Gordon Ramsay (who is Scottish, btw, not English), despite his TV persona - the man knows food. He's like the Simon Cowell of the culinary world, but his recipes work. I did his roast goose for Christmas last year (with honey and Asian spices, and a date and something - port? - sauce) and it was tremendous.

I think his early series of Kitchen Nightmares, Hells' Kitchen and the F Word were a lot better than the later ones - less formulaic, and he wasn't quite such a caricature of himself back then. I have enjoyed watching him on Masterchef.
 
SilverSage

SilverSage

Resident Crone
In the US, most folks' familiarity with him comes from Hell's Kitchen. In it, he's really over-the-top outrageous. Since first impressions often stick, most here think he's just a rude, arrogant, screaming idiot.

Since HK is carried on a major t.v. station, and him other shows have primarily been on second tier cable networks, we don't see a better side of him.

And few of us have ever been exposed to his actual cooking. So you probably have a more well rounded picture of him than we do. It's good to here that it's not all bad!

And yes, he was much better behaved on Masterchef. There is was Joe Bastianich who made a real jerk of himself.
 
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Darkginger

New member
He did a short series of cook-along programmes in the UK a couple of years ago - live cooking where the TV audience were encouraged to follow along at home. It was just him and another celebrity in the kitchen (I remember Janet Street-Porter being one of them) - and it was a really useful exercise. The meal I remember most was a seared scallop starter and a steak main - I finally got the hang of searing scallops to perfection!

The thing with Gordon is that he's become so tied up in presentation as opposed to content that he seems to have lost his foodie credentials, in a way. Now he's a legitimate 'celebrity', more famous for his personal life and business troubles than for any particular dish, skill, or restaurant. This is probably a good thing for his bank balance, but not for his credibility as a serious chef.

I did catch a little bit of his Indian cooking adventure - must go find more of it on YouTube or something. He's really quite a novice when it comes to ethnic styles of cooking - but then no one can know everything!

He must be quite a shock to mainstream America, with his potty mouth. Here in Ireland, swearing is much more widely accepted in the media - moreso even than in the UK - a definite cultural difference. I guess I don't notice it as much as I might if I wasn't exposed to it on a daily basis.

On a slight sidenote - we're almost at the end of the first series of Masterchef Ireland right now - and the contestants and judges have been dropping f-bombs throughout. I'm guessing that wouldn't go down very well in the US?
 
Sass Muffin

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
He used to have a show while I was living in the UK.
This would have been between '97 and '02 (don't recall the name)

He didn't seem to be as bad on that show then.
The F bomb is widely used in the United Kingdom on various programs.
I think I got conditioned to it living over there. lol
 
rickismom

rickismom

Low Carb Home Cook
Site Supporter
SilverSage said:
In the US, most folks' familiarity with him comes from Hell's Kitchen. In it, he's really over-the-top outrageous. Since first impressions often stick, most here think he's just a rude, arrogant, screaming idiot.

Since HK is carried on a major t.v. station, and him other shows have primarily been on second tier cable networks, we don't see a better side of him.

And few of us have ever been exposed to his actual cooking. So you probably have a more well rounded picture of him than we do. It's good to here that it's not all bad!

And yes, he was much better behaved on Masterchef. There is was Joe Bastianich who made a real jerk of himself.
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Joe Bastianich isa jerk. I love watching his mother but he thinks he's God's gift....ugh! Along with Michael Chiarello (sp?) It's amazing what fame has done to the two of them. I love GR though - he's smart and knows his business, plus shows his "heart" if you observe closely, lol. I have a lot of respect for him. :respect:
 
cookingirl

cookingirl

New member
I like MasterChief...I really looked forward to watching it..It kind of shows a softer side of GR. I think he does have a heart, but TV spotlights his nastiness; it gets viewers to tune in.....let's face it--he didn't get where he is today by not knowing anything..But Bastarachiach(sp)---wow he is a jerk--a know it alll, too bad; I love his Mother, Lidia--:oops:
 
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