Chefs Gordon Ramsay & Jamie Oliver

 

regarding his older shows, which took place in european restaurants in england, spain and france, i like ramsey's concept of a simple, stripped-down menu for a restaurant that focuses on fresh, local ingredients, both as a cost-cutting measure and also as a way to highlight what the locale has to offer. i also like oliver's natural, healthy approach in his earlier shows, and his humble persona.

 

having said that, since both of them have hit the big time, i find the drama and sensationalism to be too much. i'd probably enjoy both of their earlier books, and might check them out sometime, but have no real use for the more current stuff.

 

above all, the one i would love to spend time with is......

 

giada!

 

 

Firstly, we can certainly see why any gent, would enjoy culinary school with this lovely lady !!!

 

All my best ...

Margi.

 

 

regarding giada ~ what can i say, except

 

 

 

 

The Greeks are quite similar ... very talkative about their cuisine too ... We had extensive conversations about EMILIA ROMAGNA and BOLOGNA ... He recommended several trattorias where he has eaten ... Fabulous ... Of course, I have the list !!! and have eaten at the recommended venues as well ... REAL HOME ITALIAN ... ITALIAN ITALIAN ... simple rustic and divino !!!

 

 

 

In Ramsey's case, all that yelling and screaming is done for the benefit of the TV cameras. In fact, when he makes shows for the U.S. market he rachets it up, because that's what sells. Compare his UK version of Kitchen Nightmares with the US version.

 

In terms of the real Ramsey, The F Word is probably closer to what he's really like. One indicator: His current staff has averaged nine years with him. That's a hellofa stretch for somebody who's being mistreated.

 

If he's a little harsh, it has to do with his striving for perfection, on one hand (and expecting the same from the people who work for him), and the fact he trained under Pierre Marco White, on the other. White actually does behave that way. Or did until he chucked-in high-end cooking to open a country inn.

 

If Ramsey has any fault as a culinarian it's that he has a super-sensitive palate. His ability to detect flavors and ingredients is nothing short of incredible. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to realize it's a special ability, and can't understand it when others aren't quite as discerning.

 

And the fact remains, he's the most successful restaurantour in recent history, with 22 Michelin stars among his various restaurants.

 

I only know Jamie Oliver through TV, and was never impressed with him. Still don't understand what the attraction is. He's not particularly creative. He presents things dishonestly (anybody here actually believe he was doing Jamie At Home out of his own garden?), and is using his fame in one area to promote a political agenda. Not my sort at all.

 

As to Giada, I have all sorts of feelings about her, all negative. I don't think her food is even a very good representation of Italo-American, let alone real Italian. And I would like to see her pronounce "pasta" the same way twice in a row.  When I tune in a cooking show its because I'm looking for culinary insights. If I want a bowl of boob soup, I'll turn on the Playboy network.

 

 

 

 

 

as for oliver, i didn't mind the "fake" set of his show, but his crusading, even if he believes it is for a good cause, is a little over the top for me.

 

batali - i would love to cook with this guy for a couple of weeks - and that, to me, really sums it up.

 

giada de laurentiis - i'll be serious a moment about her and say that, looking beyond the obvious, i really do enjoy her enthusiasm for her food, and listening to her talk about how her love for cooking stems from her italian family, i can really appreciate where she comes from and it makes me more interested in trying what she shows us. in her books, she does unabashedly advocate a few shortcuts (pre-packaged dough for bread dishes etc.), but defends this "everyday" approach on the grounds that in the modern american lifelstyle, it is difficult for many people to do EVERYTHING from scratch and by hand. though this is unfortunate, i do have to agree with her, and if i want to make a dough rather than used a pre-made one from the store, i simply make a dough, for example. her earlier show, "everyday italian" had much more appeal to me than her newer show does, and i hardly ever watch "giada's kitchen."

 

in fact, i think it was a bit of a mistake for the food network to take their most popular shows in the direction that they were taken. doing so made the personalities and the food much less "accessable," for lack of a better word, and i don't find myself connecting as much with any of the newer shows.

 

I was particularly amused when Batali said, in a public forum, that the recipes in Molto Gusto were not designed to be followed by the home cook; but, rather, were merely there to demonstate the kinds of food they serve at Otto. Uh, huh! That must have really filled the publicists at Harper-Collins with joy.