Hell's Kitchen - Fare Thee Well, Garrett

I have had a hankering for linguine and clams in a white wine and garlic sauce, for some time now. Rather than spend a nice chunk of change at Bambino's, I figured I'd attempt to make it myself, as my Caveman Diet has made me even more finicky when it comes to food.

Even though the last thing I wanted to do last night was cook, I hunkered down and began cooking. I managed to finish around 7, and everything turned out better than expected. Side note: use Chardonnay for the wine, instead of Riesling, as in a previous attempt to make a sauce for chicken, Riesling made it turn out horribly wrong.

A while back I got sucked in to Hell's Kitchen when it first came on. I have seen Gordon Ramsey on other shows before. He's a piece of work, let me tell you. He's got quite the temper and foul mouth.


Gordon Ramsey

The cooking was done, so I figured I watch some boob tube. Last night it was down to the final five. The remaining 'chefs', were combined in to one team. The last two guys in the house, Keith [a wannabe gangster from Southampton], and Garrett [an ex con] have been shown as being buddies. That is until Keith wins the first challenge, and chooses to take Virginia with him to visit the restaurant space they 'win' in Vegas, instead of his buddy Garret. Snap!


Garrett


Keith

You could see Garrett fuming. One of the other chicks made a funny comment of 'I hope there's no knives in the dorm', as Garrett storms out of the kitchen to go confront Keith.

Keith knew he did wrong, and apologized to Garrett, but he wasn't having it. The viewers and the other 'chefs', were all waiting for Garrett to stick a shiv in him, right there in the 'prison yard'. But he didn't.

The editors later cleverly edited it to look like Garrett was playing with a butcher's knife while waiting for Keith and Virginia to get back from their trip.

Anywho, so this little episode spins it that you are rooting for Garrett. He has been an ass most of the season, making misogynistic comments here and there to the women chefs. But they pulled out the violins, and sappy music, to get you to identify with his early struggle with having anger management issues, and being sent to juvie, and then I guess later, prison. It kinda worked.

Eventually we get to the meal service for that night, and Gordon Ramsey is being a prick as usual. I understand an artist feeling passionate about their work, but he is just a foul mouthed bastige. He yells at everyone, but the best part comes when a customer comes and complains up at the serving line.

She asks how much longer will her food take, but he tells her to shut up, and give him 30 seconds. This pisses her off. So what does she do? She throughs the tray with a table's meal' over the line' on to Ramsey' and the floor. Hooray! It's about time someone stood up to this guy.

Another funny moment was the reaction on Jean Phillipe's face [the maitre d] after Ramsey makes a comment to him about losing his virginity finally, as Jean Phillipe was flirting with a bachelorette party.


Jean Phillipe

The meal service ends, and then it's elimination time. Garrett gets the axe. In one night it went from him being a prick, to you feeling kinda sorry for him. It almost negated all his earlier actions in the show.

So they show clips for next week, and it looks like Sara has the cojones to talk back to Gordon Ramsey. Should be interesting. I have dealt with a few Gordon Ramsey's of world in my life, and I am proud to say, I didn't take their shite, or given them the ego massage to deal with their ego problem. I can't believe how people will be humiliated and subserviant to win a reality TV show, but then again, I'm not.


Sara

The point of this post? I have toyed with the idea of going to Culinary school since I have discovered I love to cook. Heck, I am already going to School for Interior Design, I might as well become the next Martha Stewart.

But thank god there are shows like Hell's Kitchen to remind me of the harsh pecking order of a commercial kitchen. Having worked in quite a few restaurants in my life, it brings me to back to my senses of how working in a kitchen, can literally be hell.

For now, I think I will save the thousands of dollars for a culinary degree, and continue doing my own 'Iron Chef Brando's' on my own time.