What is the dumbest trend in food that you thought would not have lasted, but has?
I think foam should be used for shaving, not go on top of food. Because when a foam hits a plate, unless you've eaten it within 3 or 4 seconds, at the end it looks like sort of toxic scum on a stagnant pool. So I started with foams in the 90s, and I'm still amazed that they're around now. So we need to get rid of the foam, and keep foam for shaving.
What was the inspiration to use rubber ducks for the recent duck dish challenge on Hell's Kitchen? What are your thoughts on the gimmicky challenges in general?
First of all, we can't launch live fucking ducks from a helicopter! And rubber ducks was a bit of a piss take because every adult has grown up with rubber ducks in the bath. So the idea behind rubber ducks was making sure that they hit the reservoir, and then with the wind speed traveled across the lake in order to make it a little more difficult for the contestants. So, yeah sometimes when you're in that built-up environment and you're in amongst sort of that tough, demanding pressure of Hell's Kitchen, getting out up into the mountains and taking the contestants out in the lake for the day, it does wonders for their mind.
But we can't use fucking live ducks and let them loose from a helicopter! So they had to be rubber.
Hi Gordon,
What is the best tasting dish you have made for the least amount of money?
So, I would say take an incredible scrambled egg recipe and...how do you synthesize that into something incredibly glamorous? I put sea urchins inside a scrambled egg once, and it was a sort of sea urchin butter that I had leftover, and it elevated scrambled eggs into something really different, and it gave it a really nice sort of salty, fresh, creamy flavor. So we have it on the menu today in our establishment, and it's topped with caviar, but it was amazing to see what sea urchin can do, finished and whipped inside a scrambled egg. Incredible!
Can you call me a fucking donkey please?
Come on u/jjdigitized, you've got too much fucking time on your hands, you donkey. Get a grip.
Hey Gordon just a simple question, what's your favorite casual dinner to make at home? Cheers
I would go down the rouse of recently we've been using lots of dry spaghetti, with lots of coffee garlic, chili, preserved lemons. Once we've roasted off the garlic, the chili, the shallots folded in the spaghetti, olive oil. We've been putting some really nice cans, tuna, over the top of the spaghetti, so it's almost like a sort of quick fish past the dish but your using cans, very good cans, of tuna. with some fresh capers, parsley, and a little bit of preserved lemon. Delicious!
Hey Gordon, huge fan. Quick question, if you were on death row, what are you ordering for your last meal?
That's a really good question, because for the last 10 years I've been asked that about 2,000 fucking times. I'm never gonna answer that question.
A) I'm not that bad to be on death row, and,
B) If it was my last supper, ask me that question in 40 years' time when I'm 90 years of age, I can't go to the bathroom properly, and I need my ass wiped on a regular basis.
So, yeah. Gimme 4 decades' time, and I may be close to answering that question, because I could be nearing my last supper. Until now, fuck off. I'm miles away.
What, in your opinion, is the easiest dish to get wrong, and how can you avoid it?
Also, what was the most pleasantly surprised you've ever been with something you've been served (whether it was the place you were eating, the name of the dish, etc).
So the easiest dish to turn into something awful would be, for me, cooking a great steak. Serving a New York strip, for instance, for me the most important thing is taking it out of the fridge 15 minutes before you actually use it, so it gets to room temperature. Season it properly, and then cook it once it's up to room temperature.
And then the biggest mistake that people make once they've cooked a steak, instantly, is they cut into the middle of it. You've got to let the steak rest for as long as you cook it. That way, it's plump, it's juicier, and don't worry about the temperature being piping hot, but just the value and the difference in flavor once you've let a New York strip rest for 6 or 7 minutes. The difference is night and day. So, great sear, but let it rest.
Food that really pleasantly surprised me more than anything, you know, I'm all about dressings and vinaigrettes, especially this time of year. So, making a great salad is making sure that you dry those leaves, because if the salad is damp, you'll never taste that vinaigrette. So there's so many certain ways, with fresh honey, basil, lots of herbs and vinaigrettes that can make it so much more interesting. So I'm all about that kind of lightness, especially over these next couple of months.
What food do you not like eating?
As a chef, I think my job is to discover as much as I can, and that was the first thing I did when I started cooking. I wanted to be in a situation where I never did not know what to do with an ingredient. So what's the kind of food I don't eat now? You know, anything black or underseasoned I find really hard to eat. So I'll eat anything from a beating open heart, live, to a jellied eel, to beans on toast. I'll eat anything provided it's got season.
Out of all the people you've had train and work under your guidance through the years are there any that you are especially proud of? I think it'd be really great to hear about Chef Gordon Ramsey's prized pupil(s).
Yea, there's been lots that I've been proud of. Christina Wilson, who won Hell's Kitchen 3 years ago, to see what is is doing now in Vegas and how prolific she is has been brilliant. Christina Hart, the blind cook on Master Chef, she is not presenting Master Chef Vietnam, she's involved with Master Chef Australia. I have a look with some of the youngsters that we have been working closely with over the last 3 years on Master Chef Jr. Young Addison, Logan, Alexander. We are taking about 8-sort of 12/13 year olds, seeing the way the can be better and not being spoiled by the exposure of having a reputation on TV. They are focused on their job at hand and continue their passion. I'd say there are about two dozen individuals over the last 4-5 years. Those aren't necessary all those who came in first of second in the competition, I'm talking about contestants who have been in the top ten, top five, so yea, there's a lot that I'm proud of.
Hey Gordon!
1) What's the one thing you have to order if you see it on a restaurant menu? 2) In light of the July 4th holiday next week, what's your ultimate burger blend? All beef or a blend of different proteins? 3) What chef did you most enjoy working for? Watching Marco Pierre White back in the day was hilarious!
So the first thing I would want to order if I see it, if there's a Wellington on any menu, whether it's in the middle of Milan or the middle of Paris or the middle of New York, I grew up with beef Wellingtons. We have a national Wellington Day here in Britain now, and it's so nice to see everybody attempting to do it. I get thousands of messages and pictures a week of people across the world showing me their Wellingtons. So if I see a Wellington on some other chef's menu, that's the first thing I'll go to. And even though it's often done for two, I'll order it for one, and pay double just to make sure I get to see it.
Based on the success of the burger I served in Vegas with Planet Hollywood, we have a percentage of chuck, all beef with a fat percentage of 10%, brisket and chuck, and then short rib. So for me, the secret behind any great burger is the fat content. But, if you want to take it to another level, as it's caramelizing on the charcoal grill, or a wood-burning grill, basting your burger with Devonshire butter puts a completely different spin on it. If you can put fresh chiles in that butter, or a red wine reduction, and make that butter unctuous, delicious, rich...wait until you see the flavor difference, the profile of basting your burger with butter. Brushing it over. The difference is night and day.
Marco was great, I mean a total hard-ass. The guy has turned into a pussycat now, and Australia loves him. I remember him for the way he taught me to put food on the plate with such disciplined fingers. But one of the most inspirational chefs I've ever had a chance to work with, that would have to be Guy Savoy in Paris. You know, I was 22 years of age, I was on my knees, I didn't have a pot to piss in, and I was working on the lowest salary anywhere in France. But, that guy gave me hope, he gave me light, and he gave me support. So yeah, I'd say Guy Savoy in Paris. It's funny now, but we see each other in Vegas, because we've got restaurants in Vegas now, and his name's above Caesar's Palace and I'm behind him. So, it's pretty incredible.
Hello! I'm a huge fan of your shows, and thanks for doing so many [edit: 2] AMAs!
In hotel hell, which hotel was the worst that you've ever had to fix?
Also, which restaurant/hotel are you most proud of fixing?
Second part of the question first, Angler's Lodge was just one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen in the history of this program. So that was a family-built hotel; mom and dad fragmented through the loss of their son through a tragic accident, but the place was just gorgeous. And the parents were incredible, and it was just devastating to see the heartache that was caused on losing their son, and how they became recluses and then gave up. So, giving them that confidence and support in reestablishing that lodge and putting that back on the map was one of the best and most heartfelt programs ever.
One of the most frustrating programs, well probably the hotel last night, the Brick Hotel outside of Philadelphia, where the restrooms in the hotel were almost stuck in a time warp, and the grey curtains were white curtains back in 1991. And just the filth, and just the general sort of deterioration of this building. As a pillar of the community, and having a hotel on your doorstep with the local community is really important, but it doesn't mean to say that you have to make money from that community. But supporting that community, and being open to locals, as opposed to closing your door on locals, was the worst they could ever do. So I think last night's program was the one that, for me, was one of the most frustrating hotels because the manager / owner was sort of ripping off the locals. And out of season, the locals--and in season--man that's your bread and butter. You have to look after them. And there is one or two ways across that hotel that you can appeal to them without sounding cheap or without sounding that you're degrading.
Hi Chef Ramsey, do you have a favorite beer?
Good question! So my favorite beer would be, right now Innis & Gunn. And that is an amazing beer that is brewed inside a smoked bourbon cask. It's got a really nice, dark rich hoppy flavor that goes brilliantly well with burgers. But, it's almost like a celebratory beer. Yeah, Innocent Gun.
In your opinion, what are 5 dishes that everyone needs to know how to cook?
Everyone enjoys a great burger, so that’s really important. You get that really smart blend. Burger would be number one.
A healthy breakfast. Whether it's poached eggs, smashed avocado, or an amazing omelette. Now that is crucial! That's dish number two a really good breakfast.
Number three would be a braising dish. Like a braised short rib because it's the kind of thing you can cook on a Monday and still eat on Friday. So a braising dish, whether it's braised short rib, tri-tip, just something really cool braised!
Then from a healthy point of view; a chicken dish, in terms of a white protein, would be a go to favorite with a chicken. Whether it's a sauteed chicken or even a delicious marinade with chicken caesar salad.
Finally, for my fifth dish, I would turn that into some amazing cake. It could be a Blondie or a Chocolate Brownie, something you can give as a gift. Taking amazing deserts, as a gift, to somebody and eating it with them is so much more enjoyable then buying them a scarf, or a Jumper, or a pair of socks. Spending three or four hours making this thing, and spending hundreds of dollars on ingredients, and doing something magical,is far more exciting then buying a fucking jumper that you know they aren't going to wear!
Hi, Gordon. You're my hero. My girlfriend is typically not much of an adventurous eater; she is, however, curious to try casu marzu or "maggot cheese". Having witnessed you try it on The F Word, I have to ask: is she bonkers or am I?
So, casu marzu is a very strong cheese. If she's not a very adventurous eater, I don't think she's going to be too keen having maggots in her mouth. But, I don't want to just talk about your willy.
Here's the thing. In order to get these taste buds moving faster, have a bit of fun with this. Blindfold her, and have some fun with spooning her some sort of strange, awkward, sexy foods, and you'll see that confidence fly in a way that she'll get so much more exciting with all flavors. But blindfold her, have some fun with it, and play with it. You'll see she'll get more adventurous.
What is your guilty pleasure food?
What are your thoughts on In N Out?
My guilty pleasure with food would have to be cookies and crack pie. Working with Christina Tosi over the last 2 years...If it's my birthday, she'll send me a cracked pie, if I'm staying at the Nomad Hotel in New York, she'll send me a box of cookies. Honestly, I don't give a damn about that cracked pie having three thousand calories per slice. Just getting in there is incredible. I suppose the more stuff I eat like that, I suppose the harder I train. I sort of torture myself, in a way, like "right I've just eaten two cookies, I feel like a fat bastard. I just eaten half a cracked pie. Tomorrow's training session is going from two hours to four hours." So I'll eat the calories but I'll make sure I burn them off within 24 hours. My thoughts on the In and Out Burger, I wish that they were set up in London because if there's one thing I miss flying out of LA, it's an In and Out Burger.
How many of your fellow citizens have you screamed at after the Brexit vote?
I screamed at the whole government, because the difference in staying or exiting was 1.7 million people, and I don't think, you know, this whole catastrophic scenario should be based on just 1.7 million votes, in terms of the difference between staying and going. I thought it was a little bit unfair that the much older generation in this country that aren't dictating the economy, or have gone into retirement and lived their life, they've made it more difficult for the younger generation coming through. And so it was a bit unfair because those votes--no disrespect--weren't really important to the future of this country when they've lived their life and are now in retirement.
So, that was really awkward. And then, everyone thought that this money would be going to the NHS because it's 350 million. Nobody was told about the devastation and the ramifications of it. It was a lot more difficult, but with such a tiny majority, winning that vote, it should never have been in those people's power to determine what was happening with this country. Because, well the majority of votes were nowhere near big enough when you look at the consequences.
Do you have any thoughts on subscription services such as Blue Apron which ship pre-portioned ingredients and invite customers to cook their own meals at home with minimal preperation or prior cooking knowledge? Are they ultimately helpful for the home-cooking industry, or are they just a passing gimmick?
Edited for clarity.
That's a really great question. Last month we worked with Blue Apron on Master Chef, when they were setting the contestants a task. So I think when you're up against it, time wise, and you're short of time and you haven't got time to prep, it's a great idea to sort of increase the confidence in your cooking, whenever it's laid out in front of you. So, I look at the Blue Apron as almost like a mystery box challenge. So I welcome the idea.
Would I use it 6 or 7 nights a week? No. But, to start off with, understanding your portion control, no wastage, and getting up to speed with the combination of ingredients...it's a really good idea. But once you've used it 4 or 5 times, that should give you sufficient confidence to go out and buy your own ingredients, and be a little more experimental and have a little bit more fun with it.
So yeah, good idea, and it's a great way of gaining a lot of confidence in cooking when everything is laid out in front of you.
Will you ever open another location in Glasgow? The meal I had at Amaryllis remains hands down the best I've ever eaten.
I will definitely go back to Glasgow, We are currently looking at a site in Edinburgh and a site in Glasgow. It means a lot to me to go back there. Losing my head chef from that restaurant broke my heart, so I can't wait to open up again in Glasgow. It would be a dream come true again. Definitely!
Hey Gordon -- I hope your leg is doing better.
Is there any dish a contestant has made on your Masterchef or Masterchef Junior that you still think about? If so, have you ever used that contestants dish for creative influence in your own cooking?
Thank you.
So the Achilles is a slow, painful injury that takes time through rehab. So four weeks ago today I had the surgery; I'm still in incredible pain, but it is definitely getting better. Thank you! I've got arms, my arms are like my thighs now, and I look like freaking Popeye. So on crutches I'm not very good, but my arms are huge.
So eight seasons of Masterchef, there's about 7 or 8 dishes that stand out today that I still remember. Eric from the Firehouse in Brooklyn, New York, made an incredible dish in the early rounds of Masterchef regarding a New York strip, and he garnished it with these wild mushrooms, but the sauce was incredible. So, Christine Hart that I mentioned earlier, she made this incredible apple pie, and it brought tears to my eyes. She was doubting her ability, she was doubting the level of execution, and she was upset with something that she couldn't see or taste it, but it blew my mind. I still revert back to that amazing apple pie. And this was made by a lady that sadly lost her sight.
So, yeah I'd go Eric in terms of his protein, and Christine Ha with her apple pie.
Are you happy with how you're perceived by most people? Everyone views you as the strict, takes-no-excuses, and frankly, mean chef. After seeing scenes like this or this from your Master Chef series, it's very clear that you have a lot of compassion for fellow chefs. Do you think your tough, angry chef personality is often overplayed on your shows?
Yea, here's the thing, a) I'm not an editor, b) I'm firm but fair, and c) I'm just brutally honest!
So sometimes that comes off like an ass. Could I be smarmy, and sickly, and sort of weak and act like dick for the camera? No, that's not my style. I'm brutally honest, I'm firm, and I'm incredibly passionate. Sometimes that gets misconstrued for anger. I always say don't judge me personally, judge the results. How I get there, that is my demeanor. Judge the results, not me.
Hey Gordon. What's the best cheese to use for grilled cheese / cheese toastie?
Apparently Jamie Oliver is going around and downvoting everyone.
Big fan of toasties, big fan of cheese, living in France for three years, it's one thing I grew up loving there was cheese, and now I'm obsessed over it. So, Red Leicester is a really beautiful cheese; it's a very strong, mature cheddar. But Red Leicester is an amazing cheese. It's made in Devon now, with great sheep's milk. Strong mature cheddar that gets sort of caramelized and bubbly is the best for a toastie. I'm not a big fan of salted cheese; I much prefer a nice rustic, mature cheddar, not so salty.
In this video you're seen offering a job to an inmate after he beat you in an onion slicing contest. I was wondering if you could offer a follow up on this. Did he ever get the job?
Also I think it's a wonderful thing you did that day.
So going into the prisons and working with offenders that regret what they've done, I'm a firm believer that everyone deserves a second chance. So, I did offer him a job. Secondly, he reoffended within days of coming out. And that's the issue for me and prisons, and that's why I went in and set up a documentary called Bad Boy Bakery, where we created a bakery on the inside to sell on the outside. Because, these offenders need to come back out into society better equipped, more suitable, more confident, and perhaps even higher skilled than when they went in there in the first place.
So, sometimes you come across those individuals that are less fortunate than others, and they deserve that second chance. So I offered him a job, I was excited to have him by my side, and the offer is still open today providing he comes back into society better placed.
Do you think the cook off between you and Bobby Flay will ever happen?
I would love it to happen. I'm pissed that it hasn't, and I've offered him a head start, I've offered to pay for his flight, I've offered to send a plane for him...here's the thing. Chefs need competition, and I think that's healthy. We both work for Caesar's; Caesar's put it on this table for this year to celebrate their 50th birthday for him and I to have a live cook-off, and Bobby lost his balls. It literally castrated him.
I will be the first one to make sure that we go head to head in a live cook-off. How exciting would that be?! Come on!
There's a lot of chefs in America that I respect. I get a hard time from all those chefs, but I respect them immensely. So, it's no different than two basketball teams playing against each other. It's no different between America and Great Britain playing against each other in soccer. Have a bit of fun with it! It was going to charity, and don't get so stressed out! Come on!
You're super rich. Probably the most famous chef.
What's next for you? I sure as fck didn't expect a mobile game.
Also please keep uploading videos on youtube more frequently. I really enjoy watching bits and pieces from old shows you've done.
I work incredibly hard. I have about 3-4 hours a day off and I work my freakin ass off because I get so excited with projects! I never started cooking because I wanted to become rich, I have an incredible about of energy. One day I will slow down. I think for me the app was a fun thing to do because it gives you a little bit of excitement in the industry of what's happening, how much creativity you have, and handle that pressure. What's next..we're talking, right now, about something really exciting in America, regarding The F Word. My dr eam is to bring The F Word to America. That has lots of excitement, lot of content, a lot of foodie elements that I think would go down well. So that's what we're working on right now. I'll reveal more in a month's time but I'm really excited about The F Word. Finally, potentially, making it's way toward America.
Chef what was your favorite moment on Masterchef, on or off camera?
Enjoyed your previous AMAs a lot, big fan sir.
My favorite moment on Masterchef was when Christina Tosi and I were in the middle of a field and we were about to go head to head with red team versus blue team, and we were doing a coin toss. Christina flicked the coin, and fell flat on her ass. And it was that funny moment, that it was like, oh my god, one of the best pastry chefs in the world can't even flip a coin! And she flipped, and she slipped on her Wellies, and she did the splits, rolled on her back, got covered in mud, and it was all over the flip of a coin. It was so funny.
Hi Gordon, do you ever just wander into a restaurant looking for a bite to eat, if so how do you decide where to go? If so, when you wander in do the staff visibly begin shitting themselves?
You know I love going to restaurants and I love going to enjoy myself without having to work at them. The first thing they look at when they see me standing in reception, a) is there a camera crew behind him? b) did you book? and if you did book, did you book under your fucking name?!
I'm very lucky because the majority of the restaurants I go to, they go above and beyond. It makes me a little bit embarrassed. I'm so grateful. First thing I want to do is go to the kitchen and say hi to the team. When I've had a great meal I give them as much love as I can on social media. I'm very proud, even if it's chefs who work for me. Just to let the world know. We have over 15 million reach between all our social media figs. If I see someone in the middle of Washington or the middle of Barcelona at a tapas bar, I'll be the first to put it out there on social media "I just had a fantastic lunch, or dinner, check this restaurant out."
Sometimes, I've gone into restaurants where the chef's have been somewhat pissed off and disgruntled and nothing happens for 40 minutes. My worry is, is my food going through the dishwasher 3 or 4 times? Is Some chef seeking revenge? But I can smell that shit a mile away.
9 times, out of 10, it's an exciting place to be in. Sometimes, I've sort of jumped to a one course, just to get the hell out of there because things aren't going too well.
out of all of your shows which one is your favorite?
That's a very good question because every time we do something really high-end, costly, and shiny, I need to go do something really raw and cutting edge. So, Sharkbait was an amazing documentary where I went off to Taiwan, got on a boat, hijacked it, and you know, tried to stop finning--shark fins and the decimation of sharks and the population. So Sharkbait was one of the biggest and most prolific I've ever done.
And then I think, I love going live. Cooking live, and nobody knows, but I can actually cook for 60 minutes live across the nation without cursing once. It's fucking hard, but I'll have a good go.
Hey Gordon! Huge fan here, I watch a lot of your videos on YouTube. Being a poor college student, what easy meals would you recommend that are healthy and packed with nutrients for strong muscle development and faster mental cognition?
Excellent. That's a really good question. Chickpeas. I lived in the south of India, just outside Kerala. I went into this amazing Ashram. They made this incredible chickpea curry, with a fresh masala, and it was done in a tomato gravy. The flavor honestly was incredible. Yea, chickpeas, absolutely incredible! Celery, onions, vegetables, it was incredible. The only thing you need to do is cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker, make a fresh masala, lots of ginger, lots of tamarind, fresh tamarind. You won't need protein, chickpeas. Just make sure, you go to the bathroom before you past wind. Don't do it at the table because it lingers beyond belief!
Hi Mr Ramsay,
I recently went to your restaurant "Gordon Ramsay Steak" at Paris in Las Vegas. I was wondering, exactly how much influence do you hold there? Is it a name sake or do you supervise all of the production and menu, etc?
So opening the steakhouse in Vegas was one of the most daunting and dangerous things I've ever done. The team are brilliant. I visit my steakhouse about 12 times a year, and we cook dinner only.
So, I grew up to speed about 15 years ago when I first started coming to the US about how well they did steakhouses. I sat, watched, absorbed, and learned; and when I got the chance to open Gordon Ramsay Steak, we actually have an impact on the scene. So yeah, there's my DNA. The standard is incredible, the staff is friendly; but it's got that really cool Britannia feel, and I'm all over it like a rash. I talk to them on a daily basis through email, but that restaurant means such a lot to me personally that, yeah I spend a lot of time there. So yeah, that's definitely the real deal.
What do you use a microwave for?
What do I use a microwave for? That's a bloody good question! There's an amazing way of drying herbs in a microwave. You get a plate, plastic wrap, and then rub a whole basil leaf in just a touch of olive oil and then lay it on the tin foil. Press for 45 seconds in the microwave. They come out crispy! It's almost like shallots fried but they get such a quick temperature, it dies and crisps out the basil leaves within seconds. So I do use a microwave, only to sort of lightly fry basil, tarragon leaves without deep fat frying. It's incredible.
What point in your career are you most proud of?
Also to you and everyone here I am moderator of the subreddit r/GordonRamsay and would highly appreciate if you or anyone here would check it out thanks! I'm a huge fan, thanks!
So what am I most proud of? Professionally, still having the same team that opened up restaurant Gordon Ramsay in 1998 with me today, the same chef, the same maître d', 18 years later. Retaining the 3 Michelin stars that we've done now, for 14 years, being London's longest restaurant serving with that recipient of 3 Michelin stars.
And then on the personal front, obviously, you know, this industry fragments a lot of families. If there's one thing I've learned with my children, teaching them how to cook early on in life has brought them closer to my industry. So if they're gonna follow it as a career, they know how to cook. They've been cooking since they were 5. I just see the confidence it gives them, walking into the kitchen with their mates and cooking a dinner together. So watching them, let's say follow in my footsteps, but also understanding the essence of passion, and whether they become a police officer or a fireman, I've just installed that level of passion.
So, the time we spend is little time with the family, but it's quality. And they've respected that. All four of the children have grown up with that respect, and that, hey, if you want something in your life, you work hard for it.
And then finally, I would say this December, I celebrate 20 years with my wife Tana. And based on that devastation last month with the miscarriage and losing our son, has made it an even more special anniversary.
So, I'm blessed with support, but more importantly, keeping life real, I think. That's been the most important part.
Hello Chef, thanks for doing this! Short version of my question: are there any openings for jobs in the food industry for people with disabilities? Are we wanted in the professional kitchen, or elsewhere in the industry? Can we work with food professionally?
Long version: I'm 23 years old, and I'm sort of at a crossroads in life. I'm pretty passionate about cooking, and though the learning never stops for anyone, I wish it's a skill more people had. Lately I've been contemplating seeing if I could get into the food industry (because an arts degree probably isn't going to treat me particularly well!). However, I have a disability – spastic diplegia, assymetric type. It mostly just affects my legs.
The result is that by and large my feet and legs will tire out faster than the average joe, and my walking speed is a bit slower than most people's (though in a kitchen I don't feel it's significant, I'm mostly talking about outdoors). I also have minor impediments to my fine motor skills, though not to a huge degree – it's just that my 'skill ceiling' is lower than most would be. I can still mostly peel vegetables and grate cheese just fine, I think my dicing and chopping just needs practice like anyone else. All in all I have to admit I'm pretty lucky as far as the severity of my disability goes.
The leg and foot pain and tiredness are the main things, and they're an additional barrier to entry on top of learning to deal with kitchen heat. For a profession infamous for its long standing hours, I worry it might be a problem, and that something like culinary school would be an utterly wasted investment.
I am aware you've worked with chefs with disabilities in the past – took one from Kitchen Nightmares under your wing who had some posture difficulties, and a blind woman on Masterchef is one of your more famous highlights – but I'd still like to know if people like me can pay our bills by working in the food industry. Cheers!
Every restaurant is government scrutinized now with disabled accessibility. Whether it's with lifts or ramps, so it's only going to be a matter of time before these environments in the kitchen professionally will be a lot easier for disabled people to work here. I do have staff that are disabled with issues that we have overcome and we also keep our doors open for that. I'm glad that those provisions are in place for customers. I can't wait for that environment to become even more open for disabled employees. I work with Scottish Spina Bifida, because we set up an amazing center back in 2006, for Spina Bifida patients and families to receive a telling medical center help. That's a big charity for me. Kids sadly are confined to wheelchairs from 6-7 years of age. Our doors are open to all of interest and we will never shut it down.
Mr. Ramsay, big fan ( yeah yeah hear it all the time) so thank you. Question is, what's the best way to let/encourage your kids to help with cooking without getting fed up/frustrated or have a panic attack if they need to use a knife?
Have an 8, 5, and 3 yo boys. What are appropriate tasks for each?
Thank you so much. You got my hubby through some very tough times by distracting him from overwhelming life issues. So we love you!
Edit: my phone is an ass and misspelled his name. I have corrected this egregious oversight. Thank you for not gathering your torches and pitch forks too quickly.
That's a really good question, and I'm really glad that hubby is feeling better.
We had four young kids at one stage, and you have to get them involved with more of the prep as opposed to the cooking. Sooner or later, they're gonna have to use a knife. They're gonna learn how to chop. And there are great, cheap kid's knives that they can use and prep with.
Young, I get them organized. I started off teaching my kids with them and weighing out ingredients, prepping, peeling. But a really good way of making them excited and closely connected to it, is getting them to taste things. So as you're cooking, they may not be doing everything, but they're tasting things. Now that can't happen all throughout the cooking process, but I used to play games. I'd roll up fresh parsley, basil leaves, thyme flowers, and get them to smell, close their eyes and guess what it was. Cilantro, tarragon, chervil. And then I bought them all plant pots, so they cared for little miniature plant pots, and fresh basil, fresh parsley. And so they treated this plant as their little...how many times do you see hamsters or goldfish being bought? I bought all my kids little plant pots, basil plants, thyme, and they looked after them and they grew them. Outside herbs like rosemary.
And so it's a really nice way of making them feel closer and a little bit more connected to food with the responsibility of looking after their little plants. They didn't have to be big, they were tiny plants. And then finally, it started being a little bit more family style cooking. My kids, for instance now, they roast sweet potatoes, and they scrape the sweet potato out of the shell, and they mix it with the most amazing ingredients--scallions, garlic, chili--and they put it back into the sweet potato. So, there are other ways of making sides a little bit more adventurous for them by getting them to sort of work more on the vegetable point of view. If they work closely with the vegetables, I guarantee they'll eat them easier and healthier.