Oh yes we did, Isaac and I watched the finale of the Bachelor. The first bit was filled with gag-inducing declarations of eternal love ("this is so real") from Our Bachelor Jason Mesnick to TWO different women, and from both of them to him. Isaac so appreciated the eloquent celebration of love that he proceeded to compose his own soliloquy of adoration to something... something like his computer, but it wasn't his computer, we just forgot what it was already. Well, that's sort of ironic, considering Jason seemed for forget his declaration of love and PROPOSAL to Melissa just about as quickly.
The second section of the show hyped up the drama and showed the unprecedented scene of Jason breaking up with Melissa six weeks after the proposal... in front of the camera. Isaac and I yelled at him. So did Melissa. Props to her - she called him what he actually is. Then he made doe-eyes at the girl he'd rejected six weeks ago and told her he still loved her, and they proceeded to make out like the camera wasn't there, and I announced that the whole thing was set up, and Isaac and I vowed to never watch the show again.
Jason's conclusion was that the most important thing is to follow your heart.... and I observed that that really had worked out well for him, since his first following of his heart led in divorce, the second left him dumped on public TV a year ago, and now he just looked like an a** on public tv by reversing his own proposal. Hmm...
Follow your heart... the heart is deceitful above all things.... hmmm..
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Monday, March 2, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Ben Walanka on Hell's Kitchen
Having discovered that I actually know one of the chefs on Hell's Kitchen this season, I sat down to watch the show last night. Oh man, it brought back so many memories. My friend Kelley (who is quite the chef herself) is right to note that Hells Kitchen is more about the drama and cussing then about the actual cooking. Gordon Ramsey's character (and I do think it's a character) is absolutely ridiculous. However, I do think the show reflects the reality of the intensity, drama, and social order of the kitchens of high class dining establishments.
In some ways a chef's world is like the military. You can start out with no training and work your way up by working hard and being disciplined and ambitious. A head chef is an unquestionable authority. When he gives out an order, it is meant to be obeyed immediately, and anything he says is usually responded to with a military-like barked response, "Yes CHEF!"
Here are my brief thoughts:
- Chefs lead a crazy life with crazy hours, intense pressure, and lots of competition
- Chefs typically have a HUGE ego.
- A kitchen is just as dramatic as a hospital emergency room or a trading floor in a stock exchange.
- I loved working the culinary industry. I thrived on the craziness and the sense of community.
A chef's life is strange. When dinner service starts there are several hours of non-stop chaos in the kitchen. Some food can be prepped ahead of time, but most of it must be cooked to order and it must be perfect to meet the standards of a high-class establishment. A few minutes too long in the oven and the meat will be over cooked. If a chef runs to get the meat out of the oven and leves his vegetables sauteeing on the stove, they might burn. Even putting the food on the plate must be perfect - presentation is crucial and yet must be done in seconds.
Not only do they keep moving for hours in the steamy heat of a kitchen, they are also responding to the constantly barked requests of the servers, the hostess, and the head chef. Often dishes are returned to the kitchen and have to be re-done, which is usually where a night in the kitchen can turn into a disaster. The head chef's reputation rides on the actions of the rest of his chefs, so the line cooks and sous chefs are under intense pressure to perform perfectly. All it takes is one bad review to bring down the reputation of an entire restaurant.
On Hell's Kitchen last night Ben got in trouble multiple times with Gordon Ramsey, and watching their interchanges made me giggle. Gordon would be like, "Get over here you fat f***, what have you done with this? I don't want to ever see anything like this again!" Then Ben would reply, "Yes chef! I'm sorry chef! I messed up, it will never happen again Chef!" Gordon Ramsey may be unusually uncouth for a head chef, but the strict chain of authority and Ben's response is absolutely realistic. I had to laugh because I have stood five feet from Ben and heard the exact things come out of his mouth before.
Ben was one in a string of chefs that ran our members-only Club at the Symphony Center in Chicago. It was only open on Symphony nights, so the chef was on loan from the fine-dining restaurant downstairs. It was crazy because everyone arrived just in time to have dinner right before attending the Symphony, so there was intense pressure to be done on time. Not only that, but these are the rich and famous - a veritable who's who of Chicago's big shots. They expected their food to be perfect, and there was intense criticism when anything went wrong. Because of that, the head chef from the restaurant downstairs would often come up to make sure everything was running smoothly. When it wasn't... he was PISSED. He didn't blow up like Ramsey, but he did bark orders and let his displeasure be known. Ben would bark his apologies and move to barking orders to his own subordinates. When it was finally over he would settle back into his jovial, easy-going self. He is a bit of a loud-mouth, though, so I really am not surprised to find him on tv as quite a controversial character. I hope he stays on for a while, it's fun watching someone you actually know!
In some ways a chef's world is like the military. You can start out with no training and work your way up by working hard and being disciplined and ambitious. A head chef is an unquestionable authority. When he gives out an order, it is meant to be obeyed immediately, and anything he says is usually responded to with a military-like barked response, "Yes CHEF!"
Here are my brief thoughts:
- Chefs lead a crazy life with crazy hours, intense pressure, and lots of competition
- Chefs typically have a HUGE ego.
- A kitchen is just as dramatic as a hospital emergency room or a trading floor in a stock exchange.
- I loved working the culinary industry. I thrived on the craziness and the sense of community.
A chef's life is strange. When dinner service starts there are several hours of non-stop chaos in the kitchen. Some food can be prepped ahead of time, but most of it must be cooked to order and it must be perfect to meet the standards of a high-class establishment. A few minutes too long in the oven and the meat will be over cooked. If a chef runs to get the meat out of the oven and leves his vegetables sauteeing on the stove, they might burn. Even putting the food on the plate must be perfect - presentation is crucial and yet must be done in seconds.
Not only do they keep moving for hours in the steamy heat of a kitchen, they are also responding to the constantly barked requests of the servers, the hostess, and the head chef. Often dishes are returned to the kitchen and have to be re-done, which is usually where a night in the kitchen can turn into a disaster. The head chef's reputation rides on the actions of the rest of his chefs, so the line cooks and sous chefs are under intense pressure to perform perfectly. All it takes is one bad review to bring down the reputation of an entire restaurant.
On Hell's Kitchen last night Ben got in trouble multiple times with Gordon Ramsey, and watching their interchanges made me giggle. Gordon would be like, "Get over here you fat f***, what have you done with this? I don't want to ever see anything like this again!" Then Ben would reply, "Yes chef! I'm sorry chef! I messed up, it will never happen again Chef!" Gordon Ramsey may be unusually uncouth for a head chef, but the strict chain of authority and Ben's response is absolutely realistic. I had to laugh because I have stood five feet from Ben and heard the exact things come out of his mouth before.
Ben was one in a string of chefs that ran our members-only Club at the Symphony Center in Chicago. It was only open on Symphony nights, so the chef was on loan from the fine-dining restaurant downstairs. It was crazy because everyone arrived just in time to have dinner right before attending the Symphony, so there was intense pressure to be done on time. Not only that, but these are the rich and famous - a veritable who's who of Chicago's big shots. They expected their food to be perfect, and there was intense criticism when anything went wrong. Because of that, the head chef from the restaurant downstairs would often come up to make sure everything was running smoothly. When it wasn't... he was PISSED. He didn't blow up like Ramsey, but he did bark orders and let his displeasure be known. Ben would bark his apologies and move to barking orders to his own subordinates. When it was finally over he would settle back into his jovial, easy-going self. He is a bit of a loud-mouth, though, so I really am not surprised to find him on tv as quite a controversial character. I hope he stays on for a while, it's fun watching someone you actually know!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
I know someone on Hell's Kitchen!
Check it OUT! I'm super excited. I don't watch Hell's Kitchen, but for the last two weeks anytime I see an ad for it I keep seeing a chef in some of the shots that looks SO familiar. I finally looked him up today, and I was right.
http://www.fox.com/hellskitchen/bios/s5-Ben.htm
He's Ben, who was the chef when I worked at the members-only Club at the Chicago Symphony Center. He was on loan from Rhapsody on those days, and was a big, boistrous guy. Super talkative, always joking. If I remember right, he and I had a funny relationship because a Moody student was actually his babysitter when he was a kid. His dad is some rich businessman in Chicago, and Moody students babysit all over the city. So the babysitter was actually a guy on the Moody soccer team, and Ben used to go to Moody and hang out in the cafeteria and sometimes play soccer with the guys. He's Jewish, and he said he used to get a kick at the reactions of the Moody students when he'd swear.
I was at that point very close to denying I was ever associated with Moody, so when he found out I went there I was so embarassed. He reassured me that he loved Moody, it was so fun.
In any case, he was such a personality that I just might have to start watching the show to see how it goes for him.
http://www.fox.com/hellskitchen/bios/s5-Ben.htm
He's Ben, who was the chef when I worked at the members-only Club at the Chicago Symphony Center. He was on loan from Rhapsody on those days, and was a big, boistrous guy. Super talkative, always joking. If I remember right, he and I had a funny relationship because a Moody student was actually his babysitter when he was a kid. His dad is some rich businessman in Chicago, and Moody students babysit all over the city. So the babysitter was actually a guy on the Moody soccer team, and Ben used to go to Moody and hang out in the cafeteria and sometimes play soccer with the guys. He's Jewish, and he said he used to get a kick at the reactions of the Moody students when he'd swear.
I was at that point very close to denying I was ever associated with Moody, so when he found out I went there I was so embarassed. He reassured me that he loved Moody, it was so fun.
In any case, he was such a personality that I just might have to start watching the show to see how it goes for him.
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