Chefs who give locavorism a bad name
Actually, I'm not sure you can give locavorism a bad name because it already has a bad name. However, the locavores I know are reasonable folks, who feel if you crave pineapple, buy a pineapple; but if spinach is in season, buy it from your local farmer rather than a California conglomerate.
Then a story like this comes along: ...
Celeb chef Gordon Ramsay thinks out-of-season produce ought to be outlawed in restaurants, the BBC reports. He's already spoken to the Prime Minister about fining restaurants who have anything but seasonal fruits and vegetables on their menus.
Needless to say, this annoyed Duncan Green of Oxfam, who is quoted as saying he was sure "the million farmers in east Africa who rely on exporting their goods to scrape a living would see Gordon Ramsay's assertions as a recipe for disaster."
(Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images)
Comments
What a tool. That sounds like feudalism.
Posted by: Voodoo Pork | May 9, 2008 3:28 PM
Lord save us from the fanatics.
Posted by: Federal Hill Jim | May 9, 2008 3:51 PM
Seinfeld had the Soup Nazi; does that make chef Ramsay the Produce Nazi?
Many chefs will have a seasonal menu available, making use of what is available locally. This does not mean that they do not have their 'regular' menu available.
Even the chains have seasonal specials.
Posted by: Mr. Old Fart | May 9, 2008 4:21 PM
I have decided that I want my own "reality" show (or maybe a "talk" show) wherein I will expose such people as Gordon Ramsay and Rachael Ray for the total frauds that they are. I wonder how many four-letter words Ramsay used in the presence of the PM.
Posted by: Piano Rob | May 9, 2008 6:07 PM
Oh, why can't Margaret Thatcher be the Prime Minister again. No doubt she would have smacked Ramsay upside the head with a frying pan for making such a stupid request.
Posted by: Robert of Cross Keys | May 9, 2008 10:29 PM
Piano Rob, shut yer gob you keyboard donkey! Your ^%%# you %##(* is gnat piss! Just kidding P-Rob. I find him to be such a vulgar person, I couldn't imagine eating in one of his restaurants, aside from the fact that "English chef" makes me giggle. His food just doesn't look very interesting.
The American shows that he does are terrible, but the English version of Kitchen Nightmares is interesting. His revamping of restaurants is so basic. Smaller menu, fresh ingredients, local produce and meat/fish. What is REALLY interesting is to see real English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish people that work in the restaurants. Not a Pierce Brosnan or Keira Knightly in sight. And the regional accents are fun, so much different than the stage accents you see on TV and movies.
I like the classy way he ends a conversation, usually a tirade, with men and women of all ages: "Now f--- off!"
Posted by: Owl Meat GordonRamsay | May 10, 2008 3:04 PM
Owl, DUDE! - I cannot agree with you more, you cheeky monkey.
Posted by: Piano Rob | May 10, 2008 4:55 PM
Wow, I'm relieved that you got the joke. I was afraid that you and your musical goon squad might be waiting for me tonight and bash me noggin in with your keytar!
Posted by: OMG | May 11, 2008 1:42 AM
Keytar! Classic, dudemeister.
Posted by: Rock Chiclet | May 11, 2008 2:46 PM
What is your obsession with the keytar? Don't mess with Piano Rob. I'm sure he knows a lot of theatre toughs. And he probably has friends who have played Sharks and Jets and you don't even want to know what their combined gang dance fighting will do to you. (Snap your fingers alng with me.) Sharks! Jets! Jet powered sharks!
Posted by: voodoopork | May 11, 2008 3:06 PM
Piano Rob: get out of town, fast. You are in the middle of a fight between OMG & VD Pork. Nothing good come from this. I know you didn't ask for this, but there you have it.
Posted by: Robert (the Single One) | May 11, 2008 5:40 PM
Simmer down people. Drop your keytars and nobody gets hurt.
Sharks!
Jets!
Sharks!
Jets!
What the hell are you guys doing here???
We is the the Warriors.
Well what kinds of gang-dance moves has you got?
What the eff? We're classic 70's disco gang thugs. We is the freakin' Warriors!
Sharks.
Jets.
Sharks.
Jets.
Look, Theatre Rob sent us here to kick some keytar ass, so where's the keytar crew?
Hey, Theatre Rob was supposed to present a proposal by Ficscal Year 08 but his format was not compatible with FY08 guidelines on submission protocols.
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Oh for Christ's sake Piano Rob, you had the Sharks AND the Jets? You could have finally killed OMG and I, urgh, we could have ruled the blogosphere. BLERG!!!
Posted by: voodoopork | May 12, 2008 2:59 AM
VDP, OMG, et alii: you'll notice that I have remained on the sidelines quietly observing the self-destruction occuring. Besides, none of the Sharks or Jets I've worked with could frighten anybody, with or without a keytar - and includes the denizens of Queen Elizabeth's squirrel condo.
Posted by: Piano Rob | May 12, 2008 7:53 AM
And he probably has friends who have played Sharks and Jets and you don't even want to know what their combined gang dance fighting will do to you. (Snap your fingers alng with me.) Sharks! Jets! Jet powered sharks!
Porkie, you get over here and clean my keyboard!!
Posted by: Rosebud | May 12, 2008 8:32 AM
Now, here's the sum total: One gang could run this city! One gang. Nothing would move without us allowing it to happen. We could tax the crime syndicates, the police, because WE got the streets, suckers! Can you dig it?
Cool your theatre Jets, because I've got some shirtless vested cats with red bandanas that have my back!
http://www.tech2.com/media/images/img_1473_warriors.jpg
The problem in the past has been the man turning us against one another. We have been unable to see the truth, because we have fighting for ten square feet of ground, our turf, our little piece of turf. That's crap, brothers! The turf is ours by right, because it's our turn. All we have to do is keep up the general truce. We take over one borough at a time. Secure our territory... secure our turf... because it's all our turf!
Posted by: voodoopork | May 13, 2008 4:15 PM