# Hell's Kitchen \[Summer 2010\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995 "2010-06-04T23:47:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/21 "2010-06-09T16:05:20Z")
iI had to laugh when he was judging the eggs: slice the top off a soft boiled egg, taste, and pronounce it ‘delicious’? Are you kidding? The only comment you can make on a soft boiled egg is over/under/just right on the cooking time, which you can tell by appearance. The flavor is entirely up to the chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/22 "2010-06-09T16:16:23Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > And scallops. > > And eggs. Amen. If I ever went on this show (yeah, right) I’d go through the previous seasons and count up his “greatest hits” dishes, and make those until I could do it in my sleep. Haven’t watched yet but apparently I still had the “new episodes please” subscription still set up on my DVR, so upon checking I did have both the new episodes recorded. Looking forward to seeing what happens! ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/23 "2010-06-09T17:05:38Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > Good God, do none of these cooks ever _watch_ this show? > > Once A Season Note to Wouldbe Contestants: Learn to make risotto and cook wellingtons _before_ you get to Hells Kitchen. YOU WILL BE MAKING THEM! > > And Yes, you will be called a donkey at some point, get a thicker skin. Hell, if I went on there I’d make scallops, Wellington and risotto my signature dish. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/24 "2010-06-09T17:11:32Z")
[quote=“Ferret\_Herder, post:22, topic:541995”] Amen. If I ever went on this show (yeah, right) I’d go through the previous seasons and count up his “greatest hits” dishes, and make those until I could do it in my sleep. [QUOTE] You would then fail to piss off Ramsey, and there wouldn’t be a show. No, they specifically select people who are workaholics from areas that don’t have cable, so they’ve never even had an inkling of what they’re getting themselves in for. Yeah, one season they had a guy who had one of his books … and that dazzeled everyone else … that’s how out of the loop these people are. I watch it for the same reason watch other Gordon Ramsey shows, because I want to learn to cook. But sadly, I’m getting less and less of that as the seasons go by. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/25 "2010-06-09T17:13:31Z")
I wouldn’t make scallops as the signature dish. Ramsey commented on an episode of Kitchen Nightmares that he has gotten food poisening several times by people who thought they knew how to make scallops but actually didn’t. But making Wellington or risotto would definitely get you some brownie points with him. Also Autumn is a bitch and I hope she stays around for a while just for all the drama she is going to cause. EDIT: **Arkcon** , I watch his other shows and love them for what they are but this show is definitely mostly about drama. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/26 "2010-06-09T17:47:28Z")
Watched last week’s episode on Hulu and I don’t know if this was part of the original broadcast but there was a little segment at the end where Gordon talked about why he selected specific dishes for the HK menu. He talked about how each dish is a test of certain aspects of a cook’s ability, like risotto is a matter of consistency(“anyone can make great risotto once, but 25 times in a row is very difficult”) or beef Wellington is a matter of precise timing, as that’s all you have to go on since the meat is concealed. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/27 "2010-06-09T18:03:54Z")
I have to say, I watched last night, and it’s just not working for me any longer. The formula is so precisely the same as in prior seasons that it doesn’t hold my interest. Every now and then I looked up at the TV, thought to myself, “oh, they’re doing that again,” and went back to my book. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/28 "2010-06-09T18:10:52Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > You would then fail to piss off Ramsey, and there wouldn’t be a show. No, they specifically select people who are workaholics from areas that don’t have cable, so they’ve never even had an inkling of what they’re getting themselves in for. Yeah, one season they had a guy who had one of his books … and that dazzeled everyone else … that’s how out of the loop these people are. > > I watch it for the same reason watch other Gordon Ramsey shows, because I want to learn to cook. But sadly, I’m getting less and less of that as the seasons go by. Yeah, I’d be one of those sorta-mousy girls who doesn’t shine too much but also isn’t a total bitch. Furthermore, I’d probably get released from the show after a cooking accident did something terrible to me. There’s a reason I cook alone in kitchens; I’m the only one who gets hurt, that way. I still bear a couple of very faint burn scars from maybe 20 years ago, during my last time in a professional kitchen. I don’t use ceramic knives because I drop knives a lot - and at least I managed to more or less stop trying to catch a falling knife. :eek: Edit: For anyone who wants to see a Ramsay show without too much BS, try his series (via BBC America if you’re in the US) **The F Word**. Good mix of a mini-competition with a small team “versus” the restaurant diners (they are rated on what percent of diners would pay full price for each dish, and matched against the results from previous weeks’ teams), a little education about a food type, a Gordon-cooking-at-home/someone-else’s-home simple-ish recipe, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/29 "2010-06-09T18:43:25Z")
Hard to do a Wellington as your signature dish, as it takes forever to make. The 45 minutes given to complete the signature dish is about enough time to prep it, much less allow it to cook and rest. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/30 "2010-06-09T19:14:37Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > I’ve never seen “ankle” used as a verb. Can you tell me what this sentence means, please? [Slang Dictionary](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ankle) ankle definition n. an attractive woman or girl. (Typically with some.) : Now, there’s some ankle I’ve never seen around here before. in. to walk [somewhere]. : I have to ankle down to the drugstore. in. to walk away from one’s employment; to leave. (See also walk.) : I didn’t fire her. I told her she could ankle if she wanted. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/31 "2010-06-09T19:22:45Z")
[QUOTE=StarvingButStrong] (about ankling) I’ve seen it a few times, always in hard-boiled detective tales. It seems to mean nothing more than “walk” so in this case it means another contestant chooses to walk away from the show, aka quit. [/QUOTE] Yep. It’s also had a pretty long history in [Hollywood](http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=slang_results_l&query=A). ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/32 "2010-06-09T19:24:54Z")
> [@FredGarven](#): > > Is it just me? Or is this the ugliest group of people ever cast for any show in the history of television? Autumn is pretty (physically). Holli Ugalde is a bit overweight but has nice features. The Italian guy is probably pretty good looking. Dude with the doorstop hairdo would probably be good looking except for the hairdo. Scott is decent. I think they’re short of good looking women more than they’re short on “good looking”. Maybe they discovered that most of their viewers were female? ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/33 "2010-06-09T19:32:57Z")
I believe he’s got 5 shows actually: Kitchen Nightmares UK Kitchen Nightmares USA The F Word Hell’s Kitchen The one advertised last night that I can’t think of the name. I watch every one of them (and probably will watch the new one) and he’s far nicer on The F Word. He does seem to be a lot angrier on this season’s Hell’s Kitchen. I don’t have a cite but I believe he is actually doing less restaurateuring, I believe the economy hit him and he had to close some restaurants. I’m sure he’s not hurting for cash though. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/34 "2010-06-09T19:56:59Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > I believe he’s got 5 shows actually: > > Kitchen Nightmares UK > Kitchen Nightmares USA > The F Word > Hell’s Kitchen > **The one advertised last night that I can’t think of the name**. Do you mean _“Cookalong Live”_? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/35 "2010-06-09T22:33:56Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > I was surprised that there was an elimination after Andrew walked. Yeah. I wonder if that means there will have to be a week with a shocking “NO ONE IS ELIMINATED!” ending to make the number of episodes turn out right. > [@FredGarven](#): > > Is it just me? Or is this the ugliest group of people ever cast for any show in the history of television? Yeah, the girls this year… hoo boy.. But hey, if they can cook, that’s what they’re there for, not a beauty pageant. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/36 "2010-06-10T00:59:38Z")
Any faux-hawks? I’ll be thrilled if there aren’t any present. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/37 "2010-06-10T13:06:29Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > I believe he’s got 5 shows actually: > > Kitchen Nightmares UK > Kitchen Nightmares USA > The F Word > Hell’s Kitchen > The one advertised last night that I can’t think of the name. I think it’s _Master Chef_. I wonder how it will differ from _Top Chef_. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/38 "2010-06-10T16:04:00Z")
> [@JpnDude](#): > > At the start of the signature dish portion, Ramsay makes out with the first female “chef”. I fired up the first episode on the DVR, saw this in the promo, went “WTF” and hit stop. What the hell was that about? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/39 "2010-06-10T16:19:38Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I fired up the first episode on the DVR, saw this in the promo, went “WTF” and hit stop. What the hell was that about? It was his wife posing as a contestant. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995/40 "2010-06-10T16:30:05Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > It was his wife posing as a contestant. :rolleyes: Yay let’s do a stunt to screw with the newbs. I think his posing as another competitor was lame as well; sure he got to hear them talking “candidly” about him. In front of running cameras in the “we’re going to cook for Ramsay!” shot. Like he can any other time he looks at footage of them that he’s not in. Uh huh. And to my chagrin, BBC America has begun running the Fox/American episodes of Kitchen Nightmares as well. I hate the “yell yell argue argue / dramatic turnaround / free restaurant makeover time! / everything’s happy” formula on the American version. On the UK version, there’s no free makeovers of the restaurant, there are rarely such instantaneous “Oh Gordon how could I have doubted you” moments, the staff cleans the kitchen, and things don’t always work out very well at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hells-kitchen-summer-2010/541995.md?page=3)