the count of monte christo

Yeah that's a great site I'm a member too - http://supperclubfangroup.ning.com/profile/SunshineBakery?xg_source=profiles_memberList Love going to these events and will hold a couple myself this summer in the garden of my bakery in Leeds

I find it quite puzzling when you say - ‘’Frankly I do start doubting chefs when they start describing their approach/belief/style as a "philosophy";’’ - because approach/belief/style is a good way to describe an actual philosophy. You then produce the list below to describe how you feel about some chefs - .artists .visionaries .scientists when it could easily be argued, using your own logic (see below), that chefs are none of these either. .artist - Vincent van Gogh .visionary - Isaac Asimov .scientist - Galileo Personally I think you can find all of these disciplines to some degree in a great chef.

Many many famous artists have teams of workers knocking out their works for them. They just issue the brief and put their signatures on the finished piece. Damien Hirst works in this way and Salvador Dali was known to sign blank canvasses.

Maybe it's a case of too many chemicals spoil the broth.

The guy’s an amateur competing against amateurs. If professional chefs were allowed onto Masterchef he wouldn’t have got anywhere near the final.

There's such a massive difference between what they get up to on Masterchef and running a restaurant. I think if this guy's restaurant ever got off the ground it would have more chance of going bankrupt than gaining a star.

What was the butchers name Gary? That's so out of order but it doesn't suprise me in the least. I heard so many horror stories about him around 95 - 97 in London from chefs who worked with and for him.

Does anyone know where I can find this book? Les postres d'el bulli albert adria oct 1998 ISBN 84-7596-606-3 I've been searching for this but to no avail. Anyone help me?

Hi does anybody know where I can find his book - Les postres d'el bulli albert adria oct 1998 ISBN 84-7596-606-3 I've been searching for this everywhere but to no avail. Thanks

If this is a trend I hope it dies very soon.

Here's the review from may 2005 - 'And then I found ñoquis sféricos de patata con consome de piel de patata asada: a game-coloured meatless consommé that tasted of baked potato skins, in which floated white spheres that burst to yield the very essence of baked potato flesh, and glass-coloured ravioli full of butter. It was the taste and smell and childhood excitement of November 5 turned into a lot of balls – and perhaps the most astonishing single dish I have ever known. ' http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/c...ticle388585.ece

The first time I heard of this was in an El Bulli review by if I remember rightly, Giles Coren or possibly Jay Rayner (?).

The food looks like something Salvador Dali would be proud of. Unfortunately, it being food, you are supposed to eat it. I see this type of surreal presentation and preparation everywhere these days and I find the whole thing bizarre. It’s almost like the chefs are competing to see who can come up with the oddest looking dishes. Personally I like my food to look like what it actually is and for it to retain it’s original texture. I don’t mind the odd blob but all these creams, gels, smears, thin viscous lines and the like are at the end of the day just pointless extensions of ego.

FGFN are having a few victories in Leeds - http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news...eeds.3853664.jp

The way Foie Gras is produced is cruel. I really don’t see how that can be argued against And yeah sure you are quite within you rights to eat it just as other person is quite within their rights to protest against you eating it. The organisation foiegrasfreenorth have nothing to do with the ALF so quite why Basildog ties the two organisations together is beyond me. It’s like equating the BNP to UKIP. And also I really don’t think this has anything to do with class war either, that assumption is bordering on paranoia. I mean Prince Charles has just banned Foie Gras from his estates so unless you think that he‘s joined in with the anarchists then that argument is a none starter. The way I see it is quite simple - should we cause unnecessary cruelty to an animal in order for it to taste better? I say no and I’d be quite happy to see it banned tomorrow.