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.

Eddie the Eagle was not a tosser!!! At the closing Olympic ceremony the president of the Games singled him out for his contribution: "At this Games some competitors have won gold, some have broken records and one has even flown like an eagle." At that moment, 100,000 people in the stadium roared 'Eddie! Eddie!'. It was the first time in the history of the games that an individual athlete had been mentioned in the closing speech. End of.

That's right.

UK Poached Fillet of Limousin Veal, Fresh Tuna & Herb Mayonnaise, Oscietra Caviar Grilled Fillets of Red Mullet, Cannelloni of Feves & Smoked Ham, Anchovy & Olive beignet Chorizo Foam White Chocolate Panacotta, Kahlua & Milk Ice Cream, Coffee Doughnuts

St John

He seems to have settled into a Willy Wonka persona which I think defiantly suits him better than the Salvador Dali persona the Sunday Times were trying to fit him up with. Maybe one day a little poor kid will open a Heston Bar and find a golden ticket, wouldn’t that be nice?

Critics in your restaurant?? I can't imagine anything worse. You don't need them at all. It's always puzzled me why chefs/restauranteurs pander to them. They're just parasites. And I'm not bitter because I've always had good reviews where I've been working from them, I just think they are a bunch of egotistical twats. If a restaurant offers a decent service which is needed in its area then it will do well. Why do you need a critic to come along and confirm what you already know?? Like seeing your name in the paper?? Why bother it's tomorrows chip wrapping. And really who cares what Giles Coren thinks?? And AA Gill?? Please.........

MPW creative?? No way. He was brilliant at cooking, a total perfectionist. But he didn't really stand out for his creativity. Evidence?? First hand.

Pourcel - sea urchin Arzak - Rectangle sponge with quenelles of ice creams foie gras and smoked eel is a famous starter from Martin Berasategui 'Roellinger certainly didn't invent salted butter caramel, it's probable that M. Roux of Quiberon didn't either, but the dessert in Roellinger's book and the desserts I ate at Roellinger's restaurant and the Fat Duck were the same; a thick disc of soft caramel acting as podium for a quenelle of chocolate sorbet crested with a fine outsize tuile and ringed with some also caramel-like sauce.' lord michael lewis tobacco chocolates El Bulli menu in '98. "What foods evoke childhood memories?" veyrat 'Gaspacho à la moutarde d'Orléans, crème glacée -- Arpege (note the Fat Duck's endearingly slavish adoption of Passard's misspelling of gazpacho.' lord michael lewis Nimzo it happens all the time.

He's moved on from Moscow then? ← Yep - http://www.casalalla.com/pages_uk/home.htm

I don't think Willliam Curley worked at Harveys. The only two pastry chefs were Patrick Whitfield and then Rodger Pizey. Richard Neat one time head chef at Harveys, now owns a hotel in Marakesh called Cassa Lalla. The other chefs that have not been listed already that I can recall working there are - Simon Rogan - L'Enclume Mick Lambie - Owns a restaurant in Australia Donovan Cooke - Owns a restaurant in Australia Lee Bunting Tim Payne Wayne Newsome - owns Dough in Leeds I've also come across about 1 million other chefs who claimed to have worked there!!