Celebrity Chefs and Bad Pizza

[sourdough girl]

Did I miss something, Mark?  Is there a post that's been deleted?
I don't see any nasty comments... if he were alive today, I'm sure he'd be on the Food Network (because I know they would have enough money to woo him away from PBS) and I'd watch him over Paula Deen any day of the week!  But since he's not with us, the Food Network would have to rerun his old shows (which weren't produced by the Food Network!)... and they wouldn't do that!  To say nothing of the fact that PBS owns the rights anyway, I'm sure, but that's not the point! 

I don't read anything negative into apizza's Carlo Rossi comment, either...  if you had watched Justin on a regular basis, like I did, I think you'd understand.

~sd

[canadianbacon]

sd,

I'm talking about comments posted on the YouTube website.

I posted a link to a YouTube video, there are plenty of very nasty comments, believe me.
Go have a look see, and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

edit: Look under the YouTube video of Justin Wilson, YouTube allows users to type in comments,
and they are located under the video.

Did I miss something, Mark?  Is there a post that's been deleted?
I don't see any nasty comments...
~sd

[sourdough girl]

Ah!  I haven't watched the video yet... but I'm glad to know there are clips out there...  and I'm sorry to hear that there are nasty comments.  Says more about the commentor than Justin.

Thanks for the clarification!
~sd

[canadianbacon]

that's one of the things I don't like about YouTube,, people can hide behind a nickname, say whatever they
want, and basically get away with it, I'm not talking about opions, but just nasty remarks.  YouTube is just so
big I guess they just can't patrol it.

Anyway, that's life I guess.  Yeah I figured you hadn't seen the video, or hadn't scrolled down under the video to
read some of those "winner" remarks.

Oh well, I enjoyed his shows, and that's what counts I guess.   

Ah!  I haven't watched the video yet... but I'm glad to know there are clips out there...  and I'm sorry to hear that there are nasty comments.  Says more about the commentor than Justin.

Thanks for the clarification!
~sd

[apizza]

You read me right sourdough girl. As I said, my kind of chef.
There is a site at www.justinwilson.com , which I think is run by his daughter. Books, Tapes etc..

And now I know it's "How y'all are"?  Yankees can't spell Southern. 

[tdeane]

   I saw one thing with Giada DeLaurentis where she was at a racetrack giving a racecar driver advice on making pizza. She said she likes to do her pizzas "way up there around 400 or 425". The driver said " Wow, I've been doing mine at about 325." She then gave him completely bs reason why she uses such a hot oven. I can't stand her!!  Look up "Giada, how I hate thee" on Google. There's a great blog trashing her. Did anyone see her on Iron Chef? She couldn't boil water!!! She spent about 40 minutes making a few ravioli and left Bobby Flay to do everything else. 
    Gordon Ramsay is a great chef(I have all of his books) but pizza is a whole different world. It requires obsession and dedication. Thank God I've finally found something where my OCD comes in handy!
   Jamie Oliver is not a great cook but i would say he's completely harmless and means well. The problem i have with him is the amount of herbs he uses. I mean, it's insane. Rosemary on everything and LOTS of it. Also, he drowns everything in olive oil. I mean I like to finish things with good oil sometimes but Jamie is out of control.
   The problem with most celeb chefs is they think that being able to cook means they will automatically be able to make good pizza. As a result, they don't put any effort in when they do their show. They all use the same crappy dough recipe and away they go. The worst part is, most people are just fine with it. They don't know the difference.

[November]

I saw one thing with Giada DeLaurentis where she was at a racetrack giving a racecar driver advice on making pizza. She said she likes to do her pizzas "way up there around 400 or 425". The driver said " Wow, I've been doing mine at about 325." She then gave him completely bs reason why she uses such a hot oven.

Giada is a television host cliche.  If I had a nickel for every time she used the words "rich", "succulent", and especially "creamy" to describe her food, I wouldn't bother with stock trading.  Of course if I had a nickel for every time she gave bad advice in addition to her shallow host-speak, I would consider retiring.

- red.november

[tdeane]

Giada is a television host cliche.  If I had a nickel for every time she used the words "rich", "succulent", and especially "creamy" to describe her food, I wouldn't bother with stock trading.  Of course if I had a nickel for every time she gave bad advice in addition to her shallow host-speak, I would consider retiring.

- red.november

 Don't don't forget nutty, crunchy and tangy. She paints quite a picture doesn't she? I read an interview where she said she doesn't like to eat. That's what you want in your food network host isn't it?

[trosenberg]

To my way of thinking & cooking Jacques Pepin is tops.  The late Pierre Franey was a guy you could always learn from as well.  Most of these other guys are a joke.

[Pizza_Not_War]

Leave her alone, she is cute as a button! She does not need to cook as the family has $$$$. (sexist comment I know - sorry)

Most cooking shows present ideas, it is up to the viewer to take them and make them work for you.


"pizza is a whole different world. It requires obsession and dedication" Seriously? Pizza is a breeze compared to mastering the other many cuisines of the world.


Julia Child was always my favorite - nothing better than watching someone cook who has been sipping the cooking wine.

PNW

[sourdough girl]

Leave her alone, she is cute as a button! She does not need to cook as the family has $$$$. (sexist comment I know - sorry)

Most cooking shows present ideas, it is up to the viewer to take them and make them work for you.


"pizza is a whole different world. It requires obsession and dedication" Seriously? Pizza is a breeze compared to mastering the other many cuisines of the world.


Julia Child was always my favorite - nothing better than watching someone cook who has been sipping the cooking wine.

PNW

Gotta say, PNW, I agree with your "presentation of ideas"....  I have watched Jamie Oliver on DVD and while he may not be the greatest chef around... he DID give me some ideas I hadn't thought of before, such as stuffing green peppers with tomatoes, several kinds of spicier peppers, capers, EV olive oil, vinegar and salt... then roasting with bacon on top... delicious!!  Forget the rice and ground beef!!
And, he advocates dunking fresh herbs in hot/boiling water before using them to bring out the flavor.... remind you of anyone on this forum (like red.november with his microwave technique for flavor enhancement)?

And yes, Julia Child was a classic... but when it comes to sipping the wine, no one was better at that than The Galloping Gourmet, Graham Kerr!  Used to watch him after school in the 60s...  but, he has since sobered up and now teaches classes on healthy cooking up here near me!

~sd

[tdeane]

"pizza is a whole different world. It requires obsession and dedication" Seriously? Pizza is a breeze compared to mastering the other many cuisines of the world.



PNW

 I totally disagree. I am a French trained chef and have worked in very good kitchens. Pizza is a specialty. Good pizza makers are obsessive and do one thing, make pizza!

[jasonr]

  I saw one thing with Giada DeLaurentis where she was at a racetrack giving a racecar driver advice on making pizza. She said she likes to do her pizzas "way up there around 400 or 425". The driver said " Wow, I've been doing mine at about 325." She then gave him completely bs reason why she uses such a hot oven. I can't stand her!!  Look up "Giada, how I hate thee" on Google. There's a great blog trashing her. Did anyone see her on Iron Chef? She couldn't boil water!!! She spent about 40 minutes making a few ravioli and left Bobby Flay to do everything else.
    Gordon Ramsay is a great chef(I have all of his books) but pizza is a whole different world. It requires obsession and dedication. Thank God I've finally found something where my OCD comes in handy!
   Jamie Oliver is not a great cook but i would say he's completely harmless and means well. The problem i have with him is the amount of herbs he uses. I mean, it's insane. Rosemary on everything and LOTS of it. Also, he drowns everything in olive oil. I mean I like to finish things with good oil sometimes but Jamie is out of control.
   The problem with most celeb chefs is they think that being able to cook means they will automatically be able to make good pizza. As a result, they don't put any effort in when they do their show. They all use the same crappy dough recipe and away they go. The worst part is, most people are just fine with it. They don't know the difference.

I've noticed that celebrity chefs, by and large, don't like to bake. I think in the chef world, baking is looked down upon as a lesser skill. Precision, patience, and attention to detail are abandoned in favour of flamboyance and seat of the pants improvisation. Even Gordon Ramsay seems to look down on baking. Is it any wonder that every time I see him on the F-word he seems to lose every single dessert challenge without fail? I mean the guy's a three star Michelin chef, but he thinks that the way to tell when an Italian meringue is ready is to flip and bowl upside down and see if it sticks? Has he ever heard of soft, medium and stiff peeks? Sheesh.

The problem I have with the fast and loose approach, even in the context of regular cooking, is that it creates the false impression that good cooking without a recipe is easy. This is BS. If you're Gordon Ramsay you can fly by the seat of your pants and make it good. If you're the average person at home cooking without a recipe is just plain dumb and likely to lead to disaster. These guys like Jaimie Oliver and that annoying "chef at home" guy may be entertaining, but I doubt you'll ever learn much of anything useful from them.

Trouble is, the idea that inexperienced cooks need to follow recipes to learn proper technique and make good food is not one that has mass appeal. People would rather think that they can throw crap together slap dash like Jaimie Oliver and produce great food. It just isn't so.

[David]

I think in the chef world, baking is looked down upon as a lesser skill. Precision, patience, and attention to detail are abandoned in favour of flamboyance and seat of the pants improvisation.

That is not my experience.In fact I would strongly disagree.I think every corner of the kitchen tends to draw different personalities with diverse skills and traits.I've always found that bakers /confectioners have absolute respect (the fact that they could make it into the bakery so early the next day after a night out with the other Commis tends to form your opinions early on  ).
IMO Stovework allows for much improvisation and midstream adjustments / corrections.Dough and pastry in an oven does not.The Painter or Potter analogy is an obvious one.
I generally found bakers to have quite calm,quiet, thoughtfull personalities.
I often think the working kitchen is a lot like the theater with actors,pit musicians,stage hands etc.They all have mutual respect and usually entirely different personalities.
I can manage reasonably well in the confectionery dept. and spent time in most corners as a commis (lloonngg time ago  ),but I can't bake a loaf of bread (that I'm happy with ) to save my life.
Pizza is my work in progress,and I imagine will stay that way as long as pursue it?