Topic: Hell's Kitchen Season 5

[apskip]

We had a double eviction from the kitchen tonight. Lacey could not get her act together on the meat station. She was totally lost. Ramsay told her to leave, talked to her in the store room, gave her another chance but she was hopelessly lost. The second time he told her to leave for good. The 3 guys regrouped and were blazing the entrees leaving the girls in the dust. In the end LA was also told to give Chef Ramsay her jacket and pack it in.

I'm so glad Lacey is gone but I wish he had given Carol another chance.

I hope apskip will give us another one of his great recaps!

Unless I am mistaken, TexasLady, Ramsay did give Carol and Andrea another chance. The way things went last night my predictions are right on course. We now have a Final 7 of Ben, Robert, and Danny for Blue and Carol, Andrea, Paula and Giovanni for the Red team. My prediction for next week was that Ben would be eliminated, later Robert and Giovanni to get to a Final 4 of Danny, Paula, Carol and Andrea. Chef Ramsay must like the culinary skills of Carol and Andrea because they are such poor communicators they could have been jettisoned on or before last night's episode and they have occasional bouts of brain-freeze.

I think Ben is weaker than the rest but his performance as part of the new Blue Machine may allow him to stay longer than I originally thought. It was really interesting that Ramsay set up the pairings so that Danny and Paula competed in the last round, which as always decides who wins the challenge. That is a good indicator that my prediction of Paula vs. danny in the final 2 will happen.

[TexasLady]

Unless I am mistaken, TexasLady, Ramsay did give Carol and Andrea another chance. The way things went last night my predictions are right on course. We now have a Final 7 of Ben, Robert, and Danny for Blue and Carol, Andrea, Paula and Giovanni for the Red team. My prediction for next week was that Ben would be eliminated, later Robert and Giovanni to get to a Final 4 of Danny, Paula, Carol and Andrea. Chef Ramsay must like the culinary skills of Carol and Andrea because they are such poor communicators they could have been jettisoned on or before last night's episode and they have occasional bouts of brain-freeze.

I think Ben is weaker than the rest but his performance as part of the new Blue Machine may allow him to stay longer than I originally thought. It was really interesting that Ramsay set up the pairings so that Danny and Paula competed in the last round, which as always decides who wins the challenge. That is a good indicator that my prediction of Paula vs. danny in the final 2 will happen.

No he did give her another chance you are correct and she had an opportunity to come back. I just hated to see her go. It was interesting to hear Ramsay's comments about LA, "She is a workhorse in the kitchen." She doesn't have what he's looking for to run a restaurant. Obviously Carol isn't either because he deliberately puts pressure on them to see how they deal with it and she couldn't handle it.

I can see Danny and Paula as finalists.  I was watching Danny last night because of your comments about him, he does take leadership and stays cool in the kitchen. Paula has to do the same thing on the Red team.

I wanted to comment about LA. I have a lot of respect for her. She's a jewel and someone who has proven her worth, whereas Lacey has only proven that she is not capable of working as part of a team and gives up. She could have learned a lot from her fellow chefs but refused to seize the opportunity.

[marigold]

An interview with LA

Exclusive Interview: LA of 'Hell's Kitchen'

On a reality show where the majority of screen time goes to the host's caustic tirades against the most inept and blundering contestants, it's often those whom we see less of on screen that have the best chance of taking home the grand prize. At least that seemed like the case with LA, a 23-year-old line cook from Las Vegas, and one of 16 chefs competing on this season of Hell's Kitchen with everyone favorite culinary despot, Chef Gordon Ramsay. Through several successful dinner services, LA cast herself as a dark horse of sorts, earning the occasional high compliment from the master chef, and few, if any, of his fiery outbursts.

But in the end, it was her spot in the middle of the pack that drove Ramsay to send LA packing her knives last night on Hell's Kitchen. The dark horse waited a bit too long to break away, and Ramsay didn't see her as a leader.

BuddyTV has a chance to talk to LA this morning about her highs and lows in Hell's Kitchen, and how she felt about her elimination. Read on for the full transcript.

This is Meghan from BuddyTV, and I'm talking with LA from Hell's Kitchen. How are you doing?

I'm doing all right.

Congratulations on getting on Hell’s Kitchen and making it that far! Do you want to take me through how you decided to get on the show?

There was an open audition, and I was kind of contemplating it, but one of my really good friends pretty much dragged me. I never thought in a million years that I’d make it on. But I ended up making it on!

I have to say that you were one of my favorites this season because I just thought that every time you were on screen you were either saying something funny, or you were doing a really good job. So to me it was really surprising that you got eliminated. Why do you think that they threw you under the bus like that last night?

I’m not sure, even to this day. I still look at it like, “Wow.” I think it was mostly Ramsay. He wanted me to step up and show that leadership role, and show that I could run a kitchen, and I just never really did. I mean, I never really had the chance to. I could have put more into it, and I kind of just shut down.

Was that an overall exhaustion?

I started getting really sick. I mean after all is said and done, you literally got two to three hours of sleep. I started to get sick. In the whole tasting challenge, that’s why I decided to sit out. I couldn’t smell anything, I couldn’t really taste anything. So I decided it would be best for me to sit out. I regret that every second of every day now, but, you know, that’s life.

Were there any favorite moments you had while you were there?

Getting a compliment from him or having you stand out above anybody else, those were really the high points. Winning the challenge. A lot of the challenges that the Red team won put our names out there. I mean, I’m on epicurious.com, I’m going to be on the cover of TV Guide! Definitely no regrets.

How was your relationship with Ramsay? I remember during the horseracing prize you said it was like hanging out with your dad.

He really liked me. Everyone always asks me, “Was he mean to you?” And I keep telling everybody, “No! He really liked me.” He saw something in me. I just couldn’t take it all the way.

Can you take me back to that elimination ceremony, and what was going through your head when all three of you were standing up there?

Honestly, what was going through my head, I was thinking that he was going to send one of them [Andrea and Carol]. I had it kind of set in my mind, especially when they started going at it. I was like, “Alright. I think I’m safe for another week.” But I think the way that I answered his question made him think, “Okay, maybe she can’t handle it.” I definitely thought Carol was going home. I mean, that meat station, she should have had it down by then, I mean, we’d been there for so long already. I figured she’d have it down. But… it was me instead.

Do you have a favorite that you want to take it all the way to the end?

I would love to see Robert take it all the way to the end. I mean, the guy is hilarious, and he really was good in the kitchen.

What’s in the future for you now?

Just trying to keep my name out there and my doors are open. I’m just waiting for that offer, putting myself out there little by little. Maybe get a sauce company started, or something like that, and eventually going on to owning my own place.

If you could do it again, would you?

Definitely! I’m hoping that they’ll have the “Best of the Best” and bring me back so I can win it all.

That’s a great idea. You should talk to FOX about that!

[Laughing] Yeah, I know!

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/hells-kitchen/exclusive-interview-la-of-hells-kitchen-27321.aspx

[marigold]

More on next week's episode:

April 2, 2009

Chef Ramsay announces that the chefs must serve their own menus for dinner. The excited chefs start cooking and disaster breaks out! Both teams struggle cooking potatoes. When Chef Ramsay learns that they are serving raw potatoes his temperature rises and he throws everything out. Can the contestants recover and prove they have what it takes to stay in Hell's Kitchen?

[apskip]

Hell's Kitchen 5, episode 8 Recap
 
So this episode was every bit what was promised on the previews for it.
 
Episode 8 starts with a review of Episode 7 with Lacey being the center of negative attention. Giovanni takes a shot at Carol, who is turn rightfully calls Andrea not a team player (Carol has her revenge plotted; as BRAVO says, watch what happens).
 
The challenge begins with Ramsay telling the cheftestants that they are about to eat some beef and scallops. He is quite disappointed that not a single one can tell that he has pulled one of his famous tricks and it is really tuna and sea bass that they are eating. However, he expected poor performance because it allows him to test their Tasting skills as he usually does, Blindfolded and with headphones so no visual or oral cues can help the cheftestants. He tells the Red team that with one more team member they must have one member sit out. LA volunteers because "I don't do well at this and I smoke (which of course would invalidate almost everyone)". She is later sorry she did. So this Taste Test starts with Blue vs. Red team members paired up judging the same 4 items. Here are the results:
 
Ben vs. Andrea - Filet Mignon (B-beef sirloin, A-liver), Fried Egg White (both right), Beets (both right), Romaine Lettuce (B-right, A-celery)  Blue 3, Red 2
 
Robert vs. Giovanni -  turnip(R-broccoli or cauliflower, G-asparagus), pea tendrils (G says what are these, R says does it look like I eat pea tendrils, I agree with them both, what a ridiculous item? which is rare with Ramsay) (R-watercress, G-spinach) lobster (R-egg yolks. G-mussels), black truffles (Blue thinks they will win because it's Robert's favorite ingredient) (R-"****", G- don't know)                                                                                                   Blue 0 Red 0
 
Lacey vs. Carol - mushroom (L-daikon, C-right), calves liver (L-foie gras, liver), sweet potato (L-right, C-right), broccolini (both are wrong)   Blue 1, Red 3
 
Paula vs. Danny get to identify the most ingredients for a mystery dish (minestrone soup)
Danny- chicken stock, carrot, celery, salt (wrong), chicken (wrong), Madeira win (wrong)
Paula- potato (wrong) , water (wrong), sausage (wrong), beans, bacon, celery                                                                                                 Blue 3, Red 3
 
The final score is Blue 7, Red 8 so the Red team wins. They get to participate in a TV Guide photo shoot for the cover. The Blue team gets to  serve food and drink to them plus (this is the killer) prep both kitchens for service that night. Craig Tomashoff from TV Guide comes to lunch to talk to the Red team about the protocol and tips for media interactions. The announcers says "as the Red team wraps its first shot, the Blue team is wrapping Wellingtons." The Men are focusing on Lacey (what a surprise) and wishing she were gone.  Robert is on Hot Apps and Paula is on Apps for the Red team.
 
Ramsay sets it up for maximum grief. He assigns Lacey to the critical and difficult Meat Station. To my experience, most meat station people are eliminated. There will be celebrities present tonight, actors Eric McCormack and Robert Patrick. Ramsay asks Ben to help Robert on some Fish dishes, but Robert objects to Ben trying to take over and Ramsay backs up Robert. Paula's risotto is inedible and Ramsay spits it out. She soon does another one and he rates it as perfect. Ramsay notes that Robert's portion as too large and tells him "this is for the customers, not for you." Carol is running behind and keeps her oven at 400 degrees. Ramsay orders her to go up to 500 to clear the logjam.
 
Lacey is confused on many things  and wilted under the pressure. She got good advice and help from the others on the meat station. She leaves as a result of Ramsay ordering her to "get out", but he talks her into returning with "Wake up and get a grip." She gets back into the problem by not communicating. She puts up a lamb with bones sticking out of the Meat. This time he says "Get Out. This is not good enough. You're not good enough. Take off your jacket and say goodbye to those in the kitchen nicely." Lacey says "there weren't many positive things about my time here. My mom told me to not make enemies, but I didn't succeed."
 
Carol has problems with simultaneous Dorys and Wellington. Andrea asks for assistance on where Carol is, but Carol is not communicating with her as a retaliation for past sins. Andrea has a rubber dory which sat for too long. Carol is ask for two medium Wellingtons immediately. Andrea prays for them to be overcooked; Carol cuts them and finds it to be rare. Ramsay says to Carol "where's the chicken?" 3 times to make sure everyone gets the point.
 
The blue team now has only 3 chefs, but they work together as a well-oiled machine. They finish first and have clearly won, so they congratulate themselves.  Ramsay says the Blue team demonstrated the most teamwork ever in all of Hell's Kitchen seasons.
 
Red team has 3 individuals who are on the bubble, LA, Carol and Andrea. You can make a case for each one of them but since LA is more stable and more bland than the other two, I predict that she will get the axe. The Red team cannot make a decision when Ramsay asks them to nominate 2. Paula nominates LA and Carol. However, Ramsay tells them they have failed as a team again. He decides that all 3 should be publicly on display before him. Andrea is asked who she would pick and she says LA because Carol has more talent. Carol says Andrea and that she and Andrea have vastly different styles in approaching things. LA says "not me". Ramsay pulls a verbal trick by saying "the person leaving Hell's Kitchen is Carol and Andrea, get back in line. LA, take off your jacket." He then says that he is looking for a leader, who has yet to emerge on the Red team.
 
Remember that there were two eliminations tonight. That either puts Hell's Kitchen 5 one ahead of schedule or it means that there will be a two-episode Finale (which has happened before). I have predicted (although not in this column) that Paula and Danny will be the final 2. The faceoff of them in the TasteTest in this episode buttresses that, because Ramsay selects the order of opponents very carefully.

[TARAsia Fan]

Very good recap, ap!

[marigold]

  awesome recap thanks apskip always a delight to read

[marigold]

HELL'S KITCHEN SEASON 5

Episode: 11

Air Date April 16, 2009

CHEFS GET A TASTE OF THE GOOD LIFE ON “HELL’S KITCHEN” THURSDAY, APRIL 16, ON FOX

For some added motivation and a little bit of excitement, Chef Ramsay sends the remaining chefs to the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ, where one of them will receive a head chef position. After a nice relaxing trip, they are back in HELL’S KITCHEN, and Chef Ramsay asks them to create a unique signature dish that they would serve in their restaurant, should they be the winner. The prize for this challenge is the best one yet on HELL’S KITCHEN airing Thursday, April 16 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

[TexasLady]

Sorry I'm late replying apskip, thanks for another great recap! 

We're getting down to the final few and it will be interesting to see if Danny and Paula continue to stand out.

As you point out, the blue team went all out and even with only three of them in the kitchen they were outstanding. It would be a shock if the women could pull off the same thing.

[marigold]

From the "professional" one:

'Hell's Kitchen' Insider: Good Riddance to the Anti-Cooks

By Christina Machamer

There are two questions that I am always asked about my experience in Hell’s Kitchen. The first is “What is Chef Ramsay really like?” This is easy to answer. No one is really that atrocious in real life. If they were they could not run a successful restaurant, have a family AND gain the respect of others in their field. Gordon, as he prefers to be called, is a real person.  Sure he gets upset, and sometimes screams, “What is that?  What is that?  Is that the best you can do?” However, most of Ramsay’s critiques come with good reason. The second question is, “Where do they find these people?”

In light of our most recent elimination(s), I find this to be our most appropriate topic.  Of course I say, “Ding Dong, the lazy b**** is gone!”  But we all know the affinity I have for she who shall no longer be named within this blog. Though she made for great viewing, she was, quite possibly, the worst contestant on any reality TV show, ever. Does anyone else suck more at life then our fallen chef-testant? So here is the answer to that “meaning of life” question: where do they find these people?

The truth, unfortunately, is that they are all around you. They are in every kitchen that I have ever worked in, and the idiot quotient in culinary schools is high. Recently, I have happened to work with one of those people. For the sake of his future in this industry, we’ll call him Fanning.  Fanning has two personalities.  One is a real person; the other is an absurd malformation that comes from growing up in a strict European kitchen. (Think yelling and throwing saucepans with no labor laws or recompense).  Fanning may have grown up to be a normal cook; however, he was forged into the Michelin-starred ways and (pardon the reference) has embraced the “dark side.”  Fanning has never worked in a “real” restaurant.  By this I mean those establishments that feed most of us most of the time. He has always worked in that place you save up for a month to eat in because it is a birthday, or an anniversary, or you bought a new home. The kind of restaurant that has so much ado on the street, but once you get there, they have lost your reservation, the food is just “okay,” and you leave wondering what all of the hype is about, to stop by a drive-thru on the way home. Sure, to his credit, Fanning has a few skills, but when it comes to the ranch dressing, cocktail sauce, or over-easy eggs this country was built on, he is clueless. Fanning doesn’t realize just how ignorant he is.  He has always worked in that restaurant you wish you could go to, and because of that he has become the anti-cook. 

The anti-cook is the opposite of she who shall not be noted in this blog. The anti-cook is someone who has worked in the same restaurant, or chain of restaurants, for over five years. They are what we in the industry refer to as “old dogs.” Old dogs of course have problems with any new tricks, techniques or ideals. They are those colleagues who have to cut others down in order to supplement their productivity. He, anti-cook, if left on the street to fend for himself, would whither and crawl back into the same repertoire of recipes he has been perfecting over and over. 

Fanning seems to have much in common with our dwindling few would-be executive chefs. He is young, and very naïve, like Danny.  Also like Danny, he has a few rational skills. Nonetheless, the hardest lessons to learn are the lessons of life. None of which can be taught. The anti-chef has an over-inflated sense of ego based upon time and title, much like Ben. His temper is short, and his words are harsh, but in this day and age, when there are so many aspiring chefs and so many choices, is there any room for this lack of empathy or modesty?  As with LA, the anti-chef is easily deflated.  Any protocol outside the norm causes both confusion and defeat. 

Worst of all traits, Fanning could never support the weight of the team on himself.  When prep times get tough, Fanning says, “Flick off, get it done,” and returns to the importance of running his mouth while completing his menial task. The problem with someone like Fanning is that he cannot conceptualize the results of his actions. If he were to “dig in” and “push out” as someone who is senior in the company should be able to do, he would become a solid asset. Instead, he lets his ego fall into place, and takes away from the enjoyment of the guests who are the jugular of any restaurant. To this end, I wonder how Carol and Andrea could perpetuate their feud with any hopes of success in this game. Forgetting those who, in essence, pay our salaries, is an egregious mistake, one that no amount of consuming raw pasta can make up for.

So when asked if these people are actors, I have to sadly say no. Though it adds to my job stability, the contestants we endure are all around us, and in every restaurant. Even Gordon’s own West Hollywood outpost has its share of “What is thats?” once in awhile. So for all the Fanning out there: “Piss off.”

Until next week, as our leaders emerge (Paula for Cory and Robert for me) and our anti-cooks get their good riddance, eat well and be well.

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/hells-kitchen/hells-kitchen-insider-good-rid-27368.aspx

[marigold]

Lacey and La quick interview:

Hell’s Kitchen Exit Interview: LA Versus Lacey, A Double Elimination and A Hell’s Bakery Spinoff?

There was a double elimination on Thursay’s Hell’s Kitchen, but what’s most surprising is that one of the booted ladies seems to have no hard feelings against the hot-headed chef.

One of LA’s most memorable experiences on the show involved a happy Chef Ramsay - when a customer sent back a plate of spaghetti but Ramsay sided with her. “And he came up to me and said they sent it back but I told the guy he was stupid and it was perfect and they don’t know what they’re talking about,” she explained. “That was a real high point for me. I got a compliment from him and when that happens you’re on cloud nine.”

The nixed chef also told us that the cast now gets along pretty well, and recently took a trip together to New York thanks to the Epicurious.com challenge that her team won. “There was no bad feelings we all just had a good time and that was it. We’re all pretty humble and still talk to each other,” she said.


But as we all know, there was one contestant that didn’t seem to make too many friends with the other contestants. “The only person who nobody talks to I believe is Lacey. So you could understand that,” added LA.

How does Lacey herself feel she was portrayed on the show? “Everything I said and did I own up to,” she told us this morning. “I did whine and complain a lot. I was kind of clueless there on some things…Was it edited bad? I did what you saw. None of those people know who I am. And when you get in that situation you really don’t act like yourself.”

“If we’d all met under different circumstances, like out at a bar together,” she said when asked if she had gotten along with anybody on the show, “we would have gotten along fine. It’s just the pressure of the situation that kind of makes people go a little bit crazy”

And what would she do if she had a chance to pitch her own show? “I don’t know that’s a tough question. Because now I’m actually a cake decorator…so I think I’m going to pitch the idea to Fox to do Hell’s Bakery. I could totally see that,” she joked. And so can we!

http://www.fancast.com/blogs/hells-kitchen/hells-kitchen-exit-interview-la-versus-lacey/

[marigold]

An interview with Lacey:

Exclusive Interview: Lacey D'Angelo of 'Hell's Kitchen'

If there's one positive thing you can say about Lacey D'Angelo this season on Hell's Kitchen, it's that she certainly got our attention. Unfortunately for her--it hasn't been the most positive impression. From the beginning, Lacey was admittedly in way over her head, and her competitors had little to no sympathy for the 24-year-old corporate buffet cook from Charlotte, NC. But despite being quick to anger and frustration as she struggled to keep her head above water, D'Angelo was still able to stick around for eight dinner services with Chef Gordon Ramsay. Most viewers were relieved to see her go, but there's one thing for sure: she kept things interesting.

I had a chance to talk to Lacey about her controversial role on Hell's Kitchen this season, what it's like to see herself through the harsh lense of reality TV, and how she handles all the criticism coming her way.

This is Meghan with BuddyTV, and I’m on the line with Lacey from Hell’s Kitchen. How’s it going today?

Oh, it’s good. How are you?

I’m doing well. So, you were clearly made out as a sort of villain this season on Hell’s Kitchen. I’m just wondering about your perspective about the way you were portrayed on air.

Like I said before, there is always that one person that everybody hates. You know, if nothing else, I can say that I’m definitely the most talked about person on this season. You know, that’s fine. You that old saying, “all press is good press,” kind of thing. It doesn’t really bother me. The way I was shown on TV, I did whine and complain a lot. Everyone always asks me, well, they ask other people, “Is she really that whiny?” But at the end of the day, it’s a TV show. So you can either take it for what it’s worth, or you can act like you know me. And none of the other contestants really knew me. And when you’re in that situation, the pressure’s there, it’s competitive, people were ruthless. So, if I was a villain, then I was a villain, and at least people will remember me. Because some of the other contestants, I think, are kind of forgettable. So, if nothing else, I can definitely say that I will be remembered.

Have you ever gotten recognized? Have there been any surprising reactions from people?

You know, actually today, I must have gotten recognized like four times. I don’t know if it’s the hometown girl thing, but everyone that I’ve talked to in person has been really cool, and I’ve gotten a lot of messages on Facebook, and they were like, “Oh, we were rooting for you. You’re hilarious. We loved watching you.” So I actually didn’t expect to get that much of a positive response, which is really nice. Now, there’s been a couple hate emails I’ve gotten, and you know, if you go online and you Google me, it’s all “We hate Lacey, We hate Lacey.” But the local response has been really cool.

So, what is it like to see yourself on TV that way? Does it bring to light anything you didn’t know about yourself?

You know, I realized how much I do complain. But in a normal, everyday situation, it’s not like that. I think I even said on one of the shows, “This isn’t me.” I think the competition definitely brings out things in people, and unfortunately, it brought out the ruthlessness in everybody else, which just wore me down. But you know, you watch it on TV, I know it’s a TV show, so I’m not worried about it. If I really cared what people thought about me, I wouldn’t have done it in the first place. Because you go into it, and you know that whether they edit you to look a certain way or not, you know that at the end of the day, you know who you are. It doesn’t bother me. A lot of people ask me if it does, but it doesn’t.

Well, it definitely wasn’t an everyday-type situation. What was your cooking background before coming onto the show? Why did you even want to go onto it?

I had been to culinary school, and I had a job doing corporate dining. It’s one of those things where we had casting in Charlotte, and I was like, “Ehh, what the hell?” It’s one of those things where you don’t think if they’re actually going to call you back, and they kept calling back, and I was like, “Oh! OK!’ And they were like, “Well, we want you on the show,” and I was like, “I might be in a little over my head here but it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the way it ended up, I don’t have any regrets and I’m really glad that I did it. Because, I mean, how many people can say that they’ve had that experience, to actually be there in front of this world renowned chef. Even if I didn’t do so well, I still appreciated the opportunity.

You seemed almost inconsistent in the sense that sometimes Ramsay would come down on you so hard, or your other teammates would, but then sometimes, you’d be in dinner service, and it seemed like you were doing perfectly fine. Do you think that it was kind of an attitude thing that was the biggest problem for you, or was it an actual experience issue?

I think, given different circumstances, I could have done really well, and the fact that I learn fairly well and fairly quickly. I think if my teammates were more willing to help rather than just kind of let me do my own thing that I would have done a little better. Very quickly after I got there, I realized that this is going to be tough. Am I really going to win? These chefs are really good. But as far as the experience versus the attitude, I think my attitude was my downfall. I was very negative about it, just because I had 15 other people harping on me all day long about, “Why are you here? You don’t have the experience. You’ve never worked on a line.” I think under different circumstances, it would have turned out a little better.

Going back to your elimination, in the middle of the dinner service, you were having trouble with the meat. Do you stand by the fact that you think you just can’t cook meat?

Yeah, in the sense that it was more of a sarcasm thing. He was like, “What’s wrong with you?” I was like, “Well, obviously, I can’t cook meat because I’m not doing too hot here.” But I’ve made Beef Wellington before, but when I’ve made it, I’ve used a thermometer, and you’re not trying to get it out in five minutes. You’re not under a time constraint and you don’t have this British guy yelling in your ear. The meat station, I think everybody has flopped on that one. I’m not that upset with the way that turned just because, if I was on something maybe a little easier and got kicked out, then I might have felt a little worse about it. Someone asked me this morning, if you’re at home, and you throw a burger on the grill, you can’t cook it? Well, yeah, obviously, I can cook at home for me, and I can cook meat. It’s just, never being on a line where you have to time everything and do it like that, obviously, I can’t do that. But the one thing I’ve always said is, I never went in there cocky. You see Ben and Andrea and Carol, like, “I can cook better than you and I’m the best chef here” and all this stuff. I never said that, and I was not ever going to be cocky about it. At least I stay true to myself, and at least I didn’t lie about anything. On this past week, he was like, “Well, how long?” and I was like, “I don’t know. What, am I going to lie?” That never worked that well for anybody.

Speaking of your competitors, is there anybody that you were hoping will win it? I’m guessing not Robert.

[laughs] I call Robert my biggest fan. I don’t wish anybody to not win it. Do I have a favorite? Not exactly. I mean, there’s people that I think that are really good. I think Paula’s really good because she never got really reamed out on the line. Ben’s good. Everybody that’s left, I think has a chance to win. It shouldn’t be about personal feelings. Whoever wins, I wish them the best. I wish everyone the best. And although a lot of people are expecting me to do these interviews and say, “Oh, I hate all of them and I wish no one would win,” but like I said, it’s a competition. People are going to act ruthless and they’re going to be in it for themselves. I don’t wish anyone ill. I think whoever wins definitely deserves to win.

What’s in the future for you now?

I’m just home, decorating cakes, living my life. I don’t have anything great lined up, but I cake-decorate right now. I’m at the opposite end, so I don’t have to worry about the temperature of my cake. They’re done or it’s not done. There’s no medium-well cakes that have to go out. Yeah, I’m on the opposite side of things now. So I always say, if Gordon wants to do Hell’s Bakery, I’m in for that.

Well, thank you so much for talking with me. You definitely got everyone’s attention, so I wish you the best of luck.

Oh, thank you.

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/hells-kitchen/exclusive-interview-lacey-dang-27423.aspx

[TARAsia Fan]

I think she learned a lot, but at the same time, she still wanted the guys to help her and I think they were willing to do so, but Lacey spent her time complaining. It was a bit much for me, but seeing that she's now decorating cakes, it's probably what she should be doing. I wish her nothing but the best.

[marigold]

Ratings:

Fox leading March sweep

Network tops in adults 18-49 demo for shifted period

The March sweep is coming to a close this week with Fox in the lead, followed by CBS, ABC, NBC and the CW.

Nielsen pushed back the tradition February sweep period to avoid setting ad rates during the government-mandated deadline for stations to transition to digital (the changeover later was moved to the summer). The collected data stands as an anomalous outing without comparable sweep periods. Even measuring against last year doesn't quite work, given that March was disrupted by the WGA strike.

For what it's worth, with 26 of the 28 sweep days tallied, Fox has a 3.7 rating (down 5% compared with the same period last year) in the adults 18-49 demographic, with CBS at 3.1 (up 15%), ABC at 2.6 (up 4%), NBC at 2.1 (down 5%) and the CW at 0.8 ( down 11%).

Fox also won last week in the ratings, led by "American Idol" (26 million viewers, 9.3 rating/24 share in adults 18-49), which was pushed to Wednesday because of President Obama's primetime news conference Tuesday. On Thursday, "Hell's Kitchen" (10.1 million, 4.5/11), aided by an "Idol" lead-in, had its best rating since the season premiere.

CBS was in second place for the week in the demo but first among total viewers. The network had the two most-watched scripted shows of the week with Tuesday's "NCIS" (17.8 million, 4.0/10) and "The Mentalist" (17.6 million, 3.9/10), both of which aired an hour later than usual because of the president's news conference. Sunday's "The Amazing Race" (12 million, 3.7/9) also had its best ratings in more than a year.

Third-place ABC was topped by the highest-rated show of the week, Thursday night's "Grey's Anatomy" (16.1 million, 5.6/13), with its spinoff, "Private Practice" (10.1 million, 3.6/10), continuing to perform strong.

NBC's top-rated show was Thursday's "The Office" (8.7 million, 4.5/11), which had a strong episode last week, with "30 Rock" (7.2 million, 3.4/8) continuing to act as a muscular partner. On Sunday, "The Celebrity Apprentice" (8.7 million, 3.3/8) improved slightly.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i19ba8a8fc75ea904cde04bee9be514ab

[marigold]

FOX GETS FOOLISH FOR APRIL FOOL’S DAY

Released by Fox
 
FOX honors April Fool’s Day by pulling a few pranks on some of our very own television talent. Among the shenanigans are a culinary gag on fiery HELL’S KITCHEN chef Gordon Ramsay, a noisy interruption on the set of HOUSE, an unexpected visitor startles DOLLHOUSE’s Eliza Dushku, the cast of TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES does an interview they won’t forget and David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel of BONES freak out their castmates.

Tune in tonight to catch the foolishness throughout the evening during commercial breaks in LIE TO ME (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and AMERICAN IDOL (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

[marigold]

Video:

April Fool's Day on FOX!

Catch more FOX April Fool's pranks all day including Gordon Ramsay


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNL6rCX65Zo

[marigold]

  hehehe

April Fools on Hells Kitchen! Gordon Ramsay PRANKED!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZIXEXqSdtw

[marigold]

An interview with Lacey:

'Hell’s contestant dishes up gossip on behind-the-scenes prep and Ben’s facial expressions

TVGuide.ca: Hey Lacey, we were sorry to see you go, I thought you had a bit of a bum rap on the show.
Lacey D’Angelo: Why thank you!

TVG: Who did you find harder to work with, the blue team or the red team?
LD: When you put eight women in the room together, of course there’s going to be cattiness and fighting, so I think the red team was a little harder. The blue team wouldn’t really say anything to your face. I didn’t know Robert had an issue with my weight. My first impression was just really bad and it kind of all went downhill from there. The blue team, with the exception of Ben, just had all these preconceived notions of me before I even got over there.

TVG: Gordon Ramsay has talked before about a woman’s reputation in the kitchen and how it’s hard for a female to be taken seriously in the industry. Do you think the women’s behaviour on the show has a negative affect on that notion?
LD: Women are stepping up and really getting a voice and playing the guy’s game. But as women we tend to let our emotions overrun ourselves, like last week when Carol and Andrea had their little fight and somebody said, “I’m going to punch you in the throat,” or something like that. That’s the kind of stuff that makes it difficult. But there are a lot of great female chefs out there, and it might be a little harder for women, but it’s definitely changing.

TVG: Was it hard to watch the episodes back, hearing how some of the other contestants were talking about you?
LD: I kind of expected the comments. The weight issue was funny because it’s the pot calling the kettle black. I didn’t get along with everybody and I expected the comments would be bad. I think one person posted on a blog that I’m going to be so depressed because my self-esteem will be shot. Well, it’s a reality show. If I cared what people thought about me I wouldn’t have gone on a reality show.

There were a couple of times where I cringed a little … one week they showed me adjusting my pants, if you will. And then in the beginning they showed eating a hot dog. That’s kind of messed up, but it doesn’t bother me.

TVG: How did you stay motivated? We saw you thisclose to leaving a few times, but you always came back.
LD: People say things when they get angry. For me it, “Argh, I quit.” You get so frustrated, but you go off, cool off and come back. If I had of actually intended on quitting I would have quit. A lot of people were calling me a quitter. Honestly, I didn’t expect to be there as long as I was. But this was an experience of a lifetime, so I would get back in there and just do it. Make the most of it.

Plus I knew that every week I stayed in made everybody mad [Laughs.]

TVG: There’s obviously a learning curve to the show, especially when you’re all of a sudden working with the likes of Gordon Ramsay, but what was the most difficult thing for you to grasp in the kitchen?
LD: It was that meat station. Everyone has a different station every night, and when you’re in the kitchen, you’re really trying to focus on what you’re doing and you don’t really get to see how everything else works. I’d be on fish and someone was doing a Wellington, and doing it well, you kind of try to see so that when it’s your turn, you have a good idea. But in that situation [Gordon’s] there yelling, it’s really hot, the cameras are on you … it’s really hard to grasp anything else besides what you’re doing. For someone who hasn’t worked on a line before, that was the hardest part.

TVG: How do you prep? I know you have the recipes to study, but are there any tutorials or is there help available? Or are you literally thrown onto the line?
LD: It’s pretty much “Go.” We had the sous chefs in there, but they were really there to kind of watch us. What you saw on TV was us trying to figure it out. That’s why I kept asking, “Guys, what can I do? What’s this, what’s that?” Because you’re supposed to be a team, but for me I came off so negatively no one wanted to help. I was a little doomed from the start.

TVG: Is there anybody you still keep in touch with?
LD: I haven’t talked to anybody since the show filmed. I don’t know if they want to talk to me, actually. When the show’s over I’ll probably try to contact a couple of people. We’ll see if they call back!

TVG: I love that you saw right through Ben in your one-on-ones. Were his facial expressions as scary in real life as they were on the show?
LD: [Laughs.] Ben is a character. The eyebrow thing and all that? Yeah. Everybody was pretty much represented the way they acted. Robert was really funny. The times we were all laughing and joking, those were really funny times.

Ben is cocky. Ben does the facial things. It was cool to see they didn’t make it so-far-fetched. It was one of those things when you can tell when someone’s babying you. I didn’t feel it was sincere. I appreciate the help he gave me, and it did help, but you can tell. It’s a competition, why would someone really want to help someone else essentially beat them? I just took it for what it’s worth.

TVG: Are you rooting for anyone to win?
LD: I think anyone has a shot. If Carol and Andrea stopped fighting with each other they’d do really well. Usually I can call it, but this year it’s tough, everybody wants it so bad and they’re all pretty good.

http://tvguide.sympatico.msn.ca/Lazy+Lacey/RealityTV/Exit+Interviews/Articles/090402_Hells_Kitchen_Lacey_AD.htm?isfa=1

[marigold]

An interview with LA:

LA on Chef Ramsay, her surprise at being eliminated and her hopes for the future

TVGuide.ca: I was quite surprised by your elimination during the show. Were you surprised as well?
LA: Yeah, I was actually shocked. I thought it would be Andrea or Carol. I was stunned. I mean, every station I worked I was great at and he didn’t really yell at me a lot so I thought I was pretty safe. But, you know, it’s TV.

TVG: Maybe they liked the drama of Andrea and Carol.
LA: Yeah, definitely.

TVG: Were you aware at the time that Lacey had been kicked out of dinner service?
LA: It started floating around. I didn’t believe it at first, but when you saw her missing in the kitchen you were like, “Wow.” I thought I was safe for another week, but apparently not.

TVG: Can you see each other when you’re cooking? You look like you’re side by side.
LA: Yeah, there’s a big wall actually between you, but you can kind of peek over and see what’s going on over there.

TVG: Did you form any allies on your team?
LA: I looked at it as it was a competition, not as far as, like Survivor-wise. I made friends and stuff, but no one I’d call and alliance.

TVG: So no one you’d keep in touch with, in other words?
LA: Oh, I still talk with a lot of them. But like I said, it wasn’t an alliance. I made friends and met a lot of cool people out of it.

TVG: What are your thoughts on the red team’s lack of teamwork?
LA: It just wasn’t there. With communication, we’d start to get ahead and hit a bump on the road like with the Andrea and Carol thing and it just took over the team.

TVG: Would you have preferred to have been on the blue team? When they sent Lacey over there, would you have preferred that you had been there?
LA: Yeah, I would’ve preferred the blue because they were more about cooking. They didn’t worry about the whole drama factor. They just wanted to get it out, get it done and make sure they weren’t the ones on the chopping block.

TVG: What is Gordon Ramsay like to work for? You see him swearing and screaming on the show, but for the most part is he only like that during dinner service?
LA: Yeah, like when you win a challenge and you get that one-on-one time with him, where you got to hang out with him outside of the kitchen, he was a great guy. He was funny and always had a smile on his face. He’s a really nice guy. But in the kitchen, that’s him. He’s yelling and screaming. I kind of like working for people like that, though. It keeps you on your toes and makes you put out a better product.

TVG: What are your future plans?
LA: Definitely going to make up a resumé and try to put myself out there and hopefully the doors will open and I can better my career.

TVG: Do you think this helped your career?
LA: Yeah, I think definitely. It helped get my name out here. You’ve got people across America with LA on their breath. That’s what it was all about. Hopefully something good came out of it.

http://tvguide.sympatico.msn.ca/LA+has+her+say/RealityTV/Exit+Interviews/Articles/090402_Hells_Kitchen_LA_LB.htm?isfa=1

[TexasLady]

I think she learned a lot, but at the same time, she still wanted the guys to help her and I think they were willing to do so, but Lacey spent her time complaining. It was a bit much for me, but seeing that she's now decorating cakes, it's probably what she should be doing. I wish her nothing but the best.

It's a shame that her bad attitude kept her from learning much more than she did. Her teammates did try to help her particularly the men but she just wouldn't open her mind.

I'm sure it's much less stressful for her now and I also wish her well.

[marigold]

An interesting article:

Former Bayonne resident is under fire in 'Hell's Kitchen'

Former Bayonne resident Giovanni Filippone is cooking up a storm these days.

He's among the final chefs competing for the top prize of $250,000 on the FOX-TV show "Hell's Kitchen," which airs tomorrow night at 9 p.m. on Channel 5.

"We started out with 16 contestants and now we're down to seven," Filippone said. Tonight's show will be the ninth episode in the countdown to cooking fame.

The shows are taped in California and Filippone knows if he survives tonight's cooking contest. But he is pledged to secrecy.

Filippone, a 38-year-old bachelor, moved from Bayonne to the Florida Panhandle six years ago, after he "fell in love with the sandy beaches and blue water."

Filippone is the product of an Italian family who emigrated to France where he was born. He came to Bayonne in 1980 and graduated from Bayonne High School in 1990. His brother Pietro, niece Laticia and his cousins, the Trainas, still live in Bayonne.

"I grew up in a family where you had to be home for dinner. All our meals were home-cooked. We didn't eat fast food," Filippone said.

Filippone learned the rudiments of cooking as a teenager and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, completing the chef program in 1997.

"I've just finished paying off my student loans," he said.

Today, he's the executive chef for Destin Chops 30A in Panama City Beach, in northern Florida.

He ended up auditioning for "Hell's Kitchen" at a South Florida location as a sort of lark. "I went down to check out the area and look around," he said. And, learning about the TV shot, "I went there as a sort of 'ha, ha.'"

"They look for a personality, someone who can talk on camera," Filippone said.

On the show, contestants work as a team to prepare and serve a meal. It's not a walk in the park.

It's a matter of condensing a typical work day of 16 hours into a one-hour show, Filippone said. Plus, the standards of the show's star, chef Gordon Ramsay, are sky high.

http://www.nj.com/bayonne/index.ssf/2009/04/former_bayonne_resident_is_und.html

[TARAsia Fan]

Chef got rid of the right person tonight. I will say I'm fed up of Danny's "I'm the best here" attitude because he's not. I hope Chef yells at him next week because I haven't seen him get it as of yet.

[marigold]

That wasn’t sweat those were tears  omg so funny

Danny rocked in the kitchen love his assertiveness

Carol    I’m gonna go cry now

[TexasLady]

Chef got rid of the right person tonight. I will say I'm fed up of Danny's "I'm the best here" attitude because he's not. I hope Chef yells at him next week because I haven't seen him get it as of yet.

I'm so tired of these people who spew that "I'm the best here" attitude. Let's see how Danny does when Ramsay turns his attention to him. He hasn't had the Ramsay screaming and nitpicking attention yet. Can he be calm and cool under pressure. It's coming! 

I have to say that Andrea is getting on my nerves as well. I don't think she's the best chef there, we know already that she can't take intense pressure and since she's so happy that Carol is gone, it's going to be her turn yet again. It remains to be seen how that goes.


What do we make of the tease for next week? Shutting down Hell's Kitchen? Why?

[puddin]

What do we make of the tease for next week? Shutting down Hell's Kitchen? Why?

I'm thinking he shuts down the kitchen and has them cook at a restaurant somewhere else?