RE: 'Can't cook, won't cook' :p
By Chris Hastings and Elizabeth Day
(Filed: 23/10/2005) copyright of Telegraph Group Ltd
Gordon's been roasted, notably by Clarrisa Dickson Wright and Tamasin Day-Lewis, a food writer who contributes to The Daily Telegraph and Vanity Fair, for saying:
"I have been visiting ladies' houses up and down the country with our film crew and you'd be amazed how little cooking the girls are doing," he said. "When they eat, they cheat - it's ready meals and pre-prepared meals all the way."
The ladies who criticise the chef are of course ladies who lunch. whose double-barrelled debutante daughters can, no doubt, rustle up a souffle as easily as a healthy stew. But these young socialites have the time to cook, and to shop: monthly delivery from Ocado plus weekly browsing at Neal's Yard and Marks and Sparks for the fresh organic, pro-biotic, tuna friendly, fair trade truffles, foreribs and seasonal fruit or whatever the luscious Lawson has been mouing over lately.
Ramsey is working class, and i suspect, the 'ladies' he's been talking to are 'girls' rather than 'gels' and despite their aspirations are and will remain working class. They work for a living. They work hard and play harder and yes, they do cheat when they use the kitchen.
They learnt from their own mothers of course. Freed from the oppression that kept their own mothers at home, the 1980's homemakers thought they could have it 'all'. Seduced by the burgeoning 'convenience' market and it's promise of further liberation they shopped for the freezer and wore power suits for work
Ramsey is right: the majority of todays young women don't know how to shop for or cook fresh produce. I've listened to them. There is no shame for them, they don't know any better. They seem proud to announce that they've never used their kitchens to cook; it is all take-aways and ready meals.
They are emulating the upper classes of previous generations who also did not cook; they had servants for that kind of thing, so long as they could make cocktails and conversation. So today's women wear the 'can't cook - won't cook' label with as much pride as their Prada. It's a symbol of social status: only the poor peel potatoes.
How about you, fellow gardeners? Do you like to cook; where did you learn?
In defence of Chef Ramsey
-
listeranta
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2005 4:12 pm
In defence of Chef Ramsey
I love to cook, nothing more satifying then making a meal from scratch and ending up with a lovley meal afterwards. Anything from a full cooked Breakfast to a decent dinner. I love cooking the lot
-
listeranta
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2005 4:12 pm
In defence of Chef Ramsey
wizzard wrote: I love to cook, nothing more satifying then making a meal from scratch and ending up with a lovley meal afterwards. Anything from a full cooked Breakfast to a decent dinner. I love cooking the lot
Yeah, me too Wizz.
I use to cook every day, my dad would drop by often, knowing that I'd have something up my sleeve to delight his taste buds. I miss him and miss feeding my nearest and dearest: it's such a loving thing to do, and, as you say, so satisfying, especially when the produce is home grown.
The first thing I learnt to cook was scrambled egg on toast! That was back in the 70's when I was just a child and my mum went to work.
It's still my fave comfort food.
What's your fave recipe?
~ Lis xx
Yeah, me too Wizz.
I use to cook every day, my dad would drop by often, knowing that I'd have something up my sleeve to delight his taste buds. I miss him and miss feeding my nearest and dearest: it's such a loving thing to do, and, as you say, so satisfying, especially when the produce is home grown.
The first thing I learnt to cook was scrambled egg on toast! That was back in the 70's when I was just a child and my mum went to work.
It's still my fave comfort food.
What's your fave recipe?
~ Lis xx