Kevin's Blog

Well it’s back. 16 new poor souls who get humiliated, screamed at, food thrown on them and oh sometime complete a service. Ahhh that’s why we watch.

Who is the villain?? Who is the hero?? Who is the comic relief??? And who are just the idiots that we are drawn to watch!!

Hell’s Kitchen Season 7 starts June 1st 2010 I would like to say its back and better but who could possibly be better than season 6? Yahh I agree no one!!

I am looking forward to watching and seeing who I think will win and who I think should win. I do have a unique perception as the runner-up and one who knows what really is going on behind the edits. So tune in to my blog and see what I think is happening!!

Well Dave wins; yes everyone knows this by now. I would like to congratulate Dave and wish him success in his future endeavors.

This show taught me a lot! I must say I do look at “reality TV” a bit differently now. I thought I knew the show and what it was about but in “Hell’s Kitchen” you never know. Yes I get it. It is TV and entertainment after all.

I thought for a very long time about what to post. Such as things that happened, things you the viewer did not see, and decided just let it go. As I said before everything happens for a reason so no use trying to mess with fate.

 I really would have liked an explanation or anything after the show. What I got was nothing, oh well life will go on!!

I have a great job at the country club and a life that many chefs would enjoy so in the end I am going to do just fine. I have come to like Connecticut quite a bit and I think there is a few new adventures soon to come!!!

If you are ever in Connecticut, come on over and say hi to me and Van. Yes I found one hell of a good chef while on that show; Van is now part of the team at the Country Club. Now the real fun begins!!

Happy Cooking to all, Chef Kevin

Well it has been a while since my last post I am sorry and will not let that happen too often. As you can imagine the last few weeks were a bit crazy.

Let’s just dive right into it shall we. I will start with Ariel. The show seemed to depict a feud being started with myself and Ariel. I would have to disagree on my part. I do not know Ariel’s full point of view but I will tell you mine.

FOX made it seem that Ariel was bringing me several Lambs that were all wrong. I would like to say yes there was a few but not to the extreme you saw. Ariel did not do to bad but was a bit less consistent than Dave. That is not what bothers me the most. The “scallop incident” is where I get a bit uneasy. I wish you all were there to see what was happening; I will tell you in my own words. Ariel was not a strong communicator.  Both I and Dave kept asking each other, “what did she just say” and  ”what is it that she wants”.  We had a hard time together, understanding where she was and what she was picking up. I do want to stress, it was only for one brief time that we were confused and after that she was ok. But during this time I wanted to get the food out so I started to ask Scott and Heather if they knew what she said, and of course they had nothing. At this point I just looked the tickets and started to tell everyone where we were and to pick up in that order. Chef Ramsay did not like this and well you saw his reaction.

So the scallops fall right in the middle of what I was just saying. Yes I have been very good on the fish side so for the subpar scallops, it happens!! I did have more but again she confused both me and Dave as to pick up and orders. Sabotage, I think not. I will not cheat to gain an edge. If you saw a lot of the behind the scenes and reflect back to some scenes you did see. You will find I was always helping and organizing our team. Not always solo but the blue team knows what was what. The end of the day you work as a team but need to show individual strengths. Just to clarify a bit more, chef has many cameras and people telling him everything he cannot see, and he does get information and uses it. So remember it is not just Ramsey’s eyes there are ALOT of eyes.

So of course Ariel wants me on the block and I wanted Ariel. Dave was the deciding factor. As Dave said the communication was the issue. No one said anything about the lamb or scallops and in the end Chef Ramsay made the choice of me and Dave in the finals.

I think Ariel has a very bright future and I hope we stay in touch. I hope this clears a bit up but in the end there was six of us in the Kitchen and we are the ones who saw it all!! Until next time,

Happy cooking!!!! Chef Kevin

Well Suzanne is finally gone!!

I would like to say one nice thing about Suzanne. She had the perfect risotto in the back from something else and really helped save me and Tennille.

The challenge we all faced this week was pretty cool. I mean really Bon Appétit is a really cool magazine. It has been around for some time and well six million readers a month that is a lot of eyes.

I am a bit nervous going into this challenge, as it’s an opportunity to be in a widely respected magazine. I immediately go to my strength; and well if you have not noticed by now, it is fish. I quickly think colors (as it’s an appearance then taste challenge) and center of the plate dish. I do cook with fruit and vegetables a lot and so far that has worked for me so, here I go. I want all elements to work but stay light and true to the ingredients integrity. Citrus, beans, tomato, papaya, fennel and parsnips, yeah this will work!!

 Off I go to make this crazy concoction. As I am prepping Chef Ramsay is flying around the kitchen asking us what we are doing and giving his criticism/critiques, who knows the difference at this point, and of course he immediately does not seem thrilled by my fruit and fish idea. I stay true to what I want and dismiss his comments!!

As the editors are asking us all about our dishes I feel very confident that I have a really great looking dish. I am looking at everyone’s plates and I think Dave and Ariel have nice Bon Appétit style plates and they may give me a run.

Well here it is. I received a large number of first place votes which puts me in and now one more. Ariel and Dave had an extremely close second place race with Ariel squeezing out the victor, so me and Ariel up to the front and lets now taste and name a champion.

Well I know my dish looks good but will it pass the Chefs immediate disapproval of all that fruit. Barbra Fairchild names me the winner!! Oh but wait, this is Hell’s Kitchen so Chef Ramsay is not finished he has one more thing to say. He really likes the way I made the fruit work but he is equally impressed with Ariel’s dish so BOTH of you win. Hey cool as long as I am part of the victory. I better enjoy this win because dinner is another story…..

RISOTTO: Italian rice specially made by stirring hot stock into a mixture of rice (and often chopped onions) that has been sautéed in butter. The stock is added ½ cup at a time and the mixture is stirred continually while it cooks until all the liquid is absorbed before more stock is added. This labor-intensive technique results in rice that is delectably creamy while the grains remain separate and firm. This is the “Food Lover’s Companion” version, verbatim.

I have cooked this many times and cooked it well; today was not one of those days. I guess I disappointed Chef because he just would not let it go. Oh well it was my time. But after that dismal start I was back cooking at the garnish station, which also is the team expo person. Suzanne and Ariel put up raw food and well you saw the show Suzanne was sent packing.

Well Kevin, Dave, Ariel and Tennille  are the Fantastic 4.

I am however disappointed to learn I and Ariel will NOT be in a Bon Appétit magazine. I was told it will be online only. Hell’s Kitchen strikes again!!!! What a disappointment!!

Well until next week!!

 Happy Cooking Chef Kevin

That was a couple of very interesting episodes. I would like to point out that you are only seeing the entertainment side of the show and almost everyone can cook and can cook well. Yes even Joseph with the crazy attitude was, I’m sure still is, a good cook.

It’s a funny thing reading the message boards, and wow people are crazy!! The internet can be used wisely as well as being a sounding board for the very intellectually challenged person. I hope you the viewer understand this is a show after all!!

Enough of that, on with the show!!  I get to see the show just as everyone else see it and find myself laughing at the episodes. I only know what happens on the team I am cooking with and view the other team just like you. So when I saw Sabrina not letting the other girls in on the Venison I just had to laugh. They were after all pushing her aside so I cannot blame her for having some spite. But in the end Sabrina was cast aside. Not even her quirky personality could save her as Chef Ramsay eliminated her.

 Man I was not happy to see Van go!! However Chef Ramsay had his radar set on lock and he was more than willing to unload on Van. You could sense the relentless fire being put on Van and he finally just lost it. Van is a very talented chef with a very bright future; I think he will do just fine.

I know what I am seeing on the show. I would like to know what are your thoughts, what is it that you see. I have caught some things that are suspect on the show have you!!

Until next week!

Happy Cooking Chef Kevin

Well I guess Andy just couldn’t get away from that bullet!! I will miss Andy he was and is a friend (even though he did not mention me in his blog I forgive you Andy). Andy has a very nice restaurant in “647 Tremont” . I have been there a few times. It’s a great place to get seasonally local products at their absolute freshest state, the name is the address so check it out when in Boston!!

Well on to the show. I was a bit disappointed. I did not win against Suzanne in the crepe challenge (we both won) but at this point I think Chef Ramsay is not giving me anything! I am not getting yelled at or praise, so I guess under the radar is ok. I was asked if I ever felt robbed in a challenge. I do not, Chef Ramsay is the boss and he has all the Michelin stars so I must accept! As for Suzanne with the boys in blue, I am not happy. A good chef may not like everyone he/she is working with, however a great chef finds ways to succeed in any situation. 

Until next time keep the questions coming and as always,

Happy Cooking!!

Chef Kevin

Well I guess I need some help! I certainly did not like this episode. Oh well win a few lose a few. The important thing is I live to cook another day.

I have been asked by some of you, how are your ankles. They are both not so good. However the right one seems to be coming along a lot better than the left. Every morning it is a struggle to get going but the adrenaline and sheer will to win keeps me moving along.

I must say that Tennille has been very helpful almost motherly to me. When we are finished for the day/night Tennille is the first one to offer some help , she would get ice for the ankles or offer to make me something to eat( oh and the pancake cookies were great, ask her how she did that one) whatever it was she was helping me . I would like everyone to know how wonderful of a person Tennille is!!

Someone asked me about Amanda and her being chosen over the two others that were sent down. Well I think that was unfair but Chef Ramsay is the boss. Amanda got short changed on that one!

Send me your thoughts/questions and I will answer them right away!! Until next time!!

Happy Cooking!!

Chef Kevin

OK  so the blue team pulled off the unheard of. We actually beat the red team with figs, apples,pasta and haddock. This in it’s self would be a hard task, but to put them against a classic rabbit dish, come on! Well I think we not only shocked ourselves but you all as well. I have to say on that challenge GARLIC was our very best friend! If the girls nailed that puree we would have lost. As it turns out we are headed to Vegas!!

Our return was not as joyful. We did get Robert back just in time for service but what happened to Rob. I think Robert was just played out. Robert is a very talented chef and I am sure great things are coming his way!!

Now lets talk about Andy. How many time has this guy been in the firing sites! I am convinced he has a horseshoe up his a@#! Andy is so stressed out any flustered he seems as though he can not get out of his own way. I know Andy has had a few good moments, and chef Ramsay still insisted on nailing him, but how long can you stay in the gun site and live?!?!

I must say that Andy and Robert did make for some very entertaining conversations. I wish Robert all the success that life can give him and hope that Andy has the best Teflon jacket that you can get, until next week!

Happy Cooking:)

Chef Kevin

So how does everyone think Kevin is doing so far on this season of Hell’s Kitchen?