Gordon, Gordon, Gordon

The western world is abuzz talking about the new "F-word" king. Hell's Kitchen has returned to Fox this season. I watched the last time and enjoyed watching Gordon rip people to shreds in hopes that they would become better at working a kitchen. Unfortunately, it didn't work out.

The winner of the show last season, not only turned down the opportunity to have his own place, but also seems to have walked away from the opportunity to really learn from the finely tuned skills of Gordon himself. See here: Skull. Too bad, he could have learned more than ever if he'd made the correct choice.

This season's Hell's Kitchen has been less a cooking show and more a farce from the get go. Way too much drama on the part of the staff and the customers, less of the real Ramsey. How do I know that? Well, I also have the BBC on my tuner and I watch Kitchen Nighmares with Gordon Ramsey all the time.

In Kitchen Nightmares Gordon visit an ongoing concern to help them fine tune their operation to keep from closing the doors or increasing their visibility in the community. He has been a restaurateur, has failed and has learned from the experience. He willingly goes in, bashes a few heads, or politely tells them to get their act together (depending on who they are) and helps the business step up to the challenge of success. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. He usually has a corollary at the end, where he either stops by to see if rules are still in place or if the business is there at all.

One thing he stresses is the fact that we eat too many processed foods. We have become numb to the flavors of real foods. By allowing a giant concern prepare foods for microwave-ability we are robbing ourselves of knowing the joy of eating well prepared foods. We instead, exchange form for function. We rob ourselves of the joy that is eating.

I came upon a car a few days back, in it the driver was quickly forcing down lunch. I thought to myself, "is this what we have become?" A society so busy that we have lost all decorum? We don't even have time to enjoy a quiet moment and a bite of food or nourishment. It makes you wonder about that word nourishment. Does the food you eat nourish you? Does it help you feel better, look better, or enjoy life a bit more? I am not saying you need to eat nutritionally sound meals and always prepare everything from scratch. What I am saying is that you are all worth a bit of time. Time to reflect, and enjoy a meal. STOP EATING IN YOUR CARS! Give yourself some time, you deserve it. Sometimes a simple cup of hot tea and a biscuit will do more than a four course meal. Stop. Think. It's about what you're doing that is far more important than getting somewhere before everyone else, or being first in line. Take a moment, it'll do your body good.

So the Gordon Ramsey over at Kitchen Nightmares is the Gordon for me. He says things that make sense. He recognizes what people want from food. And it isn't entertainment especially.