The Plonker Club

As we reported here in February of this year, Fox has now confirmed that as well as ordering another Hell’s Kitchen series, that the popular Cookalong Live concept from the UK will be appearing on US television at the end of 2009. The eighth season of Hell’s Kitchen was reported by some media outlets as the seventh season, but Season seven, which was actually shot immediately following the current airing season 6 in January of this year.

The announcement was made at a unique press conference in Los Angeles where reporters where asked to prepare a meringue and a topping for a Baked Alaska, with the winner being offered a table Hell’s Kitchen (is this really a prize worth winning, epsecially if it was for early in the season?!). The prize was won by a reporter from St Louis today – here’s the link to there story.

According to reports, the show will air at 9pm ET Tuesday night December 15 and will involve preparing a three course meal live virtually alongside the great Chef. As per the UK format, most of the preparation will be done ahead of time, with instructional videos ensuring that you are up to speed by the time the show hits the airwaves! The show will actually be shown in others areas on delay 9pm there time!

Of course, the question of swearing came up in the cooking audition come press conference and Gordon Ramsay was reported to have replied that “Of course, I’m going to try not to swear … I do have good days!” “I’ll be cooking live on a domestic front … I promise not to swear.” Good luck on that one !

Here’s a taste of what is to come for US audiences – from last season of Cookalong Live UK – a seven part series!

Counting down!

Chief Plonker
The Plonker Club
The Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite
www.theplonkerclub.com

It has been confirmed that Gordon Ramsay’s popular Cookalong Live television show, will be coming to US audiences this year, December in fact, according to a report in Australian newspaper the Herald Sun.

The setup of the very popular UK show is simple; viewers cook live with Gordon Ramsay having pre-bought and prepared ingredients as instructed via the internet. In an effort to get more people to cook at home, the wanna-be chefs invite friends around for a dinner party with their Head Chef Gordon Ramsay barking orders at them via the television. A number of viewers also have cameras in their house following their progress as Gordon and his celebrity come sous chef prepare for the live audience and guests and regularly cross over to see how poorly they compare!

The show is brilliant to watch but definitely less enjoyable for the chef in each home as they desperately try to keep up with Gordon Ramsay’s hectic pace. In the UK the shows were an hour, so with this one-off two hour show, the pace should be a little more relaxed – although it may allow the chef and guests to get more drunk in the process!

For a taste of what to expect, here is a sample of what was on the menu for the last series of Gordon Ramsay’s Cookalong Live UK.

In a demonstration of how professional and passionate Gordon Ramsay is about this show and his effort to get Britain cooking at home again (which at first sounds counter intuative for a man who owns a bunch of restaurants) episode number four was shot days after the infamous claims of him having an affair with serial offender Sarah Symonds. As seen in the video, Gordon at the top of the show merely mentions that it has been a tough week and continues on with the same amazing energy and zest.

Gordon Ramsay is the man – look out American wannabe home chefs (and Fox censors) Gordon Ramsay is coming your way in December 2009!

David Driscoll
The Plonker Club
The Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite
www.theplonkerclub.com

Months ago, the Plonker Club reported that Gordon ramsay would be hosting his own Cookalong Live show in the US, Gordon Ramsay has now confirmed this in a recent interview and also talked about another new cooking special he will be shooting in May.

Here is a direct quote from Gordon Ramsay when asked about the new show

Gordon Ramsay “Yes, of course. First of all, I have to say, cooking in Hell’s Kitchen is like a live scenario anyway. The producers are constantly chasing my butt saying, “We would like to see this.” I’m saying, “What would you like to see?”

I’m not interested. All I want to see is food on a plate. I can’t script a service. I don’t know how early or late the customer’s going to turn up, so everything is very natural. So in that sense we cook live.

The live cook along, yes, it has been picked up and it’s going to be a huge excitement. I can’t wait to go live. I suppose the frustration is the sort of cooking shows on air currently that don’t cook.

It’s one that was prepped earlier by some home economist behind the scenes and that’s not cooking. Cooking is a passion and it’s live and it’s really nice to show that journey from a raw ingredient to an hour later something finished. And for me the confidence levels go up tenfold, a 1000%, because you’re following it and it’s changing its texture and the flavor’s getting better and you get more and more confident as you start with a raw ingredient. So, I’m really excited that Fox is excited about the live show and it’s something I can’t wait for.

No cursing, that’s the deal. So I’m fucked.”

Gordon Ramsay’s other show, was also brought up in a later question – again here is a quote

Gordon Ramsay: “So I have a huge excitement this May on visiting India for the first time in my career and I’m going on a journey, because I’m going to the region, I’m backpacking and I suppose I want to come down two or three divisions and sort of get to the heart of the food of the people.

And it’s called Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape and I’m really excited about it because it’s being left in a situation along with sort of …, but going a little bit deeper into the sort of cult social following and where it started, and looking at the beginning, the heartbeat of how that dish was formulated. And to what’s happened, to how many people have abused it along the way to where we are now. So yes, always learning; constantly.”

These comments were part of a much larger interview which can be flouond at http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/features/article_1456611.php/Hells_Kitchens_Gordon_Ramsay_the_full_interview

We can never have enough Gordon Ramsay!

David Driscoll
The Plonker Club
The Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite
www.theplonkerclub.com

So I have a huge excitement this May on visiting India for the first time in my career and I’m going on a journey, because I’m going to the region, I’m backpacking and I suppose I want to come down two or three divisions and sort of get to the heart of the food of the people.
And it’s called Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape and I’m really excited about it because it’s being left in a situation along with sort of …, but going a little bit deeper into the sort of cult social following and where it started, and looking at the beginning, the heartbeat of how that dish was formulated. And to what’s happened, to how many people have abused it along the way to where we are now. So yes, always learning; constantly.

I just found these two videos on the web – they are very funny. If you are offended by the language, I wonder why you are looking at ANY videos on the topic of Gordon Ramsay. I think these guys are a special for the next series of the F-Word or Gordon Ramsay’s Cookalong Live!

Guys, your really need to upgrade from Singstar to Rockband II!!!

Here is part two of what truly is Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares – Normal Person vs Gordon Ramsay

The also have a cool website – www.kamikazecookery.com which includes videos for sale and other apparel.

Have fun, even if they are taking the piss out of Gordon – I’m sure Chef Ramsay would love to get them into Hell’s Kitchen!

http://www.kamikazecookery.com

David Driscoll
Chief Plonker at The Plonker Club
The Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite
www.theplonkerclub.com

2009 may see Gordon Ramsay giving free cooking lessons in the USA and Australia and everyone is invited!

I was going back through some old emails and I can’t believe I missed this one. A few different sources, including Variety Magazine – spoke about a Live Cooking show coming up on Fox in 2009.

Apparently it will be modelled on Cookalong Live – a pet project of Gordon Ramsay that is at the core of his effort to get people back into the kitchen and cooking. This is also a resounding theme of his other popular show – The F-Word, Season 3 of which will be showing in the US on BBC America, Wednesday January 14 at 3pm.

While Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares is one of my favourite shows, Cookalong Live is a close second. If you don’t know anything about Cookalong Live – check out some of my previous blogs

Get A Healthy Dose of Gordon Ramsay which contains a great ad that Channel 4 in the UK used to promote the show.

Free Cooking Course from Gordon Ramsay has the intro to all seven episodes that just finished playing in the UK. Check it out and discover how you can learn to cook seven three course dishes in under an hour and have a bunch of fun at the same time. The scenes of Gordon going undercover to road test other top chef’s cooking classes is gold, as is himg oing into different kitchen to learn new skills – like making noodles, lamb kebabs and naan bread.

It’s a great show and I can’t wait until it comes down under!

David Driscoll
The Plonker Club
The Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite
www.theplonkerclub.com