Well I'm at it again! This time I was able to slow down the great Gordon Ramsay, celebrity chef and star of two well viewed television shows, HELL'S KITCHEN and KITCHEN NIGHTMARES. I was able to interview Chef Ramsay at the 2010 International Home and HouseWares Show in Chicago in March. Chef Ramsay recently teamed up with Sensio, to endorse his own line of small kitchen appliances. Below is the interview. To find out more about Sensio, Inc. (a division of Bella Professional) you can link to their website.
AAC: With so many cookware and kitchenware companies out here, why did you decide to go with Sensio?
GR: Sensio and I have worked together for the last two years; I’ve resisted this kind of endorsement for decades ---------ten years, until I found the right company to do it with. They [Sensio] are full of integrity, they understand the attention to detail, it’s not about money or greed, it’s about quality; so cooking at home is the new staying in, going out, ------------ and it’s become a bit of an obsession. We do it with clothing wear, we do it with sportswear, we do it with cars and it’s about time we started doing it properly with kitchen ware. So, that’s how.
AAC: What one appliance should every good cook have in their home?
GR: To be honest, a griddle pan or a grill; it cooks healthily; a slow steam cooker, or even just a very simple blender. Whether you’re making the most amazing smoothie, or making the most amazing soup, a blender can get you out of trouble within five minutes.
AAC: Does price-point really equal quality?
GR: Price-point equals quality in a way that it has to be affordable glam. We can’t afford to have a serious dent in the pocket, but more importantly, you have to feel special with it. And we [Sensio] can establish longevity on the back of the quality that’s being produced. I’m moving to America, we’ve [Sensio] got an amazing family, and more importantly, I want you, [the consumer] to feel that level of excitement, but at the same time, it could be like that little piece of furniture in your kitchen.
AAC: What would you say to a person who wants to go into the culinary field? What advice could you give them?
GR: I first started off in soccer, I had a very bad injury in soccer and that led me to cooking. I think cooking is one of the most amazing jobs anywhere in the world because you don’t need to speak seven different languages to learn how to cook. The passports do the taste, the assignment and the vision. So if you are interested in becoming a chef, travel. Travel, travel, travel! And more importantly, stay open to new ideas and constantly, constantly taste. Taste, taste, taste!
AAC: One final question. Do good cooks make the best restaurant owners?
GR: That’s a very good question. Chefs are control freaks. The secret behind a great chef is having vision. But I just launched Master Chef America, and we’re looking for amateur chefs. I’ve come across amateur chefs in this country that have a better palate and a more understanding than some of the professional chefs I know. So no--------not [that] great cooks [ever] make great restaurants, [because] there are extraordinary, talented amateur cooks out there that can give professional chefs a run for their money.
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