Gary Rhodes: You Ask The Questions
So, if you could sum up food critics in one word, what would it be? And do you ever crave a fried-egg sandwich?
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Your support makes all the difference.Do you think that English cuisine is being overtaken by imported tastes such as curry?
MARIA SYLVESTRE, VIA E-MAIL
I don't think it's being lost but perhaps it's being held back - but not purely by Indian cuisine. British cuisine needs more of a drive and a push and a belief. I'd like to see people sticking to their own food - like sticking to their own football club.
I am training to be a chef and would love to run my own kitchen one day, but I am soft-spoken and hate confrontation. Is it necessary to be able to shout?
SIMON DAVIES, LONDON
No, not at all. A sous-chef of mine, Paul, is very quiet, but because everybody knows how good he is, there's an instant respect. It has to be the look rather than the voice. I want people to want to come to work rather than dreading it.
Is your food aimed at a higher class of people? Because, mostly, I can't understand a word of it!
SHEILA PEARSON, SWANSEA
It's nothing about a higher class of people. It's all about providing something for everyone's budget, priorities and time. I know that someone might pick up one of my books and think: "I can't afford fresh tuna, let alone find it anywhere." But then, on the next page, they'll find mackerel. The recipes are guidelines - that's what recipe books are for. They're not Bibles, so be inventive!
How did you feel being so horrible to people on Hell's Kitchen?
HELEN MORGAN, HULL
I don't think I was. People think that seeing me shouting isn't like me, but the trouble is, it is. People are used to seeing me giving a demonstration, pan-frying some salmon or something - well, I'm not going to start effing and blinding then, am I? But it's my head on the block when I'm in the kitchen, and I won't let anything get in the way of that. I think it showed exactly how I run my kitchens in the professional world.
Your new book is called Keeping it Simple, yet you are known for your intricacy. Do you value simplicity, and if so, why choose now to promote it?
OLIVER ACKROYD, HAMPSHIRE
In your younger years, you want to show your maximum, making things accessible but with that element of difficulty and depth. Then you get to a point, as you mature, where you want to show people what you cook at home. As I've got older, I want to do less with the ingredients and still get the maximum from them.
What is the most essential item for any kitchen?
HAYLEY GRIFFITHS, BRADFORD
A sharp knife. That's a boring answer, but if you've got a sharp knife, your work becomes so easy. Also, I love to have a hand-blender. Instead of liquidisers and food processors, when you've cooked something that you want to cream up and it's still in the pan, you stick your hand-blender in there and switch it on while you're watching TV, and within two or three minutes you've got a creamed soup. Foodwise, I have to have ham and cheese in the fridge - then, every snack or supper is taken care of: a quick carbonara pasta, ham and cheese toasties, or cheesy mashed potato with a little diced ham running through it, say, are easy to prepare. There are endless things you can use those two ingredients for.
Do you ever think that you should take a more relaxed approach to presenting your food?
CARLA LOUISON, BRIXTON
A lot of my presentation is clean and crisp, and that is why people often misinterpret my cuisine. It could be a piece of pan-fried fish with a little vegetable garnish and a pool of sauce, say, but it looks so clean and precise, they think, "Goodness, how much time he must have spent on that!".
Who is the most famous person you have ever cooked for?
REANNE WINWOOD, VIA E-MAIL
The most famous person I have cooked for, and managed to actually dine with, which is rare, was Diana, Princess of Wales, after the premiere of the film Apollo 13 with Tom Hanks. That was at the restaurant Greenhouse, where I was head chef. I can't even remember what I cooked for them, it was such a very special moment.
Who do you think is the best chef in Britain?
HAYLEY GRIFFITHS, BRADFORD
In the UK, my favourite restaurant is Le Gavroche, owned by the Roux brothers. Michel Roux is the head chef and I think he is absolutely brilliant.
If you could sum up food critics in one word, what would it be, and why?
ANDREW COOK, YORKSHIRE
It would be unprintable, I promise you! Let's just say, "difficult". Actually, there are two, maybe three critics whom I respect, but there are one or two with whom I would love to get in the ring and have a punch-up. At the end of the day, though, the customer is the most important critic.
Do you ever find yourself just craving a fried-egg sandwich?
TIMOTHY WILD, KENT
Oh, yes! And I really like French toast, too, especially with crispy bacon on top. I also love some good old beans on toast, and never mind the sugar!
'Keeping it Simple' by Gary Rhodes is published by Michael Joseph, £25
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