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Gordon Ramsay's pizza joke outrages vegetarians

Gordon Ramsay, a chef almost as famous for his four-letter outbursts in the kitchen as for his food, has sparked outrage after feeding meat to a vegetarian in his new television show.

The programme was filmed for the second series of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, which will be broadcast later this month on Channel 4.


Gordon Ramsay: 'Good luck with the Vegemite!'
In the first episode, which coincidentally will be shown during National Vegetarian Week, Ramsay invites passers-by to sample pizzas at La Lanterna, a struggling Italian -restaurant in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

One of the volunteers who agrees to take part says that he has been a vegetarian for eight years. Ramsay replies that the restaurant's chefs have prepared a vegetarian pizza and gives him one to try. After the volunteer - identified only as "Bob" - has eaten the pizza, Ramsay tells him: "Unfortunately, that pizza has got a lot of mozzarella and tomatoes, but underneath all that there is Parma ham."

The vegetarian complains to Ramsay that he has played a "mean" trick on him, but Ramsay jokes that he "hasn't come out in a big rash". He is then filmed laughing at the man and asking him if he would like some more, while telling the restaurant's chefs that they have "converted a vegetarian". As the volunteer hurries out of the restaurant, Ramsay calls out after him, "Good luck with the Vegemite!"

The incident has infuriated vegetarians, who have denounced Ramsay's actions as offensive and unethical. Tina Fox, the chief executive of the Vegetarian Society, said: "I am amazed that Gordon Ramsay can find the discomfort of a fellow human being so amusing.

"It can be deeply upsetting for vegetarians to find they have eaten any part of an animal in error. Would Gordon find it equally amusing if an anaphylactic customer died at the table due to eating nuts?"

Rose Elliot, the award-winning vegetarian food writer, called Ramsay's behaviour "outrageous" and said that she would no longer visit his restaurants.

Dave Spikey, the actor who stars in Channel 4's comedy series Phoenix Nights, who has been a vegetarian for more than 20 years, said: "I find it extraordinary that anyone could have so little respect and regard for other people's sincerely held moral beliefs and ethical choices."

Leading chefs were also critical. Tom Aikens, the chef-patron of the eponymous restaurant in Chelsea, said: "People often choose to be vegetarians for serious dietary or religious reasons. To feed them meat is unnecessary, unkind and certainly not funny."

Heston Blumenthal, the owner of the Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, said: "If someone decides not to eat meat they have made that decision for a reason and it should be respected."

Alex Scott, the owner and head chef at La Lanterna, said that the vegetarian in question appeared distressed after the incident: "I did feel a bit sorry for the guy as he ran out of the restaurant looking very sick and pale. Gordon fell about laughing and I think it made his night, as he's not known for his liking of -vegetarians. I think Gordon just forgot to tell him the pizza had Parma ham in it, but he definitely knew because he oversaw us making it and discussed the ingredients with us."

A Channel 4 spokesman said: "We believe this was a genuine mistake and that Gordon Ramsay did not deliberately set out to give meat to a vegetarian."

In an interview to promote the BBC's Comic Relief programme in 2003, Ramsay was asked what had been his most recent lie, to which he replied: "To a table of vegetarians who had artichoke soup. I told them it was made with vegetable stock when it was chicken stock."

Army pilot rap over pizza flight

The Lynx was on a low-level flight
A lieutenant has been disciplined after using an Army helicopter to deliver a pizza to his girlfriend.
The incident on 25 January saw the unnamed officer divert from a routine training flight over Stanford, Norfolk, to take the fast food.

The Ministry of Defence refused to name the officer, from 659 Squadron, or divulge how he was punished.

A spokesman said: "The chain of command doesn't condone these sorts of actions. The individuals have been disciplined."

He added: "During a routine low-level training sortie, somebody decided it would be an opportunity to use it for a delivery."

The extra cost caused by the diversion is not known.

The pizza was understood to have been delivered to a female officer cadet at an Army range at Thetford, Norfolk.

The Ministry of Defence spokesman did not confirm what toppings were on the pizza.
 

Life sentence for teenage Pizza shop killer
2005-03-11 18:18:58

A schoolboy who killed a pizza shop worker following an argument over a £1 meal deal has been given a life sentence.

Hakeem Johnson, 14, stabbed Noor Kasimi, 32, through the heart after he was refused the special offer an hour after it ended.

A judge at the Old Bailey told Johnson the courts would not show mercy to youths who carry knives.

Hakeem had been excluded from the Homerton College of Technology, east London, after threatening a teacher with a hammer in May.

Judge Gerald Gordon said he would be detained during Her Majesty's Pleasure and would have to remain in youth custody for eight-and-a-half-years before he could apply to be released.

He told him: "You carried a knife as a weapon because it was what you chose to do, like too many young people these days.

"Young men or boys who choose to carry knives as weapons can expect no mercy from the courts."

Johnson, who wore a black suit and shirt with a pink tie, was hugged and kissed by his mother in the dock before being led away.

Sallie Bennett-Jenkins, prosecuting, told the court Johnson took the knife from his pocket and threatened staff at the Twin Star takeaway in Islington, north London, after being asked to leave.

Mr Kasimi, who had worked there for five days, tried to get him out using a broom after he started lashing out with the knife.

Mr Kasimi's broom fell to the floor and he was struck in the chest with the knife.

He died six days later in hospital and Johnson handed himself into police the following day.

Miss Bennett-Jenkins said the boy had gone to the pizza shop with two friends and had been "aggressive and threatening".

She said: "He wanted a special offer £1 pizza sold before 6pm. It was past 7pm. The proprietor said no. The youth said he wanted it for free and was again told no.

"He was shouting and swearing. He threatened to stab the owner."
 

• Avril turns back on pizza
  
  
  Avril Lavigne has devastated a pizzeria by revealing that her favourite pizza is no longer one of theirs.
  
  Although the moody singer used to be a great fan of a certain pizza served by La Pizzeria in Napanee, Ontario, her vegetarianism has made her alter her preferences. This comes as a blow to the establishment, whose menus brag "the home of Avril Lavigne's favourite pizza".
  
  She is reported as saying: "It was green olives, pepperoni and mushrooms but I don't eat mushrooms or pepperoni anymore. Mushrooms aren't good for you and meat's not too great for you ... I eat healthier than that now."
  
  However, while that pizza is no longer Avril's cup of tea, she has good memories of La Pizzeria. She explained: "I think it was in Rolling Stone magazine, they asked what I missed about Napanee and I said La Pizzeria and now, like, their business has like skyrocketed.
  
  "They have a fan book in La Pizzeria and a bunch of fans go there from like all over the world and they all write me letters and every once in a while the owners give me the book."
  
  
  Mike writes
  
  I delivered pizza for Blackjack (small chain) in Fort Collins, Colorado for about a year and a half. I have numerous stories -- I wish I'd have known of this website then, I could have told you all of them!
  
  Fort Collins has a rather large "old town" with houses from the 1910 era -- many occupied by students but a lot of families around there as well. One night I take a delivery to an average sized house in this neighbourhood, and after the guy opens the door and sees it's me, he holds his hand out and asks for the pie. I repeat his total (I never let a pie out of my hands before I see money -- saves time and frustration) and he keeps his hands held out ... waiting. So I tell him it's store policy that we can't give out the food until we have the money (I must have made up a million different "store policies" in my tenure there) and he asks me to come into the kitchen. I'm immediately suspicious. I pass his girlfriend/wife/hooker/whatever, who looks embarrassed, as we walk through the living room, toward the kitchen. We get to the kitchen, and the guy has like $14 in change of varying denominations sitting on the counter. (To his credit, they were in neat little stacks.) He tells me there's my money. I laugh out loud (for reference, I wouldn't recommend this) and tell him I can't take all that change. (see: "store policy") We argue -- his point being, "It's money -- you HAVE TO take it!" Mine, of course -- "I'm holding your pizza hostage; it's getting colder, you're getting hungrier." Eventually I tell him I'll gladly take a cash or check ... (he'd originally maintained that he didn't have any paper money or a check book) ... and as I'm walking out the door (still carrying his pie) he calls me back and writes a check. He didn't stiff me (I don't recall the tip amount -- which means it was probably average -- a buck or two) but as a courtesy, I told the guy that my bank counts change and will deposit it into your account, where you can withdraw paper money, and not have to unload it on the pizza guy.
  
  A little advice to pizza guys everywhere:
  
  Rule #1 : I am *always* polite about this and *everything* at the door. Bad attitudes get bad tips. If you mention any of the following things to a customer, do it politely and with a smile. Don't snarl that they're too stupid to put an address on their own house. Ask where their house numbers are. If you missed them, fess up. If they don't have any, apologize that their pizza is a little late, as you had a hard time finding their house because it didn't have any numbers.
  
  Don't release the pizza until you're paid. Ever. Even if it's some nice old lady who just has to go look for her check book and wants to help you with your load -- assure her you'll keep it hot for her in the insulated bag. Once you release the pizza, you release control. As long as you're holding the pizza, you can give up on them and leave.
  
  I used to gladly pick up beer, cigarettes, McDonalds fries, tampons, whatever if people would call and ask, and ALSO order pizza. My personal surcharge was 100%. McDonalds fries are $1.50, my surcharge is $1.50, total $3. Six pack of beer is $7, my surcharge is $7, that's $14. Too high? Cancel your order. It's generally not worth the surcharge anyhow. I'm doing you a favour, mostly. I am very up front about this on the phone as I hate confrontation or negotiation when I get to the door.
  
  I carried police-strength pepper spray everywhere I delivered, one on my belt, one in my car. Even today (post-delivery) I carry pepper spray in my car. You may get attacked by a dog, jumped by a human, whatever. Be prepared.
  
  When we used to get no-show deliveries, we could take the pie back to the store and eat it. I generally kept mine in the car for a few hours, until somebody would flag me down to ask if I happened to have a spare pizza. This kills two birds with one stone: (a) silences those people that think you have a full-scale pizza factory in your Geo Metro/motorcycle/whatever and (b) no-shows. I would comp the pizza to $0 at the store as a no-show and sell it to the flag-down at whatever I thought they would pay. (They will generally go higher than market price.) I did this with the approval of my manager. I wouldn't recommend doing it under the table.
  
  I used to pay for my oil changes with pizza. I think we paid 25% of retail for pizzas, so an XL one topper carryout was like $3. Equivalent to the oil change guy, $20. Price of an oil change, $20. I got it for $3.
  
  I attempted to pay for car repair with pizzas, but found myself being this guy's "pizza $@&#!" for two months. Car repair is too expensive to pay for with pizzas. Pony up the $. ;-)
  
  If you leave your car running while you deliver, lock the doors. I used to carry no keys, but an extra alarm thingy on my belt. Keeps you from getting locked out. Keeps you from losing your car.
  
  Learn what splits your city N, E, S, and W before you ever hit the road. Know the difference between 500 East Maple and 500 West Maple. Do not drive until you do.
  
  If you have to call for directions to someone's house with a pay phone or a cell phone, and getting lost was their fault (wrong address, wrong directions, wrong numerical, whatever) and they stiff you on arrival, ask for $.50 for the phone call. I've had people give me a dollar for calling them. I've had people turn me down. I told them I'd blacklist them. I did. They don't eat pizza anymore.
  
  If someone has no (or bad) house numbers, live with it. If you could figure it out (you're looking for 2612, and you could see 2610 and 2614) then it's part of your job. If they're in the middle of nowhere, mention it. It is for their safety (for an ambulance) and their pizza. Don't make it their fault. (see rule #1)
  
  Best of luck on the road

  Households all over the country were filled with bemused spluttering this week as the truth regarding Gordon Ramsey's fame credentials was finally revealed to a stunned nation. Many people it appears — while acutely aware of Mr Ramsey’s presence thanks to his current carpet-bombing of all forms of media — were unaware he is in fact just a cook.
  
  We spoke to our man in the street who, as ever, had his hand clasped firmly on the pulse of the nation. “It’s a bit of a shocker really,” he explained. “I’ve seen him on the telly shouting and people, all full of piss and wind, and thought he was someone really important. Now it turns out he just makes peoples' dinners. I mean that’s girl’s work — even my wife can do it. It’s really changed my opinion of him. I think now if I met him and he tried all that shouting stuff I would just tell him to fuc*k off and make me a plate of chips and be quick about it."
  
  We also spoke to several other, genuine, celebrities who were quick to pour scorn on Mr Ramsey’s lack of talent. International megastar Alan Titchmarsh was particularly scathing. “What a jumped up tart he is,“ opined Alan, looking up from an enormous trench into which the housewives' favourite was shovelling vast quantities of farmyard manure. “How anyone thinks they can be a true celebrity by doing what is essentially an everyday manual task is beyond me."
  
  Top TV carpenter “Handy Andy” was equally forthright: “That Ramsey geezer he’s just doing something millions of people do every day, yet acting like he’s some big star. Pass us that hacksaw — cheers."
  
  Mr Ramsey’s agent, anxious to stop the haemorrhaging of his cash cow, has issued the following statement: “Whilst it is true that Gordon’s initial foothold into celebrity was gained through his experience as a chef, his subsequent fame has been achieved through lots of professional cussing, shouting, swearing and general blaspheming. This has given him a well-deserved fan base who are both thrilled and amused by his offensive behaviour and regard Gordon as a genuine superstar. Unlike that talent less bint Delia Smith."
  
   

  Make your own Easy Pizza Mix and Match easy pizza Toppings Everybody loves pizza. I think it's an ideal quick dinner for busy weeknights. If you keep a supply of frozen crusts in your freezer and have a few simple toppings on hand, even a family with different schedules can have a hot meal. If your kids are old enough to use the oven by themselves, let them make and bake their own individual pizzas for snacks or dinner on the run. And, remember, you can make your own homemade healthy easy pizza Form this crust into individual pizza dough balls and store in your freezer and you can have fresh, hot, homemade pizza in minutes. Use a preheated pizza stone if you'd like, for more crispness. INGREDIENTS: 3 cups flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1-1/3 cups warm water 1/4 cup cornmeal PREPARATION: In large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour, 1 cup cornmeal, the yeast and salt. Stir in vegetable oil and water and mix well. Add remaining flour and mix until a stiff dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top, and let rise for 1-1/2 hours, until doubled. Punch down. For two large pizzas: divide dough into two balls. Grease two large cookie sheets with vegetable shortening, and dust each with 2 Tbsp. cornmeal. Roll out each ball on each cookie sheet until crust is 1/8" thick. Just cover the sheets, and don't worry about the crust being perfectly rectangle. Set aside while preparing sauce. For individual pizzas: divide dough into 8 balls and roll out into 6-8" circles. Bake crusts without toppings at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. You can store them at room temperature for 2 days, or freeze for longer storage. Then when you want to eat, add your favorite toppings and bake at 400 degrees for 15-30 minutes (depending on the size) until crust is golden brown and toppings are heated. Serves 10   The topping ideas for pizzas are endless. Plain old pepperoni and cheese are good, but don't stop there. Think about your favorite sandwiches and transform those ingredients into pizza toppings. Browse through ethnic cookbooks and use the flavors and textures from exotic lands to create new pizzas. And remember to include your kid's favorite flavors too. A make-your-own pizza dinner is a wonderful way to get the family together in your cozy kitchen. Enjoy pizza night! Cheeseburger Pizza 1 pound minced beef 1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup cheddar cheese sauce 1 tomato, seeded and chopped 4 slices Mozzarella cheese   Make crust and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large skillet, cook  beef and onion until beef is done and onion is tender. Drain well. Add cheese sauce and stir until sauce is melted. Place on crust. Top with chopped and seeded tomato. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes until crust is golden brown. Top with American cheese slices, and return to oven until cheese is melted. 6 servings ust to make you feel at home I thought you might like to hear the latest from the EU on the English language. European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English willbe the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English". In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter. In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more ko m plikated changes are possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away. By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v". During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru. Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

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