Kitchen Hell - Fry Me a River

There is so much to say about Hell's Kitchen I don't know where to start. So I will give some random thoughts and spread comments over several blogs over a few weeks as the season progresses. There's a minor connection to this show and myself. The winner of season 1 of Hell's Kitchen briefly lived in Sierra Vista, AZ after the show aired when he burned out in Los Angeles and decided to take it easy in a small town where his parents currently live. He became the chef at the country club in our small community. I wanted to meet him and ask some of the questions below - but never got the chance. Darn.

• Is Gordon Ramsey really the foul-mouthed, obnoxious man who throws things in the kitchen, that you see in this series?
• Why are contestants selected that obviously don't have line experience?
• Why cook beef wellington, a dish that I have yet to see at any fine restaurant and would think that Ramsey does not serve at any of his restaurants?
• Most dinner services in Hell's Kitchen take at least an hour to get out the entrees, is that really acceptable?
• At what point does Ramsey's abuse cross the line into something unacceptable even for reality television?
• Why do so many chefs smoke? I would think it would ruin your palate.

Next time: the challenges - they seemed designed to humiliate rather than find a winner.