The problem with reality TV shows is that if someone is fairly unknown to you before you see them in one, reality shows trivialise their qualifications. Forgetting that they needed some sort of great reputation in order to clinch the reality tv show deal in the first place. Take Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Ted Allen. The one dismissed as “the boring one” or “the one that doesn’t really seem that gay”. I assumed that he was just some guy that liked cooking and eating and had some good recipes but he had quite a career in food writing beforehand being contributing editor of Esquire, food judge, restaurant critic and documentary host.

And as an antipodean, I confess that until recently when Channel 7 started broadcasting Kitchen Nightmares, I knew very little about Gordon Ramsay except that he swore at lot and got very passionate or angry, however you looked at it, in the kitchen. I didn’t know much about what he actually cooked as I hadn’t been to any of his restaurants. I assumed that it would’ve been rather excellent as he inspired a lot of awe and nervous laughter from the chefs in the restaurants that he tried to save in Kitchen Nightmares and that his furrowed forehead was a permanent fixture, capable of reducing a junior cook to visible shakes.

I picked up his book Gordon Ramsay 3 star Chef in Borders the other day, a heavy $100 bright white tome. Flicking through it I had to sit down. The pictures were nothing short of awesome, the food and recipes jaw droppingly good with combinations you’d never have thought to put together in your life but upon reflection seem perfectly harmonious. The pastry section, “The Dark Arts” was of course my favourite and this was where the artist really let loose with flamboyant, fanciful and fabulous desserts.

I even saw a few recipes that I could do myself which was heartening. And because this seemed the easiest to replicate using my tried and true ice cream recipe that does not require an ice cream maker. I thought I’d make it first: Gorgonzola ice cream. Don’t let the idea put you off, its simply divine, even if you’re not a blue cheese fanatic like myself. The reason I’ve put such varying amounts of gorgonzola is for your personal preference but please don’t use any other blue cheese. Try it and defy me please…

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OK I promise this is my last Jessica Seinfeld recipe for the time being. I just couldn’t resist making a low fat chocolate cake in the hopes that it would taste good. Well its low fat if you don’t eat the icing of course. The fact that I happened to have some fresh beetroot in the fridge was all planned and I dutifully baked the little beasts for an hour during a particularly hot and humid Sydney day.

Once out of the oven it looks distinctly more pinky red than brown so the icing is needed for the “chocolate cake” look. Uncooked, the batter looks a bit Red Velvet-like in colour. I found that the cream cheese chocolate icing was not my favourite as it was slightly bitter due to the amount of cocoa in it. The cake itself also has that distinct “vegetable” smell similar to the spinach brownies. Once you get used to the flavour its nicer at the 4th or 5th forkful although the 1st forkful was not so well received. For something very low in fat, it is quite moist though. Just don’t expect your favourite luscious chocolate truffle cake and you’ll be fairly satisfied.

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My sister in law has a fabulous organic garden and whilst she doesn’t live quite close by enough to pop in regularly and avail ourselves of the fabulous produce and herbs, when we do see her she inevitably and generously offers us the best of her garden including her first huge sunflower. I however was more interested in something else that grew in her garden, the green tomatoes. I have never seen them in the stores ever and have been intrigued, not just because of the film Fried Green Tomatoes (I have yet to watch it!) but also because I had heard that they were delicious.

I found a recipe online from the original book Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg. I used panko breadcrumbs as they were the only ones I had and tried making them using bacon fat and also using grapeseed oil as I didn’t have a lot of bacon fat, the bacon fat ones were obviously tastier if not cardiacally sound. The milk gravy is definitely something that enhances it and is essentially a roux sauce. The dish in unusual, but a definite winner and if you’re growing tomatoes and finding that your regular tomatoes just aren’t good enough to eat raw or in a salad, this is a great way to serve them.

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