‘Hell’s Kitchen’: Would you trust these people with your food?

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Isn’t the basic job of a cook to cook? So how is it that so many raw dishes can leave ‘Hell’s Kitchen?’ The latest challenge was to prepare dinner for a Sweet 16 party. If you were in ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ would you be sure to properly prepare the meal for the Belle of the Ball, and her overbearing, persnickety mother? Instead, the crew sent raw steak to the daughter and overcooked halibut to the mother. ‘You just turned a 16-year-old girl into a vegetarian!’ Chef Ramsay screamed at Rosann, the culprit. (I’ve always wondered whether the diners in ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ could hear the kitchen antics. Turns out they can. Guess that’s the entertainment that makes up for the raw meat!)

Am I the only one surprised that that Matt -- or Matty, as his teammates have taken to derisively calling him -- made it off the chopping block? Now, he’ll have to make good on his claim that his fellow teammates have been holding him back, as he heads over to play for the women’s team. (‘As far as I’m concerned, Matty’s a little ... anyway, so let him go over there with them,’ Ben said. And here’s hoping that Matt’s defection to the other team will help Ben fall on his face that much faster. That is one nasty dude.)

At the same time, it wasn’t all that surprising to see Shayna, the new mom, go on her way. (‘She is overweight and she can’t really move fast,’ is the way the always pleasant Corey put it.)

Chef put it this way as he was bidding her farewell: ‘A big heart. Solid cook, yes. But...just a little too slow. Goodnight, my darling. Go back to your daughter.’

And if that sounded like it was too nice, it was. Seconds later, Chef offered this parting shot: ‘That’s why she’s going back to something she’s good at -- changing diapers!’

Are there any standouts in this crew? I’m not sure I’d put any of them in charge of anything.

--Rene Lynch