It was a BIG “welcome back” to our screens to Lorraine Pascale this week on BBC2, 8:30.  Lorraine’s in my all time top 10 of telly chefs / chefettes / cooks / cookettes :-) and nope, before you ask, my top 10 is in no particular order :-)

I always want to get into the kitchen after watching Lorraine’s shows as Lorraine is so inspiring.

If you missed Lorraine then you can catch up with details over at http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/programmes/b01m28pp and if you missed any of the recipes, then here they are.

Crunchy black pepper halloumi dip sticks with harissa hummus

Tin foil Thai trout

Old fashioned burger with garlicky potato wedges

Dreamy basil pesto

Aussie olive damper bread

Enjoy!

Photo copyright BBC

… and I use the word “advisors” in the loosest sense possible…

My take on it?  

Simple…

Critics are like eunuchs at an orgy.

Most critics being totally unqualified and Channel 4’s offering of “Attack Of The Trip Advisor” went some way to show the type of people who write vindictive postings about hotels / restaurants / pubs… I won’t apply the word “reviews” as I don’t believe you can properly review something unless you yourself are experienced in that particular field.  Unless you yourself run a hotel or restaurant, you simply can’t review a hotel or restaurant… you’re simply a critic… and as Sibelius’s said: “Pay no attention to what critics say. No statue has ever been put up to a critic…”

It’s hard enough running a business, regardless of whether it’s a hotel, pub, eatery or whatever and then having your livelihood depend upon the unqualified ramblings of someone who’s 4 aces short of a full deck.

My advice?  

Easy.  

If you don’t have anything good to write about a restaurant or hotel, then why go to all the effort to write such postings?

Besides, most intelligent people reading review sites can tell the chaff from the real honest reviews.

Perhaps statues should be put up for critics… that way they can be crapped on in perpetuity like they crap on other people’s livelihoods.

Rant over :-)