TV chef Iain ‘Huey’ Hewitson blasts new age celebrity chefs and modern day food fads
TV COOK Iain ‘Huey’ Hewitson has turned his knives on everything from today’s celebrity chefs to vegans, Instagram and Melbourne’s Chin Chin restaurant, branding it “the McDonald’s of Thai”. See what Huey really thinks.
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ONE of Australia’s first TV cooks Iain “Huey” Hewitson has roasted today’s celebrity chefs and panned modern day food culture.
The larger than life personality had the knives out for vegans, those who put “smears” on plates, take photos of their meal before eating it and reality TV cooking shows which he blames for ruining dinner parties.
He wants food to go back to basics and for people to simply enjoy it, rather than be obsessed with how it looks on a plate.
WHEN LOGIES MEANT BOOZE & MAYHEM
Huey, as he is known, was on TV for 25 years on shows including Healthy, Wealthy & Wise, Huey’s Cooking Adventures, Huey’s Kitchen, but has now been on hiatus for two years.
The St Kilda local said he fell out of love with being on TV and the meddling of various producers.
“I was sick to death of TV and tired of all the bullsh*t,” he told the Herald Sun.
“It got to a stage where it wasn’t fun anymore. It wasn’t supposed to be too serious — for Christ sake it was about getting in the kitchen and whipping up something, but it got to stage that wasn’t what they wanted.
“The sense of fun went out of it and it became a chore.”
Kitchen life is no MasterChef ep
Despite being on TV screens for more than two decades, Hewitson said he did not watch popular reality cooking shows MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules.
He also gave a serving to the shows’ hosts George Calombaris and Manu Feildel.
“They are game show hosts, aren’t they? That’s what they are working on. They do nothing for me. Serious chefs are Neil Perry and Kylie Kwong,” he said.
“They (My Kitchen Rules and MasterChef) have been hugely successful, you can’t knock it but they are not cooking shows, they are game shows.
“They get on TV once and then they are celebrity chefs. I am a cook and I always was. I’m a man who hopefully teaches you something and how to cook.”
The Kiwi-born chef said many apprentice chefs had misconceptions about what it was like to work in a kitchen.
He recalled washing dirt out of spinach for a year when he started, and then moved to washing peas.
“Kids are watching TV and say ‘this will do for me’,” he said.
“They think they will be cooking one meal at a time. But the first two years are hard yakka with bad tempered chefs telling you you are worthless.
“They think it’s glamorous and by Jesus it’s not glamorous. It’s a trade. When you get further up the tree it’s fun because you can develop recipes and you can travel and work overseas.”
Invasion of the smear
Hewitson said TV shows had wrecked dinner parties and it was time to bring back homestyle cooking, and one key ingredient and making it the star, rather than “900 ingredients obscuring the flavour”.
“We spend hours and hours putting smears on a plate. I hate smears on a plate. They never look attractive. ‘What’s that s — t?’ ‘oh that’s my pea puree’. Can’t I just have a bowl of it or a dollop. How am I supposed to eat it off my plate?” he said.
“We are scared that we have to produce something that is over the top. You should be at the table with your guests not at the kitchen.”
Hewitson said it was time to return to basics.
Instagram, vegans and paleo
He feared unless people changed their expectations, local neighbourhood cafes and restaurants were at risk of closing because their food was not on social media or all the talk with gimmicks.
“Sure you need your Atticas and Braes (world renowned Aussie restaurants), but how many times do you go to these? You need those good restaurants that just serve competent and good food,” he said.
“When you go to restaurants these days, there are people with cameras taking shots of their food. By the time they eat the food, it’s cold because they have taken 33 shots of it.”
Hewitson also struggled to understand food trends like vegans and paleo, saying they were a step too far for any foodie like him to swallow.
“I don’t mind vegetarianism because I like vegetables but vegans take it a step too far for me. Food is supposed to be enjoyable — you don’t have to eat a whole cow,” he said.
“If you are vegan and smoke a strange substance it defeats the purpose — don’t preach to me that I should not eat a cow.”
Hewitson said he is also fed up with pizza and burger shops opening up and threatened to picket at the next pizza store to surface.
He admits he is a “burger man” but like most food, burgers needed to be stripped back — a good pattie, tomatoes and bun that’s not brioche or laced with sugar — with the fancy ingredients let go.
“When they start shaving truffles over burgers, what are we talking about,” he said.
Hewitson has returned to screens now on YouTube — Huey’s Fabulous Fast Food for One or TwoChanel, where he dishes up meals and attaches recipes online.
“It’s back to being fun,” he said.
TELL US WHAT YOU REALLY THINK, HUEY
George Calombaris and Manu Feildel
They are game show hosts, aren’t they? That’s what they are working on. They do nothing for me. Serious chefs are Neil Perry and Kylie Kwong.
Gordon Ramsay
He’s a wanker and a bully. Kitchens don’t need bullies but that’s what he is.
Pete Evans
He was a very good chef — then he discovered paleo. But whatever rocks your boat. I find all that really weird.
Jamie Oliver
He is one of the best we have seen.
Apprentices thinking they’ll be rich and famous from cooking
They think it’s glamorous and by Jesus it’s not glamorous. The first two years are hard yakka with bad tempered chefs telling you are worthless.
Vegans
I don’t mind vegetarianism because I like vegetables but vegans take it a step too far for me. Food is supposed to be enjoyable — you don’t have to eat a whole cow. If you are vegan and smoke a strange substance it defeats the purpose — don’t preach to me that I should not eat a cow.
Instagram food
When you got restaurants these days, there are people with cameras taking shots of their food. What do they do with those shots? They go home and put them on a wall or just forget about them? By the time they eat the food, it’s cold because they have taken 33 shots of it.
Plating up and the smear
I hate smears on a plate. They never look attractive. ‘What’s that sh*t?’ ‘oh that’s my pea puree’. Can’t I just have a bowl of it or a dollop. How am I supposed to eat it off my plate?
Chin Chin
It’s the McDonald’s of Thai restaurants.
Burgers
When they start shaving truffles over burgers, what are we talking about. A good pattie, a slice of tomato and decent bun, that’s not brioche or full of sugar, is all that’s needed.
Home cooking
TV shows have wrecked our dinner parties. We are scared that we have to produce something that is over the top. You should be at the table with your guests not at the kitchen.
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