Cooking program filmed in Hong Kong shows chef chopping up live lobster

[Guest guest]

> The Chef cut the

>tail section off the lobster while it was alive and the rest of the body

>crawled off the chopping board.

 

Truly vile. How awful that must have been!

 

Veronica

 

 

[Guest guest]

It is common in pricier restaurants in Hong Kong. I remember a

Michael Palin travel show on PBS where they showed the preparation

of live eels at the table ... :P

 

, " bunny " <rabbit@i...>

wrote:

> Hi,

>

> It might be worth writing to SBS and also starting a boycott of

> Elizabeth Chongs's

> cook books and programs. Last night on SBS (10th December 2004 West

> Australian time)

> on Elizabeth Chongs " Tiny delights " cooking program which screens

on

> Friday nights

> , Chong visited a top restaurant in Hong Kong where she picked

> a lobster out of a holding fish tank (it was alive). The Chef cut

the

> tail section off the lobster while it was alive and the rest of

the body

> crawled off the chopping board.

>

> After he finished with the tail, he grabbed the rest of the animal

and

> chopped

> off another large piece of its body, its legs and feelers were

still

> paddling.

> Watching the live animal chopped repeatedly and split with a huge

> cleaver was very disturbing.

>

> I felt quite sick watching this program and its complete distain

for

> animal

> cruelty, pain and suffering. Finally, the chef, after frying the

> lobster,

> carefully arranged the chunks of cooked dead lobster into the

shape of a

> lobster

> to be presented to Chong on a serving plate. This whole segment was

> sickening.

>

> Kind regards,

>

> Marguerite

>

> http://tinyurl.com/49toc

> Set to sizzle

> October 30, 2004

> Sydney Morning Herald article

>

> <snip>

> Chong is one of those chefs who breaks with the horny/drunk/erratic

> mould represented on The Cooks. She is, however, no less

passionate than

> her young sweaty counterparts about her food. As a Chinese

Australian

> who worked in the industry long before chefs were elevated to the

lofty

> status of hairdressers, Chong has much to share with the home cook.

>

> Also assembled in the popular magazine format, Tiny Delights is

part

> travelogue, part cooking demo, punctuated by plenty of good advice

from

> dear Elizabeth. We cover a good deal of China, get inside some

> remarkably unglamorous but productive kitchens and learn to make

some

> dishes that Australians have been ordering regularly for a

century. Will

> I ever make wonton soup? Maybe not, but Chong's wok tips, like

Perry's

> rather loftier creations, might jerk a few of us out of our ruts.

>

> Oddly, Tiny Delights is cheaply, even badly shot. No sizzle. No

simmer.

> No sex. It's as plain as a Chinatown wok. The lighting, the

editing, the

> videotape seem to drain the sex appeal from every dish and yet the

> show's content is rock solid. Whatever makes Elizabeth Chong cook

is

> probably what's missing from The Cooks. Don't you hate a secret

> ingredient?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

It might be worth writing to SBS and also starting a boycott of

Elizabeth Chongs's

cook books and programs. Last night on SBS (10th December 2004 West

Australian time)

on Elizabeth Chongs " Tiny delights " cooking program which screens on

Friday nights

, Chong visited a top restaurant in Hong Kong where she picked

a lobster out of a holding fish tank (it was alive). The Chef cut the

tail section off the lobster while it was alive and the rest of the body

crawled off the chopping board.

 

After he finished with the tail, he grabbed the rest of the animal and

chopped

off another large piece of its body, its legs and feelers were still

paddling.

Watching the live animal chopped repeatedly and split with a huge

cleaver was very disturbing.

 

I felt quite sick watching this program and its complete distain for

animal

cruelty, pain and suffering. Finally, the chef, after frying the

lobster,

carefully arranged the chunks of cooked dead lobster into the shape of a

lobster

to be presented to Chong on a serving plate. This whole segment was

sickening.

 

Kind regards,

 

Marguerite

 

http://tinyurl.com/49toc

Set to sizzle

October 30, 2004

Sydney Morning Herald article

 

<snip>

Chong is one of those chefs who breaks with the horny/drunk/erratic

mould represented on The Cooks. She is, however, no less passionate than

her young sweaty counterparts about her food. As a Chinese Australian

who worked in the industry long before chefs were elevated to the lofty

status of hairdressers, Chong has much to share with the home cook.

 

Also assembled in the popular magazine format, Tiny Delights is part

travelogue, part cooking demo, punctuated by plenty of good advice from

dear Elizabeth. We cover a good deal of China, get inside some

remarkably unglamorous but productive kitchens and learn to make some

dishes that Australians have been ordering regularly for a century. Will

I ever make wonton soup? Maybe not, but Chong's wok tips, like Perry's

rather loftier creations, might jerk a few of us out of our ruts.

 

Oddly, Tiny Delights is cheaply, even badly shot. No sizzle. No simmer.

No sex. It's as plain as a Chinatown wok. The lighting, the editing, the

videotape seem to drain the sex appeal from every dish and yet the

show's content is rock solid. Whatever makes Elizabeth Chong cook is

probably what's missing from The Cooks. Don't you hate a secret

ingredient?

[Guest guest]

That's terrible! I wonder how that chef would like it if someone chopped HIM up

like that? He should be ashamed of himself!

 

Noel

 

 

 

 

 

Message: 3

Sat, 11 Dec 2004 07:29:44 +0800

" bunny "

Cooking program filmed in Hong Kong shows chef chopping up live lobster

 

Hi,

 

It might be worth writing to SBS and also starting a boycott of

Elizabeth Chongs's

cook books and programs. Last night on SBS (10th December 2004 West

Australian time)

on Elizabeth Chongs " Tiny delights " cooking program which screens on

Friday nights

, Chong visited a top restaurant in Hong Kong where she picked

a lobster out of a holding fish tank (it was alive). The Chef cut the

tail section off the lobster while it was alive and the rest of the body

crawled off the chopping board.

 

After he finished with the tail, he grabbed the rest of the animal and

chopped

off another large piece of its body, its legs and feelers were still

paddling.

Watching the live animal chopped repeatedly and split with a huge

cleaver was very disturbing.

 

I felt quite sick watching this program and its complete distain for

animal

cruelty, pain and suffering. Finally, the chef, after frying the

lobster,

carefully arranged the chunks of cooked dead lobster into the shape of a

lobster

to be presented to Chong on a serving plate. This whole segment was

sickening.

 

Kind regards,

 

Marguerite

 

http://tinyurl.com/49toc

Set to sizzle

October 30, 2004

Sydney Morning Herald article

 

 

Chong is one of those chefs who breaks with the horny/drunk/erratic

mould represented on The Cooks. She is, however, no less passionate than

her young sweaty counterparts about her food. As a Chinese Australian

who worked in the industry long before chefs were elevated to the lofty

status of hairdressers, Chong has much to share with the home cook.

 

Also assembled in the popular magazine format, Tiny Delights is part

travelogue, part cooking demo, punctuated by plenty of good advice from

dear Elizabeth. We cover a good deal of China, get inside some

remarkably unglamorous but productive kitchens and learn to make some

dishes that Australians have been ordering regularly for a century. Will

I ever make wonton soup? Maybe not, but Chong's wok tips, like Perry's

rather loftier creations, might jerk a few of us out of our ruts.

 

Oddly, Tiny Delights is cheaply, even badly shot. No sizzle. No simmer.

No sex. It's as plain as a Chinatown wok. The lighting, the editing, the

videotape seem to drain the sex appeal from every dish and yet the

show's content is rock solid. Whatever makes Elizabeth Chong cook is

probably what's missing from The Cooks. Don't you hate a secret

ingredient?

 

 

 

 

 

______________________

 

 

 

 

 

Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard.

 

 

[Guest guest]

> It might be worth writing to SBS and also starting a boycott of

> Elizabeth Chongs's cook books and programs.

 

Well it was a cooking show that did not pretend to be vegetarian, I

understand, and it showed traditional ways of preparation. Iron Chef did that

too. I used the off switch.

 

Pat

[Guest guest]

I for one agree wholeheartedly, and am glad I didn't see the segment on SBS.

Perhaps we should follow this up with the station, and the cook.\

 

By the way, in Noosa (the Sunshine Coast of Queensland), a recently opened

Chinese

restaurant is still boasting 'shark fin soup' on the menu. I thought this,

too, had been

banned?

 

Anna P.

annapal

[Guest guest]

" psybermus " <psybermus

Re: Cooking program filmed in Hong Kong shows chef chopping up

live lobster

 

 

> It might be worth writing to SBS and also starting a boycott of

> Elizabeth Chongs's cook books and programs.

 

Well it was a cooking show that did not pretend to be vegetarian, I

understand, and it showed traditional ways of preparation. Iron Chef did

that

too. I used the off switch.

 

Pat

 

++Yes, but the point about animal welfare (not talking animal liberation

here)

is that animals are supposed to be slaughtered humanely.

Hong Kong may have an SPCA and I will write to them and ask if they have

regulations regarding crustaceans.

I did turn the switch off actually, then I turned it on again to watch

what happened

to the lobster because if no-one complains and educates people, the

methods

of those who deal with killing animals for food will never improve.

Also many things that are traditional are not always acceptable or

right.

People's views of everything, including how we treat the animals evolves

over time eg Whaling was said to be " traditional " amongst some cultures,

but it doesn't stop other people trying to have whaling banned.

There are many people who try to make things better for the animals over

time.

I am one of them. I could easily have walked away from so many issues

that have

personally cost me thousands of dollars and my time, but I chose not to

and people

like me hopefully inspire others to think about what they are doing and

to hopefully change for the better.

 

Peace.

 

bunny

[Guest guest]

You are right, of course ;=) My response should have

been imagined accompanied by a weary sigh, a sad shake

of the head, and a silent tear. Unfortunately my

knowledge of emoticons is not quite up to that. I was,

however, up to saying, as I did, that The Iron Chef

(another culture there entirely) also had some pretty

gross footage of chefs tackling, for eg, live eels

with their knives, and that there was a tradition

involved in some parts of the world (several) of

ensuring freshness of, say, seafood by killing at the

last moment - and as you saw not humanely at all :=(

OTOH, North American practices with cattle would

horrify the beef farmers of Japan.

 

I would be interested in what the SPCA Hong Kong has

to say. I suspect - fear - you will find that, just as

cruelty to animals in North America does not include

some farmed animals, humane procedures do not apply to

lobsters. I would hope I am mistaken, but if so that

would raise the issue of the network's responsibility

- which is what you first mentioned indeed ;=)

 

Your comments about animal welfare respected, I would

prefer animals were not slaughtered at all.

 

Good luck!

 

Pat ;=)

 

++Yes, but the point about animal welfare (not talking

animal

>liberation here) is that animals are supposed to be

slaughtered humanely. Hong Kong may have an SPCA and I

>will write to them and ask if they have regulations

regarding >crustaceans.I did turn the switch off

actually, then I turned it >on again to watch what

happened to the lobster because if >no-one complains

and educates people, the methods of those who deal

with killing animals for food will never improve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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