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Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gordon Ramsay says there's one dish you should never order in a restaurant
Falling for the "dish of the day" at your favourite eatery might seem appealing due to its usually tempting presentation and exclusive vibes. A marketing and psychology expert has, however, warned customers to be wary through a TikTok revelation. These enticing offers might not actually hold the value we presume they do. Marketing guru Basia spilled on TikTok that these so-called "specials" are often nothing more than clever strategies to shift ingredients nearing their shelf life. For example, chefs may find themselves with an excess of steak close to expiration and decide to craft a novel dish to use it up wisely. Basia shed light on the trickery, saying: "The daily special written in chalk? It's been 'today's special' for three weeks. But your brain sees handwriting and thinks: limited, fresh, rare." Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, boasting Michelin stars, also sides with this cautionary stance. He warns his fans against opting for soup specials which could just be a smorgasbord of whatever's left over, reports the Mirror. In a session with Town and Country, he advised discerning food lovers: "Ask what yesterday's soup du jour was before today's special. It may be the case that it's the soup du month." Anthony Bourdain, the culinary legend behind Kitchen Confidential, also had words of advice about ordering fish on Mondays. Such a fishy deal could suggest it's a leftover from Friday, waiting to be sold off as the week begins. It appears that ordering fish on Mondays might not be the freshest choice, given many fish markets are closed on weekends. In a viral clip, Basia spills the beans on the sneaky methods restaurants employ to make you spend more. 1. The "anchoring effect" plays with customer's minds by setting high prices for some items so others appear to be a bargain, as noted by Basia: "It's to make others look like a deal." 2. It's no coincidence the tip jar looks used; Basia explained that it's a ploy to encourage you to follow suit: "They put cash in the tip jar before you even show up. So when you see it, your brain goes: 'Oh... tipping is what people do here." 3. That awkward moment when asked about water - still or sparkling? As Basia revealed, it's a subtle nudge towards spending: "[It's] not 'would you like water?' It skips the choice of whether, and jumps to which." 4. Currency symbols missing on a menu isn't an oversight. Basia uncovered why seeing '€24' strikes differently than just '24', stating: "Because '€24' screams money. But '24' just looks like a number."
Edinburgh Live
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Gordon Ramsay says there's one dish you should 'avoid ordering' at all costs
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info When you see a "dish of the day" promoted in a restaurant, it's rather appealing to consider trying it. These meals are often showcased as something unique and described so tantalisingly that customers feel an irresistible urge to order them. However, a marketing and psychology expert has revealed this can be somewhat misleading. Despite how good they might look, these offers may not always be the fantastic bargains they're made out to be. A TikTok marketing expert Basia suggests these "specials" are rarely as special as they suggest. Instead, she says they're typically just clever ways for chefs to ensure surplus ingredients get used before expiring. For example, there could be excess steak close to its sell-by date; savvy chefs might turn it into an enticing new offering to prevent waste. In her insightful TikTok video, Basia observed: "The daily special written in chalk? It's been 'today's special' for three weeks. But your brain sees handwriting and thinks: limited, fresh, rare.", reports the Mirror. Even celebrated chef Gordon Ramsay, with his Michelin-starred reputation, endorses this view and advises guests to be cautious of soup specials. He intimates they're usually just an amalgam of whatever leftovers exist, served again and again. Ramsay suggested in Town and Country magazine: "Ask what yesterday's soup du jour was before today's special. It may be the case that it's the soup du month." Similarly, prominent chef Anthony Bourdain warned his readers in Kitchen Confidential against choosing fish dishes on Mondays. Such a special at the beginning of the week might imply the fish has been sitting around since Friday, unsold. Fish markets usually close over the weekend, throwing into question Monday's seafood freshness. In her video, Basia unveils common restaurant psychological ploys to enlighten her audience on these covert tactics.... 1. The power of price perception. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. The "anchoring effect" is often utilised by eateries to shape patrons' value perception. By listing a steak for £50 alongside another for £35, it makes the second option seem like a steal. As Basia highlighted: "It's to make others look like a deal." 2. A never-empty tip jar. Social pressure is substantial even among unnamed diners. Basia points out: "They put cash in the tip jar before you even show up. So when you see it, your brain goes: 'Oh... tipping is what people do here." 3. The still or sparkling query. Upon being seated, you may be queried about your water preference, with tap water often feeling like an awkward choice and raising overall spend. Basia states: "[It's] not 'would you like water?' It skips the choice of whether, and jumps to which." 4. Menus sans currency icons. To soft-pedal the pricing, some establishments list prices sans the pound sign, leaving just digits that might appear less daunting. Clarifying this approach, Basia says: "Because '£24' screams money. But '24' just looks like a number."
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First Post
21-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Pope's Maga brother meets Donald Trump at White House. Who is Louis Prevost?
Louis Martin Prevost, the brother of Pope Leo XIV, was photographed in the Oval Office alongside his wife Deborah, US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The social media posts of Louis, a self-described 'Maga-type', have come under scrutiny since his brother was elected pontiff read more Pope Leo XIV's brother Louis Prevost and his wife Deborah with US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance. Image courtesy: X Pope Leo XIV's brother met US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday. Louis Martin Prevost, a self-described 'Maga-type', was photographed in the Oval Office alongside his wife, Trump and Vance. 'Great meeting between President Trump, Vice President Vance, and @Pontifex's brother, Louis Prevost, and his wife Deborah,' a senior Trump aide posted on social media along with the photograph. This comes just a day after Vance met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The new pope has been a fierce critic of Trump and the Maga movement. But who is the 73-year-old brother of the new pontiff? What do we know about him? Let's take a closer look Who is Louis Prevost? Louis is the older brother of Pope Leo XIV. As per The Guardian, Louis lives in Florida's Port Charlotte. Louis is married to Deborah Prevost, as per Town and Country. As per People Magazine, Louis, like his siblings went to St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, a school on the South Side of Chicago. Louis, like his father, served in the US Navy. Louis came into the spotlight after his brother, previously known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost , was elected head of the Catholic Church. Louis told Town and Country he and his brother spoke before the conclave. 'We talked a little bit about it and I said you know what happens if you win? If they vote for you, are you going to accept it?' Louis asked. '[He said] 'I will accept it; it's God's will; it's in his hands.'' Louis, speaking to People Magazine after his brother was elected pope, said he considered his brother a 'weird' kid because he 'always wanted to play priest.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Nobody else in our 'hood played priest, but Robert did. And our parents always supported his wishes in that area,' Louis said. 'Mom let him use our ironing board to put a sheet over, and crackers we had for communion. My brother enjoyed this.' Louis Prevost, brother of Pope Leo XIV and his wife Deborah sit amongst dignitaries including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance during a Mass for the formal inauguration of Pope Leo XIV's pontificate in St. Peter's Square. AP Louis has claimed that a nun in the second grade told his brother he would be pope someday. Even his friends' mothers said so. 'They all thought my brother would grow up to be the pope!' However, it is Louis' social media posts – critical of Joe Biden and Barack Obama and their voters, trans people and Nancy Pelosi – that have come under scrutiny. As per The Guardian, Lou posted a video in which a slur was used against ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Another post from 2017 claimed Obama and the Democrats were 'longing for the total destruction of our way of life and turning this country into a dictatorship, and a racist one on top of it'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Sometimes I like to go stir the pot,' Louis told Piers Morgan last week as per 'A lot like I think President Trump does. He says things just to stir the pot. Cause it's fun to like get into some of these debates with people sometimes from the other side.' 'I wouldn't have posted it if I didn't kind of believe it,' Louis said about his Pelosi post. 'However, I had no idea that what was coming was coming this soon. And I can tell you since then I've been … biting my tongue about some of the stuff that is out there on social media.' Pope Leo's anti-Trump stance Pope Leo XIV has been critical of both Trump and the Maga movement even before becoming pontiff. As Trump's campaign ramped up in July 2015, Leo posted to X a Washington Post op-ed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, with the headline, 'Why Donald Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic.' In the wake of Trump's first election in 2016, Leo reposted a homily in which Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez — characterizing the fear among many, including schoolchildren who 'think the government is going to come and deport their parents, any day now' — said that America is 'better than this.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In September 2017, months into Trump's first term, Leo recirculated a post by author-activist Sister Helen Prejean saying she stands 'with the #Dreamers and all people who are working toward an immigration system that is fair, just, and moral.' He also reposted church chronicler Rocco Palmo's piece with the teaser, 'Saying Trump's 'bad hombres' line fuels 'racism and nativism,' Cali bishops send preemptive blast on DACA repeal.' In February 2025, Prevost shared an article entitled 'JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others" on his X profile. He also posted a link to an article by Pope Francis criticising JD Vance using Catholic doctrine as cover for the Trump administration's immigration policies. Pope Leo XIV has been critical of both Trump and the Maga movement even before becoming pontiff. Reuters In April 2025, when Trump had a meeting with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele to discuss using a prison where alleged human rights abuses took place to jail suspected gang members flown from the US, Prevost reposted a comment that included: 'Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed?' Leo XIV has said that those in the Maga movement are 'not real Christians.' People from the Maga in turn have gone after Pope Leo. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I mean it's kind of jaw-dropping,' Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon told the BBC. 'It is shocking to me that a guy could be selected to be the Pope that had had the Twitter feed and the statements he's had against American senior politicians,' Bannon, a Catholic, said. Far-right influencer Laura Loomer called Leo 'anti-Trump, anti-Maga, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis'. 'Pope Leo XIV: Registered Chicago Republican and pro-life warrior OR Open borders globalist installed to counter Trump?' wrote right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Trump, who had posted an AI-generated image of himself as pope, has congratulated Leo and said he is looking forward to meeting him. 'It is such an honour to realize that he is the first American,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'What excitement, and what a Great Honour for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!' 'I like the pope and I like the pope's brother,' Trump said on Wednesday, as per The Independent. 'Did you know that he lives in Florida? He's got MAGA, he's got Trump, and I look forward to getting him to the White House. I want to shake his hand. I want to give him a big hug.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But Louis remains confident his brother is the man for the job. 'He can smooth over the conservatives who were uncomfortable with Pope Francis and help put divisions aside,' Louis told People Magazine. 'He will help make all Catholics happy and build up the church instead of tearing it down.' WIth inputs from agencies
Daily Record
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Kate Middleton's 'intimate revelation' after Prince Louis' birth 'broke Royal tradition'
Kate Middleton has been a member of the Royal Family since she married Prince William in 2011 and the Duchess of Cambridge is known for her elegance and poise Kate Middleton broke with Royal convention by sharing a deeply personal insight following the arrival of Prince Louis. At 43, Kate, along with her husband Prince William, cherish their three children: 11-year-old Prince George, Princess Charlotte who is 10 and seven-year-old Louis. It wasn't until two years after welcoming Louis into the world that Kate felt ready to be candid about her pregnancy experiences. In a conversation with Giovanna Fletcher on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, the princess disclosed her struggles with hyperemesis gravidarum during each pregnancy, which left her feeling considerably less than cheerful as an expectant mother. Yet, she was able to find solace in hypnobirthing techniques, which allowed her a profound appreciation for the power of "mind over the body". According to Channel 5's William and Catherine: Putting Family First, Kate's decision to share intimate details about her giving birth was something "no Royal had ever done before". Victoria Murphy, Town and Country magazine's contributing editor, chimed in on this topic during the documentary, stating: "She was really open about her experiences of pregnancy and of labour. "She spoke about hypnobirthing techniques she had used, she spoke about the power of using breathing and she also made some quite funny comments about William saying, 'I'm not going to say William was there chanting sweet nothings at me'." Murphy continued, noting Kate's expressed desire to pursue something meaningful for herself: "And she went on to say this is something she wanted to do for her, which I think is something a lot of women can relate to but it was a really intimate revelation about her own personal experiences," reports Edinburgh Live. In a 2020 interview, Kate revealed that the meditation techniques she learned through hypnobirthing had helped alleviate her morning sickness. She recalled: "I'm not going to say that William was standing there sort of, chanting sweet nothings at me. "He definitely wasn't. I didn't even ask him about it, but it was just something I wanted to do for myself. "I saw the power of it really, the meditation and the deep breathing and things like that, that they teach you in hypnobirthing, when I was really sick, and actually I realised that this was something I could take control of, I suppose, during labour. It was hugely powerful." Kate also fondly remembered her childhood in Berkshire, where she spent time doing arts and crafts and visiting the greenhouse with her grandmother. She aims to draw on these happy memories when raising her own children. Royal expert Daniela Relph wrote on the BBC News website: "These are some of the most open and candid words we've heard from the Duchess of Cambridge. She speaks personally about her childhood and reflects on the value of her stable upbringing. "Many will relate to her honest accounts of pregnancy and motherhood, from the struggles of severe morning sickness to the benefits of hypnobirthing, the uncertainty of caring for a newborn, and the guilt of balancing work and relying on others for support." The documentary William and Catherine: Putting Family First airs tonight on Channel 5 at 7:30pm (May 17) and is also available to stream.
Edinburgh Live
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Kate Middleton broke from Royal tradition after making 'really intimate revelation'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Kate Middleton broke from Royal tradition when she made a 'really intimate' revelation following the birth of Prince Louis. Kate, 43, shares children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Louis with Prince William. It was two years after the birth of Louis however that Kate decided to open up about her experiences of pregnancy. Speaking to Giovanna Fletcher on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, Kate spoke of how she used hypnobirthing to cope with morning sickness during all three pregnancies. The princess revealed she suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, which meant she was 'not the happiest of pregnant people'. However, she explained the hypnobirthing meant she was able to realise the importance of "mind over the body". Victoria Murphy, contributing editor at Town and Country magazine, believes Kate's revelations will resonate with a lot of women. Speaking on Channel 5's William and Catherine: Putting Family First, she said: 'She was really open about her experiences of pregnancy and of labour. She spoke about hypnobirthing techniques she had used, she spoke the power of using breathing and she also made some quite funny comments about William saying, 'I'm not going to say William was there chanting sweet nothings at me'. (Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror) 'And she went on to say this is something she wanted to do for her, which I think is something a lot of women can relate to but it was a really intimate revelation about her own personal experiences.' Speaking in 2020, Kate explained the meditation techniques learnt during hypnobirthing helped her to combat morning sickness. She said: 'I'm not going to say that William was standing there sort of, chanting sweet nothings at me. "He definitely wasn't. I didn't even ask him about it, but it was just something I wanted to do for myself. "I saw the power of it really, the meditation and the deep breathing and things like that, that they teach you in hypnobirthing, when I was really sick, and actually I realised that this was something I could take control of, I suppose, during labour. It was hugely powerful." (Image: PA Archive/PA Images) Kate went on to recall her own childhood in Berkshire where she said she would do arts and crafts and go to the greenhouse with her grandmother. She says she would lean into her own youth when raising her children. Writing on the BBC News website, Royal expert Daniela Relph said: 'These are some of the most open and candid words we've heard from the Duchess of Cambridge. She speaks personally about her childhood and reflects on the value of her stable upbringing. 'There are many insights into her own experience of pregnancy and motherhood that many will recognise. She shares the misery of extreme morning sickness, the power of hypnobirthing, the uncertainty of those early days with a new baby and the guilt of working and relying on others to help you.' William & Catherine: Putting Family First airs on 5 at 7.30pm tonight (May 17). Watch or stream on 5.
