Raw chicken is probably the first thing that most people think of when thinking of foodborne illness. You would think chefs would know to use a thermometer to prevent undercooked chicken from ending up on the table.

However, tonight I witnessed a chef on 24 Hour Restaurant Battle (on the Food Network) serve some raw chicken to his diners. Not just to any person at that, but Marcus Samuelsson and Scott Conant, who were judges on the show. At least they got it right, immediately recognizing the risks and spitting it out.

Every person in the vicinity turned around when Samuelsson pointed out: “That is dangerous; that is not undercooked, it’s raw.”

If your restaurant makes people barf, it’s not going to fare so well. Mr. Blumenthal learned that the hard way last year when his restaurant was shut down due to norovirus.
The chef on the show also learned the hard way; the raw chicken cost him the $10, 000 prize.
 

Food poisoning has apparently caused the postponement of Elton John's scheduled concert at Tucson Arena.

The Arizona Daily Star reports that Wednesday night's show was nearly sold out with about 8,800 tickets purchased. Organizers say the British rocker will perform Thursday night instead.

A spokeswoman for the Tucson concert venue says John apologizes for the inconvenience caused by his illness, but doctors say he will be fine to take the stage Thursday.
 

I glance through celebrity blogs to find examples of America’s best and brightest suffering from food poisoning like mere mortals.

Really.

PerezHilton.com is reporting that Carrot Top – a bad comedian turned I-don’t-know-what, and who has his picture inexplicably splashed around Las Vegas -- was briefly hospitalized yesterday for an unspecified issue.

Carrot Top said in a statement today:

"It was food poisoning and the resulting dehydration that made him drive himself to the hospital. Fluids were put into his system for a few hours, and then he was released."

Perez says, Bullshiz! If you have food poisoning, you can barely move your body to the toilet, let alone drive yourself to the hospital!
 

Last night was rough for Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry, as his team lost at the buzzer to the L.A. Lakers in basketball’s western conference playoff game; and he vomited into a garbage can during the game, which he blamed on food poisoning – the chicken wrap or the fried guacamole.

I’m going with the guacamole. I still can’t touch the stuff after a girlfriend 25 years ago had a tragic guacamole vomiting incident – tragic in that it was everywhere, accompanied with the burning scent of garlic and avocado.

And is there anything Americans won’t deep-fry?

A colleague reports that after the game, one of the television dudes theorized the coach was likely targeted by some restaurant worker who was a Laker fan.

After hurling, Gentry stayed on the bench, had an IV treatment at halftime and later blamed his condition on fried food from a nearby eatery, adding,

"I was not going to leave the sidelines. I told someone it's very similar to college. Once you get it out of the system, everything's OK. It's like a Friday night frat party, OK?"