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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think jack Monroes recipe book is pretty shit

240 replies

Itsgonnabeacoldone · 04/12/2017 19:58

Secret santa present and i was interested to have a quick look through, but after 10 mins I've decided it's a waste of space and will be going to the charity shop tomorrow.

She often speaks as if she's doing charity work and helping the poorest people with these. But really who would buy it if you were that poor.

She talks about it being inexpensive as you just need a small amount of this and that but you cant just buy half a teaspoon of a spice. It might be useful if you already have the spices and end up broke, but honestly if you already have a collection of spices you are going to know how to use them.

Lots of the ingredients she says you can't buy from the local corner shop and this is where many poor people have to shop.

Some of her sage advice is to just have one type of oil and vinegar. If you are poor that's exactly what you wouldn't do - your not going to be stocking up on half a dozen different types of vinegar if you are skint. If you are not skint then why on earth would you limit the number of oils or vinegars - they are all used for different things.

I can't see who this book would help, if you have access to cheap ingredients you can make cheap food. It just comes all of as very middle class faux help.

OP posts:

missmoz · 11/12/2017 16:37

Maybe she wouldn't come across as so irritating if she didn't have to constantly defend her background, parenting, sexuality, and just about everything else, on various platforms? Tends to make someone a bit defensive.

She created a great blog for people on low incomes, not everyone found it useful, a lot of people did. She then got a book deal, good for her. If you don't like it give it to charity (all the people throwing copies in the bin so they don't inflict it on anyone else, yeah right, course you did...)

There are other people who are far far far more deserving of the level of hatred thrown at her for essentially trying to create something good and useful.

FluffyWuffy100 · 11/12/2017 16:57

That is the nature of the beast - if you want to be a public figure (which she clearly does, what with constant appearance on chat shows etc) then unfortunately you are open to criticism.

christmasrage · 12/12/2017 07:40

What Jack identified is that people on a very low income tend to eat more junk food and processed food than people on a good income. Many people cookery books assume good equipment, a range of store cupboard items, spare time... Jack's recipes tend to be quick and easy, cheaper and more nutritious than a microwave meal. No need to live on Ramen noodles.

She also gave away most of the money she earned from Sainsbury's.

I like her because she is genuine. Muddled, but genuine. She is in a public position, but she is an ordinary person who makes mistakes, changes her mind, etc. She's also passionate about inequity. She struggles, but doesn't feel the need to hide that and pretend otherwise.

Original poster

Itsgonnabeacoldone · 12/12/2017 11:25

What Jack identified is that people on a very low income tend to eat more junk food and processed food than people on a good income

Funny how she "identified" this a good 5 years after Jamie O and Hugh FW went on about this and even then it was common sense that most people knew.

Its shocking people have food economics lessons at school and can leave without understanding beans and pulses make cheap meals.

She struggles, but doesn't feel the need to hide that and pretend otherwise.

Quite. If you ever suggest you are poor she will tell you with certainty she was poorer. Certainly not shy about having a pissing contest about who was poorer.

OP posts:

AlexaAmbidextra · 12/12/2017 14:56

IMO everything Jack Monroe says is shit.

Chaosofcalm · 12/12/2017 15:21

*It is okay to say the book is shit.

Not really okay to diss the author and sneer so nastily, OP.*

^ THIS.

I must be getting more and more naive as I get older. The world is an unpleasant and difficult enough place for people without the need for us to turn nasty about individuals. Maybe I am too much of a snowfake for social media.

Anyway with a veggie DH and a dairy free DD I am off to google her new veggie recipes.

LaurieMarlow · 12/12/2017 15:26

Funny how she "identified" this a good 5 years after Jamie O and Hugh FW went on about this and even then it was common sense that most people knew.

Totally disagree. Jamie and Hugh have never known poverty in their lives and it shows in their approach to recipes. They may have played to this audience for marketing purposes, but they are on no level as relatable as Jack who actually knew what it was like to have less than 20 quid to spend on food in a week. Her recipes are much more down to earth/stripped back than there's and the very relaxed approach to alternatives is genuinely helpful.

And no, plenty of people don't have basic cookery skills, including people on a budget.

Dislike her as a person all you like, but it sounds really bitter and churlish to undermine the good she's done.

Tinycitrus · 12/12/2017 15:31

I think she tried to do a good thing - not sure she reached the groups she wanted to but it’s just a cook book. She seems muddled and vulnerable- just a normal person struggling like the rest of us.

Certainly more helpful that Jamie Oliver’s budget meals “Just buy a whole salmon fir £16 and feed the family..”

Original poster

Itsgonnabeacoldone · 12/12/2017 16:23

Totally disagree. Jamie and Hugh have never known poverty in their lives and it shows in their approach to recipes. They may have played to this audience for marketing purposes

My point was it was nothing new or discovered, it was commonly known. Jack is just as guilty for playing an audience for marketing purposes. She tweets on the hour every hour about how poor she was during a temporary blimp. I don't think it's personal insults to suggest she's miking her poverty story for all she can to further herself.

OP posts:

IsaSchmisa · 12/12/2017 16:40

Jamie has certainly tried to do some budget stuff, but not the extent that Jack did. Plus, lots of it is not 'common sense'. The salmon paste and pasta tip upthread, for example.

formerbabe · 12/12/2017 16:53

I have the Save with Jamie book. The recipes are brilliant, I really rate him...but it's not cooking on a budget in my world! The Jack Monroe book is much more realistic as to how you cook when you're skint!

VioletDaze · 12/12/2017 18:34

Not judging whether Jack's a nice person or not, but her recipes are certainly considerably more realistic (in my experience) than Jamie's. They are a lot more accessible if you're not already into cooking and definitely a load cheaper than the Jamie Oliver recipes, which tend to have a slightly odd idea about what constitutes 'budget'.

Schlimbesserung · 12/12/2017 18:34

Someone gave me the Save With Jamie book and the recipes are fine, but nothing I didn't already know. I also noticed the cover price was £20!

BertieBotts · 12/12/2017 18:48

I've just looked at some of those Save With Jamie recipes. Most of them are costed at less than £1 per serving, which is OK, but then there are ridiculous ones where he openly admits it's not even a full meal, just a snack or light lunch or even a side Where it's over a fiver for 4 people!

LaurieMarlow · 12/12/2017 18:57

Jack's approach comes across as much more effective in getting under confident people on a budget into cooking. And that comes from her lived experience of doing it herself.

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