To think jack Monroes recipe book is pretty shit

[Itsgonnabeacoldone]

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.

The world would be a better place with more “doers” like her and less shit-stirring people like the OP!

Yes indeed

I've borrowed the book from the library and cooked successfully from it. If it's not for you, fine, but there's no call for sneering.

I'm jack

And so's my wife.

Plenty of hysteria on here.

I liked her book and cooked quite a bit from it, must dig it out again.

Flipping heck.

I'm so glad I don't do the sort of work where an appraisal consists of strangers on the internet discussing me....not sure how well anyone could cope with that tbh.

Having been in the situation of walking into lidl with £12.31 in my pocket and needing to buy dog food and food for 2 people for a week with that, I absolutely get what she was trying to do.

What a spiteful thread.

I'm not a huge fan, but criticising someone for using their voice to shine a light on food poverty - really?

If you want to get worked up about something then why not get angry about the fact that food banks not only exist but are a necessity for an increasing number of people in this day and age.

Jack works eighty hour weeks

So when does she get to spend time with her child?

So when does she get to spend time with her child?

How on earth is that any of our business?!

In the same way as any of the information aboit her lifestyle on this thread is any of our business.

No, I'm Jack Monroe.

Actually I'm Jack Monroe.

Jack works eighty hour weeks
So when does she get to spend time with her child?

There are 168 hours in a week.

Presumably she spends time with him during the other 88 hours left remaining.

Maybe she works when he's at school, wrap around care or in bed?

Jack's been in the public eye for a good few years now. Her DS isn't a baby anymore.

I'm not her either, even though, by definition, writing supportive posts about her suggests that people think I am

I like Jack. I've never read her cook books though. She gets a huge amount of abuse online so this thread is in poor taste. Why add to the mountain of criticism she has to try to ignore each day?

My local very bog standard high street (full of charity shops, hair dressers and supermarkets) has a health food shop where you can buy tiny amounts of spices. You just have to spend 20p as a minimum and there's loads to choose from. I wouldn't claim everyone has access to a shop like that but they do exist.

you can't just buy a teaspoon of a spice

I've not been on the market in a while but in Wolverhampton you could, probably still can buy spices by the teaspoon. A lovely lady used toswell them and also sell mixes of spices.

I tried the book and really liked it. I like how all the recipes are adaptable. That curry with the tinned peaches is awesome.

As well as 'weigh and save' type places, Asian grocers and markets, Asda, Tesco and Morrisons at least sell Asian branded large spice packets for around a pound each.

If you could get one or two of these a month, you'd soon build up a great selection of spices for less than a tenner that would last for months and make a huge variety of meals.

Curry and chili powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika and garam masala are the ones I use most and will be plenty for a basic spice storecupboard.

Obviously not everybody is near to a supermarket, but plenty will be so it's far from a given that using spices is inaccessible to people on a small budget.

They sell East End in Tesco. I live by it. I really like Jack's recipes. Haven't cooked as much from the second book but the first one was fab.

I must say, as a result of this thread I now want to get her books. Well done, OP, you've increased her readership!

There are 168 hours in a week.

Presumably she spends time with him during the other 88 hours left remaining.

So she doesn’t sleep? She’s more amazing than we all thought

I think her books are pretty good and I will always commend her for highlighting food poverty as an issue and making cookery books relevant to people on a tight budget rather being the preserve of those who can afford Nigella's well stocked drinks cabinet.

I see it as pretty churlish to criticise her actually.

And the double standards on here would make you weep. Loads of threads about how if people on low incomes could cook, they'd make their money go much further. Yet the second someone like Jack Monroe tries to help this situation, she gets pulled to shreds for it.

I've got her first book and found it really helpful to be honest. Things like her home-made tomato sauce are basic but cheap and good and save lots of money. . Also a very nice peach and chick pea curry and some sort of Moroccan dish with prunes and tinned spuds. It's cooking on a budget, not Masterchef.