Live Webchat with Jamie Oliver this Friday 15th October between 9 and 10 am.

[RachelMumsnet]

We're delighted to announce that Jamie Oliver will be joining us on Mumsnet on Friday 15th October for an early brunch between 9 and 10 am. Jamie's groundbreaking new book Jamie's 30 Minute Meals is now on sale and his TV series of the same name begins tonight on Channel 4 at 5.30pm and runs daily on week days for four weeks. Jamie needs no further introduction to Mumsnetters; you've discussed everything from his School Meals Campaign to his baby name choices. Now's your chance to put your questions to the man himself. If you can't join us next Friday, post your questions to Jamie in advance on this thread.

Is it cheating if all members of the family ask a question?
DD would like to ask one too (She loves Jamie and counts his Korma as one of her all time favourite dinners).

Oh well, I'll ask it for her anyway.
DD, age 9, asks:
Jamie, what do you make for your kids when you are tired at the end of the day, my Mum always makes green pasta and I'm bored of it.

(green pasta is pasta with broccoli, green beans, peas and pesto)

Hula.

Anyone else agree - Jamie should do a series for children?

it would be brilliant, right?

Do your daughters stay for school dinners?

Hi Jamie,

Congrats to you and your family on your new addition!

Ministry of food is a fantastic book and I use it all of the time for my curries, chilli,spag bol and roasts. Great results every time.

Any top tips on how to make our weekly shop go further and cost less whilst still being delicious and healthy?

Yes, I agree with the series for children idea! I was thinking it as me and the dc (5 and 2) watched your new series today and they were transfixed!

Hi Jamie

I hope this isn't a strange question... In Jool's book about having your first two daughters there was a picture of you two with your NCT group. This always fascinated me - how easy is it for you as a family to lead a "normal", non-celeb life? Do you still meet up with your NCT group like us mere mortals?

Incidentally, I used to have lunch at your parent's pub in Clavering in the 1990's - perhaps you once cooked for me! (the food there was delicious).

Oh and PS your Spanish Chorizo and Chickpea soup might look like swamp water but it is fab!

(Sorry this didn't mean to sound so fawning).

Jamie, I was just saying to DP the other day that I was going to send my first ever fan mail to you. I didn't even send Bros fan mail when I was a teen so that's saying summat! I am embarking upon a new project to get decent cookery lessons rolled out as after school clubs and was going to throw in some cheeky asks whilst singing your praises...anyway...

What do you think about the obsession with healthy eating? I see you being sensible about it all and then I see the Government clenching their butt holes over the issue. A bit like that school in your USA programme where they were going "we have to have two types of grain per meal" (to paraphrase) and ending up with a carb fest.

I am utterly pissed off with the lack of chocolate and cakes in our lives (or rather, my children's lives and my lunch pack when I had the misfortune of working in a school and wasn't allowed to scoff anything unhealthy).

Why can't educators realise there is a place for cake once you've had a good feed up on quality protein and varied vegetables? Okay, it isn't essential to health but surely denying its existence is making eating on a par with hoovering or ironing rather than an enjoyable part of life. That's where the message is going wrong I feel, what do you think?

You know the irony of all this hyped up reaction to 'junk' is that one can work in a school that freaks out if the coffee you grabbed at lunch from the drive thru (as I did) has a McDonalds M on it and yet the same school gets the kids to hand out donuts on Fridays to all the office staff to say thanks for being on hand to deal with dinner money and sick bowls.

The people making the rules so don't get it in terms of the balance between nutrition and eating as a social and sociable ritual. Do you agree with me or am I lonely on my soapbox? There's much more fun to be had making rock buns and crumpets with the kids than cutting up carrot sticks.

PS I don't 'get' your Jamie at Home stuff and have yet to buy, could you explain?

I am going to be on the Mumsnet test drive day when Jamie is live but I promise I am a big fan and am in love with your fish pie, fish curry, and oh, heaps of other stuff. If you moved Nigella in with you and Jools it would be the threesome from heaven I reckon.

Hello Jamie, we love your recipes. I lived in Italy for nearly 5 years, and practically wore out Jamie's Italy as it was the only decent Italian cookbook I could find, and it was difficult to get ingredients for anything else.

I second the kids series: my kids would really like that, they love cooking, especially when they can turn the processor on and off . My 8yo can do great pancakes, the whole job from larder to the table.

My question is why do I find cooking meat really hard and fish easy? I always know fish will turn out perfect for a dinner party, but meat is really risky for me. Anything roast is dry except chicken, and some steak is really chewy. This despite the fact that I cook meat more often, as it's cheaper and there's a better range in the supermarket I use (don't have time to shop around - full time job + 3 kids, sorry!).

And PS: this was today's lunch menu at my children's school (French lycee), just for your interest:

Macédoine de légumes
Oeuf mimosa

Tomate aux crevettes roses
Emincé de porc aux poivrons et tomates ou
Gigot d'agneau sauce au miel et romarin

Carottes au thym
Penne

Kiri OU yaourt nature

Flan vanille

Hi Jamie,

I am a huge fan of your recipes, particularly those found in MOF, the spicier the better for us! In these times where many of us are trying to make our shopping go further, could you recommend ways of making meals go further?

BTW I must say how much I admire your passion for supporting British farmers and transforming school dinners.

Thank you

Forgot to say, the iPhone app is fantastic.

hi jamie, i am currently discussing why on EARTH children in dd's school need to have a choice between plain, strawberry and chocolate milk with some annoying woman at the council. she tells me that it 'meets nutritional guidelines'.

are you happy with the current nutritional guidelines?

oh, and fwiw i am a believer. you'll never please everyone all the time but i believe that you are sincere in your mission and am grateful for your doing it.

I lost my mum who was a wonderful cook; your books gave the inspiration to cook for my family as mum had done for me. When you get tired or fed up, remember people like me who are so grateful. I have just finished my cod wrapped in rosemary and bacon dinner.

One request, could we have a chapter or two that gives you a weekly planner so you know what to buy and can plan so there are no leftovers. I get annoyed with myself for forgetting ingredients or have leftovers ingredients that I don?t know what to do with.

oh god, can I join in with the general fawning please? I LOVE your books and DH (who is a czech with next to no interest in food if it isn't a) served with dumplings and b) predominantly meat) has even been converted by some of your recipes into eating vegetables occasionally! I too believe you are sincere and am very grateful to you - it's a shame that the government keep on wanking on about healthy eating without DOING anything about it, and it would be nice if they could listen to you.

2 questions I'm afraid:

1. my friend saw you in our local sainsburys (stortford) a couple of christmases ago and still wonders if you get an employee discount - do you?
2. ditto the request for a children's TV show and book - real food which is suitable for very young kids would be great (like some easy meat balls, roasted veg etc - to show people that babies don't need mush from jars! Aitch can tell you more about baby led weaning, but I'm astonished at my friends only feeding their babies from jars then being surprised that they won't touch home made food once they get a bit older), as well as food children can cook for themselves.

p.s. we used to have a Jamie Oliver Olive oil drinking game - every time you mentioned it in your shows, we'd down a drink. I had never made it to the end of one of your TV programmes sober until DS was on his way and I had to grow up. I'm not complaining though :o

If you could have anything cooked for you by anyone, who and what would it be?!

oh yes i can tell you more about baby led weaning...

ha ha aitch - we have read much of your blog, and since I cook a LOT from jamie oliver recipe books, DS has been baby led weaned by you and Jamie :o after a fashion...

(oh and Mr Oliver - forgot to say congratulations on your new baby - very cute!)

apparently jamie's recipes are among the healthiest of all the tv chefs, so i can believe that. nigella's a heart attack on a plate, seemingly.

Hello Jamie. I am another fan. Your fish pie from MOF is an especially big hit with my children.

I would love to see you on TV being handed a family's weekly shopping budget and then shopping in their local shops and cooking all the meals. Not just a couple of nice dinners but breakfasts, packed lunches etc etc. It would be great to see what you came up with on a £40/£80/£120 per week budget.

How about it?

one question- what on earth were you both thinking with regard to your children's names??

Also we went once to your parent's place in clavering, it was when the clocks changed, our first night away minus kids, no hint re clocks so we missed breakfast

All my DC enjoy watching your programmes on TV they would love a programme just for them.Any chance?

How is life wiyh 4 dc?

We have 4, just a little bit older, often think of you all.Keep up the fantastic work. You are making a real differece.

Jamie, Thank you.

I struggle to think of one individual who has had as profound or direct an impact on contemporary Britain.

And, I think amongst all the important campaigns, some may have forgotten it was you who made cooking cool and accessible to young men. 10 years ago men who cooked regularly for friends, partners of their families were genuinely exceptional. You changed that. I am forever grateful and legions of women thank you for it too.

Reading the negative comments on the G2 article this evening saddened me. There are plenty shallow ways you could have exploited your fame or your eloquence. I'm more cynical than most, but I am humbled by the choices you have made and by your commitment and your passion to make people happy.

Now, I know animal welfare is an important issue for you and don't mean to hijack, but wondered if you had any thoughts on my current lonely crusade against Porkinson Sausages. I used to buy them because they used outdoor reared pork. Their website and Tesco Online still proudly wave the outdoor reared flag, but in fact Kerry Foods who produce Porkinson (& it transpires Richmond sausages too) changed their Porkinson product last month and no longer use outdoor reared pork. I know welfare is a complex matter, but this seems like such a regressive step. It's gutting large producers can cut animal welfare so heavily out of their branding mix at a time when it should be even higher on the agenda.

BTW I think the new series is genius!

We have ALL of your books - DH (the house chef) is a devotee and I (the house glutton) am too.

BUT we can never remember which recipe is in which book. Any chance of producing an overall index please?

ooh, just came back to thread to say "squidge that Alice's cheeks" for being positive finally