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.

[EccentricaGallumBATS]

Hi Jamie

What is better cake or cheese?


ps - one of my DDs shares a name with one of your DDs - good choie!

[MinkyBorage]

Hi Jamie, I have four questions, hope that's OK.

1. Do you worry that you are prostituting yourself a little doing all the Sainsbury's ads?
   
2. Do you worry that you are becoming 'Brand Oliver' rather than the perfectly lovely family that you clearly are. Is it a strain?
   
3. Have you had any plastic surgery? (I don't believe you and I wish you hadn't)
   
4. You seem to have stayed on top of your game financially as well as everything else. How is that when Gordon Ramsey many other famous chefs have lost it? What's your secret?
   
   I like your recipes muchly thanks.

[glasjam]

Hi Jamie - am loving your American Revolution. Genuinely feared for your life when watching the first episode - don't your realise those people have guns! one of my thoughts as I watched through my fingers!

Wondered what your opinion was on the "low fat" drive that sees our kids consuming vast amounts of processed stuff bulked out with crap and sweetners when many people are coming round to thinking that it's the amount of high fructose corn syrup/sugar loaded drinks and snacks and empty carbs that are contributing to the obesity epidemic?

I would rather my child had a bowl of strawberries and full fat double cream and truly enjoyed it rather than a plasticy, saccharine-sweet low fat strawberry yoghurt.

[prettybird]

Good question glasjam - couldn't guess why you asked it?!.....

[YunoYurbubson]

Whut?? What plastic surgery? Where? No!

[OhLuckyYou]

Hi Jamie, congratulations to you and the lovely Jools on your new arrival!

I'm loving the American Food Revolution but wondering why you wanted to do this programme - you've said in interviews that you're not trying to break into America and that these types of documentaries don't make you any money so what was your motivation? Obviously they needed your help but why go to the USA when there's still loads that needs to be done here? I'm not criticising just trying to say WE WANT YOU TO STAY HERE!!

PS do you eat biscuits? What's your favourite?

[WideWebWitch]

Hi Jamie
I'm not normally a fawning type but I'm making an exception...Just wanted to say thanks for the school dinners campaign - the head at my daughter's school said she wasn't allowed to run a proper kitchen in her school until your campaign and then the county council realised they couldn't say no. So we now have very decent school dinners provided as a result. Good for you for Fifteen too.

[NigellaPleaseComeDineWithMe]

Hi Jamie - I do admire how you want to put yourself out and try to do the right thing - even if sometimes it back fires a bit. Fiften and stuff like that is great.

I cook quite a bit mmyself - the new 30 minute programme - think they are a bit over ambitious and not to realistic for the average cook to do - I'd struggle myself a bit to do all that in 30 mins. Made the Portugues tarts last night - pretty fab!!

How do you think we could set up similar 'Jamie's Kitchens' across the country? It's something I'd like to do to be able to show people that proper cooking is not so dificult and you can get great results quite easily. I'm appalled at the level of HE (food tech) in Secondary schools as they don't seem to teach them enough actual skills and seem to repeat the same type of stuff each year with little progression.

[PfftTheMagicDragon]

Hello Jamie,

How happy are you with the level of school dinners now being offered and how do you think this tallies up with packed lunches? I think that you took on a huge task with the dinners and I applaud you for trying to change them.

I think that dinners have not changed enough and get around certain restrictions by allowing choice. So my son could choose pizza on monday for his meat choice and then on Thurday, the vegetarian choice would be pizza - so he could choose that if he wanted.

Also - the continued serving of sweet puddings when children with lunchboxes are banned from bringing in sweet foods is laughable.

Do you plan to do much more with the school dinners or have you punished yourself enough for one lifetime ?

[CFT]

My DS, 8yrs, is a truly picky eater and not at all confident at trying new foods (refers to tastes exploding in his mouth). He is, however, obsessed with food programmes including Masterchef (and jnr Masterchef). He asked me last night who was a better chef, you or Michel Roux? I could only answer that your style is more home-spun, and that noone wants fine dining every day of the week. (1) Is this a fair reflection of your talents? (2) Do you know of other chefs who have extra sensitive taste buds that I could refer to, to encourage him to cook, taste and try new flavours himself?

[jetcat]

ooh Jamie

I would like to say a massive thanks for the MOF book. A fellow Mnetter bought it for me when I was really poorly and it has made such a difference to what my two daughters and I eat.

Growing up in children's homes during the 1980s, we werent even allowed in the kitchen let alone cook in it, and as a result, I never learned to cook I see your book as my bible, and follow it religiously - even going as far as stocking up with the store cupboard list.

I would like to second a previous poster's request for a weekly planner list though, to make it easier to plan ahead and use leftovers etc

And congrats on your lovely family

[RustyBear]

MNHQ - do you know your BookClub newsletter says this webchat is on 15th November

[HelenMumsnet]

Oh dear

But thank you for spotting that. Maybe we should ask Jamie back for a re-run in Nov?

[Sazisi]

Hi Jamie.

Thanks for all the lovely recipes which I have enjoyed over the years :)

Do you think you spend enough time with your family? Does your wife agree?
I ask because you come across as very driven; my husband is a bit of a workaholic too and I'm torn between wishing we all had more time with him, and enjoying the lifestyle we can afford thanks to his hard work This week he is away for a conference so it's very much the former

What is your childrens' favourite dinner?

[MickyLee]

Hi Jamie.

Can i just tell you what a lovely family you have. İ can honestly say that being a stay at home mum to nearly 3 children, i find Jools a true inspiration. İn this day and age some woman feel thay have to have it all and feel they are missing out or not as valued if they give up their career.

İ love how Jools opening talks about being happy to care for her family and always wanting to be a SAHM. Good for her and your family.

Can you do a cooking on a budget book? wanted to make your christams dinner gravy until i discovered it would cost us a weeks worth of food shopping!

[chimchar]

hi jamie

i'm very excited to be going to a "jamie at home" party....if i buy one thing only...what should it be?!

also, do you enjoy other people cooking for you? are you overly critical?

we heart you in this house.. lovely news about your new baby too. congrats to you, jools and the gang!

[MickyLee]

Oh sorry... working on a Turkish keyboard

[kittymc]

Hi Jamie, big fan of all your work- wondering if you intend to look at the food in creches and baby food in general at any point? i have a one year old and i am shocked at the amount of salt in a lot of mainstream branded baby foods ( always displayed as a RDA of the adult guidelines rather than babys) and having started her in creche 2 months ago i am having to move her as i am unhappy with the quality of food provided- fishfingers and beans, sausage and spag hoops!!Surely this is the key stage for setting palates for a lifetime of loving good food??

[perhapstomorrow]

Hi Jamie,

I love your new show and how you're managing to make so much yummy food in 30 mins. However, it was be nice to see a bit more family friendly meals in it for us busy mums. As a father of four you must have an extensive list of recipe's that your little ones love. Any plans to do a family friendly\children's series?

[abgirl]

Just wanted to say I think you are a marvel. I am Chair of Governors at an infants school. 3 years ago only 4 children of 130 had school dinners, which were bussed in from the local junior school. We didn't have a kitchen. We have now converted the servery into a proper kitchen, we have a chef and over half the school have school dinners - there is a choice of meals and oven chips only once every three weeks. I would say that most of this is because of the influence of your campaign, so thank you very much.

I would also very much like you to do something on tele for children. We run a cookery club but we only have our pupils for three years. Something in the junior/teenage market would be fantastic...

[sethstarkaddersmummyreturns]

You see Jamie, LOADS of people want you to do a tv show for kids

[pointydog]

I love you, Jamie. You always seem such a happy simple bloke.

Anyway, these regulations for school foodstuffs are crazy. What is the point of banning chocolate and serving low-fat sausages?

My question: have you not just totally ripped off nigel slater with your "new" 30-min meals promo? I don't even love nigel but I feel a bit miffed on his behalf.

[RunawayPumpkin]

Massive Jamie fan here, I learnt to cook with his book Cook and I now have every one of his books with the new 30 minuet meals on my Christmas list. My 10 year old son loves to cook the honeycomb cannelloni.

So thank you Jamie for all the lovely ideas.

Question. In your latest food revolution in Huntingdon did you ever feel like just packing up and going home to your lovely family and just leaving them to get on with it? I was in tears watching the 12 year old boy being tested for diabetes, he seems such a lovely young man I am so glad you were able to help him and did not give up on the town, but did you ever just think it was a losing battle. I cried with you when you said they did not understand why you were there.

Keep up the good work