Jamie Oliver webchat, Thursday 29 August, 2.45pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

We're chuffed that Jamie Oliver is paying a return visit to Mumsnet this Thursday. His first MN webchat was back in 2010.

Jamie has a new book out, Save with Jamie: Shop Smart, Cook Clever, Waste Less (all subjects dear to MNers' hearts). It has 100 brand-new recipes designed to be accessible, reliable and, above all, affordable.

This is what Jamie says about his new book: "For years I have been telling people that if you look back through history, the best food in the world has always come from communities under massive financial pressure. But the proviso is that you MUST be able to cook! If you can't, and have no money, that is where the trouble starts. This is a cook book which, from start to finish has tasty recipes, all dedicated to great value, is a brilliant weapon to have on the shelf, and is relevant to every household. If you use this book the way it's intended, you should end up saving a wodge of cash from your wallet."

And to tie in with the book, he has a new six-part series on Channel 4 starting on Monday 2 Sept at 8pm.

Please post your question and join Jamie for a chat at 2.45pm on Thurs.

Oh, so this year your cashing in on poverty then and next year it's vegetarians?

Don't you think that a push for more cookery/budgeting/mealplanning/nutrition education in schools would benefit far more people than a book that is too highly priced to benefit much of the target audience (that you've kind of alienated publicly already)? Just curious.....

we felt that money saving was very relevant to right now - certainly people online were demanding tasty food that didn't cost an arm and a leg.

There have been some good questions earlier relating to truly budget cooking, i.e. those that don't require a store of "basics" which aren't factored in to the costs.

Actually i've done one, it's secretly locked in a vault

Aah! So you do have a vault. Someone speculated on that the other day. She thought it might be full of Turkey Twizzlers.

Hello Jamie

If you,Jools and the kids are having a night in together what comfort food would you be eating in front on the TV?

Lol at real questions vs selected !

Now he is here it has turned into inane fan girl comments and bumlicking

I'd like to know why you are always urging people to go to their local market (I don't have one) when you spent a long time being the face of a famous supermarket?

@SeaSickSal

Can you twerk?

I've tried but not knowing what I was doing. Not a good look. No one impressed. Specially not the kids.

Completely missed the point.

Sod this...I'm off

That was a complete non apology- what are you going to do Jamie, to bring attention to the issue that many people don't have access to locally produced food that's cheap. There isn't a market I can access outside of my working hours where I can 'buy 10 mangetout' within 4 miles of my house!

HoneyDragons! Cashing in on vegetarians? Really? because we dont have to buy the books you know.

Hi Jamie
How can I feed my family of 4 - two adults & two children three square healthy meals a day, with a budget of £50 a week?

He hasn't missed the point - he just has a different viewpoint

Could you answer one of the ones from the beginning about how much a food budget for jamie's budget meals would be/are (including store cupboard stuff)?

would you volunteer at a food bank for a day and advise recipients on how to create nutrionally valid menus for their families on the basics they are given?

Im eating fish and chips on the beach

@Pascha

What do you grab to eat at the end of a long hard day of cheffing? Is it beans on toast like the rest of us?

I actually really like beans on toast, know the rest of the world think we're barmy. I don't remember doing that for a late night snack for a while. Honestly a quick spaghetti arrabiatta heavy on the chilli or more than often, grab some apple, some lettuce, feta cheese, olives, dress it and I'm eating it in 2 mins. I eat it straight out of the bowl like a heathen - but it saves on the washing up!

A little trick: for odds and ends of cheese, you know the annoying bits that go smelly in your fridge. Before they go off have a grate up of random cheese into a tupperware, freeze it, have packet of tortilla in freezer too, and you can make super quick mexican cheese on toast in minutes. Cook it dry in a pan - no washing up! - add a little chilli. Has been done many times. Delicious.

I'm glad he didn't do a big apology. Stick to your guns Jamie. You think one thing we'd be tolerant of here is strong opinions!

@shenasseeds

Any cheaper alternatives to Olive oil?

Yep - groundnut oil, sunseed oil, sunflower oil.

@InTheRedCorner

Hi Jamie.

I think it's important that schools should fund basic cooking lessons again. What are your thoughts?

I also think its important that new families and existing are made aware of basic store cupboard ingredients and utensils to help them cook from scratch.

Without doubt, with mum and dads hard at work teaching kids the life skills of being able to cook and feed themselves, from opening a tin safely, boiling water, cooking eggs to proper meals, and it's essential, really essential.

The recent food plan given out by Mr Gove says schools will now be making that a reality, fingers crossed with don't just do it, we do it well, back up teachers with support and training and equipment, to make it one of the most exciting lessons in the week.

empress
I just reread that and thought

Hmm that looks a bit rude to my vegetarian friends and then saw your Post

Oh give him a bloody break. Half the posts on here are infighting and there are a gazillion questions within those and the rest. It's only been going for 20 minutes FFS.

I'm off to shoot a deer.

Really happy to hear that there is a vegetarian book on the way (as long as there aren't too many mushrooms in it. God I hate mushrooms and everyone assumes vegetarians want to eat them at every meal)

Oh come on Jamie, answer some of the harder hitting questions.