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.

shenasseeds - rapeseed oil (aka canola oil where I come from) is also really good, cheap and heart friendly!

Sorry, but to a lot of people £9.99 is not affordable. That's why I'd rather see it implemented in schools or information given in schools somehow so everyone that wants to access it can.

I know alikat - I've done the same. I think you missed my point. £10 isn't affordable for everyone.

To be fair to Jamie, he doesn't set the price of the books. That will be his publisher.

Good point soapboxqueen - there won't be time in the school day for it, but GOVE THE SEER OF ALL KNOWLEDGE WILL MAKE TIME WITH HIS ALIGHTY POWERS.

So your book isnt for folk on a budget then?

What swallowedafly said

BarryLellow, you can always borrow it from the library for free.

Jamie, I have to say I think you 15 Minute Meals is brilliant for families. I can't usually squeak it down to 15 minutes, but to have a fully-rounded, healthy meal ready in as much time as it takes to make something mediocre, I'm happy to do it. Is your new cookbook full of familiar favourites, or will it require a bit of a stretch for young conservative taste buds?

£1.38 per portion for 4 people eating 3 meals a day works out at £115.92 per week.

To be fair to Jamie, he is donating free copies of the book to library's, according to his twitter.

£2 per portion? So what, £6 per meal? That is not cheap.

@somersethouse

Love Jamie, have all the cookbooks, love his ethos, love how he has changed, against much adversity, the way people think about food. He has made the world healthier. I also love his enthusiasm and can't bear the negativity he has received on a thread today - it is utter bollocks.

My question: Hi Jamie - I live in Spain, my question is: what is your favourite Spanish food?

I love the approach, the simplicity, the seafood, oil chilli lemon juice parsley - you know, cooking over wood or charcoal, and of course the love affair of a million and one versions of tapas with a little sherry is no bad thing. Love Spanish cuisine.

@OneStepCloser

Hmm, I do want to ask a serious question in light of todays headline re the flatscreen TVs (I`m hoping you will say you were mis`quoted completely, as a tv would be handy for watching your show)

I do think teaching good cheap easy cooking is a great idea, but I do wonder about costs as most recipies do not take into account the store cupboard (have built mine up over a long period and can cheaply replace items weekly or monthly) and gadgets needed for cooking (ie, mixers, good quality saucepans, processers etc.....), so for a lot of people building up a well stocked store cupboard is really expensive, do your new recipies take this into account? (so not using too many items that are quite unusual) I think this puts a lot of people of trying to cook from scratch.

I think you make a really good point. The good thing about building up your store cupboard is that certainly most of it doesn't go off and won't end up being wasted. You've almost answered one of the best tips which is if you build it up and buy bigger quantities of oil, rice, vinegar. Generally the best places I find are ethnic supermarkets, where there is demand, and a fraction of the price of supermarkets.

Not only are these exciting places to be but you can get rice at a quarter of the price, spices at a tenth of the price and the list goes on.

At the same time having a certain amount of these store cupboard items does make a good dish great. Being keen about cooking and having constraints and a vulnerability, I've only ever seen friends, family, work colleagues try that little harder to sort you and lend you stuff. And if you're a student or mums on the same street that general theory of a kitty and sharing equipment works well.

I can see my food question being lost amongst all the other stuff going on.....

Oh, sorry, Jamie. I was still feeling quite supportive but jeez. ANYONE could come up with recipes that are half the price of an average takeaway.

I doubt that any of the meals I make cost more than that, and I am not particularly frugal.

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?

Alikat . I bloody knew I'd missed something off my shopping list for tomorrow you STAR!

Hi Jamie,

I work in communnity bakery in Fife, we are trying to recruit more volunteer bakers and increase our bread subscriptions. We have a converted horse box wood fired oven to make pizza at local events. We are trting to set up a project to offer supported work placments learning bread making skills. My question is what advice can you offer to enable us to increase our of bread orders, and start an outreach project.
www.digitalfife.com/Index.asp?ID=376

Regards,

Paula

No, Gherkinsmummy, that is true. But I would think he is the one making decisions as to what ventures to pour his time and effort into.

Cooking involves a lot of life skills and can also incorporate a lot of stuff that you have to tick a box for...it's important for the UK.

£1.38 per portion for 4 people eating 3 meals a day works out at £115.92 per week.

How can you call that budget cooking?

I am trying to be fair - I just know when the promotion of the book is over, the prices go back up. Not necessarily to the full £25, but high enough that it feels prohibitive. I know this from trying to get a friend the 30min meal book.

Jamie, you clearly disapprove of supermarkets and ready-made foods. Doesn't that clash with your ready-made products and your link to Sainsburys?

Your suggestion for the leftover blackberries sounds fab, but I don't have elderflower cordial in my cupboard (and I cook from scratch in the main so do have tons of stuff others might not, have a vegetable patch, herb garden, but only a small TV ).

I think people would really appreciate suggestion that utilise what your 'average' store cupboard always has in. Then the cost really is the cost iyswim?

What is one of the first/easiest recipes to teach to your children?