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.

That was comedy hour.

Yay! That would be fab Mme!

He answered my question!

Does that mean I can tell everyone "I was chatting with Jamie the other day and he said..."

This guy can't do right for doing wrong can he.

When did he say he had solved the nation's poverty problems and would fix everybody a fabulous meal for 50p? He didn't.

And a new, high quality cookbook for a tenner sounds fine to me. People can ask for it for their birthdays etc, or buy it when it filters down to the charity shops after Christmas. Or look online for frugal recipes. Or borrow it. Or use the inevitably serialised recipes.

Jamie can't magic marvellous meals out of air, he's just a person. I was always in the 'annoying twat' camp, back in his Naked Chef days, but he's done so much positive since then. But it's not positive enough for some. Maybe he should just do nothing at all then.

"one sun dried tomato brings a whole sac of sunshine."

will have to pop out to Sainsbo's and buy 1 sundried tomato from the deli for my 'sac of sunshine'

Thanks Jamie.

I think you are great!

Thanks jamie I hope you will join us again sometime and haven't been scared off

Morris he said that ANYONE on a budget could use that new cookbook.

Hear Hear Morris!
He is awesome. Thanks Jamie! Jools Favourite Beef Stew is my most requested/repeated recipe of all time!

Thought not. Blimmin Rick Stein. He didn't even seem to like the food at all.

This about summed it up

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/aug/06/tv-review-rick-steins-german-bite

La pauvre mignon.

Did not respond to any of your posts.

Je ne sais pas pourquoi.

maybe it's right that he advocates those who are passionate about genuine cooking on tight budgets/frugal cooking, rather than trying to pretend that his 'cheap'meals can be done for less than the £1.38 pp. His endorsement are probably invaluable.

Sadly,I am his target market - after reading the Radio times interview (which was with Martin Lewis) I added up how much I spent in a supermarket last year.....
It came to £6.5k That obviously doesn't include any takeaways/meals out either. heads off to Amazon

Hear Hear Morris too!

where is the barf emoticon for his signing off? up one's own arse comes to mind.

The world would be a better place if he did just that, Morris, IMO, of course.

Morris No mention of 50p but the Amazon description says,

"This year, I've got the message loud and clear that as everyone comes under bigger and bigger financial pressure, they want help to cook tasty, nutritious food on a budget, so this book was born completely out of public demand.

Save with Jamie draws on knowledge and cooking skills to help you make better choices, showing you how to buy economically and efficiently, get the most out of your ingredients, save time and prevent food waste. And there's no compromise - I'm talking big flavours, comfort food that makes you happy, and colourful, optimistic dishes.

Our biggest luxury is knowledge, whether times are hard or not, so get kitchen smart and smash the recession.

That was fun.

And they can use it. Maybe not every day if their budget really is extremely low.

He stated clearly that he was aiming for half the cost of takeaway food, I thought he clarified that pretty well.

He clarified that here Morris, but his book description says "on a budget". To most of us, a budget defined as half a takeaway cost is laughable. If the reality wasn't so bloody unfunny.

Even that would be ok, but no, he has to pontificate in the media and then defend his comments because he knows all about poverty.

Hi Fish, erm Jules
Followed the chat with interest. Jamie, you did well I thought, apart from the "girls".
Always loved your books, will buy the new one for sure.

I don't get your point Vivacia.

What kind of food do posters here want Jamie Oliver to provide recipes for? Does this food exist?

So even the publicity synopsis says its meant for EVERYONE

I've read the whole thread and much as I'm not a Jamie fan (for entirely shallow reasons, I find the man quite irritating on TV although his recipes are normally pretty good) I do think a lot of this is really harsh.

Last time I checked, he wasn't actually responsible for solving all the poverty issues in the UK. Yes, he says daft things but I don't think he ever claimed his book was for people on the breadline, just that he was writing more affordable recipes which entirely depends on your starting point. Realistically, I suspect most people who cook his food in the first place spend a lot more than £1.38 per person on an evening meal - so for them, yes, this is a money-saving book. He's writing for an existing audience and fan base who he knows are likely to cook the food, not trying to convert people who swear by agirlcalledjack because it's an entirely different demographic in the first place.

I'm amazed he came at all giving the vitriolic rubbish people were spouting. Fair play Jamie, you've gone up in my estimation for at least having the balls to say what a lot of people would have been thinking (rightly or wrongly), and defending what you said.

On a budget can mean anything. The fact that he's addressing cost is the point surely, rather then performing miracles with pennies.

Morris why say its for everyone then come on here and say there are MN threads for those on a really tight budget.

In the space of just a few days Jamie has not only poured scorn on an entire group of people. Hes also come on here and tried to rewrite the original synopsis................jesus hes gaslighted.