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.

I'm really sorry, but there's over 700 posts so if this has been pointed out before, sorry - you can't pick herbs or anything else from a park. It's stealing. There was a news story earlier this year about people who'd been picking daffodils in their local park thinking they were free for everyone, who were cautioned by the police.

There are countless cookery books which address those on a budget. My mum has heaps. Delia did one. The shelves groan with them. But because JO is a marketing juggernaut, we can't accept his own budget cookery offering without demanding the impossible from it.

Frugal Food. My mum has one called Frugal Food. Shall we harangue the author for failing to address the very poorest?

Frugal cookbooks are a good idea.

J0 should have been more honest about who is book was aimed at.

I've just been to Sainsbury's and have scored a reduced chicken.

I'm going to quarter it and it's going to come out at 74p a portion which is probably going to be within Jamie's budget once I add store cupboard ingredients including a tin of tomatoes that someone was banging on about as being the nectar of the gods the other day.

Not bad, I suppose. Still a lucky find for a complete protein meal though, isn't it?

Ou are right about him being dyslexic, MmeLindor - I remembered that as soon as I had posted. . I suspect that there wasn't as much help with posting the answers as there is at MNHQ, and that would have had an impact too.

FFS Morris HE was the one who said ANYONE could do it with the budget outlined in the book.
And the publicity synopsis for the book says so too.
HOW MANY MORE BLOODY TIMES.

I wouldn't be so hard on yourself sdtg.

I imagine that despite his disabilities, a slick media operator like Jamie Oliver has by now realised he should employ people to get his message across. During the webchat he revealed that he directly or indirectly employs 3,500 people. I'm sure one of them is good at reading.

Of course, if I'm wrong I'll refer you to his excuse: 'you dip in and out of seeing and observing stuff. '

There are some poster that seem to think 'on a budget' means on their own budget, or that of the poorest person they have ever come across.

Well, when I see "on a budget" I assume that the recipes would save me money. While tonight's dinner was relatively extravagant, at about £1.75 a head, when we had the roast chicken for the first time, last night, we had it with less than half a knocked down to 9p bag of spuds, 2/3 of a £1 cauliflower, carrots out of my dad's garden and a crumble made with rhubarb that was knocked down to 74p. That huge and delicious meal was more like £1.30 a head. We got the chicken as part of the M&S dine in (along with a pack of cheese, a bowl of salad and, of course, some very palatable wine). I'm lucky that we can afford to eat this well, but I would consider "on a budget", even for someone accustomed to our standard of living, to involve meals coming in at under £1 a head. An average of £1.38 a head is pretty much what we do, anyway.

No need to swear. Please point me at any book on budget cookery that carries a disclaimer that a certain income is required.

I've read countless books, articles etc claiming that anybody can eg, knit. The term 'all budgets' is usually understood to mean 'most people on a low but liveable income'.

Most magazines carry 'skinted or minted' type features. Presumably the truly skint can't afford new clothes. Should it all come down to breadline income?

LEM - our climate up here seems to kill rosemary most winters, but I have thyme self seeded all over the back yard. Even in my blueberry planters!

Blackberry tartlets work best if you put a bit of semolina underneath the fruit before you put them on a baking tray.

Hi everyone
like Jim Jam said, if there's anything we can help you with in the run up to Christmas, just let us know.

ouryve i'll send you some rosemary if you send me some thyme! I have to say though, i did lol at the "you can find rosemary in any park" comment because i love a bit of foraging and have five jars of yummy blackberry jam sat in my fridge, will now be out scouring the parks and hedgerows

Do you call him Jim Jam iall the time Jules? and have you forgiven him the "girls" comment yet? And yes, there is something he can do - he can come and cook my christmas dinner, tell him its ok though, i have a rosemary bush in my back garden

...I haven't got any semolina.

If I buy it as a store cupboard thing will I actually use it for anything else Boffin? Definitely would not make semolina pud.

MNHQ, I think a good Christmas thing to ask Jamie about might be to get tips on how to turn cheap turkey, frozen veg and basic potatoes into something a bit better than we could do on our own. Do you think he might write a little something for the site along those lines if we ask nicely? I am sure he would have some great chef secrets to share.

You can put it in biscuits to make them extra crunchy and use it to thicken stews and sauces.

Ground almonds are good under fruit on pastry as well, or breadcrumbs (as in strudel).

It made me laugh too! Last year's rosemary survived the winter, huddled in a sheltered corner in a planter with bubble wrap over it. It's a bit sparse, though. It's the first time I had any survivors.

We have some blackberries in our garden, this year. I planted a bush a few years ago and it disappeared, then sent shoots up all over the place. This year's the first year it's fruited - only it's right in the middle of the blackcurrants.

And i should have asked Jamie for blackcurrant recipes. We've had blackcurrant and apple crumble twice a week for 5 weeks. I've made blackcurrant jam (a small batch because i still have loads of last year's left). I've made blackcurrant vodka. I've given them away. I have a kilo and a half of them in the freezer. On top of a couple of portions of last year's still in there (see a pattern, here?) I get 4-5kg of them a year and they're one of those fruits where a little goes a long way because they're so strong.

Sometimes it's Jim Jam, sometimes herb crusted balls.
Depends on the situation really.

Oh I see! We can do breadcrumbs. And possibly almonds not sure what nuts we've got.

We have a glut of Rosemary and Mint - they've taken over the garden. So much so I've moved one plant into the rabbit pen. Only every use them when I'm cooking Lamb though, and Lamb is a treat now, it's so bloody expensive .

Blackberries will be good this year, loads growing everywhere already, oh and Sloe for the gin!