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.

[TunipTheUnconquerable]

I'd have loved to see Two Fat Ladies do 'how to cook on a budget'. It would have been hysterical.

[CorrinaKedavra]

To be fair they weren't really trying and I seem to remember they were discussing whether they fancied the Duke of Wellington as schoolgels or whether he was a squitty little chap which was funny in itself.

[BoffinMum]

Immaced your baby? How?

[limitedperiodonly]

Jennifer Paterson and I shared the same dentist.

I'm quite impressed that she went to the dentist.

I'm more impressed by him staring down her nicotine and gin-soaked maw every six months.

[orangepudding]

I noticed today that Jamies programme appears to be sponsored by Uncle Bens. When I think of Uncle Ben I think of sugar laden sweet and sour sauce and boil in the bag rice, the sauce isn't nutritious and the rice isn't economical!

[swallowedAfly]

i literally chuckled at 'potato and pea pie'.

[limitedperiodonly]

I have some left over wine excusetypos. I think I was feeling particularly seedy that day.

[limitedperiodonly]

Where is potato and pea pie? I might go for that, peas, carrots and potatoes being my favourite vegetables, in that order.

Though I've been told by an earnest five-a-day counsellor that potatoes aren't a vegetable, presumably in case I wanted to fry them and cover them in cheese.

It does sound a bit like bubble and squeak though.

[CorrinaKedavra]

Pea and mashed potato was a staple of my childhood! My parents didn't really understand the concept of protein, carbs and veg compared to meat, potatoes and veg so when I came along not liking meat, that's what I had. Didn't occur to them to give me an egg or bit of cheese.

Oh and they had jobs and a tiny black and white television

[CorrinaKedavra]

And mash and runner beans.

Mash and sweetcorn.

Mash and spaghetti hoops.

Thank god for mash and baked beans, which is fine as a meal and the fact that my parents considered them to be a vegetable probably saved me from some harm. That and the invention of pizza and veggie-burgers.

[SunshineBossaNova]

Mashed potato sandwich. Hmmm...

[Flibbertyjibbet]

Can someone post the chicken tagine recipe pls we cant get the evening standard oop north.

In the Preston area you can get 'butter pies' which are potato, onion and butter filling. Presumably from the days when people who couldn't afford meat were finding substitute pie fillings! Those would be very economical to make, although sadly the last few years a lot of the pie shops have been using margarine etc which spoils the taste.

A bakers near me does a mushy pea pie... After calling in their for sandwiches for years I finally tried one and it was bloody delicious! I occasionally bring one home to have with some of my home grown home preserved pickled beet root. (she said, hoping that the organic allotment-chic nature of the beet root outweighs the stodgy oik pie)

[CorrinaKedavra]

That's more or less what a chip butty is. I remember my Dad being left in charge of feeding us once when I was about ten and he suggested it. OMG, the potato and the butter and crispy bits with the ketchup... I was in heaven!

Not exactly protein-rich

I had egg and chips for the first time at about the same age. I liked chips and we were on holiday in Spain - on one of those holidays of course. Christ knows why they hadn't thought of giving that to me before when they had ham and chips - how hard is it to fry an egg?

I hate the fetishising of food but I am glad that the culture of, "I can afford to feed my family almost entirely on convenience foods and they must be better than whole foods" has gone because it really did a number on my parents. My Mum was an aspartame and lo-fat fiend and now has demetia and diabetes.

[limitedperiodonly]

chicken tagine

[SeaSickSal]

Ha! I am quite proud of that diary mention.

I am ashamed to admit this though, I have actually bought the book.

It does come in at around the amount my budget is for meals. And I am trying to cook more meat dishes for me and my son. He is 16 months old now and previously most family meals were veggie to suit my husband and I really need to make some more meat dishes which come in at around that price mark.

I still think he's a tosser for poor bashing though.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

No it's the vinegar soaking into the bread that makes a chip butty Devine!

[CorrinaKedavra]

Oh yes, plenty of salt and vinegar.

I am going to try one with balsamic, Maldon sea salt and lurpak and include it in my budget poncey cookbook.

[Darkesteyes]

at left over salmon

Cant get the Evening Standard in Essex either. Like the sound of what that paper has done though.

[difficultpickle]

Here is the Evening Standard article.

[swallowedAfly]

imagine the british gov is a farmer who owns lots of land and cattle. someone comes in and says we want to milk your cows and make money from it. gov says cool so long as you: pay them well, give some money to us, make sure they're kept in good health and have enough income to house themselves, stay healthy and take care of their young.

fair enough it seems.

then the company is the government and says actually how about if the government pays them and gives them money back in tax credits whilst we bank offshore and don't pay a penny in tax and use employment law to our favour to mean we give our employees and their home country absolutely feck all whilst getting the labour and the custom to reep our rewards and simultaneously lending them money to pay for our stuff at an inflated rate then if they can't pay it back we'll just bail ourselves with the tax anyway and....

where does food feature in all that? absolute control, inflation, desperation contracts (re: people signing up to things that give them even less rights than cows on a farm) etc.

i don't think i'm a communist i just think logic needs to apply and capitalism can go so far that literally too small a percentage of the world has money to spend to keep the whole game running and of course you go bankrupt because all the money is in the pockets of two or three of the players and they're hanging onto it in such a way it can't get back in the game.

that's the big picture whilst small picture JO's and culture that goes along with it keeps the masses divided and focussed on a strawman instead of the fact that they are now worth less than cattle to the people who sell them.

[swallowedAfly]

oh dear - might be time to delete my history again

[Darkesteyes]

Thanks bisjo Jack Monroe is amazing. There are many young mums (and dads) living on very little but doing amazing things and trying their absolute best.
They are heroes. Jamie should be ashamed for looking down on people the way he does and pouring scorn on them

[Flibbertyjibbet]

I just pmsl after clicking through from Jack Monroes top blog to her book on amazon. Which isn't avallable yet.

Scroll down and guess what is next to it in as a 'frequently bought together' ? Save with Jamie.

Wonder if its all the journos preordering it so they can all do reviews of which is the best, tastiest and/or most cost saving?

I'm not preordering it, I'll wait and see if it reduces after initial Launch.

Btw, Jamie looks different on the cover of his book. Bit of hair dye I think and some airbrushing round his eyes....

[CorrinaKedavra]

Oh, I am terribly sorry - posted on the wrong thread.