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 said in my post that I was rarely given fresh food at home when I was a child, LEMis, so I can see it from a different perspective. I apologise if you saw my post as a sweeping generalisation, I was just trying to say that there's often more behind things then we can see. I don't think I explained myself very well. The was towards the HV's comments.

Today's nugget is that apparently British workers are whiners!
Is there any social group you're not attempting to offend, Jamie?

Oh, and is it true that all your staff at Fifteen and JO restaurants are on zero hours contracts?

According to his article, very few of them are British, anyway. Doesn't mention zero hours contracts.

That's in the daily mail, it's it Gobby. Do you believe everything they print?

Jamie, would you be interested in doing a documentary along the lines of living the life of someone managing on a limited budget? Or perhaps living with a lone parent for a couple of weeks and showing them and us how it's all done?

Jamie, have you made any plans to get this Government to implement proper School cookery lessons for all children Yr 7 -10?

My daughters cookery class included a lesson on Pizza which consisted of squirting tomato puree onto a quarter french stick, a sprinkling of grated cheese then grilled. As you can imagine, it was inedible.

The fruit salad they were required to make was 3 different fruits chopped up and half a carton of orange juice thrown on top This apparently uses the 1hr 10 mins allocated for the weekly compulsory cooking lesson in Yr 7 which they only have for a term

It hardly inspires the next generation to make an easy ragu or whip up a home made sheperds pie when the rubbish the school is teaching them means they wont eat it at the end because its horrible and how can anyone be proud of a tomato puree pizza.

I would love to have the confidence to cook from scratch but wouldnt dare to buy expensive ingredients when it might go wrong with my own lack of skills so everything we eat is from a pack or jar especially if its on BOGOF. You would have a breakdown if you looked in my freezer, Birdseye is my friend

It would be nice if the kids were given the confidence at an early age and surely cost effective if their health and awareness of food means they live healthier lives.

Sorry Lady, got that from Sky News not the Daily Hate.
The keeping workers on zero hours contracts emerged from a bog post yesterday. Journos investigating that I believe.

It's in the Daily Hate. It seems to be a 'lets bash a celeb' week. It'll be someone else in the firing line next week.

It's in plenty of other places too. Nice attempt to sidetrack, though

Oh Sorry Lady - have some Home-made, from scratch of course!

I'm starting to feel a bit, only a bit, sorry for the pucker tucker man now - but they do say, any publicity is good publicity. Saying that, i think if I were getting slated in the papers and reading them from my luxury mansion i would find it pretty easy to brush it off so im sure he'll cope.

I wrote my dissertation on food poverty and how been poorer basically means you're more likely to have a crap diet and therefore more chance of obesity. I got 95% for my dissertation btw so its something I feel I know quite a bit about.

It's far too simplistic to say that people could shop smarter and therefore eat better. There will be families tonight who don't have any "store cupboard essentials" at home who maybe only have £2 to feed a family for dinner. In such circumstances their choices are limited if they don't want to go hungry. A loaf of bread and a multipack of crisps will fill them up.

People don't always have hobs, ovens. They may not live near a supermarket, can't afford a taxi fare there. They may not have pots/pans, etc. they may only be able to buy food from an expensive corner shop.

Food prices have shot up in recent years, partly I believe to some sort of city types betting on food prices. I don't know the exact terminology but some sort of hedge fund types bet on food prices, somehow make money out of this and the result is food prices go up.

Jamie, I'd like to see a campaign where this activity is made illegal. It's morally wrong that rich people can do this, making poorer people suffer.

Lady Mary MY link upthread about him saying the youth of today are too lazy to work is from the Psychologies website.
Just seen a remark on Twitter that DailyMailTV the Wright Stuff were having a go at what poor people eat this morning.
Yep Shit stirrer is about right
Thanks for fanning the flames of hate that little bit more.

Where on Earth have I done that?

Will you tell kerryann her youtube shows are excellent and that tillyann says hi? Love her I do. :o

Sorry Lady Mary That was aimed at Jamie not you

No worries ?

While I loathe most of the 'poverty porn' on TV atm I did catch this show

Great british budget menu and I thought it was excellent. Particularly James Martin trying to make food on the pensioner's budget.

Did you watch it? Why do you think you can succeed where three equally talented chefs really, really struggled.

Hello Jamie,
I was also more than a bit about the whole poor people / tele's thing however I'm working on the theory that I have said quite a few thick things in my time which I have then gone on to regret. I'm hoping this is the same for you?!
My question is therefore what thing have you done so far or would like to achieve that you'd like to be remembered for?
As an aside, DH runs a Foodbank in Essex so if you'd ever like to come along and talk to some people about food and spending in a non-shitty pr 'look at me and the poor people' way you would be most welcome.

Hi Jamie

Is it true that some of your staff are on zero hours contracts?

WilsonFrickett That's one of the shows I was talking about. Great British Budget Menu - The chefs CHEATED!! They all splurged and exceeded their budget, saying they wanted to "treat" the families. A bit condescending that, and not in the spirit of the programme. And James Martin shopping at Waitrose?! No wonder he couldn't stay within budget.

The other show was the one where they grouped up working people with non-working people and the workers proceeded to trash the non-workers - and one woman that owned a cleaning company was berating the poor woman telling her she was being ridiculous and spendy for buying a whole chicken (to roast and use for a few meals) instead of just boneless chicken breasts. That show had (I think) Nick from The Apprentice and the woman that was on The Apprentice awhile ago (NOT KH by the way thank god!).

The media discussion overvthe last couple of days has brought up a topic close to my heart - lack of cookery teaching in schools. Instead of campaigning about school dinners would you lead a campaign to get proper cookery (not food tech) back on the curriculum ? I understand why you felt strongly about school meals, however these are only 5 meals per week in term time. Cookery lessons could set children up for life.

I am a pastry chef and would be happy to be involved in some sort of volunteering to help pass vital skills on to the next generation (or indeed onto young parents).

Ds has no cookery lessons in his school. There is a cookery club at lunch time one day a week but he's never been as he has 'other things to do'. I remember my home ec 'lessons'; spaghetti bolognese using canned mince and canned tomatoes

OhDearNigel - given Jamie's foot in mouth problems, maybe you should do a namechange in his honour, this week :o

Oh and PS. Your roasted veg vindaloo with chicken skewers is a big hit in my house

Trigglesx, that made me too and shout at the non plasma tv