Mr Oliver is at it again!

[janeyo]

My mum and dad don't cook, it's ready meals and takeaways, even though they are both retired so have no excuse not to try cooking. And my dad had a heart attack and is meant to eat healthily...grrrr.
I am getting better at it and love to feed my family with what I have grown and cooked, a few years ago I woulnd't have known where to start as had no example to follow. I love to see them all eat it too!

We had to have a lot of takeaways over the summer cos of not having a cooker or kitchen and I got sooo fed up with it. As soon as I could I was cooking from scratch again with my 4 yr old helping. Mum came round a few times while I was mid-prep and actually said...' Just because you have a new cooker and kitchen doesn't mean you have to cook in it every night!'
My ghast was well and truly flabbered... jealous maybe that we eat well and they eat rubbish? I tried to explain that we eat fresh cooked food MOST nights with a takeaway as a treat but she clearly thought I was nuts!

janeyo

ps not seem much of jamie as can't bear listening to his lisp.

[maytreefrannie]

I didn't see Ministry of Food this week. Will watch it on channel 4 online catch up now that I've got curious from people's comments!

I feel, though, that sometimes people are overwhelmed - that when someone doesn't eat enough good (homecooked) food they become tired, maybe don't feel great and don't feel 'up to' the job of budgeting and cooking. I'm not making excuses, but sometimes it seems to me that there's a kind of cycle - too much inferior food leading to fatigue and lack of interest, leading to difficulty in making an effort, and it's all very hard to change from. I guess the smoking doesn't help, but again, it must be tough to consider giving up when it might be one of very few enjoyments in a person's life.

I'm not on benefits, but I am on a tight budget and while I think it's worth the effort, I find it can take ingenuity sometimes to eat well, pay the bills etc. However, it's well worthwhile (and yes, we have takeaway sometimes). The irony is that eating better saves money in comparison to frequent takeaways.

Also, the time - I like eating; takeaway, when we have it, seems to be eaten and gone very quickly, the home cooked mealtime lasts longer I think.

[coomber]

He's just opened one in Bath Apparently, might have to check it out some time.

Just been! I'd wait a while if i were you. Even though its mid-week the place was packed.

[maytreefrannie]

I caught Ministry of Food later last night. Very interesting, I know there are many people who don't cook, but we (or Jamie, it seemed) didn't meet anyone who does - I know it's not the purpose of the programme, but they must have come across home-cookers in their searches. I'll be watching again, definitely.

Anyway - I thought maybe Jamie could log on to a site like this and see that PASS IT ON IS ALIVE AND WELL here with gardening help, tips of every kind - and recipes!

[Two_Sheds]

My mum and dad don't cook, it's ready meals and takeaways, even though they are both retired so have no excuse not to try cooking.

Mr Sheds just watched that nutty man (Valentine?) make a venison kebab from scratch, and said "but that took ages, like half an hour".

I said, how long does it take you to drive to the kebab shop, order it, wait for it, and drive it back again? About half an hour. Then you have to add on top the exercise-hours to burn off all that fat !

[piskieinboots]

tis a good point TS - take-outs are often seen as the quick option, but they aren't, not really.

If I order an Indian take-out from our village, 3 miles away (he delivers) - it takes between 45 mins to one hour to get to me - I could cook one hellava lot of fresh stuff in that time - the price of said take-out for us two is usually £25-29 .......so weighing that up - take-outs are not quick and not cheap

[BrideXIII]

tis a good point TS - take-outs are often seen as the quick option, but they aren't, not really.

If I order an Indian take-out from our village, 3 miles away (he delivers) - it takes between 45 mins to one hour to get to me - I could cook one hellava lot of fresh stuff in that time - the price of said take-out for us two is usually £25-29 .......so weighing that up - take-outs are not quick and not cheap

mmmmm Indian, we have that every friday, not take out mind you, made from scratch with all the trimmings.
Chicken or lamb Korma
bombay potato
mushroom and/or onion bhaji
poppadums ( we cook em, that's fun)
homemade coriander naan
and pilau rice
takes a fair bit longer than 45 minutes though, about 2 hours, well worth it. and still 1/4 of the price

[lainey lou]

the price of said take-out for us two is usually £25-29 .......so weighing that up - take-outs are not quick and not cheap

Blinkin' expensive take out!

[lainey lou]

Just been! I'd wait a while if i were you. Even though its mid-week the place was packed.

Ooooh! Where in Bath is it? Is it nice?
Your name always reminds me of Bath, know what the expression coombe downer means?

[maytreefrannie]

tis a good point TS - take-outs are often seen as the quick option, but they aren't, not really.

If I order an Indian take-out from our village, 3 miles away (he delivers) - it takes between 45 mins to one hour to get to me - I could cook one hellava lot of fresh stuff in that time - the price of said take-out for us two is usually £25-29 .......so weighing that up - take-outs are not quick and not cheap

Very good point, Piskie - takeaways take a fair bit of time to order and collect /get delivered - then they're eaten in a flash and with many of them, someone starts toasting bread an hour later because they're hungry again.

Jamie makes some good points and I love his recipes, but I wish he'd acknowledge the many home cooks out there and not act as if he's the only one in the whole area of UK and Ireland that cooks from scratch.

[OverWyreGrower]

I've watched a couple of episodes and honestly don't know how he does it... I'd be getting angry with the people and would probably insult them to their faces (actually... sounds like a good idea for a TV show....)

There are a small but dedicated bunch of "foodies" at work, me included, who do a lot of recipe swapping, and though it's not quite in the Pass It On spirit (as we can all cook), I think if just one of those recipes encourages someone to make something from scratch, then it's worth it.

My SIL could be on the programme, TBH, and I get so cross when I think about it. She does her shopping at places like Iceland, and they live on chips, sausages and pies from there. No veg, no fruit etc, and she has a toddler and a newborn.

I honestly think that its a symptom of some sort of general malaise in the UK, along with the whole credit crunch thing. Everything needs to be "now, now, now" and is about instant gratification and absolving responsibility...

Ok, stepping off soap box now.... phew

And I'll not mention that we had frozen fish and chips last night! I've cooked a new recipe every day for 2 weeks and decided I needed a night off!

[nelliegemini]

Jamie makes some good points and I love his recipes, but I wish he'd acknowledge the many home cooks out there and not act as if he's the only one in the whole area of UK and Ireland that cooks from scratch.

I agree, that's why I don't watch it. It always seems to be cheeky cocky sparra' tries alone to convert the fat, chip eating northerners to the joys of cooking. I just get the feeling it's a little bit like a reality TV show - did Peter Kay include it on Sunday in his spoof - if not it's the only thing he didn't cover.

Are any of the F.C.E.N.'s watching this, or is it just being watched by people who know how to, and do, cook?

Erm, before everyone gets on their high horse, I live in the north and struggle with my weight (but don't eat chips). Anyway darling Hugh is back on tonight.

[Strepsy]

I do think people give Jamie a very hard time. Whatever peeps opinion of him he has completely changed school dinners in this country. I know my LO is reaping the benefits, she likes to have a school dinner once or twice a week now whereas she would never touch them before, and especially for children who don't get good food at home he's made a massive difference to their nutrition they're getting.

I do sometimes wish he would acknowledge the good but there's not much point 'preaching to the converted' I guess so I think his programmes have to be aimed at those that don't.

[SlugLobber]

He did actually say publicly that he was wrong about the lady in Rotherham who started helping him organise things. He came out of her place and said, 'Wow! I was wrong about her! She actually cooks and does it well' or something to that effect. So, he's not all ego and 'pukka's, lol!

[nelliegemini]

I do sometimes wish he would acknowledge the good but there's not much point 'preaching to the converted' I guess so I think his programmes have to be aimed at those that don't.

But do those that don't watch him? If you think that burger and chips are a good meal, are you going to watch him show you how to do it better, I don't think you will because you already think you're doing it right. When I say you, I don't mean 'you' of course, but using 'one' seemed a bit received.