Jamie Oliver; Ministry of Food

Welshwoofs

Craftyscholar wrote: »

Delia got a lot of stick when she did her how to cook series but as she said it was aimed at people who didn't know how to cook an egg never mind follow a recipe.

I think Delia is on the right lines - and with her cheating recipes. IMO it would have made more sense to teach non-cookers some of those first because it's 'easing in' to full-scale, from scratch cooking.

Unfortunately I think Delia is disregarded because she's a middle-aged woman and not a young, trendy chef :rolleyes:

Juicy_Tube

The book is in Tesco for £10:beer:

JT x

betterlife

well ive just watched the programme on catch up, and thought it was very good but quite sad that some of the people , mums infact that did`nt know how to turn a cooker on! now each to there own and all but never too of cooked a meal for your 2 children! and feeding them on cheesy chips and kebabs i personnally think thats disguisting. i was brought up on home cooked food but never taught to cook, surely it would be better and cheaper to buy things that could be bunged in the oven and served with a bag of mixed salad or tinned veg, surely its not rocket science to read instructions that says how long and what temperature. i know i may sound harsh to some but its there own and there childrens well being that is suffering purely because these people are too lazy to cook. they seem to have excuses for everything, " im a full time mum of 2 and there always around my feet i get stressed" well im a full time mum of 4 between 10wks and 7yrs and i still manage to cook a decent healthy meal every night most of the time from scratch. they say they can`t afford it on benefits, i spend £60 pw which has to include food, nappies, wipes and toiletres thats for 6 and 2 cats.i certainly couldnt afford takeaways everyday. if they really wanted to learn to cook like some of them say why not teach yourself, borrow cook books from librarys, start with basics, i agree that some are just doing this to be on tv. x

catkins

I've watched it now and see that the mum (is it Natasha?) has got a table and chairs and cutlery but wasn't using them to start with.

I did feel sorry for her and liked more than I thought I would when I read this thread but there are things I wondered about. Her boyfriend runs a cafe so could she not learn from him how to cook? Also could he not cook occasionally?

She said she has to get a bus to a supermarket. No mention was made whether the boyfriend or any friends could drive and take her there. I cannot see the bus fare there and back could be dearer than keep getting takeaways.

I felt so sorry for her little girl. When she was on the floor eating that disgusting kebab she look so sad - just picking at the food with her fingers.

The woman obviously did realise that she was not feeding the right things - look at her comments on all that chocolate in the fridge. Why spend all that money on chocolate and then say she could not afford bus fare? That's just rubbish.

At the end when she was crying to be honest she annoyed me. To stand there and say I have nothing left to pawn, I have no money when she was covered in jewellery and was still smoking!!! I doubt all that jewellery had sentimental value and even if it did I would pawn it or even sell it in order to feed my dog let alone my children. Needless to say she can find money for cigarettes!

moanymoany

This has been such an interesting thread which has raised so many valid points.

I got very confused - was the woman whose children ate on the floor on benefits? Then there was talk of a boyfriend with a cafe! Talk of debts, how does someone on benefits have access to debt? And the cigarettes/house/clothes/jewellery - my mother reached a day when it was a packet of cigarettes or a loaf - she never smoked again.

I find it difficult not to be judgmental. I couldn't cook more than the odd thing and when I finally had to look after myself I had to get to grips with cooking. I remember to this day some of my - shall we not say disasters but say instead 'less successful efforts' - when I started.

There were 'ready meals' in the form of tinned pies, tinned vegetables and stuff in packets. These were used as was the chippie. Most people would buy a few pence worth of chips. Most people had tinned peas, but the majority had them in some sort of home cooked meal.

Not everyone was a 'good' cook. I've eaten mince that was raw mince, water and an oxo cube mixed and boiled. Potatoes boiled and not all soft! Dried peas like little bullets. These were the meals that these families ate on a daily basis. My grandma was a wonderful cook and I was lucky, but the children of these families were eating home cooked food that was frugal and they liked it. Black pudding sandwiches stick in my memory!!!

But, most people worked their way through learning to cook until they could feed themselves and their families. There was not the fall back of ready meals and takeaways the way there is today. If you 'can't' cook today it is much easier not have to be bothered to learn IF YOU DON'T WANT TO.

I felt so sorry for the, really nice, children, hunched on the floor, picking at the revolting mess that must have cost their mother several pounds. I'm sure they would have preferred beans on toast, sitting comfortably at the table with their mother - able to talk to each other and be sociable. They deserve much more than they get!

troo

I watched half of the program on catch-up tv, I'll watch the other half later

I just wanted to mention the boyfriend running a cafe - he might not cook either. I've worked in cafes where the only thing we 'cooked' was jacket potatoes and fried breakfasts. Everything was brought in ready made, it just needed throwing in the oven or fryer. In one place, even sandwich fillings (tikka masala, etc) were delivered in small tubs, ready-mixed :eek: And in another, we sold cookies which were delivered ready-mixed and frozen in little round balls, we just put them on baking trays and put them in the mini oven. They were lovely though

On the other hand, I worked in a school kitchen (the school ran it) where the boss insisted on making her own pizza bases, bread, cakes, spag bol etc. When the catering was contracted out, everything was bought in ready-made - she quit, in disgust :T

savingpennies

I think one of the problems for one of the young mums was not only was she not taught to cook at school or at home but she had difficulty reading as well. The scene where she was trying to pass on how to make the meatballs was almost excrutiating to watch as she attempted to read out the recipe.

The problems here, as many of us have already said, are not just about not being able to cook. Their whole lifestyle prevents them from moving on and up. I would imagine that if you went into anyone of their neighbours' houses they would all have a big telly. It's their main source of entertainment and they will be prey to all those adverts and programmes that show them a lifestyle they can only aspire to. I sat there as well thinking telly, fags, all that gold, that lovely cooker (just what I would love) but I think this is about how she presents herself to her friends and neighbours - that if they have those things then she can too.

Much as I like Jamie and think he is trying to do some good, I think this programme is less about food and more about what the TV company think is 'good telly' - get lots of people watching it, talking about it and being shocked about it. And sadly making judgemental comments about the people who after all have volunteered.

Jamie did a good job over school dinners, things started to change and the government took note but this time, I think he has bitten off more than he can chew. This is not about food or the inability to cook it but about poverty and we still haven't found a way to put an end to it, it just keeps changing how it looks.
Sorry for the rant but just my twopennorth (sp?).

Pippilongstocking

I am still trying to watch it on catch up - it doesnt seem to want to let me! grr

Valid about the lack of literary skills etc, I work at the local college and not being able to read or do sums is actually a really big issue with alot of people, I am rubbish at spelling but can hold my own, its sad to seehow many folk slip through the net at school/home and leave home with a lack of even the basic reading/writing skills.

Its scary in this day and age really isn't it - I don't think its disgusting I think its immoral really.

parsonswife8

There is an article in this morning's Daily Express saying that the people of Rotherham are not too happy about the way people are bing potayed in the program and have warned Jamie to stay away!

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/64463/Jamie-given-roasting-by-tv-dumbos-

:eek: :eek: :eek:

calleyw

fayjmck wrote: »

Valid about the lack of literary skills etc, I work at the local college and not being able to read or do sums is actually a really big issue with alot of people, I am rubbish at spelling but can hold my own, its sad to seehow many folk slip through the net at school/home and leave home with a lack of even the basic reading/writing skills.

Its scary in this day and age really isn't it - I don't think its disgusting I think its immoral really.

They reckon that even a lot of graduates can't read and write properly.

We are churning out people who can't read and write and for a first world country I find that disgusting. I think you are right some of it is down not to be able to read and write but also confidence. That is why the basics such as boiling an egg would have been better.

The problem is that the scenes we witnessed in rotherham are replicated in every town, city and even village up and down the country.

As has been said before Jamie is being to simplistic to think teaching them to cook meatballs will solve all their problem. I cook sunday roasts but never make meat balls as they use up far to much mince. When I make spag bog I use frozen free flow mince and I pour about a ramkin to ramkin and half of mince in for two people. That is another reason why I don't make cottage/shepherds pies because of the amount of meat used for one meal.

Yeah I know I am tight :rotfl:

Yours

Calley