Jamie Oliver; Ministry of Food

angelnikki

sandraroffey wrote: »

no one cooks any more, (if the are under 35)...bring back proper cookery lessons

That is such a huge generalisation :rolleyes: You just need to look at the ages of us OSers to see that thats not true I'm 26 and always cook from scratch :A

I havent always known how to but, as Penny said :T and as I said in my previous post, that was because of the way I was brought up and not because of schools. My mum never cooked anything from scratch so I never learnt how. Parents that blame schools for not teaching their children to cook are wrong IMO it should start at home

Nikki x

ness_w

I find it sad that old stylers feel the need to criticise soemone who is making an effort to improve people's lives by learning to cook from scratch. Like most celebrity chefs he could have just carried on with the cooking programmes, opened a couple of stupendoulsly expensive restaurants and sat back. I know he annoys some people but I take my hat off to anyone who's prepared to get off their bum and do something about a problem they see when everyone else *ahem* chatters about it and passes judgement. Maybe if we all took two people who are disadvantaged when it comes to cooking (for whatever reason - what does that matter?) then we could make a difference...and perhaps earn the right to criticise.

Edinburghlass_2

ness_w wrote: »

I find it sad that old stylers feel the need to criticise soemone who is making an effort to improve people's lives by learning to cook from scratch. Like most celebrity chefs he could have just carried on with the cooking programmes, opened a couple of stupendoulsly expensive restaurants and sat back. I know he annoys some people but I take my hat off to anyone who's prepared to get off their bum and do something about a problem they see when everyone else *ahem* chatters about it and passes judgement. Maybe if we all took two people who are disadvantaged when it comes to cooking (for whatever reason - what does that matter?) then we could make a difference...and perhaps earn the right to criticise.

In fact Jamie started with 4 of his own friends who couldn't cook, he has just been on Loose Woman talking very passionately about the series and the hope that the drop in centre in Rotherham will continue for at least the next year.with help from the local council. I also think people should watch the whole series before decrying either Jamie or the people who are taking part, all of whom will inspire someone along the way.

Oh and I am no cook, never have been and never likely to be although I can do a mean macaroni and cheese but I thought the idea of using crackers in the meat balls instead of making bread crumbs was a great idea and I'll certainly try it.

bertiebots

I havent watched the series but just seen jamie on loose women and find him an insparation...if he just helps one family then he has helped a generation to come too.
He got a lot of stick for the school diners thing but look what he achieved against a backlash of opposition. I hope at least he makes people think and maybe change a little.
For me the series is preaching to the converted so no need to watch...I love cooking and will make sure my kids can cook too! x

CravingSaving

angelnikki wrote: »

That is such a huge generalisation :rolleyes: You just need to look at the ages of us OSers to see that thats not true I'm 26 and always cook from scratch :A

Nikki x

You look so much younger in your avatar! :rotfl:

kirstyreanne

Anwen wrote: »

I was also a very fussy eater when I ate him, and now I eat quite a lot of veg and everything!

This made me giggle...

xx

Boodle

I didn't watch the program but have been following this discussion with interest.

I know it's a little off topic, but Sandra, I have to say I was saddened at your view of the under 35s. That is a similar attitude to that of the strangers in the street who viewed me with pity/anger/disgust when pregnant and even now with my LO as they assume I am too young to have a child (this comment has actually been made to me at bus stops, etc). Not knowing me from Adam, they obviously don't realise that although in my early (now mid) twenties, I am happily married with a husband in a good steady job and we own our own home and car.

At the age of 18 I left home and learned to cook with books. My mother (who had me at 34) only "cooking" us ready meals or nuggets/fishfigers/crispy pancakes etc and oven chips apart from 2 "dinners" a week. Once into my teens my sister and I had to feed ourselves as our mother worked evenings and were left to pull together whatever concoctions we could from the freezer (most often it was spring rolls, a shared garlic baguette and a bag of crisps each :eek: ). I am also of the nutritional science generation i.e. at school I learned how to arrange a salad and what demi-vegetarianism meant.

But despite this, I can be ar**d (as you put it.) Most of my friends are in their thirties and weaned their children on jars and are now eating spaghetti hoops and drinking Fruit Shoots. My family are very well fed thank you.

maman

JO said that he'd talked to Marguerite Patten, about her wartime effort, when he was planning the show. I think one difference between then and now is that during the war everyone was in the same boat having to find inventive ways around rationing and shortages. However, the people on the show behaved as they did mostly from choice (what to do with their time, their money etc) so there's more stigma attached, hence the criticism. I think from what I've seen of the programme that it's a good idea in itself but what would be an even better idea would have been a cook linking with someone who could teach budgetting and canny shopping alongside. It needn't have been just about people on benefits, people from all walks of life overspend and waste food. Almost a food version of Supernanny! Isn't reality TV wonderful!

Cazzdevil

I take umbrage at the generalisation that the under 35's don't cook. I'm 28 and since I bought my house on my 19th birthday I've had both the pleasure and the sheer frustration of teaching myself to cook. Mostly through necessity to be honest, it's far more economical to cook your own food than buy food someone else has prepared/cooked, but even if money wasn't the driving force behind it I'd still cook.

I think it's quite a shame that in the modern day skills like cooking, baking, sewing, gardening etc aren't really needed anymore because there's always either someone else to do it for you or there's some way to negate the need for it entirely.

Thankfully my mother is a dab hand at all of the above and is my greatest inspiration when it comes to housekeeping/life skills.

Isn't it sad how lazy life sems to have become.

Rikki

Cazzdevil wrote: »

I take umbrage at the generalisation that the under 35's don't cook. I'm 28 and since I bought my house on my 19th birthday I've had both the pleasure and the sheer frustration of teaching myself to cook. Mostly through necessity to be honest, it's far more economical to cook your own food than buy food someone else has prepared/cooked, but even if money wasn't the driving force behind it I'd still cook.

I think it's quite a shame that in the modern day skills like cooking, baking, sewing, gardening etc aren't really needed anymore because there's always either someone else to do it for you or there's some way to negate the need for it entirely.

Thankfully my mother is a dab hand at all of the above and is my greatest inspiration when it comes to housekeeping/life skills.

Isn't it sad how lazy life seems to have become.

I knit, crochet and sew, but have no one to pass those skills onto.

I have son's and they both love to cook. No1 son is now cooking from scratch for the students in their student house and this makes me proud.

Basic cooking is easy but you do need someone to teach you these skills and unfortunately without the patience of parents, friends and the old stylers on here many people just wouldn't try or know where to start.