Who watched Jamie Oliver's budget meal show last night?

Almo

Chi-me wrote: »

Interesting points and quite correct too. I didn't think you sounded snotty at all. We all have our opinions and they are all correct and in this sphere should not be questioned. I love hearing both sides of a debate so nobody should worry about disagreeing, it's normal.

It certainly is a freedom of choice issue. In my original post I kind of watched it thinking I was going to see him really cutting costs to the bone, using minimal ingredients to max taste and portion size. My mistake? The cut to the bone programme idea is something I would personally find interesting as he is also a favourite chef for me to watch. Somebody else challenged that as 'dumbing down' and patronising, perhaps that would be the case for some, maybe not for others and in particular younger people who aren't budget savvy. I'd be interested to know other members thoughts on that? It is a very good point.

I hate to generalise, particularly as a borderline member of the much maligned generation X, but I'd agree that there's a need for better knowledge of cooking/shopping/budgetting amongst younger people. I actually think though that Jamie's tendency towards glugs/sploshes/handfuls is a good carrot to dangle in front of those who fear long complex recipes, as is his mention of substitutes. I think people would be happier tackling budgetting once they were confident in flavours and substitions although I'm aware many have no choice but to learn cooking and budgetting skills all at once.

lostinrates wrote: »

my frustration with OS sometimes is that in pursuit of thrift we can lose the wood for the trees.

I agree, and know we've agreed on this point before. I can't emphasise enough that I know there are many out there who have no option but to spend the bare minimum on food and other consumables. But for those of us who have room in our budgets we need to be very clear that it's use it or lose it with local amenities such as markets, butchers, greengrocers, and that perhaps a slight price premium is worth it for the local knowledge, sense of community plus keeping jobs in communities.

Also, food and cooking is such a joy! I am enormously grateful that I can plan out a menu for a dinner with friends I haven't seen for a while or see an interesting recipe in the newspaper or online and spend one of my midweek days off holed up in the kitchen trying new things.

Chi-me

Almo wrote: »

I hate to generalise, particularly as a borderline member of the much maligned generation X, but I'd agree that there's a need for better knowledge of cooking/shopping/budgetting amongst younger people. I actually think though that Jamie's tendency towards glugs/sploshes/handfuls is a good carrot to dangle in front of those who fear long complex recipes, as is his mention of substitutes. I think people would be happier tackling budgetting once they were confident in flavours and substitions although I'm aware many have no choice but to learn cooking and budgetting skills all at once.



I agree, and know we've agreed on this point before. I can't emphasise enough that I know there are many out there who have no option but to spend the bare minimum on food and other consumables. But for those of us who have room in our budgets we need to be very clear that it's use it or lose it with local amenities such as markets, butchers, greengrocers, and that perhaps a slight price premium is worth it for the local knowledge, sense of community plus keeping jobs in communities.

Also, food and cooking is such a joy! I am enormously grateful that I can plan out a menu for a dinner with friends I haven't seen for a while or see an interesting recipe in the newspaper or online and spend one of my midweek days off holed up in the kitchen trying new things.

I'm on a greatly restricted budget from that I had only 3 years ago due to disability and ill health. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I must, I used to shop when I felt like it, wandering around picking up bits and bobs I fancied, no list and no eye on the price :eek: I wasted so much because a lot went off before I ate it and I never quite got round to checking dates and freezing. :eek:

My ways are mended, they have to be. I really hope I will continue to be watchful of waste and prices if my finances improve but I know what you mean about not seeing the wood for the trees. I'm trying to keep motivated and this has been a huge learning curve but many of the things I used to cook are out of my financial league, mind you my waistline has improved due to the lack of creamy sauces, take aways and eating out (Jamie's Italian at Bluewater was a favourite!) . I also love cooking, and let's face it, eating :rotfl:

My children are all in their 20's and will live off silly stuff rather than look at the wider options available. By silly I mean toast rather than soup, or even cook from scratch. I've tried to help but what do I know?

[Deleted User]

Indeed two chipolata's are more than enough for me ,but then I am not a big eater of meat anyway, and like to load up on veg .so a couple of bangers with green veg, carrots, mash and peas will more than fill this old tum up,but when my late OH was alive he too would want more on his plate ,but then he was over 6ft tall and built like the proverbial outhouse.(he enjoyed boxing and football and cricket so he was failrly fit and healthy though ).obviously if you do a job where you need lots of fuel then more would be needed.
Tonight having had a plate of pasta for lunch I am having a bowl of HM soup
(I made it this morning from clapped out veg from the fridge
diced celery,lentils,diced peppers onions and a couple of sweet potatos with a good dollop of coriander,cumin and ground black pepper)This will have cheese and crackers with it and fresh fruit to follow.More than enough for me.The rest I will put into containers to be used for lunches for the rest of the week.

ravingandsaving

Yes, that's the bit I saw with the frozen chilli and I did make a mental note of that!

PasturesNew wrote: »

I did like what Jamie did with a frozen chilli though .....*leaves that hanging in the air* ....

I can never use recipes in these programmes, but I do like to look at food ... I cook for one (no freezer), so add that onto the fact he's buying lots of ingredients, and fresh ingredients, that'd go off, it's just not possible to follow them. But the odd bit/piece is handy to think about (e.g. the chilli).

I did also spot his "thumb sized piece of ginger" ... his thumbs must be 4x mine! I've never got round to buying/using ginger, but on the description I'd have been buying/using a much smaller piece. Much like a chef's "pinch of salt", I always thought that meant about 30 grains (a pinch) ... but it really means about half a teaspoon when you watch them.

ragz_2

lostinrates wrote: »

As there is a socioeconomic indicator between health and wealth it might be because of how people prioritise food.

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I totally agree with this, though it's interesting to see the differences in the way people prioritise different parts of their food shopping too. My sister in law probably spends the same weekly on food as I do, but while they will buy the cheapest of a lot of stuff that matters, they spend a lot on snacks and junk they don't need. For example they will buy cheap frozen sausages (ick!) but spend £20+ a week on 'picnic' foods like prepacked mini sausage rolls, scotch eggs etc, that taste awful and are full of rubbish. But when I make a fuss about having free range eggs, chicken etc she argues they have to buy cheap stuff as they cant afford better... we are likely on a lower income than they are. It's madness... I seem to have shopping habits much more similar to the better off people we know, though I doubt any of them spend any more on groceries than most low income house holds. A £100 shop can look very different in someone else's trolley...

Regarding the tv shows, I never watch any of them as I end up shouting at the TV! Same with supermarket food magazines... I find a lot of those are really expensive per portion. I probably spend a lot by MSE standards, as my max per meal is £5, for a family of 5 (small children) - however that's free range or butchers meat, but still less than many so called 'budget' family meals on shows like Jamie's.

kboss2010

I have many disagreements with my dad about healthy food being expensive. The problem is that most of my family can't cook and eat so much salt in everything that they probably couldn't taste fresh food which is why it is so unappealing.

They would rather spend £x on weight watchers/slimming world and all of the marketed carp with their brand name on it than buy good cuts of meat, fresh fruit etc. and cook from scratch.

As a child, my cousin who lived with my grandparents was sent to weight watchers aged 10 because she was clinically obese. After weigh-ins each week she was "rewarded" with a McDonalds. The same girl who used to tease me for being the only person who emptied the (untouched) fruit bowl in their house when I visited. They would buy her all the weight watchers crisps and cake bars and ready meals which aren't cheap when they were missing the point entirely. Meals in the house were typically deep fried chips, fried pork chops dripping with fat, greasy gravy etc. so much so that there was always a constant film of grease on washed plates as you couldn't get it off no matter how much washing up liquid you used - believe me, I tried lol! It gave me an aversion to red meat, processed meats, potatoes and fat for years and even now I never use cooking oil (I Saut!e everything in water in my "frying pan").

It's an education thing, yes, but sometimes you have to open your eyes and go looking for the answer yourself as I and many of my friends have had to do.

Chi-me

kboss2010 wrote: »

I have many disagreements with my dad about healthy food being expensive. The problem is that most of my family can't cook and eat so much salt in everything that they probably couldn't taste fresh food which is why it is so unappealing.

They would rather spend £x on weight watchers/slimming world and all of the marketed carp with their brand name on it than buy good cuts of meat, fresh fruit etc. and cook from scratch.

As a child, my cousin who lived with my grandparents was sent to weight watchers aged 10 because she was clinically obese. After weigh-ins each week she was "rewarded" with a McDonalds. The same girl who used to tease me for being the only person who emptied the (untouched) fruit bowl in their house when I visited. They would buy her all the weight watchers crisps and cake bars and ready meals which aren't cheap when they were missing the point entirely. Meals in the house were typically deep fried chips, fried pork chops dripping with fat, greasy gravy etc. so much so that there was always a constant film of grease on washed plates as you couldn't get it off no matter how much washing up liquid you used - believe me, I tried lol! It gave me an aversion to red meat, processed meats, potatoes and fat for years and even now I never use cooking oil (I Saut!e everything in water in my "frying pan").

It's an education thing, yes, but sometimes you have to open your eyes and go looking for the answer yourself as I and many of my friends have had to do.

Wow! So very sad for your cousin. Is s/he still struggling with weight issues? I hope not.

I do see a lot of very overweight children around these days, far more than when I was at school. In fact, it was rare to see a very overweight school child when I was young. I'm an early 1960's baby so perhaps the war rationing influences of ten years yonder had still impacted on my upbringing.

I'm glad you've got your sensible specs on and are eating, budgeting and living well. Good for you!

Chi-me

.......

Oopsie, double post. Soreeey

kboss2010

Chi-me wrote: »

Wow! So very sad for your cousin. Is s/he still struggling with weight issues? I hope not.

I do see a lot of very overweight children around these days, far more than when I was at school. In fact, it was rare to see a very overweight school child when I was young. I'm an early 1960's baby so perhaps the war rationing influences of ten years yonder had still impacted on my upbringing.

I'm glad you've got your sensible specs on and are eating, budgeting and living well. Good for you!

She's in her twenties and still at weight watchers/slimming world. Personally I don't think these fad things work. *pessimistic head on* it wouldn't make much business sense if you went for a year, it worked and then you never needed it again, would it?

Lol, I think it was living on microwave meals and instant noodles through my teens that made me crave home cooked food. I even went 'Japanese' for a while after reading Naomi Moriyama's book "Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat" - it really gave me an insight into a style of cooking I'd never considered before. Sadly, living in a small Scottish city means that I can't just pop to Chinatown to buy fresh miso paste or 50 types of noodles like I used to when I lived in England

freyasmum

A few points:

Yes, you could have a programme where JO - or any other chef, but for the sake of this thread, let's stick to him - went to a market or discount stores and bought whole components for a meal for pennies. However, not everyone has close access to discount stores or markets; the only market we have is the farmers one which comes round once a month in summer and sells the affluent lifestyle - pots of pear and ginger compote for £3.50 or two for £5, anyone? Loaves of foccacia also for £3.50? Treacle scones 6 for £3.50, Goose eggs £1 each, sausages 4 for £5. Don't get me wrong, the foods are lovely... but that would not be money saving!

Programmes like these are NOT made to appeal to people trying to make 28 portions from a single chicken. They're not supposed to show people how to cobble together bits of this and that to make something else. They are to show people spending more than the average how to reduce their bills. A programme showing people how to cut everything to the absolute bare minimum would never work (superscrimpers perhaps had the best chance but lost a lot of it's good advice to ridicule - let's make out that the paupers are eccentric) It's perhaps a sad fact, but the food has to appeal to as many people as possible. And also!! It doesn't matter HOW cheap they manage to make things, people will ALWAYS moan and say they could do it better, or cheaper (and personally, I don't WANT 300 portions from one cooked chicken. I actually want to KNOW I'm eating chicken! ).

Jamie's food, to me, is delicious. However I cook it the way *I* want to cook it. Everyone should know that recipes are guidelines, you don't always have to follow them to the exacting letter. Take the basic premise and adapt it to however you want

You can choose to take from programmes whatever you want, but some people cannot see past the fact that hes spent 25p on an egg to see how hes done it, or what they could take to add to their own cooking. And, frankly, if you don't know that you can substitute a cheaper ingredient for one of the organic or premade ones, then there's noone to blame but yourself.