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

Frugalsod

freyasmum wrote: »

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! ).

It is possible bulk out a meal so that the expensive meat part can be used for many meals but I found parts of the program ridiculous. Some of the home tips were good but the meals were out of the range of range of those on really low incomes.

Superscrimpers is an excellent program and while some ideas do not appeal to me, such as making clothes, many are very handy such as old school cleaning tips.

MrsE_2

lostinrates wrote: »

Edit: if I understand it correctly OP your complaint is they are showing a maximum budget the food could cost while people can make choices that will bring cost down? I don't really see this as a concern tbh. Far better than showing un realistically low prices people feel they cannot make ethical/ moral choices as strongly held as religious food observances and just eating unhealthy cheap options for want of having this option. Most people can workout to buy cheaper eggs if they choose to.

Totally agree, people would have more cause for complaint if it was costed cheaper than they could get it. This way if you want to cut down further & are happy to drop the organic stuff then there are greater savings to be made, the same as you can drop wefare & save even more.

Re all the OSers who can make a meal for 50p, good for them, but I don't need jamie oliver to show me how to make egg & chips or the culinary equivalent. I watch jamie oliver to learn aspirational cooking :-)

freyasmum

Frugalsod wrote: »

It is possible bulk out a meal so that the expensive meat part can be used for many meals but I found parts of the program ridiculous. Some of the home tips were good but the meals were out of the range of range of those on really low incomes.

Superscrimpers is an excellent program and while some ideas do not appeal to me, such as making clothes, many are very handy such as old school cleaning tips.

Which is what I said - these programmes are not for those who can make something out of nothing. Or for those who need to.

Superscrimpers could have been good - and did have some valid points - but was overshadowed somewhat by the fact that it had a tendency to poke ridicule at some of the ideas.

Programmers don't WANT to show people how to survive on the bare minimum -unless it's self-serving politicians who are placed with a family for a weekend and are crying by the end of the first day.

lostinrates

MrsE wrote: »

Totally agree, people would have more cause for complaint if it was costed cheaper than they could get it. This way if you want to cut down further & are happy to drop the organic stuff then there are greater savings to be made, the same as you can drop wefare & save even more.

Re all the OSers who can make a meal for 50p, good for them, but I don't need jamie oliver to show me how to make egg & chips or the culinary equivalent. I watch jamie oliver to learn aspirational cooking :-)

I'd say for so go its aspriational, for others its inspirational, a pretty important difference. I didn't see this programme to form a judgement as to what it is, but my guess is with food expenditure, waste and other spends its aspirational for a smaller selection of society than it is potentially inspirational or a matter of choice to cook or spend elsewhere. .

suki1964

Not sure if I saw the same programme as the one being talked about here, the one I watched was using up roast pork?

Anyways I thought it was very good. I didn't think he came across as condescending at all. There was nothing he used from the store cupboard that I haven't got, other then polenta and fresh coriander, neither would break the bank to buy

The beans on toast I'm very tempted with, but I would use it with a pasta for a dinner rather then the expensive sour dough bread. Would stretch a lot further as well, costing even less per portion

The filled rolls and the tacos, I would try those for sure if I ever cook pork again. The reason I don't cook pork is because of the left overs, neither of us would like cold pork leftovers and I find it can become too dry when heated.the small amounts he shredded up and fried up looked pretty tasty. I liked the idea of the pickled veg using the odds and sods from the salad drawer

It's taken me months to build up my store cupboard living where I do I don't have access to cheap herbs and spices, I often give hubby a list of spices to buy for me in London to bring back. Lidl is great for olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I'm not rich, I'm just trying to make cheaper food taste different and more exciting. I couldn't eat a tomato for love nor money as it is, sprinkled with balsamic and it's a different matter. Hubby won't eat beans or chickpeas ( so he thinks) turned into a biryani and the plate is licked clean

For me, all cookery programmes are guides. Watch them, get inspiration, see what can be adapted to what's available and give it a go.

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Recycled content that is repeated in many books. He is just hyping up his JO version of Budget Meals.