Jamie's Ministry of Food

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Mudster

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I've always been a little ambivalent towards Mr Oliver....I thought the school meals thing He did was good, but I think He's hit the nail on the head with the Ministry of food.

Hats off to the guy, you can see how he's got where he has, perserverance, and teaching cooking at home is where all this starts.

I'm actually starting to enjoy watching this series and it seems he's making in roads with the councils which quite frankly is a better place to start than central goverment.

Good luck to him.
 
I think as a society we're all moving towards greater acceptance of cooking at home less and less, and placing convenience above nutritional value.

The Dazzlers are no different. We eat out and have take aways regularly, but try to take the healthier options when available. This is partly pleasure and partly convenience - and do so as we have the relative luxury of being able to afford to do so. When we cook at home though we avoid convenience pre-prepared food full stop.

However I think JO has highlighted this in extremis, where as a society we have second generation families where cooking at home just doesn't happen. Pleasure and convenience seems to be a theme to their desire to have take aways too - just like in our family - but interstingly in the episode I watched at least one said it was all they could afford - which is the opposite of us.

Nice people, but losing the skill and desire to eat healthily appears to be a problem now, and an even greater problem for the future. I think that it makes for good tele, and he seems to be making a difference too. I say that because he even inspired me to cook something for Mrs and Baby D last week!!
 
One thing that always confuses me is the convenience aspect. It's not that hard to eat healthy food, even if you're in a rush.

I bet I could make a very nice meal in the time it takes to queue at most fast food joints.

Steamed veg takes literally 5 mins, you can cook chicken breasts or lean meat just as quick also. Anyone can cook that and surely it can't be much quicker to ping a TV dinner from a microwave!

I do agree though that some of the cheapest food is amongt the least healthy - does this in part explain some of the divide in health?

Not sure if I like JO and his methods, but I have to admire his ability to demonstrate that anyone can cook healthy meals that don't take much time/effort :)

Will
 
You might be right Will. Just do a find and replace on my post above, out goes convenience and in comes laziness!! :D

In the episode I saw a girl of about eight years of age had never had a cooked meal at home, and shared a doner meat and chips with her mom every - that's every - night.

Now if only she'd had the salad, eh, the story could have been so much different!!?? :rolleyes: :D ;)
 
when I got divorced from my first wife [ 1993 or 94 not sure unless I find the decree nisi ] I lived on kebabs for about 12 months. I thought they were the perfect takeaway. bread - carbs,--- meat- protein,---salad-vitamins and minerals. I was also enjoying my new found freedom and was drinking fairly heavily everynight and I ballooned from 13 stone to 15 and developed high blood pressure and am still taking the tablets for that. Ive worked as a service eng for 32 years repairing coin operated machines in public houses, jukeboxes, pooltables, videogames, fruit machines etc, [ that why I'm known as bandit Dave ] and mainly work in South Yorkshire , Barnsley, Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, and I can tell you that Rotherham [ where Jamie Oliver is trying to teach them how to prepare good food ] is definately the roughest of the four towns. I'm sorry, any forum members from Rotherham but its the truth, KEBABS RULE IN ROTHERHAM
 
when I got divorced from my first wife [ 1993 or 94 not sure unless I find the decree nisi ] I lived on kebabs for about 12 months. I thought they were the perfect takeaway. bread - carbs,--- meat- protein,---salad-vitamins and minerals. I was also enjoying my new found freedom and was drinking fairly heavily everynight and I ballooned from 13 stone to 15 and developed high blood pressure and am still taking the tablets for that. Ive worked as a service eng for 32 years repairing coin operated machines in public houses, jukeboxes, pooltables, videogames, fruit machines etc, [ that why I'm known as bandit Dave ] and mainly work in South Yorkshire , Barnsley, Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, and I can tell you that Rotherham [ where Jamie Oliver is trying to teach them how to prepare good food ] is definately the roughest of the four towns. I'm sorry, any forum members from Rotherham but its the truth, KEBABS RULE IN ROTHERHAM

I'm from Rotherham !!! now you can all see why I moved to a sleepy village in Doncaster, banditdave got it spot on
 
I'm from Rotherham as is UnMarked - and yes couldn't wait to get away - but whether it's the roughest of the four towns Barnsley, Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham hmmm, I'm not convinced.

Sheffield is a city - and a big one so unfair to compare the two. Sheffield has some parts that make Rotherham look idyllic! Rotherham as the town centre and it's rough areas is not great - wouldn't try and argue otherwise - but it does actually have some very nice areas too - lovely rural parts. Some of its outlying villages are very desirable. Personally - I wouldn't want to live in South Yorkshire again and certainly not in Barnsley or Doncaster. Sheffield - would live there again - but prefer it where I am now.

My family still live in Rotherham and it's quite sad to see how the area I grew up in, which was nice, has gone downhill. But it is not unique in that aspect. Parts of Barnsley and Doncaster have suffered the same. I see it as I drive through them all. It's true of most of the industrial communities in South Yorkshire and a result of the pits and the steelworks closing. Sheffield however rebuilt many of the steel works into massive shopping/public centres, Meadowhall, Don Valley etc destroying Rotherham even more.

But JO is putting it back on the map - remember Rotherham gave you Paul Shane and of course - the Chuckle Brothers:D :D
 
I too am impressed by Mr Oliver. At least he is trying to get people to understand that there is another way.

Frankly it amazes me that people bring children into the world and feed them junk. Young bodies grow and develop as a result of what they eat. Food is the building block of their bodies and to think they are made up of doner kebab and chips is frightening - thank goodness someone is atleast making the effort
 
Watching this has motivated me to cook. I'm far more conscious about what I feed the family and our weekly shop now contains far more fresh food.

The only nuisance about this is a need to visit the supermarket 2 - 3 times a week to get fresh produce, which I do on the way home from work, other than that there really is no difference between cooking pre packed junk and fresh healthy food.

I've been converted, and I have to say the fresh food does taste a whole world better.
 
I'm from Rotherham as is UnMarked - and yes couldn't wait to get away - but whether it's the roughest of the four towns Barnsley, Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham hmmm, I'm not convinced.

Sheffield is a city - and a big one so unfair to compare the two. Sheffield has some parts that make Rotherham look idyllic! Rotherham as the town centre and it's rough areas is not great - wouldn't try and argue otherwise - but it does actually have some very nice areas too - lovely rural parts. Some of its outlying villages are very desirable. Personally - I wouldn't want to live in South Yorkshire again and certainly not in Barnsley or Doncaster. Sheffield - would live there again - but prefer it where I am now.

My family still live in Rotherham and it's quite sad to see how the area I grew up in, which was nice, has gone downhill. But it is not unique in that aspect. Parts of Barnsley and Doncaster have suffered the same. I see it as I drive through them all. It's true of most of the industrial communities in South Yorkshire and a result of the pits and the steelworks closing. Sheffield however rebuilt many of the steel works into massive shopping/public centres, Meadowhall, Don Valley etc destroying Rotherham even more.

But JO is putting it back on the map - remember Rotherham gave you Paul Shane and of course - the Chuckle Brothers:D :D

Nothing wrong with Donny (well parts of it) where are you from in Rotherham I'm originaly from Rawmarsh where the JO thing kicked off and I actually went to the school in question. As regards famous people from Rotherham well heres a few more

2 world class goal keepers Gordon Banks & David Seman
2 gorgeous page 3 models Tracy Dixon & Dianne Willoghby
Fred Truman - cricketer
Graham Oliver - from the rock band Saxon
Captain webb - cross channel swimmer
James Tozeland - World Superbike Champion
Donald Coleman Bailey - Inventor of the Bailey bridge

and don't forget Jeremy Clarkson !!!!!!!!!!!!

And theres quite a few more to the above
 
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Nothing wrong with Donny (well parts of it) where are you from in Rotherham I'm originaly from Rawmarsh where the JO thing kicked off and I actually went to the school in question. As regards famous people from Rotherham well heres a few more

2 world class goal keepers Gordon Banks & David Seman
2 gorgeous page 3 models Tracy Dixon & Dianne Willoghby
Fred Truman - cricketer
Graham Oliver - from the rock band Saxon
Captain webb - cross channel swimmer
James Tozeland - World Superbike Champion
Donald Coleman Bailey - Inventor of the Bailey bridge

and don't forget Jeremy Clarkson !!!!!!!!!!!!

And theres quite a few more to the above

Don't forget Ivy Tilsley(Lynn Perrie)

And yes - JC cut his journalists teeth on the Advertiser!

Lived all over Rotherham - Whiston, Clifton, Kimberworth, Wickersley......and know most of Rotehrham very well! Used to have a job that involved visiting it all - the really really bad - and the very nice. Maltby and Dinnington White cities - yum!
 
Cooking is so easy when you have a basic idea of how to cook things and can make the time. I`ve always loved cooking and have just started my 3rd year at college doing Thai cooking. It`s so easy and once you have the basic ingredients can knock a tasty meal up in 10mins. People just get lazy and takeaways just become convenient as an everyday meal.
 
Don't forget Ivy Tilsley(Lynn Perrie)

And yes - JC cut his journalists teeth on the Advertiser!

Lived all over Rotherham - Whiston, Clifton, Kimberworth, Wickersley......and know most of Rotehrham very well! Used to have a job that involved visiting it all - the really really bad - and the very nice. Maltby and Dinnington White cities - yum!

How could I forget Ivy Tilsley and speaking of which Duggie Brown the comedian who is her brother and of course Percy Sugden

You really have seen the highs and lows of Rotherham and there's plenty of those white cities

Take care as you havee now moved out of "The Peoples Republic of South Yorkshire" you know what them Northerners are like ;)

take care
 
I too found it interesting. I remember going to Herrinborough leisure centre as a kid (had a wave machine). I grew up in the Dearne Valley which was very heavily into minning. I remember the miners strike well, although my father was an Estate Agent not a minor it had huge effect on our lifestyle at the time.

People in these areas went through some tough times, but are seing other industries such as call centres come through. The communities are very strong and people look after themsleves. Whem my grandfather remarried, (he was the local GP for 40 years), depsite the fact that he had retired to Cornwall ten years previously it made the headlines of the local paper.

If the communities stick together and want to keep up with pay it forward I am sure it can work.

David
 
you missed off 'The Dene' Pammy :devil: (and this from the boy from St Anne's flats ;) ).

Now you are on dodgy terriory, I knew St Anns flats well my grandma and my uncle lived there so spent a lot of time there as a kid, this is now the new site for the Rotherham swimming pool to replace the Herringthorpe Leisure Centre pool, happy times !!!:)
 
Now you are on dodgy terriory, I knew St Anns flats well .......
nuff said then - now you know where your sympathies should lie - you'd have thought I'd have learnt all those years ago about boys from t'flats :rolleyes:
 
nuff said then - now you know where your sympathies should lie - you'd have thought I'd have learnt all those years ago about boys from t'flats :rolleyes:

boys from t'flats wern't all bad but you do have my sympathies if you picked a bad one:) If you picked a good one then:bannana: but as I remember rough & tough times but not like some of the thugs we see today:mad:
 

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