Jamie's 15 Minute Meals

Firstly, it's almost been a year since I last wrote on this blog, I just felt like I'd fizzled out in writing about the food I was eating and honestly, I can't even remember what I wrote about.

Let's move on to the title matter.

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals, a cookery program on Channel 4 hosted by Jamie Oliver.

Jamie Oliver, if my memory serves me right, appeared on television about 8-10 years ago, I only think this as I remember watching The Naked Chef whilst experiencing my first taste of Red Bull and eating a bag of Haribo. There was never any nudity either, which confused me at the time.

Then he started to campaign in the UK to change school dinners, which led to parents bringing bags of chips to schools and passing the contraband chips through the school's fence. He then tried to do the same in America, and was told to piss off, though in a more polite and diplomatic way I'm sure.

Now he's bringing us 15 Minute Meals week nights at 5:30pm. It was on at 5pm but timeslot was swapped with the ever popular Come Dine With Me, forcing me to miss the only reality television show I like, a show filled with sarcasm, sparkling wit and stupidity and, of course, food. Whereas 15 Minute Meals only has food. It's my opinion that this timeslot change has happened because Channel 4 must've seen low ratings at 5pm but a spike at 5:30 and assumed that that is the time that people are just sitting down and tuning in to their channel.

What is my problem with Jamie Oliver? He simply annoys and treats you like a child. The show's staging and the blatant product placement that whacks you in the face with cartoonish force.

At school I was taught to wear no jewellery whilst preparing food as bacteria can grow under rings prior to and after food preparation. Though in watching this show I see a grown man, who is a culinary teacher himself, handle raw beef mince whilst wearing his wedding ring and seeing that meat catch in it. Disgusting.

He does, on occasion, refer to using a food processor as "giving it a wazzy wazzy woo woo". I'm going to give you a moment to let that sink in. A 30+ year old man who hosts a television show aimed at adults. Does that jar you?
Tonight I saw him put what looked like a handful of salt when he said "a good pinch", yes, the guideline is 6 grams of salt a day, though I'm sure that doesn't mean all at once. I don't think he can measure.

I also think that Channel 4 have run out of money for plates, as he serves all the meals he cooks on wooden boards. He isn't Greek, so that isn't the reason.

I just can't see the appeal.