Hate to Love: Jamie's 30 Minute Meals

Ok, so here's where I come across as a food snob, but I am just so over the Jamie Oliver early 2000's 'scrunch it up', 'bish, bash, bosh' style of cooking, or so I thought until I got hooked on Jamie's 30 minute meals. On Channel 4 daily at 5:30pm this programme is aimed at the stay at home mum, the student or the one person who managed to negotiate flexi-time, not so much aimed at the rest of us who don't even dare sit back in their office chair until 6pm for fear of being branded a part-timer.

However, with the brilliance that is 4OD (if you don't know what this is either you're from outside the UK or have such an exciting life that watching the entire series of Kitchen Nightmares in one sitting doesn't appeal) I can sit back and watch the 30 minute show that I do hate to love. What I usually love to watch in intricate towers of patisserie glazed with sea urchins tears and sprinkled with diamond-dust a la Masterchef, but this programme has got me downloading the recipes and giving a few things a go.

The main thing that really appeals in that he cooks a main, sides and dessert in 30 minutes that no only goes but creates a great meal. Ok, so most twenty-somethings won't go for dessert seven nights a week, but as an avid dinner party holder I really appreciate this menu construction angle. I think most of us struggle to pith a main and a dessert with complimentary flavours and a good balance of portion size, so here Jamie has cracked the 30-minute berry sorbet, accompanied by sea bash on sweet potato mash with Asian spiced green AND a lemon ginger cocktail on the side. Blimey, this man is on fire! (See here is you don't believe me!)




So after my long standing anger with Delia Smith for her Frugal Food series involving tinned mince and pre-chopped onions, Jamie has restored my faith that cookery fashion is headed the right way - towards those who enjoy Moroccan lamb with a mango kulfi, not a cottage pie made from tinned goods. What's more every recipe that you see being made is available straight away on Channel 4's website!

Great programme, but I'm looking forward to the next Jamie's revolution. Vive la Food Revolution!