Musical pairing – Talking About A Revolution by Tracy Chapman
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UPDATE: CONGRATULATIONS #12 BRENDA, YOU’RE THE WINNER! Please contact me with your mail address so I can get your book out to you!
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Unless you were captured by aliens, been sleeping ala Rip Van Winkle or you don’t watch television, read a newspaper or surf the web (in which case you won’t be reading this) you have probably heard about Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Have you signed his petition? Did you watch his show? I have followed Jamie since the days when he was known as ‘The Naked Chef’ and have cooked from several of his books; in fact, he’s one of my favorite chefs.
One of the reasons I wanted to start this blog is because I care deeply about the food we eat, how it’s manufactured, how it impacts our bodies, our earth and our natural resources. And that is why all of the recipes on this site will be made with whole foods, made from scratch unless I refer to what I consider a ‘good’ cheat – meaning no trans fats or high fructose corn syrup. A few of the recipes might take a few more steps but most will be easy to prepare; maybe you’ll find something you haven’t tried before but want to broaden your horizons. I hope I can convince you that a burger made at home, with good quality beef is way better than anything that’s been pressed into a frozen patty, steamed or deep fried, wrapped in a piece of foil, place in a paper bag and passed through a window. And yes, I do believe you can eat dessert once in a while – and maintain a healthy lifestyle. OK, so The Professor would like dessert a little more than once in a while . . . uhm, like every day . . .
So I thought that ‘Jamie’s Food Revolution’ Cookbook would be perfect for my first giveaway! I have purchased the book for my personal library and an extra copy to give to one of you. I’ve cooked some of the recipes from the book and love it! Salmon Tikka with Cucumber Yogurt, Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheesebake, Shrimp Stirfry; we’ve made the potato salad which starts with a basic recipe but gives you options to add different herbs or dressings as you’d like. The book also includes a dessert section with recipes for scones, Banana Tarte Tan, Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce – all recipes use real, whole food. Full of photos of real people and their stories, it’s a terrific book to get you into the kitchen, cook and then pass those recipes forward!
Here’s how to enter:
1. Leave me a comment and let me know if you watched the program what you liked/disliked about it.
OR
2. If you didn’t watch, I’d like to know if you cook for your family and how you feel about the school lunch program in your area.
3. If you already have the book, leave a comment anyway and pass it along if you win!
And if you haven’t signed Jamie’s petition, please do so – our children need us to stand up for them!
Comments will be accepted until 9pm Eastern Time, Monday, May 3rd; winner will be announced Tuesday. The giveaway is only open to US residents.
Good luck!
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EVOLUTION POTATO SALAD
Jamie Oliver, ‘Jamie’s Food Revolution’, Page 111
SERVES 4
1. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Peel 1-3/4 pounds of baby potatoes and chop any larger ones in half, leaving the smaller ones whole. (NOTE: I don’t peel as I like the skins and you get the added benefit of more fiber!) When the water is boiling, add the potatoes to the pan and bring back to a boil for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Test them with the point of a knife to make sure they’re cooked through. As soon as they’re ready, drain them well in a colander and put them into a bowl. The trick is to dress the potatoes while they are still hot – mix 6 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice in a bowl. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and still well. Toss the hot potatoes in the dressing. Serve right away as is, or move on to the next steps . . .
2. Finely chop a small bunch of fresh chives and sprinkle them over the potatoes; toss well before serving.
3. Toss the dressed potato salad and chives with the zest of 1 lemon and 1/4 cup of natural yogurt.
4. Put a frying pan on the heat and add a splash of olive oil; thinly cut slices of smoked bacon or pancetta, preferably organic or free-range, into small pieces and add to the pan. Toss and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and golden. Remove from heat; sprinkle over your potato salad and serve.
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I watched several of the episodes and was shocked at the lack of knowledge of the part of many people about wholesome, good food. Particularly the children. I do hope his ideas continue to take root in that community and, by extension, spread all through the country. It’s time we all took more care with our diets.
The Friday time slot kills this show for me — I really want to watch it but I’m never around when it airs! Eventually I’ll start watching online — I keep reading episode recaps and it sounds fascinating.
As for the school lunch program near me, let’s just say it should probably be featured in a future season. When did salty chips and florescent orange sauce with a bag — yes, bag — of OJ count as a balanced meal? Our schools need help — and support.
Go, Jamie, go! School lunches have been awful since I was in school in the 50’s. I signed his petition and watched is series. Can’t wait to see the long-term effects.
Has anyone been following the school lunch legislation, nevermind catching tiny bits of Jamie Oliver’s tv show? That’s actually what is important. The President’s proposal to spend 10 billion on child nutrition over 10 years got scaled back so dramatically that we’re looking at spending about 6 cents more per lunch, when the goal was $1. I live in Philly, where we have a unique situation – 20 years ago, we were given a pilot program called the Universal Feeding Program, where if enough students were poor enough, the entire school could get free lunches without having to submit the standard paperwork, which is obviously good, since you know how bad kids are about losing important papers. We’re trying to lobby to keep Universal Feeding, since the city is actually hungrier today than it was 20 years ago, and we’re trying to expand it to include breakfast.
I cook pretty much every meal I eat.
I only saw one of the shows (but signed his petition a while back); it’s disheartenting to see what is served in schools and how the schools are locked into what has been ordered.
I volunteer at a shelter and teach the women and kids how to cook healthy meals from scratch and demonstrate how quickly a meal can be put together. And the food is flavorful.
Thanks for a fun giveaway.
I think school lunches are atrocious, and I thought so LONG before I watched “SuperSize Me.” For 12 years I planned and shopped for and cooked every meal at a Christian summer camp, 5 months of the year. I was told I would have to give the kids what they wanted, and I said no I wouldn’t, I just had to make them want what I wanted them to eat. And I did. Their salad was not only lettuce, but spinach/cabbage/kale based, and included things like shredded turnip (they never saw it) and carrots, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, sprouts, grape tomatoes, snow peas and fresh herbs. Their salad dressings were homemade, and I baked every bite of bread they ate–rolls, buns, bread, pizza crust, you name it–and they never knew how much oatmeal and powdered milk went into them, so they were high protein and high calcium. I pureed beans so they wouldn’t see them in the chili, and did the same with peppers and onions and spinach in the pasta sauce. They LOVED what they ate, and I wish I could still be doing that kind of work. Jamie ranks very very high in my opinion. 🙂
I watched the series. I loved the flashmob cooking scene at the college! I hope his revolution works, because the food we feed kids at school is so sad! We all need to learn to cook and eat real food. We got off track and we need to get back to how it’s meant to be. I don’t have any of Jamie’s cookbooks yet, but he is fun to watch!
Congrats on your first giveaway! I watched some of the show (certainly enough to understand the problem). My kids were being few the same bad food when they were in school (and they are in their early 20’s). This has been a problem forever and that is why we have such a terrible problem with obesity. I am so happy to see that Jamie has taken on the challenge. Hopefully, his efforts will make a real difference.
I have watched the show, with a couple more on the DVR! It makes me sad to see kids who are so overweight, and I do worry about the lunch program when my kids go to school in 2011. I hope that I have taught them well, although my daughter believes that cookies and cake are healthy too!
I’ve been a Jamie Oliver fan for many years, but it honestly has not thing one to do with cooking, or food. He’s just cute. Super cute.
Didn’t catch the show.
I’ve had to do a lot of traveling this month, which has necessitated eating at restaurants much more frequently than I’m used to, and while it was fun to try new places I was also dying to be home in my kitchen and eating fresh, simple food. Cooking with the husband has really broadened my perspective on food: I love the control that comes from making our meals from scratch, and I have found that I’ve gotten much pickier when it comes to restaurants.
I think that the biggest hurdle in convincing people to eat more fresh, home-cooked meals is time–time to learn and discover what you like, time to learn how to cook it well, and then time to fit it into an already packed schedule. We’ll get there eventually, I think, but it’s important to remember that even baby steps are still steps in the right direction.
Unfortunately, I did not watch the show, but I love Jamie! And yes, I cook for myself. My family is gone, but I still cook healthy meals for just me!
Of course I watched:) I love Jamie! I hope the revolution keeps going!
I did watch the show and loved how he won over the cooks in the school. In the first show I thought for sure he would never win over the head cook and at the finale he had her out there training other school cooks. Gotta love it! Hannah’s school lunch program seems to be pretty healthy, they have a daily salad bar where she can always find some fresh fruit which she loves.
I saw part of an episode! Does that count? I liked that he got that smart-alec West Virginian DJ to eat his words–I like Jamie Oliver’s message, I like his enthusiasm, and I like his accent. Just haven’t had a lot of spare TV time lately. I will check out his petition. Great idea for this contest to increase awareness, Ms. Smithbites!
Well Mrs. Smithbites – I did not watch it because I always watch HGTV! Although I did follow it on the internet. It was a great program – I do hope the school lunch program gets revamped before my grandchildren start school! And yes – I do cook for me, myself and I…..sometimes – does cereal count??
Fabulous giveaway, I really admire what Jamie is doing. I had the privilege of attending his Food Revolution tour when he made his stop in Toronto and he gave each one of the attendees a copy of this cookbook. Good Luck to all the participants, this cookbook is definitely one you will want in your Cookbook collection!
I watched the show (though I still have a couple on the dvr). I like that it brought up the issue of food and school lunches so people can be more aware.