First off, I’m enjoying his new show, “Jamie’s Kitchen.” It’s yet another entry in the seemingly endless stream of reality TV shows, and involves him trying to train some callow street kids to become chefs. Especially entertaining is to see the normally mild-mannered Jamie reading the riot act to some punks who start skipping lessons or work.
Next, what’s all this I saw in a BBC news crawl at a pub today - something about the Queen giving JO an award for working with these kids? I’ve not been able to track down this news article yet, though I’m still trying.
I like jamie Oliver (I realise I am swimming against the tide somewhat as it is now trendy to publicly dislike him) - his style and ethic of cooking is (of course better than, but) similar to my own. I admire his passion for ingredients and his general methodology of experimentation, improvisation and imprecision.
Not a hige fan of Jamie’s Kitchen though, as it isn’t about the food (although the idea is a good one).
i saw the first series of Jamies Kitchen. It was ridiculous, these people had been given a chance of a brilliant, well paid job, and they were all skiving off and messing around!!
If it is fashionable to dislike Oliver, and it is, that has nothing to do with his abilities as a cook and everything to do with his speech mannerisms and the ubiquity of his Sainsbury’s commercials. Realising that that was the case was one of the reasons he gave for initiating his restaurant training programme. Three cheers from me to him for that (and for his undoubted skill in the kitchen), but I still find him annoying to watch.
Sorry, don’t have time. Gotta register for wedding gifts. Jamie and I are getting married. He’s going to quit his career and just stay home all day and be my own personal naked chef. I don’t have to register for dishes, as I will eat everything off of him.
I must be wrong in the head or something because I’ve got no sexual attraction to him… I want to always wipe his lower lip all the time.
BUT, that being said, I think he’s a great chef, and I’ve always enjoyed his style. I use several of his recipes at the catering business I work at, and I love them (his World’s Best Baked Onions are to die for!). They’re just simple yet delicious, when you understand the basics behind making them.
God, Java! That’s exactly the way I feel about him. I always have to fight an urge to hold a tissue to his nose and say “Blow”, or lick my hand and try to pat his hair down.
Of course, there’s also a somewhat incestuous vein to it all because, besides wanting to mother (er…father?) him, I also want to have his babies, or at least exhaust myself trying…
I’ve been watching Oliver for years, since The Naked Chef debuted on FoodTV, and while Oliver’s Twist is his best cooking show ever (much better recipes and I enjoy the food themes more), I still find him second rate compared to Emeril, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck or Bobby Flay.
However, after watching Jamie’s Kitchen, I find him so immensely likable that I am making an effort to forgive his numerous cooking crimes (like never peeling his garlic and using too little of it or putting lemon in everything). The man is a saint. I can’t believe he kept giving chance after chance to those stupid kids that wouldn’t show up for class or for work when they had internships/apprenticeships at local restaurants. The most amazing thing is that I thought that the restaurant was an investment and the charitable angle was hiring the kids, then I learned that all profits from the restaurant go into the program, so Jamie will never see a penny from Fifteen. My wife read somewhere that it cost so much of his own money to open and operate the place that it will take Oliver eight years just to get out of debt. The poor guy deserves better.
Another observation: I note that when I get up at 5 a.m. after a restless night and before using a comb, my hair looks precisely like JO’s. Gee, I’m fashionable, at least for a brief time, every morning!
His wife brought their daughter to the restaurant in one episode, and Poppy is one adorable baby.
