I was reading a blog the other day that commented that if drinking 10 sodas a day is bad for a fat person, isn’t it bad for everyone? Why is it only bad if you’re fat? So drinking 10 sodas is ok if you are blessed with a healthy metabolism? Eating fast food daily is ok as long as you are thin? That’s what the media comes across as so often. All the health warnings we’re bombarded with seem to begin and end with weight. I’ve read some things from doctors who disagree with that, not just because you can be fat and healthy, but because so many people are unhealthy but never worry about their diets or lifestyles because they are skinny.
I’ll be the first to admit that when I am eating well and exercising regularly, I weigh less, but that’s about it. Just “less”. Barring extreme and unhealthy measures, I will never be thin. This is me. Thankfully, I like me ;-) But yeah, people like Oliver piss me off sometimes for that reason. I wish he’d focus more on overall health instead of focusing in on weight so often.
Anyway, all that to say I’ve been enjoying Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Maybe he got the memo? So far (only two episodes in, out of 6) he seems to not be overly focusing on weight. It’s come up, but it’s not the end all, be all of the crusade so far.
So I got inspired and went to the library and got a bunch of his books out. Had myself a big laugh there because as I am remembering from when I took his books out a few years ago, I just can’t cook most of his recipes. The man loves his fat, lol! So many recipes involve bacon and “a knob of butter” at the same time (with olive oil too). Some call for duck or goose fat instead of the butter. The vegetable section is pretty funny. Oh man, this one recipe looks amazing. A pan of leeks with what looks to be a pound of bacon laid over it (olive oil and a knob of butter in there too). I have no doubt it’s delicious ;-) But not something you’d make too often, I hope.
Tonight I made the braised red cabbage and apples from one of his books and left out the bacon and butter. It was good! His recipes are good for inspiration even if I do have to leave out half the ingredients (had to leave out the salt too – husband’s got some heart issues). And I love the pictures. Why don’t all cookbooks have full color, full page, deliciously beautiful pictures? That's the kind of cookbook that really gets me excited about a recipe.
Bridget also watched the Food Revolution on Hulu and has now decided she’s going to try more new food. I think she got that from the scene when Jamie was giving out stickers to kids with something like that written on them (“I tried something new” I think?).
The other day I was eating my salt free, low fat, low cholesterol (did I mention the hubby has heart issues? I did? Ok) rice dish I had made up and joking with Bridget about trying it. It was brown rice and black rice ("forbidden rice") with various veggies in it and I thought no way she'd try the stuff. But I was joking around and I said how about I film you trying it. The girl surprised me and said yes! So she gave me her flip camera and I filmed her trying what she calls “Rice Compost”. She didn’t like it, didn’t hate it. Then another day she tried something else (can’t remember) and today running errands at Trader Joe’s she tried some of the spinach sample they were cooking (we didn't film that one). It was sooooooooooooo good with garlic, golden raisins and pine nuts (mmmmmm, pine nuts) but she didn’t like it. Tonight at dinner she decided against the red cabbage and instead tried the Caribbean red beans over brown rice which was way too spicy for her.
When she gets around to it she’ll be putting the videos on her blog and maybe I can get some of them on here. If I remember. Which I won't.
So he ticks me off sometimes, but if nothing else, Jamie Oliver got my kid to try all sorts of weird (to her) foods this week so ok, he’s not that bad ;-)
2 comments:
That's cool that Bridget's been trying some new foods. And hilarious that all the recipes call for "a knob of butter" :-) I'm glad you tried a recipe without the butter and bacon and it still came out good. I like JO's style. Love his garden. I've only seen him cooking, not commentating about weight and what not. I don't know if I'm going to watch the new show...am on the fence.
He doesn't go on about it in his cooking shows so you're safe if you stick to those ;-)
So far I like the food revolution (and if you want, you can catch them on Hulu). I agree with him about a lot of stuff, I just don't always like the way he puts it. But overall, I like watching him.
What about his garden? Is that a show?
And man, his cookbooks are drool-worthy. If you've never seen one, check it out at the library. Definitely aimed at us visual people.
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