I don’t think there is anyone cooler than Jamie Oliver. I remember first seeing him on The Naked Chef in 2001 and thinking what a quirky and cheeky cook he was. His passion for fresh ingredients was infectious and he always made cooking look effortless. Like if he could do it, you could too.
You may have heard that Jamie won the TED Prize this year. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and it is a prize awarded annually to an exceptional individual who receives $100,000 and “One Wish to Change the World.” The recipients are invited to give an 18-minute talk about their wish. You can see Jamie’s here. His wish is close to my heart and speaks to my own personal mission of health for myself and my family.
“I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.”
You’ll be hearing Jamie Oliver’s name and learning more about his mission if you tune in to his show Food Revolution on ABC premiering March 26. It’s difficult to make a reality network TV show not seem manipulative, but I’m relying on Jamie’s passion and energy to combat that stigma and really get to the heart of the matter – real seasonal food.
We all need to cook more and we need to strive to use seasonal ingredients. One of my favorite of Jamie’s many TV incarnations was Jamie at Home. He was literally at his home, using food from his amazing garden and creating meals with pleasure and ease.
We can all do that (seriously!) on whatever scale we can manage. I happen to have a yard where I can plant a garden, but even if you just have a window and a pot, you can create your own seasonal food.
I’ve made this recipe before, but now I’m looking forward to making it again with mint and peas from my garden (cross fingers.) I’m not the best gardener – it might be even laughable to say I’m a good gardener. But I’ll keep trying because I think it’s important to know how food grows and to teach my kids the same. I have a memory of eating peas straight off the vine at my friend’s farm as a child and it is literally one of the best food memories I have.
Fresh, seasonal food. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it? I hope so. Even if you’re completely in love with little snack cakes, Fight the Power. Trust this man below (even if he looks a little shaggy and still in his high school rock band) to show you and your community a way to be healthier.
You can visit Jamie’s site here for more information.
P.S. He’s a husband and father too. Cool.
