Michelin-star chef warns eating cheap food will affect health
The legendary Raymond Blanc OBE, 63, warned that eating cheap food will result in more health problems in the long-run.
The chef patron of the renowned Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxford, who was speaking yesterday during his first visit to Cork, said for too long we have devalued food.
“Food connects with everything — our health, the life of our villages, pollution, global warming,” he said.
“But for almost 70 years, successive governments and the food industry have told us to buy cheap food. We now have cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes problems because we eat badly. We must change our diet. Consumers are now reconnecting and making the right choices. It’s not easy to change the habits of a lifetime, and it’s not easy in a recession, but it is happening and I am hopeful.”
The charismatic Frenchman also offered dietary advice to men with erectile dysfunction.
“Eat cooked tomatoes, and nuts, plenty of nuts — walnuts, Brazil nuts — all kinds of nuts, up to six times a day,” he said.
It was one of several tips he offered during a cookery demonstration at Blarney Woollen Mills, after which he launched his Blanc Meyer kitchenware collection of cookware, bakeware, knives, tools and gadgets in the complex’s Meadows and Byrne store.
Despite suffering a severe migraine earlier, he spent time afterwards chatting to guests.
He was praised for meeting his commitment after it emerged that he felt very unwell yesterday morning. As he was being driven to the city, he asked for the car to pull over. He then tried to shake it off by running around the grounds of the Commons Inn.
Meadows and Byrne CEO Freda Hayes said she was thrilled to host the demonstration.
“As a foodie, I am constantly watching cookery programmes and Raymond Blanc really is the master,” she said.
Meanwhile, it looks as if another generation of Ireland’s famous food family, the Allens, is ready to follow in the family’s foodie footsteps.
TV chef Rachel Allen’s daughter, Scarlett, four, appears in several photos in her mum’s new cookbook, Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen, giving her a helping hand in the kitchen.
“She loves cooking. But if she had her way we’d be making buns all the time,” Rachel said.
She said she won’t push her daughter into following the family tradition, but said: “All I can say is that, like most children, she loves cooking.”
The new book offers tips on meal planning for a week; how to make best use of leftovers; and how to buy the right ingredients to maximise nutrition.
“It shows people how to plan and shop for a week’s meals and how you can cook for your family during the week and still have time to do other things.”
*
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
