28 July,2016 08:16 AM IST | | Phorum Dalal
While the city waits for Jamie’s Pizzeria to hit the flour (literally), the world-famous chef gives the base its credit, and shares a trick or two on getting your kids to polish off their food
Jamie Oliver
A. I'm proud of the Paneer Picante. We found a wonderful supplier of this beautiful fresh cheese and the flavours are just incredible - the spicy paneer and silky mozzarella are a fusion of India and Italy in my mind.
Q. What's your favourite pizza flavour?
A. Anything with a bit of chilli gets my vote.
Q. What's trending with the pizza?
A. Pizza is the odd one out when it comes to food trends, because the staple toppings are so well established. People have attempted artisan flavours, and sometimes it works. Personally, so long as the dough is good, I think you are on safe ground. There's too much attention on the toppings, and not enough on using the right flour for the base.
Q. How is the #foodrevolution going?
A. We celebrated the fifth annual Food Revolution Day, but it's more of a movement now. Food Revolution is about inspiring people to change how they eat and also to put pressure on governments to make it easier to eat better. In the UK, we are waiting for the government's Childhood Obesity Strategy, which should is expected to be published this autumn.
Q. Are you vegetarian?
A. I eat only fresh foods and I've cut down on meat. I'm vegetarian three days a week. I eat more sustainable fish instead of red meat. Around the world, a high percentage of people live into their 90s and over 100; one of the things they have in common is that meat is very much an occasional food.
Q. What's your take on sugar?
A. I'm not off sugar; it's just not an everyday ingredient for me. Everyone loves a cake or a dessert from time to time. But I'll have something once every couple of weeks, and I'll make it myself so I know exactly what's in it. No fizzy drinks either. An occasional sweet treat is not going to harm you; it's too much sugar every day, often in "low-fat" foods that people assume are healthy.
Q. You are expecting your fifth child next month. What food habits have you inculcated in your kids?
A. We have always involved them in food and cooking, so from an early age, they've been open to loads of different flavours - they're non-fussy eaters.
Q. What is the best way to make kids follow good food habits?
A. Involving kids in cooking early is a really good place to start. Have them do things such as tearing up herbs, mixing and weighing out ingredients. The more that kids are involved, the more likely they are to eat the finished dish.
