Taking Jamie Oliver's 'Food Revolution' to the streets

 

Here's a sneak peek at what's coming in this week's Food section:

In a downtown parking lot sits one of the most impressive things that Jamie Oliver, the chef-activist-TV personality, has brought to Los Angeles for his "Food Revolution" television show: a red-and-khaki-striped big rig tricked out as a traveling cooking school.

Even in food-truck-mad L.A., this behemoth, 70 feet long, stands out.

Demonstrations have been held on board for officials, potential donors and others. But last week, the first classes began for young people. After the truck starts traveling, the plan is to offer classes to children, adults and families in South Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Long Beach and Santa Ana. Classes will focus on simple, healthful, everyday cooking.

You can read the rest of Mary MacVean's report here:

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-- Rene Lynch
Twitter.com/renelynch

Photo: The rolling cooking school for Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution."  Credit: Katie Falkenberg / For The Times

Jamie Oliver could get another chance with L.A. schools chief

 

The second episode of Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" in Los Angeles airs Tuesday night on ABC, and he called in to his executive producer's radio show to talk about what's ahead. Oliver, who left L.A. a few weeks ago after filming most of the Season 2 episodes, said during “On-Air with Ryan Seacrest” this morning that he's coming back to L.A. next week to finish up.

The tension of the season pits Oliver against the Los Angeles Unified School District. He wanted entree to the school cafeterias; the district said no thanks, it didn't need the drama that would inspire. But Oliver told Seacrest that he hoped that the arrival last Friday of a new superintendent, John Deasy, would result in a welcome mat for "Food Revolution." He said he hopes he and Deasy "can be allies."

A news release issued on Oliver's behalf shortly after the radio program Tuesday morning went a bit further. It says school officials have "since reconsidered their participation in the series" and that Oliver is returning to L.A. to meet with Deasy. However, district spokesman Robert Alaniz said there was no such appointment on Deasy's calendar. But, he added, "that doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been a conversation" about a meeting.

And for Oliver, making news on the day his program airs can't hurt ratings. Readers who tune in can see the Emmy-winning chef making a second attempt to talk to the school board and also outside a school dressed as a tomato.

-- Mary MacVean

Photo: Jamie Oliver. Credit: Associated Press

Vote: Does LAUSD deserve a #FAIL?

I wonder whether the Los Angeles Unified School District wishes it had handled things differently.

Even though the second season of Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" debuted to less-than-stellar ratings, the LAUSD found itself in the principal's office explaining its actions. The district initially turned down the British celebuchef's request to bring cameras in to examine what schoolchildren are eating -- and explore ways to improve it -- because it didn't want the hoopla and the drama.

But that's precisely what the district got after the first episode portrayed Oliver as a man on a mission to bring in healthful food and combat childhood obesity, and portayed the LAUSD as standing in his way. A David versus Goliath, if you will.

Within hours of the show's airing...

L.A. Unified moved swiftly to defend itself Wednesday. The district invited reporters to its food processing facility in East Los Angeles. It's an assembly line where food — chicken wings on this day — is sorted and wrapped with the help of both human workers and robots. ("It's not processed and chopped meat," said David Binkle, deputy director of food services, pointing to wings on the line. "It's real chicken.")

You can read the rest of the fallout in today's story by Rick Rojas, BUT before you go, what do you think? Did LAUSD blow it? Is Jamie Oliver exploiting it all for the cameras? Do the media also deserve a detention slip in all of this? Do you just wish Jamie Oliver would go back home?

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-- Rene Lynch
Twitter / renelynch

Photo: Students at Bravo Medical Magnet High School in line for their lunches. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha /Los Angeles Times

Recap: Jamie Oliver brings cooking competition to the streets

What do high school students, Jamie Oliver, celebrity chefs and Green Giant have in common? On Saturday, all came together to launch a cooking competition on the 3rd Street Promenade to inspire the youth to get cooking.

With more than 32 students from eight high schools, the event had all the makings of an "Iron Chef" episode, including a surprise secret ingredient (avocados), a short time limit of 30 minutes, and celebrity chefs judges Jonathan Waxman ("Top Chef") and Michael Symon ("Iron Chef") assessing the dishes. 

Jamie's squad West Adams High School ended up winning first place, awarded $1,000 scholarships and a trip to visit the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. 

Oliver admitted that "nothing in L.A. has gone according to plan," but he has adapted to his reality show being barred from L.A. public schools with a strategy of creative spontaneity. "The campaign is like a big bowl of spaghetti, with many strands to it. Right now I'm just going with it, and so far, so good."

-- Max Diamond

Photo credit: Max Diamond

TV chef Jamie Oliver bringing his 'Food Revolution' to West Los Angeles

Chef and TV personality Jamie Oliver is bringing his “Food Revolution” to Southern California, talking to families who might participate in his spring reality TV series and opening a kitchen in West Los Angeles.

But he bemoans that he’s been shut out of L.A.’s public school cafeterias.

“I can’t get my foot into a single school. Which is a bit of a shame really,” he said by telephone Tuesday. “It just doesn’t seem in the interest of the public really. It’s not a great start for me, to be honest.” L.A. Now has the rest of the story:

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Photo: AP Photo / ABC

Jamie Oliver turned down by L.A. school district

Jamie Oliver, the English chef who took on the "lunch ladies" of Huntington, W.Va., in an attempt to make school food more healthful, has been told thanks but no thanks by the Los Angeles Unified School District. "Our feeling was that his time would be better spent or invested in other communities," Melissa Infusino, the director of partnerships in the superintendent's office, said Friday.

Oliver is bringing his "Food Revolution" reality television show to L.A. for its second season, and he and his family plan to move to the area in January, a spokeswoman said. ABC posted a casting notice on its website: "We're searching for families with children who could use Jamie's help in the kitchen to overcome the obstacles to healthy eating."

But just what the show will focus on remains undecided. "We are not prepared to comment about the show because it's still in the creative stages," said Amber Gereghty, an ABC publicity director. She said there would be an element involving schools. Read on:

English chef Jamie Oliver prepares his own type of chicken nuggets for schoolchildren in Huntington, W.Va., in an episode of his reality show, "Food Revolution." He was in town to help make the city's school lunches more healthful -- an endeavor that met with resistance from campus cooks.(Holly Farrell, ABC / Nov. 6)

TV review: Jamie Oliver aims to make school lunches more healthful

In the film “We Are Marshall,” the town of Huntington, W.Va., reels, then regroups after most of Marshall University's football team is killed in a plane crash. Forty years later, Huntington is at the center of yet another potential turn-around tale. Only this time, rather than a phoenix emerging from the ashes, the image is more of a grilled chicken breast rising from a landfill of deep fryers.

In "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," the boyish and preternaturally media-friendly British food guru known for a while as "The Naked Chef" because of his penchant for simple food, comes to Huntington in the hopes of transforming the unhealthiest town -- i.e. the fattest town -- in America. After overhauling the menus for the British school system, and with half a dozen TV shows to his credit, Oliver seems just the man for the job.

After a brief wrangle with a hostile local radio talk show host, he attempts to slay the dragon of the local school lunch. It's a brilliant move, narratively speaking. Not only do we meet all the fabulous "lunch ladies," including one Alice Gue, who I am fairly certain ran my elementary school cafeteria, but we also discover there isn't a person alive who won't joyfully bash school cafeteria food. Read more here:

Jamie Oliver trys to transform the way kids look at food on ABC's "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution." (Holly Farrell)

Sampler Platter: Meatballs, Cadbury chocolate and healthy soul food

A "bacon-flavored" vending machine? Here's hoping that headline is accurate and not a beautiful error.

--The Meatball Food Marathon: Al Gelato vs. Larchmont Larder vs. Mozza 2 Go.
--"The contestants on Iron Chef have it easy compared with Dan Coudreaut, director of culinary innovation at McDonald's." Business Week
--Highfalutin Americans shun Hershey, flock to Cadbury. Wall Street Journal
--Cruzin' Cooler is a drink cooler that you can ride. Consumerist
--Heritage Link Brands promotes varietals by black winemakers. Los Angeles Times
--"Audit slams bacon-flavored school vending machines." Albany Times Union
--Soulful and healthy? Sinosoul visits Ella Mae's in Compton.
--Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumenthal pay tribute to recently deceased British food show host Keith Floyd. BBC

-- Elina Shatkin

Photo: Spaghetti and meatballs at Little Dom's. Credit: Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times