Sarasota Soundings

Jamie Oliver, best known as the British Naked Chef, visited NPR’s Weekend Edition this Sunday morning.

Sharing his thoughts on food frugality as they apply to Thanksgiving, he really got our attention when he pointed out that we live in a time when millions who need to watch their food costs have no idea how to prepare simple meals. In Western cultures where fast foods have been a feature for more than a generation, the need for people to know how to select and cook food and to rediscover the satisfaction of sharing meals has never been greater.

We’ve been saying the same things around our own tables (with family, friends, and our cooking class participants) for years.

We’ll be happy if the message begins to get across, thanks to the propulsion of Mr. Oliver’s outspoken celebrity. Most of all, we hope that the incoming administration’ s Secretary of Health and Human Services picks up the signal. Mr Obama’s own half-hour infomercial featured several constituents who were obese. They were everyday Americans whose financial constraints and health conditions could be bettered through dietary changes and more informed food preparation.

No matter who delivers it—the message is far more important than the messenger.