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Tri-State cooks with Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver is filmed while preparing a stir-fry recipe during a Cook-a-thon Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, outside of Jamie's Kitchen on 3rd Avenue in Huntington.
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HUNTINGTON -- Jamie Oliver is determined to heat things up.
On Tuesday, hundreds of people cooked in the street across from Pullman Square as part of Oliver's "Cook-a-thon," where he taught locals to make his version of street food -- stir fry.
"Do you reckon we can get some people to cook in this town?," Oliver asked the excited crowd. "I hope so."
The celebrity chef has been filming in Huntington for months for an unscripted, six-episode series that is tentatively set to debut in February on ABC. Oliver also has a bet going with a local radio personality that he can get 1,000 people to cook in Huntington in one week. In two hours on Tuesday, 200 people had stepped up to the woks for 30-minute cooking lessons.
The Cook-a-Thon began at 2 p.m. near Jamie's Kitchen on Third Avenue and lasted until about 6. Louise Holland, Oliver's chief of staff, said the turnout was amazing. People traveled from all over the Tri-State for the event, and even a dozen firefighters from the Huntington Fire Department took a class.
"It was very educational," said Huntington firefighter Jeff Waugh.
Firefighter Mat Winters said the recipe was quick and easy, and he hoped Oliver's lessons would make a difference in the community.
"People who want to make the changes will," he said.
Linda Klein of Milton said Oliver's food is great, and she thinks his message is much needed. As she looked around Pullman Square, she said there were few skinny people in the region.
"Whether or not you believe in Jamie Oliver, what he's doing is a good thing," she said. "Everybody here needs to know and understand more than just packaged food."
Karen Sowers of Barboursville said Oliver's recipe for sizzling beef with scallions and noodles was great. She said he makes cooking simple.
"For anybody who thinks it's fancy cooking or too detailed, it's not. And it's not expensive cooking," she said.
Claire Pearson and Kara Schultz said they hope the efforts make a difference in Huntington, too. They'd like to see more training like that offered at Jamie's Kitchen become available.
Schultz, a dietetics major at Marshall University, said staff at the kitchen show people how to cook and look for better ingredients.
"People definitely need to get informed," she said.
People from local businesses also came out to the event.
Ursulette Huntley and Gail Patton of Unlimited Future were among the many who tried the stir-fry on Tuesday.
"I'm not a very good cook so I just wanted to learn how to cook something quick that's good," Huntley said.
Patton said she's always been interested in healthy eating.
"I think it's a great thing to bring attention to," she said. "You can't go to a restaurant and get healthy food. It's needed everywhere. People need to be educated on how to eat better."
Staff from MCTC were helping out at the event, too. Kara Maynard of Lavalette and Hannah Rose of Fort Gay are training to become chefs and said Tuesday's event was a great idea.
"It's pretty neat to have the community come out and learn how to eat healthier," Maynard said.
Oliver, who also made the TV shows "Jamie's School Dinners" and "Ministry of Food" in Britain, said he's never worked on a project that wasn't sustainable. He wants Huntington to succeed, too.
He said the schools, the kids and many of the locals are on board with helping the show.
"It's so interesting to see it develop over the weeks," he said. "It's really exciting."
But, Oliver said he needs even more support in the final weeks, as the show will likely wrap up filming by Thanksgiving. He said some people may have a problem supporting the efforts because of the show's classification as a reality show.
"This is real reality," he said.
He said the show is not a weight loss show, but looks at Americans' relationship with food.
He said Jamie's Kitchen has been funded so that efforts there will continue after the crews have gone. However, more funds are needed to keep healthy efforts going in schools in 2010.
Oliver said he wants the program in all of the county's 26 public schools, not just the two that will be featured in the show. He said $80,000, or about $3,000 per school, is needed. He said he hopes it's not too much to ask, but time is running out.
"I'm desperately trying to find money," he said.
Holland also said the public has been largely supportive, but echoed the need for local officials and authorities to financially support the efforts in schools. She also said the show was more like a documentary than a reality show.
"This is a golden opportunity for Huntington to be part of something really amazing," she said.
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