Sam's Cookalong Diary Gordon Ramsay wants ME (gulp)

Date Published:

08/01/2008

Join Sam Jordison as he tries to improve his Average Joe cookery skills with an intense training regime ahead of Gordon Ramsay's Cookalong Live

Like a great many other people, I am a 30-year-old man.

I mention this so that you can get some idea of my cooking ability. I've had a few years fending for myself on a limited budget as a student and recent graduate and once tried to make a Pot Noodle sandwich. I worry about fair trade and quite often go to Farmers' Markets, because, you know, it's important. I'm of the same generation as Jamie Oliver. I know where he's coming from culturally, and I'm certain that he's right about school dinners. I also watch his programmes from time to time and think "I could cook that stuff".

Except I can't. The other thing that you should know about me as Joe Average is that I imagine my girlfriend and I have an entirely equal relationship and share all household tasks. In reality, she's always making me complicated and delicious meals, while every so often I make her a sandwich, or maybe some beans on toast, and tell myself that this makes me a jolly decent bloke. Looking on the positive side, I do more of the washing up, but that's not really anything to brag about. After all, as she often points out, an electric dishwasher would complete my contribution to our culinary arrangements better and faster.

In short, I'm the ideal target for Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live. Someone who really should learn how to pull his weight in the kitchen. Someone with vague ideas about making good food, but no know-how when it comes to executing them. Someone who would like to treat his better half to a good meal - but who is worried that without proper tuition, the results will be more of a trial than a pleasure.

That's why over the next couple of weeks I'm going to be avidly following Ramsay's video blogs and doing my best to follow his instructions in preparation for the Cookalong on Friday 18th January at 9pm.

I hope you'll join me. I'll be posting regular updates here and you can join in the fun - or indeed, share your pain - on Channel 4's dedicated Facebook event page. And if you enjoy seeing journalists looking nervous while wielding knives, I'll be photo-blogging on Flickr too.

Put yourself on the Cookalong map

Share your experiences on Facebook and post your pictures on Flickr

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