Tuesday, 25 January 2011

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Zoe Ball and Norman Cook's private lessons from Jamie Oliver

by NOW Food Editor Linda Dearsley

Zoe Ball married Norman Cook in 1999

Zoe Ball, recently nicknamed Frisky At Forty by her online fans, stopped off at Now HQ the other day on her way to host the Strictly tour to talk to Let's Eat about her favourite breakfast cereal (Nestle Shredded Wheat since you ask) and who wears the apron in the Ball-Cook household.

Turns out it's mostly hubby Norman.

‘I'm a terrible cook,' says Zoe, who was looking suitably frisky in striped top and endless legs encased in long, long black leggings, ‘but Norman's brilliant. It all started when I came home from hospital with baby Woody.

'My parents were coming to see the baby and it was down to Norman to make us all something to eat.

‘Neither of us could cook but we had one of Jamie Oliver's recipe books. Jamie's a mate of Norm's so Norman decided to give one of the recipes a try.

'We live near the sea so he chose the fish pie. It's a good thing he knows Jamie because whenever he was stuck, he was texting Jamie all the time. Like: "When you say olive oil, what sort of olive oil...."

‘Jamie was very patient and gave him lots of tips.

'In fact he still does. Norman's got very good at cooking now but the fish pie is still our favourite.'