Politicans are performers. They all are ...and over the years I watched them hold forth on stage like Shakespearan orators, pretend to enjoy kissing the ugliest, snotty faced babies as part of their election campaigns...and generally strut their stuff in front of audiences of all sizes and types.
But I've never seen a politican, the Deputy City Mayor of Leicester no less, give a live cookery demonstration.That's definitely a first!
But Rory Palmer wasn't auditioning for Masterchef, or for a job on the telly.He was cooking a curry in the middle of Leicester Market last Friday....
He worked up quite an audience..and really seemed to be enjoying himself. He was, because I know he's passionate about food, both cooking it and growing it.
But why was he doing this? Well, it was part of the city council’s ‘Have One on Us’ campaign which aims to help people make healthy lifestyle choices and keep well.
Market goers were given samples of the curry, a recipe card
and a free bag of fresh vegetables to have a go at making the dish at home.
It was all to highlight the fact that responsibilities for a wide range of public health services transferred from the NHS to Leicester City Council at the beginning of April, as part of a national reorganisation of health services.
So what does areas does public health cover? Well, it's all about helping people to stay healthy and avoid getting ill - so it includes immunisation, nutrition, fitness, sexual health, tobacco and alcohol use and children's health.
So while market goers were eating the curry and picking up a swag bag, there was the chance to speak to lots of public health officials about the benefits of plenty of cheap vegetables in a healthy diet.
So what did I do with my free veg?
I have to confess didn't make the curry....instead the cauliflower was smothered in a cheese sauce with some leeks I had knocking around , but the carrots and onions were used to make a low fat , healthy home made soup. But yes, I will be making some low fat curries in the future....
Any initiative which gets people cooking healthy, cheap food from scratch is a welcome one...and I'm sure the Assistant City Mayor much preferred getting his message across in this way....by cooking up a curry,rather than having to kiss snotty faced babies.....
Today's track is an oldie...."Show me the Way" by Peter Frampton...
