Jamie Oliver ´ 1 REVIEW
I was this given this cook book as a birthday present on my 18th birthday by friends from sixth form. The general idea was that when I was at uni I would be able to cook for myself - I went to uni and lived in catered halls. Jamie Oliver uses simple language and the food he is describing look yummy. Now I am living at home, my uses the cook book and the food doesn't just look good anymore, it taste fantastic. 0141003405 He is a little too vague at times with his cheeky Brit terms, baking containers (sizes), and measurements. I never follow recipes word for word, so I kind of like the vagueness , that is until I used a totally wrong pie dish. All in all, great ideas, beautiful cooking and I'd still like another one of his cookbooks. :) 0141003405 i don't know why the british get such grief for their cooking/cuisine... yes, it is true, that if you hang out in london, most of cuisine is imported (in december, i had the most amazing Indian at The Red Fort and the most delectable Sichuan at Bar Shu -- both in SOHO) but even the traditional foods get me excited.... i love sandwiches made with crusty bread, black currant tea, high tea with all those cucumber and egg sandwiches, clotted cream, Digestives, fish & chips.... and i love jamie oliver. this is his only cookbook i own, but i hope to add more. my favourite recipe is pot-roasted pork in white wine with garlic, fennel and rosemary... 0141003405 This book comes with high quality photos of Jamie's cooking and Jaime and his family. As a photographer-hobbyist, I like the way the photos were blended because it brings the message that cooking as central to a warm family life. There is a centerfold of the missus, a photo of Jamie and his wife sharing a beer and a shot of Jamie's hands cooking, one finger with ring on it. That broke my heart completely. Hahaha! I love the idea too that it comes with a narrative of how best to do things and why instead of blunt directions. . It's a wonderful addition to my small library at home! 0141003405 Last week when I was in New York, I met the editor who discovered Jamie Oliver. He says Jamie's one of the most genuine guys you'll ever meet. Somehow, I'm not surprised by that comment. I love his cookbooks. The recipes are hard to mess up. A couple glugs, handfuls, and pinches and you're good to go. 0141003405
Jamie and Nigella were two of THE celebrity chefs of the new millennium so if you love making delicious food at home that has an extra edge, then you probably already have one or more of their cookery books.
This is one of my favourite Jamie Oliver books although Jamie's Dinners is also excellent, and of course his original Naked Chef is great.
10 years on and Jamie and Nigella now irritate as many people as they delight, but their recipes remain fantastic.
They work, they are not long and overly-complicated and they pass the taste-test. Don't knock them till you've tried them!
0141003405 I read this on the Bookmobile waiting for non-existent patrons. I didn't make anything directly from it, because I am a dork about not using recipes, but I found out about new spice combinations and I wasn't annoyed by Jamie Oliver's persona yet. Now is a little different story. His recipes are looking awesome though. 0141003405 I haven't looked at the other Jamie's books yet, but I'm definitely going to now. This one has quite a few ideas that I liked in it - baking stuff in foil bags, several easy salad dressings, different variations of bread based on the same basic recipe... What's even more, there is an air of lightness and happiness that this cookbook has about it: nice photographs, laid-back tone of the recipes - it's more like reading a good blog in a paper format than a proper cookbook. I think it would make a great present for a Jamie's fan, or for someone who is just beginning to cook (like me) and needs some ideas and techniques for inspiration.
Why only three stars then, you ask? Well, it might be just my expectations conflicting with reality, but Jamie has A LOT of meat in this book. Basically all the main dishes are based on either meat or fish and virtually every side/veggie dish calls for bacon or panchetta - to spice things up, I guess. And those that don't have bacon have butter or creme fraiche as ingredients. Come to think of it, many have both butter and bacon... Now, I'm not a vegetarian, but I don't think that every.single.meal has to have meat in it. Seriously. And how 'bout trying to reduce fat intake, Jaimie? A more balanced collection of recipes would be nice, but then again, I haven't seen any other of his cookbooks, maybe this is an exception. 0141003405 I really enjoyed this cookbook, and use several of the recipies in it as staples inmy family, most notably the chicken in milk and the sweet and sour pot-roated chicken. There are a few recipies that are not worth the effort, such as the rock hen in dough, but overall I' d say it's a lively book which really appeals to my desire for easy, fancy dishes. I'd say this isn't for some beginners becasue not every ingredient is measured exactly but I don't really think it would be much of a problem. The pot-roasted pork with fennell is AMAZING. The pictures are great, too, as I've always preferred cookbooks with pictures of every dish. 0141003405 Some hits, some misses, but what a cute boy. 0141003405
The Naked Chef is for people who want great modern food but who also want things simple - people who work for a living, so haven't got time or energy to spend all night cooking. It is all about giving people confidence and getting them to feel at ease in the kitchen. This book presents recipes for different occasions, whether you want healthy food, portable grub, one-pot meals, ideas for cooking for two or with kids, or food that is as cheap as chips. As well as Jamie's favourite recipes, he looks at fridge friends (all the lovely, snacky things that can be kept in the fridge) and a chapter is dedicated to foody prezzies for Christmas and birthday surprises. Happy Days With The Naked Chef