Gordon Ramsay's Passion for Flavour

Chef Ramsay suggests this book is not for the novice cook. I disagree. This book is for the novice cook who has watched many television cooking shows and decided it looks easy. Recipes in "Passion for Flavour" seem flowered too much with French words, which suggests some French influence in Chef Ramsay's cooking. French words are not an issue as there are many pictures of the dish presentations. Cooking is pretty much a foreign language to most Americans anyway. Don't sweat the French words. The most affordable dish for the novice cook for whom this book is not intended, is probably the pasta dish. It is affordable provided the novice has access to a pasta machine or knows of a relative who received one as wedding gift maybe thirty years ago. Once you finally get a pasta machine though it is yours forever. The same applies to a food processor or large mixing bowl or sauce pan. Yours forever does not apply to the ingredients that are not typically in a novice cook's shopping cart. Gordon Ramsay recommends reading the dishes ahead of time. A novice should read recipes carefully ahead of time not because they need to really study. Novices must read the book ahead of time to know what appliance to buy at the next estate auction or borrow from grandma. One peculiar thing about recipes and pictures in this book: many contestants on television cooking shows present dishes that are probably influenced by memorizing dishes found in "Passion for Flavour". Given that, the recipes in the book would be fun for groups of friends to pool resources to try at home. This book demonstrates how people who call themselves "Chef" have probably earned that title and somebody else paid for the ingredients.

It's a cook book that you must have, the stocks and sauces part is really good for a book that the first print was 1996.

Gordan Ransay's Passion for Flavours quickly became one of my favorite book. Not one of my favorite RECIPE books, but one of my favorite books I've ever read. All those mouthwatering recipes, in those bright, colorful pictures, makes me want to try them every weekend - it's when I have time to cook. A must be in every collection of those who love to cook for your beloved ones. This book made Gordon's passion becoming my own.