The Naked Chef

Efficient effective an quick. That’s Jamie Oliver the Naked Chef!!

I have cooked all my life. As a girl I loved to help my mum, and then when I married and got four kids there were always someone to cook and bake for. And there still is.Living in Norway I am used to make most of the food from scratch, and to bake most of the bread and cakes we eat. I also have inherited alot of recipes from my mother, my grandmothers, and (some of the best ones) from my father-in-law.Of course I thought I knew everything there was to know about making tasty food in my kitchen:-) Then my husband got The Naked Chef for Christmas. I had seen a few of Jamie Olivers television programs and was interested in the book. And after having read a few pages I was hooked.Jamie Oliver has a very simple, fresh way to cook. There is nothing difficult, no dishes with too much preparations (at least he tells us so). Still the food he is making is so good, so tasty, and looks so elegant. Take his bread recipes for instance. He starts with the same ingredients for all his different sorts of bread, then, "simsalabim", he does a little trick, and you have a totally different bread.I celebrated my birthday as an Italian party the other night, and his Focaccias and Ciabattas are the most delicious ones I have tasted (exept from the fresh ones bought in Iatky of course).I still have alot to try from his book, and look forward to great hours in my kitchen, in Jamie's company.Britt Arnhild Lindland

For those of you unfortunate not to catch Jamie Oliver on the telly - then get the cookbook. If you've caught him on the Telly, then buy the cookbook anyway. This book is the first of two he's written so far based on his cooking shows. The 'Naked' part of Naked Chef refers to the cooking. His style is to strip down recipes into simple, tasty, quick and easy food. The wonderful thing about the recipes is they are not only easy to follow but they are the basis for as many wonderful variations as you want to make. For instance, he has a basic bread recipe, but lots of great variations. Once you have the basics it is easy to develop your own dishes too. His presentation is always simple and he has lots of tips for how to make things work. He covers a full range of meals from breakfast through to beverages and deserts so there is something for any time of the day.I must say I also like Jamie Oliver for his casual style. He is without pretentions but the food that comes out of the kitchen is always fabulous, looks great, tastes gourmet, and is dead impressive. As Jamie says - its Pukka (translation - GREAT!)

The caption above this review sums it up fairly well. Simply put, this is a terrific addition to your cookbook library. Why? Well, in a few main points, because:Easy, very accessible recipes. Practicality is the cornerstone of much of Oliver's recipes. You won't find overly difficult or complex recipes here. Very easy-to-do, simple-to-follow approaches. Very easy to find ingredients. At the same time, taste and presentation are not sacrificied either. The recipes are simply delicious. Very important. By comparison, everything that Bittman tried to achieve in the "Minimalist" cookbook is acheived and far surpassed by Oliver.Thoroughly enjoyable text. Oliver is very funny. His humor and wit come across strikingly well. His stories are personal as well. His writing makes for simply enjoyable reading. Quite a bonus when it comes to cookbooks.Very nice graphics and layout. The photographs are beautiful, and the design that went into the publishing of this book is top of the line. Very good.Also a plus, more so for novice chefs (or beginners), is the inclusion of many helpful tips and pointers. Oliver puts in his two-cents worth on what to look for in "staples" or the basics of cooking. Anything from raw ingredients, to cooking utensils. Nice to have and refer to when/should the need strike you.VERY WORTH having this text in your kitchen. You will enjoy it and value it. You and yours will also reap the benefits of this text by way of some outstanding recipes.Enjoy!

Jamie Oliver is, without doubt, one of London's most innovative,exciting and unpretentious chefs and is on his way to becomingBritain's favourite cookery book writer, now outselling Delia Smith'scook books (who has reigned as Britain's favourite cook for 25years). Jamie first began to cook when he was eight years old in hisparents' pub in the picturesque village of Clavering near SaffronWalder in north Essex. He trained at Westminster Catering College inLondon and became very interested in learning about Italian food. Hefirst worked at Antonio Carluccio's Neal's Street Restaurant in CoventGarden, London and stayed for one year before going to Rose Gray's andRuth Rogers' River Café restaurant in Hammersmith, west London. TheBBC first noticed Jamie when they were filming a television series ofcooking show at the River Café. After he began to talk about cookingwith the "bare" essentials, they gave him the epithet,"The Naked Chef" and so a cookery show was born. TheNaked Chef is a distillation of workable (primarily) Italianinfluenced recipes that can turn any reluctant home cook into aserious foodie. His method of "stripping down restaurant methodsto the realties of home" has had enormous appeal to everyonetrying to cook good food at home. Jamie's style of writing isapproachable and he communicates in a language that is relaxed andinformed, while constantly guiding the wary cook.The book is divedinto 13 sections covering herbs and spices, soups, salads, fish, meat,poultry, vegetables, breads,pulses, pastas, risotto and desserts. Hisfinal chapter is a miscellaneous collection of helpful hints andrecipes such as clarifying stock. He gives a new twist to oldfavourites and has updated the old-fashioned English Pease Pudding byadding garlic, shallots and fresh herbs to the dish. His Perfect RoastChicken, which is infused with a variety of fresh herbs, olive oil andlemon has been reprinted in various British food and women'smagazines. Despite the many variations of risotto, he manages to comeup with new variations on an old theme: his spicy squash risotto withfresh thyme and mascarpone is a terrific accompaniment to his SkateWings with prosciutto, capers and lemon. If you liked the recipes inThe Naked Chef, you will want a copy of The Return of the NakedChef....

I loved Jaimies quick and simple recipe for fresh pasta, I always thought it would be a nightmare to make it myself, but it is so easy. I also love the way he incorporates fresh herbs, and encourages people to relax about cooking and to get in and give it a go. His book was just released in New Zealand last week, and we picked one up straight away, we are looking forward to trying more of the recipes, especially the roast lamb, yum!. I would recommend this book to anyone, experienced in cooking or just a beginner.