The Naked Chef Takes Off

My husband and I have made many of the delicious recipies in this book. We have had the pleasure of enjoying the lamb curry, the fantastic roasted chicken, the roasted fillet of beef rolled in herbs and wrappped in prosciutto, risotto of radiccio, bacon, rosemary and red wine, linguine with pancetta and clams (one of my favorites) and the strawberries marinated in balsamic - just to name a few. They were all simple to make and turned out wonderfully. One of the things that I like about the recipes in this book is that they are almost fool proof; even if you make a litte mistake, they are still going to turn out great. An older copy of this book is called The Naked Chef Takes Off. Both books have the same picture on the front and contain the exact same content, but the publisher has now changed the title for some reason (a complaint of the previous reviewer). With unique and delicious recipes, this book is a must buy if you don't already own it under the old title!

As I was reaching my 1000 words at the end of my review of Jamie Oliver's first book, `The Naked Chef', I had an epithany revealing that Oliver's writing is about an entire culinary lifestyle. While he professes simplicity with recipes which can be easily made at home, he does not sideline some seemingly daunting cooking tasks such as bread baking, pasta making, stock making and risotto dishes. Rather, he is enthusiasticly inviting us amateurs to enter unafraid into some of cooking's most satisfying challenges. In this what, his first two books go beyond the very useful Rachael Ray quick cooking techniques and they also go beyond the lineup of simple restaurant recipes presented in the superb River Café books from Rose Gray and Ruth Rodgers. Our Jamie writes and lives the kind of enthusiasm for tasty home cooking from English, Mediterranean, and Oriental flavors which other culinary luminaries simply act out with less than convincing enthusiasm. I am even more convinced that like Robin Williams, and unlike other TV culinary personalities, Oliver is a genuine force of nature in embodying a love of cooking and talking about cooking. This book, `The Naked Chef Takes Off' is described as being directed at American readers; however, I see few differences in style between this and his first book. The major additions are chapters on growing herbs in the city, breakfast dishes, tapas and other snacks, bevvies (mixed drinks, bevereges for us Yanks), and stocks. These chapters have less value as thorough discussions of their subject than they do to spread Sir Jamie's enthusiasm to new subjects. As light as it is, his chapter on growing herbs was helpful in pointing out which ones do best outside. I would have saved myself a growing season of disappointment if I had known that basil does not do well outside in the sun, and parsley does. The breakfast dishes are mostly good English fare with an expert chef's special touch. The tapas chapter will not add much to your knowledge if you already have a book on the subject, but if these are new to you, you will be impressed by how simple a great many Mediterranean munchies recipes can be. The chapter on mixed drinks offers some interesting information on some classic Brit potables, but a Mr. Boston book of mixed drinks will be a better reference. The chapter on stocks should convince you that these can be easy. But, if you are a total newbie to stockmaking, please read an authoritative discussion in something like `The Joy of Cooking', a CIA text, or Judy Rodgers' `Zuni Café' book. It is easy if you do it right, but there are pitfalls if you are not careful. The heart of this book simply expands the range of recipes we got from the first book with no hint of feeling that we are getting leftovers, as I often sense in second books from other culinary celebs like Ina Garten and Paula Deen. All of Oliver's recipes sparkle with the kind of freshness I got from the first book. He does expand his range of ingredients b

I've never written a review for any book before, but I had to for this one. I've had the best food of my life from the recipes in this book. For example, I bought this book about 3 months ago, I eat pasta daily (literally) and for the past 3 months *every day* I've used Jamie's sauce on my pasta. Before that I used about 30 different store-bought flavors. The amazing part is how simple *and healthy* it is: Plum tomatoes, olives, olive oil, salt, and pepper - that's *it*. Cooked properly, it's perfect. I also made a shrimp dish that was awesome. Forgot what it was called but it was some kind of crispy shrimp. I hope he writes 100 more books. His show can inspire the heck out of you too.

The best cooking book I own. This book is a well thought out masterpeice of culinary delights. I own a number of cook books but it seems like this one has really hit a home run. I really enjoyed the little things that this book offers to readers. Shopping - if you follow his list of must have ingredients you can probally stock you kitchen for under a $100 if you shop wisely. E.G. Bulk stores vs kitchen spice lane at the super market. I went out and picked up all of the different ingredients that he had suggested. This makes succesive recipies much easier to whip up. Deciphering what he means - I loved the writing style of the book. A very laid back and freindly style that makes you laugh. I had a bit of difficulty in determining what 10 glugs of olive oil was... i am used to strict recipies that say 1 cup of some thing. He also used 2 handfuls, etc...Great tasting - my guests loved the meal ... it was a joy to eat and to make !I reccomend this book to any one out there who isn't nervous with a more evolved cooking stlye. I have made a number of recipies and i find it changing the way i go about cooking, less measure more feel. I hope you enjoy this book and the recipies half as much as i do!

If you're looking for a book to teach you how to cook, check out the Betty Crocker series. If, however, you already know the basics of how to cook, you will love to try out the recipes in The Naked Chef Takes Off. With both Asian fusion and noveau Italian recipes, Jamie Oliver can help anyone create a truly memorable meal that will make you look like a genius in the kitchen. The book is also full of the unique expressions and sense of humor that have made The Naked Chef TV program so popular. Overall, I would highly recommend The Naked Chef Takes Off!