Easy to Use and TrustworthyOctober 29, 2008 J. Farrell(B.C., Canada) Every recipe I have tried from this book has met with amazing reviews from family and friends. I love Jamie's easygoing style, and yet he teaches you to be very attentive to details. He rings some very interesting changes, putting some unexpected ingredients in here and there, but never does he make it hard for the cook. In fact, several of the most delicious recipes took me only 30 minutes from start to finish! This book spends a lot of its time on my kitchen table, set to inspire me to try something new. It's a real keeper!
Freaking Awesome!!July 24, 2008 just another customer(Mississauga, Ontario Canada) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Not only does this book have incredibly tasty and easy to make recipes, it has sparked a passion for cooking in my husband and I couldn't be a happier wife! ;)
Extremely useful for all level of cooking know-howFebruary 14, 2008 Tekla Piercey(Vancouver, BC, Canada) 10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Apart from knowing that the proceeds from the purchase of this book (and some of his others) go towards his various charities, it's so worthwhile owning. I am a trained pastry cook and have been cooking and experimenting with food for years. I find this book to be invaluable from his simple salad dressings to the more advanced dishes. My brother loves to cook but lacks the knowledge, so I got him this book for his birthday, because he had already seen mine. He was thrilled and has mastered the art of fresh pasta making as well as much more. Jamie Oliver's writing style is just like him on his shows and fun to read and learn from. The photos and diagrams are great, especially since I am someone who won't buy a cookbook that doesn't have pictures. There are photos for pretty much every recipe as well as diagrams of meat cuts ie. a cow and where the tenderloin comes from and the best way to cook it, etc. It's not about to replace my baking textbook or my Joy of Cooking as there aren't nearly as many recipes in Jamie Oliver's book, but I'm much quicker to pick up his book and try out a new and delicious looking dish for my young family for dinner! It's definitely one of my top 5 most used cookbooks!
Great!January 8, 2008 Melanie(Toronto) 6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Most of the recipes in here (with the exception of anything with blood sausage)are excellent. Jamie does a great job of combining his passion for food with straightforward non-fussy recipes that will please most palates. This book is a must for any cookbook collection and his recipes will be used time and time again.
Don't really know much about cooking? If you truely want to be a better cook you need this book.December 2, 2007 Trevor Howard(Trenton, Ontario, CAN) 38 out of 38 found this review helpful
You have seen the cooking shows, you've tried the recipes... and sometimes they turn out but never look as good as they did on TV. This book covers every aspect of cooking a beginner to intermediate (if not more) would benefit from learning about. It takes all of the basics like beef, pasta, risotto, seafood, vegetables, etc. and really breaks down what the product you are working with IS and what it DOES and WHY you are doing what you are doing at each step. It also teaches you things like how a restaurant can pop out a risotto in 10 minutes when anyone who has made it before knows it takes a good 40 minutes to make.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about improving their cooking techniques and who wants to increase the quality of their cooked meals.
