The Naked Chef Reviews

• Tasty Recipes, But Not What I Usually Cook

  
  By A2360QQWTF969A on 2002-04-01
  I bought this book after discovering the television show and reading the enthusiastic reviews. The recipes taste great and leave your kitchen smelling heavenly. The instructions are clear, although occasionally, Jamie neglects to define specific terms such as "sweating" vegetables, and often uses imprecise measurements (i.e. "handfuls"). Being petite, my hand almost certainly holds less than his, but this is a minor point. If you don't use fresh herbs already, Jamie will quickly convert you.

  Jamie states at one point that the book represents what he likes to cook. Unfortunately, the recipes do not reflect what I like to cook, and given a second chance, I would not buy this book again. The following information is not meant as criticism, but as a guide to help you determine if these recipes are for you.

  You will find few stews, casseroles, or meats cooked in a sauce in this collection. Most of the meats are roasted with herbs, and three-quarters of the dishes use red meat (mostly lamb). The seafood section, while offering a variety of fish, contains only two shellfish recipes. The pasta section emphasizes fresh, homemade noodles with light sauces or filled pastas such as ravioli and tortellini. You will not find any recipes for lasagna, cannelloni, or other baked dishes. The grain chapter consists only of risottos and couscous, and the legume section mostly of seasoned beans or lentils meant as side dishes. The desserts consist primarily of steamed puddings, tarts, and an ice cream-like concoction called semifreddo. Alas, no cookies or cakes!

  Some of these dishes are too time-consuming or fattening for me to make on a regular basis, despite their deliciousness. Others are simply not what I prefer to eat--I'll take Coq au Vin over herb-roasted chicken any day. Decide for yourself if this book offers the kind of recipes you want.
  
  

• No fuss, great fun and dead pukka

  
  By AGG9C66TOLJZB on 2000-12-08
  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!)
  
  

• Fantastic cookbook...

  
  By A3L9ITICJRQWT9 on 2000-11-21
  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!
  
  

• A new, simple way of cooking

  
  By ATWVC3WQOZSFS on 2002-04-17
  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
  
  

• "Stripping down cooking to the bare essentials"

  
  By AITTPWQXRB8KF on 2000-09-13
  Jamie Oliver is, without doubt, one of London's most innovative,
  exciting and unpretentious chefs and is on his way to becoming
  Britain's favourite cookery book writer, now outselling Delia Smith's
  cook books (who has reigned as Britain's favourite cook for 25
  years). Jamie first began to cook when he was eight years old in his
  parents' pub in the picturesque village of Clavering near Saffron
  Walder in north Essex. He trained at Westminster Catering College in
  London and became very interested in learning about Italian food. He
  first worked at Antonio Carluccio's Neal's Street Restaurant in Covent
  Garden, London and stayed for one year before going to Rose Gray's and
  Ruth Rogers' River Café restaurant in Hammersmith, west London. The
  BBC first noticed Jamie when they were filming a television series of
  cooking show at the River Café. After he began to talk about cooking
  with the "bare" essentials, they gave him the epithet,
  "The Naked Chef" and so a cookery show was born.

  The
  Naked Chef is a distillation of workable (primarily) Italian
  influenced recipes that can turn any reluctant home cook into a
  serious foodie. His method of "stripping down restaurant methods
  to the realties of home" has had enormous appeal to everyone
  trying to cook good food at home. Jamie's style of writing is
  approachable and he communicates in a language that is relaxed and
  informed, while constantly guiding the wary cook.

  The book is dived
  into 13 sections covering herbs and spices, soups, salads, fish, meat,
  poultry, vegetables, breads,pulses, pastas, risotto and desserts. His
  final chapter is a miscellaneous collection of helpful hints and
  recipes such as clarifying stock. He gives a new twist to old
  favourites and has updated the old-fashioned English Pease Pudding by
  adding garlic, shallots and fresh herbs to the dish. His Perfect Roast
  Chicken, which is infused with a variety of fresh herbs, olive oil and
  lemon has been reprinted in various British food and women's
  magazines. Despite the many variations of risotto, he manages to come
  up with new variations on an old theme: his spicy squash risotto with
  fresh thyme and mascarpone is a terrific accompaniment to his Skate
  Wings with prosciutto, capers and lemon. If you liked the recipes in
  The Naked Chef, you will want a copy of The Return of the Naked
  Chef....
  
  
  

• Jamies Pukka Cook Book
  By on 2000-01-23
  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.
  
  
• So the recipes are simple...so WHAT?!?!
  By A3UNU4Y9KWWNQB on 2001-03-04
  I keep hearing people complain about this book because his recipes are very simple and don't involve lots of complex preperations. Who cares when they all taste so great? Just like on the excellent food network show, Jamie Oliver is very passionate about food in his writing and also has a exceptionally friendly and interesting style of writing. The book is just entertaining to read. Like I said, the dishes are all great. I haven't found a clunker in the bunch and his mushroom risotto was the best I've ever made. My one problem was his basic pasta dough. I'm not sure what was wrong about it (maybe the bread flour) but it was VERY difficult to kneed. Still, I did eventually triumph after adding lots of oil and eggs and the pasta in the end was delicious. I have lots of more lavish cookbooks than this and I still always look through this one when planning to cook. Really, a great cookbook for anyone who loves good food and good writing. I hear that there are three Naked Chef books out in England...when are we going to get the other two?!?!
  
  
• Fusion Food
  By ALN0TTRTLHA4E on 2000-12-24
  Cooking books should be fund to read and make cooking enjoyable. This book is the companion piece to the first television series. The author is a good on TV and the recipes are generally good.

  What I personally enjoyed was the extended section on pasta. It suggests that you should make your own pasta as it is possible to develop a greater flavor range than commercial varieties. The techniques are well explained and easy to follow.

  From the point of view of the American marked one section which will probably be seen as not quite that interesting is a long section on lamb. It would seem that lamb has a limited penetration of the American market.

  Still the book is easy to read all of the recipes work except the lamb shanks one. The critical question with a cook book is will you look forward to using it and does it make your food better. The answer with this book is yes.
  
  

• A wonderful book!
  By A1VK02PI2600SX on 2001-09-06
  I just purchased both this and Jamie's second book, The Naked Chef Takes Off. I'm a beginning cook, but I love this book. The ingredients are easily found at the local market and the recipes are not overly complex. The author is careful to explain the reasoning behing certain steps, which is very helpful if you're a beginner (although a friend who is a much more experienced cook also finds the recipes delightful - I can't imagine anyone becoming bored with these dishes). Jamie has a talent for writing as he speaks, which makes the book very enjoyable to read. The few recipes I've tried turned out very well; I'm looking forward to trying others.
  
  
• Excellent Coock Book For Beginners
  By A11GXOGD6U19EO on 2002-12-15
  This is a great book for newcomers to cooking:

  1. It is written in an easy to understand syntax, no fancy words to describe different cooking techniques are used.

  2. Items used in recipes are easy to find at the grocery store or at online stores.

  3. All the recipes do not have a long prep time and can be cooked in an hour or so.

  This book is a worthwhile investment.
  
  

• A Model of Life in Love with Food and Cooking. Buy It!
  By A20IIR0422G3A5 on 2004-10-01
  Jamie Oliver's first book, `The Naked Chef' was published shortly after his success with the short run BBC series of the same name, when Jamie looks to be not much more than 20. While it was easy to understand the quality of his fourth American publication, `Jamie's Kitchen', it is a little surprising to encounter the quality in his very first book, until you read of his culinary apprenticeship under both Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo (of the Neal Street restaurant) and Rose Gray and Ruth Rodgers (of the River Café) in London plus a journeyman's stint with a major restaurant in Paris. Young chefs do not get stints with these venues without some serious abilities above and beyond their three years at the Westminster Catering College. His working to Carluccio certainly explains his love of fresh ingredients. His visits to the local greengrocer and other markets are not a TV gimmick. A `Gourmet' magazine writer was visiting the London open air markets collecting information for a story when they ran into our boy Jamie, off camera, doing exactly the kind of ingredients collecting he does at the beginning of each of his TV shows. I also understand the background of his simple approach to food after having reviewed three cookbooks from the River Café duo Gray and Rodgers. This first book was done not long after he left their service and in many ways it reads like another Gray / Rodgers effort, except that our Jamie has added a few good touches of his own to enhance the material.
  
  As the flyleaf clearly explains, the `Naked' moniker refers to the style of food preparation practiced and promulgated by Monsieur Oliver and not a comment on his attire while cooking. Be very clear about the fact that this is not the same as fast or even easy, however most of Jamie's recipes are relatively easy for a moderately talented home cook. `Naked' primarily means dishes which are prepared from ingredients which are as close as possible to the soil, the sea, and the pasture. And, it means that the food is prepared with a minimum of fuss and measuring. Jamie firmly believes in the maxim that good cooking is acquiring the very best ingredients and doing as little as possible to muck them up.
  
  The first indication that this book is not about fast is when Jamie gives us two recipes for homemade pasta and goes on to give many, many recipes which use this homemade fare, with the full expectation that you will take the time to make these yourself. True to his River Café roots, there are many good pasta dishes in this book. The homemade ravioli and tortellini recipes alone may be worth the price of admission. The seafood recipes are a close second in their simplicity and appeal to the mind's taste buds.
  
  The chapter on meat, poultry, and game broadens Jamie's horizon to include pork and lamb dishes inspired by American, British, and North African cuisines. There are four variations on roast leg of lamb, a real boon to lamb lovers like myself. Roasted chicken and duck get a turn in Jamie's oven as well. Jamie returns to his Italian inspiration at the end of meats with a rather elaborate meatball recipe that includes just about every spice in the Italian pantry plus the usual bread, egg, cheese, and mustard for mortar. This recipe is a perfect example of where Jamie may be overlooking some finer details for the sake of simplicity. The meat is simply `meat for grinding or bought ground meat'. There is no suggestion of beef and pork and veal mixtures. The simplification goes further in suggesting that unground meat can be made ready by giving it a whizz in the food processor. My favorite foodie nerd Alton Brown gives detailed instructions for grinding meat in a food processor, as a heavy finger on the `On' button can easily turn your choice chuck into choice mush.
  
  The chapter on vegetables covers a lot of familiar Mediterranean territory, but it also branches out to the Orient for a stir-fry recipe and a vegetable tempura. Jamie really dips into his love of the Mediterranean cuisine by devoting an entire chapter to legumes. I would expect a true Brit to talk up potatoes, but not our Jamie. And, he will have nothing to do with canned beans. All recipes in this and other chapters call for beans soaked overnight. This fits the `cheap and easy, but not necessarily quick' theme of the book. The stars in this chapter include cranberry beans, chickpeas, yellow split peas, green lentils, black-eyed peas, lima beans and cannellini beans.
  
  Another paean to the Mediterranean is the next chapter on risotto and couscous. I'm really surprised to find that Jamie's favorite risotto recipe includes both rice and beans; however, a little reflection reminds me that this is simply another marriage of foods which have been complementing one another for centuries. The couscous recipes touch the high points with two hot dishes and a salad.
  
  Jamie's chapter on bread is another sign that his style is all about simplicity and not speed. His basic recipe is pure Italian, using classic Italian techniques and durum semolina flour. I have done Oliver bread recipes with great success, so I heartily recommend his contributions to everyday bread baking. For a relatively small book, the variety of bread recipes is really impressive. Compared to the bread chapter, the dessert chapter is rather short and sweet, focusing on conventional English and Italian standards.
  
  Jamie Oliver is not giving us quick cooking. He is not even aping River Café works and giving us good, simple Italian cooking. Jamie Oliver is promoting a lifestyle based on good cooking from basic ingredients.
  
  Jamie's recipes may be a bit too simply stated for a complete novice, but I am ready to sign up for his view of home cooking with naked ingredients. How about you?
  
  
  
  
  
• No Clothes Required (Well, Perhaps an Apron)
  By A1QK35SJD9DJ8L on 2000-01-13
  The Naked Chef is a fresh, no-holds-barred approach to cooking. Jamie Oliver is a young, down to earth chef who subscribes to the theory that cooking is fun and that a recipe is only a guideline. This book is for people who love lots of olive oil, garlic, sea salt, fresh herbs, fresh herbs and more fresh herbs. Low fat dieters beware! Read the recipes carefully as they are often so laissez faire that they become confusing; nevertheless, the end result will ALWAYS taste great. As Jamie would say: This book is "Pukka".
  
  
• Cooking has never been so much fun
  By A1LC5W7CUQSG1M on 2000-02-26
  I first watched his show on TV be chance, but than I was hoked on his cooking methods, his instruction was so simple yet effective, the book is basiclly based on the TV series.

  I would be the first to admit that I don't normally buy cook books because they are generally boring and you need a PHD in English to follow, however, this is different. The instruction is simple yet the outcome is fantastic. try the simple chocolate tart if you don't beleive me. The writing style is much more easiler to follow than other cook books as it's tough he's talking to you right thee rather than a robot dictating. There are measurement in both metric and the old english method, so if you don't know your grams from oz, then it shouldn't be a problem. There are loads of recipies inside for you to follow, from soup to pudding, from roast to bread, it's all in there. I rate this book as one of my best buy of the year. not to metion the great price amazon is selling this at.
  
  

• play with your food.
  By A3PRQKNNMQRGPK on 2001-12-18
  Jaime Oliver's enthusiasm for cooking and passion for making simple tasty dishes is well captured in his first book. It's true that anyone who consistently watches his amusing program will recognize these offerings, but he doesn't seem to be about creating an endless number of complicated dishes. Rather, Oliver establishes some basic dishes that can be adapted, played with, and enjoyed. He's not about providing recipes for you to slog through in your kitchen worrying about how they'll turn out.

  I think what's going on here is much more ambitious. Great cookbooks work to help develop an attitude in the kitchen. Here, Oliver's infectiously joyous kitchen demeanor is coupled with a strong self-confidence. You'll have a hard time getting through this book without feeling pangs of desire for the kitchen. After reading through the book (or watching his television program), I generally wind up in the kitchen goofing around with whatever might be on hand.

  Even with all of that the book would be a waste if these recipes weren't delicious and easy to make. Oliver delivers a fantastic collection of stripped down recipes that are a great way to teach folks how much fun can be had with food. Get the book, stock up your kitchen, stop eating out so much, and have a little fun.
  
  

• Top food, easy recipes, great tastes
  By AW6HMYP7UW41G on 2001-01-13
  This is a book I buy for friends who say 'oh cooking is just so hard... cookbooks are too hard to read...'. Certainly not. This is a cookbook which is fun and original, for cooks and non-cooks alike. Jamie's recipes combine simple tastes with inventive twists, turning plain-olds into exciting and new things.

  I recommend this book to those who are bored with their normal cookbooks and who are looking to spice up the repertoire. Fortunately, Jamie's recipes leave much room for improvisation, so we can change them as much as we like, with no worries.

  A word of warning to American readers, though - some of the vernacular might be comfusing at best, and incomprehensible, at worst. Not to worry, though, the important stuff is all in plain English. And be sure, too, to have a good conversion chart for cups to grams and suchlike.
  
  

• The Naked Chef
  By on 2000-05-26
  This book is full of wonderful easy to follow and extremely tasty recipes. Just reading the book is a delight. Although it doesn't follow the recipes in Jamie Olivers TV Cooking programme, the book is equally as good. Try the meatballs in Tomato Sauce, absolutely superb. His Freshly cooked Tuna is also perfection. These recipes and those in his following book a full of flavour and simple to cook and the ingredients are readily available. A must to have for the bookshelf.
  
  
• From charm offensive school of cooking
  By A3LXYUYLV523ZD on 2001-08-07
  Jamie Oliver is charming indeed and he may be trying to reverse the popular view that British cooking is dire, bland and depressing. However, some may find recipes too complex; I have heard people saying that the cost of ingredients is not in line with his claim to be a herald of simple cooking for simple people who do not care for fancy stuff.

  The book in fact looks stronger than his TV series, thanks to ghost writers. On television, Jamie's lack of education (his vocabulary appears to be about 300 words strong) stands out so bad it hurts, even before you find out that he had confessed to never have read a book in his life. But then again, he is charming and cheeky and this continues to sell his shows and books.

  On practical side, recipes - even the most complex ones - are clearly explained and the result does not disappoint. Photographs look tempting (in fact, it would be a good idea to ban all recipe books without photographs). This is one good solid cook-book; you will not regret spending your money.
  
  

• Pukka book, Chef not bad either.
  By A2M9EXGGMQ1QES on 2000-02-16
  This book was released last week in Australia to coincide with the screening of the series. I just had to go out and buy it after watching just one episode. The recipes are fabulous and not intimidating, easy to follow and taste superb. Jamie really encourages you to try every recipe and the ingredients are easily accesible. Cant wait to try out the pudding section, YUM! Definitely recomended for anyone wanting to create scrumptious restaurant quality food without all the fuss.
  
  
• Much Attitude, Little Content
  By on 2000-11-15
  This cookbook may be appropriate for beginners, but anyone who owns any other cookbooks, especially Italian ones, will be disappointed. The recipes are exceedingly simplistic (handfuls of herbs with everthing) and not unique or inventive in the least. Save your money and look elsewhere.
  
  
• Jamie Oliver revolutionized my cooking style
  By A1C6TALXN1T209 on 2004-09-14
  If it weren't for Jamie Oliver, I'd probably still be eating beans out of a can with rice for dinner on a very regular basis. The great thing about the Naked Chef cookbooks is that even though I don't use the recipes everyday, I have learned some basic principles from the books that I use consistently in so much of my day-to-day cooking.
  
  If you are from the United States, one thing to be aware of is that I believe we have larger produce here on average than in Great Britain. There have been a number of times when I followed Jamie's recipe to a T, but still felt there was quite a bit too much lemon, lime, veggie, etc. So just be aware that if Jamie says "the juice of a large lemon", that might really mean a medium lemon for an American.
  
  If you know a little about cooking but are ready to take it to the next level and make some very tasty meals, the Naked Chef cookbooks just might be for you. They are especially good for those who, like me, highly enjoy Mediterranean-style food.
  
  
  
  
• Never fry bacon in the nude
  By A1IU7S4HCK1XK0 on 2001-03-28
  Actually, this book has nothing to do with cooking in a state of undress. Naked means here that ingredients are kept to a simple level while taking them to heights of culinary achievement.

  I like to give this book as a fun wedding shower present because the recipes are straightforward--and the title of course is amusing. Best recipe for me is the risotto, which is a tricky dish to make and comes out wonderfully well here. (And if you have a non-wheat eater in the house, a good risotto recipe is essential as that replaces versatile but forbidden pasta.)

  It's also a good book to send off with anyone starting out for themselves (after graduating school, moving to a new apartment) because they can buy a list of ingredients and use the recipes to make excellent food that even serves for entertaining. Just for the mushroom risotto (mentioned above) and the basic but excellent roast chicken, someone could become a very fine cook in short order.
  
  

• Eye-catching title, simple food
  By A23GFTVIETX7DS on 2003-04-04
  Jamie Oliver's first book based on his television series (no, the title does not refer to the chef but instead to his philosophy) is a fine entry in the cookbook market for those who prefer their meals on the plain but flavorful side. Oliver excels in simplicity. His stripped down recipes are easy to follow and don't require a lot of imagination to guess how they will taste. For example, his six recipes for salad dressings fit on two pages; the recipe titles describe exactly what one gets. While Oliver supplies a few recipes that I'll never try (Ravioli of Borage, Stinging Nettles, Marjoram, and Fresh Ricotta) and a few gourmet dishes (Spicy Squash, Basil, and Ricotta Tortellini with Crispy Herbs), most dishes will be familiar to those who dine out at mid-priced restaurants. The emphasis is heavily, though not exclusively, on pasta and Italian flavors. (For ambitious cooks, Oliver supplies clear instructions on how to made pasta at home.) Meat recipes are often plain, without sauces or exotic ingredients; you'll find roast chicken, slow-cooked lamb shanks, and pork chops with thyme, lemon, and pesto. The fish and seafood dishes tend to use off-beat (for Americans) ingredients such as sardines, whole trout, and skate wings, although pan-seared tuna, a staple in restaurants nowadays, makes an appearance. Desserts are uninspired.

  The strength of this cookbook is the no-nonsense style and the color plates that accompany the recipes. I recommend this for beginning cooks and those who have simple tastes and are looking for something new. Gourmet cooks, particularly those with a lot of cookbooks, are likely to find themselves bored with the selections.
  
  

• Good recipes, enthusiasm and style
  By A3EF4UHBOAJJA on 2000-12-21
  Read his book. Seen his show. Enjoyed both. The book is great for ideas. Experienced cooks may find it too basic or, pardon the pun, too bare. The focus isn't on aesthetically pleasing presentation but on taste and relative ease of cooking. Ingredients are easy to locate. Mr. Oliver instills the reader with a "you can cook this" attitude which for those cooks, beginner and otherwise, who lack confidence in trying something new, is encouraging. He has a unique way of looking, cooking and writing. It is all of this that catches our attention.
  
  
• Needs a Little Dressing Up
  By A3BZTX8JBJP6D on 2001-06-20
  While the book is a great companion to Oliver's entertaining TV cooking show, the recipes themselves could use a little work. Either he hasn't described the process clearly enough, or the recipes aren't fully formed. A perfect example is the simple roasted chicken. First, you have to figure out exactly what he's asking you to do. Once you get the fresh herbs stuffed into the chicken and pop it into the oven, you're tantalized by the incredible smell. But when the chicken comes out, the flavor is disappointing and even unappealing. Some of the herbs he suggests using leave a nasty, bitter taste. Others simply leave no taste.

  The recipes in the book give the experienced cook some interesting starting points to jump from, but I think the mixed results might leave a more inexperienced cook discouraged.
  
  

• Absolutely Fabulous
  By AI4JQVEGB1002 on 2002-01-09
  This cookbook is fabulous. Usually when I look through a cookbook I only find a handful of recipies that sound good enough to try. In this book I have found only a handful that I DON'T want to try. I love the way Jamie Oliver talks to you and explains things to you. And he has a way of getting you more enthused about cooking. It is much better than the usual plain text cookbooks. I have tried several recipies from this book and so far my family and I have liked everyone. Most everything is easy and quick to make and packed with flavor. Just the way we like it. I recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves full flavor cooking and who loves to cook. Or who wants to love to cook.
  
  
• Suddenly I'm a much better cook!
  By on 2001-11-24
  The first time I used this cookbook, my dinner, to use Naked Chef Jamie Oliver's phrase, made me groan with pleasure. The same thing happened the second and third times. I've been using it for months and it hasn't failed me yet. This guy certainly knows what he's talking about, and I'm eating a lot better!

  I love the philosophy of this cookbook - you can produce restaurant-quality meals from your own kitchen with no more time or effort than you'd spend making run-of-the-mill food. The methods are simple, and Mr. Oliver is an enthusiastic teacher. The recipes are also tolerant. Once you get in the groove, you can make substitutes for ingredients you don't have, and still get great results. I soon found myself stocking up on the recommended list of staple foods, and planting more herbs in my garden.

  Since this cookbook is bigger on principle than on detail (you'll often see measurements such as "a handful" and instructions such as "smash up"), it may not be the best one for complete beginners. I would recommend it highly for cooks who want someone to lead them by the hand as they venture to the next level.
  
  

• Great recipies and enjoyable reading
  By A1TQZIK6I7WUO5 on 2001-03-10
  Ok I'll admit that the recipes in this book are simple. However, that doesn't mean the flavors are simple. Some of the best recipes out there are ones that use fresh and simple ingredients, which is the premise behind this book. The recipes are good and most are relatively easy to make. Oliver combines great ingredients together to create good food and that's what good cooking is all about. While this book is great for a relative beginner to the kitchen, I think that experienced cooks will also gain some inspiration from it and truly appreciate the message that Oliver is trying to get across, which is that good food doesn't have to be complex and expensive.
  
  
• He brings cooking to the next generation
  By A18RXT4CE79XH on 2001-08-13
  Jamie Oliver has got to be the most entertaining chef I've ever seen. He brings fun to cooking and makes it "cool". I love his simple explanations of food preparations. From someone who dosen't like to cook he makes me want to whip up something different every night! I tried the Pork Chops with Pesto and thought I had died and gone to heaven.
  
  
• easy gourmet
  By AZSSJG9WMHZ6Y on 2001-09-11
  I thought this book was great,easy instuctions,detailed pictures
  wonderful tasting results. If you want your food to look and taste gourmet this is the book for you. The best thing about this book is that you don't need to scrimp on food to have a pleasantly looking plate . One dish that should be in the book that isn't is the 'linguine and clams with white wine sauce'
  he made on one of his shows. Easy great tasting food at it's best.
  
  
• One bloke who can cook!
  By A1JEWNBAYDSQBO on 2001-12-22
  Meet a cute Brit who makes cooking gourmet meals look easy. Made famous by his TV cookimg series "The Naked Chef" (not what you think) and "Pukka Tukka," Jamie has an amazing talent for getting non-chefy kids like us excited about cooking.
  If you can't catch his shows on the Food Network, then try reading one of his books and make yummy meals such as his Midnight Pan-Cooked Breakfast using bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, and eggs or try his Shrimp and Peas Risotto with basil and mint. He's a big fan of growing your own herbs and trying new things, but not stressing over difficult recipes or cooking methods. After all, Jaime says, food is all about "passing the potatoes around the table, ripping up some bread, licking
  my fingers, getting tipsy, and enjoying the company of good friends and family." I couldn't have said it better myself.
  
  

• Naked Chef Takes Off, The
• Jamie's Italy
• Jamie's Dinners: The Essential Family Cookbook
• Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook
• Jamie's Kitchen