As someone who's followed Jamie Oliver throughout the years, I was intrigued when I heard about his plans to overhaul the eating habits of Americans on a new TV show. But apparently his latest project is even bigger than that: he's also come out with his ninth cookbook, Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals ($35). The premise of the title, which hits stores next week, is that cooking good food from scratch saves money and your health. Hoping to transform takeout-lovers into home cooks, this book is studded with real-life testimonials. But is it revolutionary? Find out when you read more.
Pros:
- Perfectly shot, close-up photos detail each step of every recipe.
- Covers a wide range of dishes from breakfast to dinner that take inspiration from the East and the West.
- Includes Jamie Oliver's take on standby dinner courses, such as paella, roast beef, and salmon en croute.
Cons:
- Steps aren't numbered or listed; they're written in paragraph form, so recipes are harder to navigate through in the kitchen.
- One part is dedicated to 20-minute meals, but few of the recipes would actually take 20 minutes for a true beginner.
- For a healthy food revolution, many of the recipes aren't actually so wholesome — like the pasta that calls for an entire block of Camembert cheese.
Recipes: The tome includes sections dedicated to stir-fries, pastas, curries, and — my favorite — simple, straightforward roasts. Some eye-catching recipes include ground beef wellington, creamy baked leeks, and a chocolate fruit and nut tart.
Imagery: With the exception of the index and credits, there isn't a single section in the book that hasn't been graced with vivid and realistic photographs.
Overall Rating: As convinced as Jamie Oliver is about starting a nationwide food revolution, I'm not so sure. Non-cooks may find a number of the recipes overwhelming. I will, however, keep the book handy to reference refined versions of classic dinner dishes.
Marlies Dekkers
Butterfly
Bonprix
It doesn't say anywhere about it being a healthy food revolution. More like a taste revolution.
1I have watched the TV series 'Jamie's Food Revolution' and it wasn't very interesting. The concept was good in theory but the TV show didn't do anything for me.
2In the TV show (that goes with this book), the emphasis was put on healthy eating and controlling the ingredients that go into your food. If you make your own sweet and sour pork or mac and cheese at home from scratch, there are big chances it'll be healthier in some ways than fast food or the store-bought stuff. That was his point.
I have this book and I have to say the recipies are easy and things you would want to try at home and pass on to friends to try. There are a few recipies he outright admits are not really healthy but where in being healthy does it mean you can't splurge on occassion? The point was to get people cooking at home and I think it works!
3I also have bought this book- in fact I have the British version and find it rather funny that the title was changed. The original is called Ministry of Food. As noted, his recipes are in written in paragraphs but so are other cookbooks that I have- Joy of Cooking for instance. I find all of Jamie's recipes very easy to make and do. Like CCY said, the point is to get cooking at home, that it is easy to do and it beats eating out all the time. Taste does matter when it comes to eating which unfortunately is why a lot of people eat out. The chefs in restaurants usually have a whole array of spices (this is in good restaurants not McDonald's) You can buy spices right at World Market or Henry's. Try it, I think you'll enjoy it
4Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.