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Must Read: Jamie's Food Revolution

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:00:01 -0700

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.

Yummy Links: From Keanu Reeves to Jamie Oliver

partysugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:50:43 -0700

Inspired by famous French chef Herve This, Keanu Reeves wants to become a chef. - Eater SF
Tips for cooking pizza on the grill. - Serious Eats
Joey Chestnut wasn't the only one to compete in an eating contest over the weekend; so did a group of elephants. - The Feedbag
Calling all maids of honor: be inspired by this Parisian bridal shower. - Hostess With the Mostess
A day in the life of Spanish chef José Andrés. - Gourmet
Must make: tequila shrimp and asadero quesadillas. - Chow
To promote his upcoming book and television show, Jamie Oliver dressed up like the Village People. - Eat Me Daily

A Look Back at Jamie Oliver Through The Years

YumSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:30:45 -0700

Happy Birthday, Jamie Oliver! Today isn't just any hump day - it also happens to be the day the charming and talented chef turns another year older. No stranger to fame, Jamie's been in the celebrity (and kitchen) spotlight for the past decade - but things just seem to get better and better for the Naked Chef! To honor his birthday, here's a look at Jamie throughout the years.

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Jamie Oliver and Ryan Seacrest Serving Up Reality Show

YumSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:45:14 -0700

Seems Jamie Oliver and Ryan Seacrest have more in common than a shared love of spiky hairdos. They also want to help Americans eat better. The British chef is preparing a new reality show produced by Seacrest, where Oliver will touch down in America's unhealthiest cities and give its residents good-food makeovers using local resources.

This isn't Oliver's first stab at improving the eating habits of everyday folks. In the UK, he has worked extensively on children's nutrition, including a 2005 TV series called Jamie's School Lunches, which prompted education officials to remake school meals. The idea struck a chord with radio host/TV producer Seacrest:

Seacrest said he talked about school lunches during a segment on his KISS FM morning radio show and was struck by the amount of listener response. Then he heard Oliver was looking to bring his public service campaign stateside. The resulting ABC show will not only tackle a city's schools, but workplaces and other avenues for change.

ABC has already ordered at least six hours of the show, which will focus on cities that have shown on up lists of "America's fattest." But ABC exec Vicki Dummer says the point isn't to make fun of Americans: "Jamie has been through this mission before. He will be an advocate for change, but not act like, 'I'm from Britain and you Americans are fat.'"

What do you think of this idea for a show? Do you think it sends the right message?

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Jamie Oliver Serves World Leaders at UK's G20 Summit

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:00:25 -0700

UK's Buckingham Palace has been abuzz as Prime Minister Gordon Brown hosts world leaders from countries such as China, Japan, and the US to discuss key issues surrounding the global economy. Last night, finance ministers took a break from heated dialogue to enjoy a multi-course dinner prepared by UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver in Prime Minister Brown's house at 10 Downing Street.

TV's famed Naked Chef cooked the dinner with the help of apprentices from Fifteen London, his restaurant that trains unemployed and at-risk youth. The dinner menu, which Oliver described as "the best of Britain," features organic, sustainable foods from around the British Isles. To see what President Obama and other leaders ate, read more.

First Course

Baked Scottish salmon with seashore vegetables, broad beans, herb garden salad, mayonnaise, and wild garlic-scented Irish soda bread
Vegetarian option: Childwickbury goat cheese with roast shallots, seashore vegetables, herb green salad, and wild garlic-scented Irish soda bread

Second Course

Slow-roasted shoulder of Welsh lamb, first of the season Jersey Royal potatoes, first of the season asparagus, and wild St. George mushrooms with mint sauce and gravy
Vegetarian option: lovage and potato dumplings with first of the season asparagus and wild St. George mushrooms

Third course

Hot bakewell tart with homemade custard

So far, the media has been somewhat critical of the menu, and the Guardian called it "not terribly exciting." Still, I think the menu sounds appetizing, although - unlike President Obama - I am a fan of British food. Does the menu impress you?

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Yummy Links: From Pork Belly Sandwiches to Perfect Pesto

partysugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:45:45 -0800

For only eight bucks, you can enjoy pork belly sandwiches in the comforts of your own home. - Serious Eats
Niman Ranch has run out of money. - Gourmet
Check out the pretty packaging on Jamie Oliver's collection of chutneys and marmalades. - The Kitchn
Gourmet gift ideas for the Lunar New Year. - The Epi-Log
Tom Colicchio on ordering the perfect steak. - Allure
Learn the secrets to making the perfect pesto. - Chow

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Jamie Oliver to Launch DIY Cooking Shops

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:00:56 -0800

Bobby Flay isn't the only celebrity chef to expand his brand in tough times. UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is launching a new chain of food stores that allow customers to create their own dishes under the guidance of professionals.

Chefs at the aptly-titled Recipease will teach eager home cooks how to prepare and assemble set dishes. Customers will also be able to purchase ready-made meals. The first outpost of the chain will open at the end of February in South London.

Oliver, who is also launching Jamie's Italian restaurant this year, has long wanted to develop this restaurant store, as he thinks it will inspire others to take an interest in cooking.

He believes the concept offers "solutions in the neighborhood that people need these days, as so many people were never taught to cook at home or in school." The food personality added, "By having trained chefs helping the customers I think we can really get people excited about food. . . . I really believe that if the produce and product is exceptional and good value, then people will find this service dead handy."

Do you think the young chef's new store concept will take off? Would you be drawn to a do-it-yourself restaurant if it offered expert guidance?

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Jamie Oliver to Launch "Jamie Magazine"

YumSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:07:42 -0800

Jamie Oliver, UK celebrity chef and gastrosexual, has announced the launch of his own bimonthly glossy, which will hit shelves this Thursday. The cooking star promises that his publication, aptly titled Jamie Magazine, won't be "yet another cooking mag," but will offer readers a "more personal relationship" with the man who is Jamie Oliver. According to editor Andy Harris, the magazine should make readers feel as if they are "being invited round to Jamie's house." So how does Oliver plan to do this? To find out, read more. He's employed the help of his wife, Jools, who will pen a regular column. Oliver will also take some of the magazine's photos, and the premiere issue will feature a question-and-answer session between Jamie and his pal Brad Pitt, who admits that the best meal Angelina Jolie's ever produced in their kitchen is "cereals." The first three issues will be exclusively sold at WH Smith newsstands.

Considering the number of print publications that have succumbed to declining circulation over the past year, it only makes sense that the chef funded the magazine himself, to the tune of £250,000.

While Oliver does have an incredibly enthusiastic female following, I think he's making a rather risky decision to launch a food and entertaining magazine during a tumbling global economy, especially when the food magazine market is saturated and others - such as the Food Network and Sandra Lee - have already announced their new publications. Do you think he can set himself apart?

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Gastrosexual: The New Metrosexual?

YumSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:00:28 -0700

Much like the sudden rise of the metrosexual, a recently released study discusses the rapid growth of the next major male demographic: the gastrosexual. According to the Daily Mail, these men use their culinary skills to impress their friends and potential love interests.

Leading the pack of gastrosexual men are celebrity chefs, like Jamie Oliver, Danny Boome, and Gordon Ramsay, who glorify the high-stakes world of the restaurant kitchen. PurAsia, the food company that published the report, entitled "Emergence of the Gastrosexual," said in a public statement:

We found that cooking for this new generation isn't simply a matter of refuelling. For them it's an enjoyable experience and something to be relished - they cook for pleasure, praise and potential seduction.

Restaurant chefs have always been macho, but I'm curious to see if this motivates more men to cook. What do you think of the development? Is there a gastrosexual in your life?

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Jamie Oliver and Atari Cooking Up a (Virtual) Storm

YumSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:00:39 -0700

This October, British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver will be releasing a handheld cooking game on Nintendo DS. What's Cooking? With Jamie Oliver will simulate real-life cooking situations, from selecting ingredients at the supermarket to plating meals at the table. The Atari video game will have an interactive cookbook featuring 100 of the celebrity chef's original recipes, alongside photographs taken by David Loftus. Oliver believes that the game will help him reach his goal of motivating more people to cook simple, delicious food:

I'm really excited about bringing a book's worth of my recipes to a game for the first time. You can cook my recipes for real at home or in the game's 3D kitchens, but what's brilliant is that you can come up with your own recipes then share them with your mates and family over wi-fi. Lovely.

The game will include a series of real-time virtual challenges that involve real-life chopping, stirring, and plating; recipe cook-offs with other players; and a timed competition against the clock. All of this will take place in three-dimensional kitchen settings with measures of quality and taste.

Are you into video games? Will you play What's Cooking? With Jamie Oliver?

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