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This book is based on the
Jamie's Kitchen television show on
FoodTV,
which began as an experiment of training 15 unemployed,
enthusiastic kids to be chefs, and helping them open a restaurant.
The subsequent restaurant
Fifteen, now one of the hottest dining spots in
London.
The book
Jamie's Kitchen is laid out as a cooking course and will
inspire readers of all levels. Some of the cooking techniques
included are making salads, cooking without heat, poaching and
boiling, steaming, stewing and braising, roasting, grilling, and
baking. In the process, Jamie shares one-of-a-kind, delicious
recipes, such as prosciutto and pecorino, citrus-seared tuna with
crispy noodles, herbs, and chili; smoked haddock risotto; and
baked chocolate pudding.
Jamie includes tips on how to improvise to take recipes in new
directions. (This makes this book a suggested selection for the
future food writer's cookbook library.) When shopping
for your ingredients, he provides tips on how to spot what's good,
what's in season, and what's a good value. Jamie encourages
budding cooks to have confidence and a sense of independence, and
to be master of the kitchen!
About the Author:
Jamie
Oliver studied at London's Westminster Catering College.
He then went on to work with some of the top chefs in London. He
is now running his new restaurant,
Fifteen, in London. He has written for the Saturday Times
and was food editor at GQ and Marie Claire
magazines. He lives in London with his wife, Jools, and their
daughter, Poppy Honey.Sample Jamie Oliver recipe:
Taglierini with a
Simple Sweet Tomato Sauce and Shrimp
(Serves 4)
8 plum tomatoes
2 good pats of butter
Extra virgin olive oil
10 ˝ oz. small peeled shrimp
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 shots of Vecchia Romana or Cognac
11 tablespoons of heavy cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 oz. fresh or dried taglierini (feel free to use tagliatelle
as well)
1 large handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Blanch and skin the tomatoes:
1. Using a small knife, remove the core from the tomato.
2. Lightly score the other end with a crisscross.
3. Carefully plunge the tomatoes into boiling water and boil for
around 30 seconds, until the skins begin to peel away.
4. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and cool in cold
water.
5. Remove the skins.
6. Cut the tomatoes in half.
7. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds.
8. Then, halve them and chop into small pieces.
Put a plan of salted water on to heat for the pasta. Put the
butter and couple of glugs of olive oil in a second pan, and fry
the shrimp, garlic, lemon zest and tomatoes for a couple of
minutes. Add the booze and allow to flame if you like. (The
flame should go out after 30 seconds, so don’t worry!) Add the
cream, allow to simmer gently for a couple more minutes and then
remove the pan from the heat. Season the sauce carefully with
salt and pepper and the lemon juice.
Put the pasta into the boiling water – fresh will need only 3
minutes and dried will need to be cooked according to the
package instructions. If your sauce has cooled down, reheat it
now. When the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander and then
toss with parsley in the pan in which it was cooked. Check the
seasoning, then divide onto your serving plates with the sauce
on top. Serve right away, telling your guests to stir the pasta
up in the bowls every so often to keep the pasta moist.
Additional Tips from Jamie:
Try this: Crumble over a little ricotta or feta cheese – just a
little bit – both of these cheeses have a nice texture, go really
well with shrimp and make it look great.
And this: A handful of spinach added at the end gives a nice vibe
– the heat will wilt it into the sauce.
Or this: You can use canned tomatoes for this dish, but you won’t
get the freshness or lightness that you get from fresh tomatoes.
Jamie’s Kitchen, Hyperion, © Jamie Oliver 2002
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