Product Description

Gordon Ramsay's aim is to get us all cooking up a storm and sitting down at the table with friends and family to share lunch on Sundays and at other leisure times. In the second series of "The F Word", his highly acclaimed topical food programme, he visits people all over the UK of all ages, backgrounds and ethnic origins to help them cook up a meal for family and/or friends. These range from traditional Sunday roasts to lighter summer fare, from easy 30-minute meals to Italian, Indian and Moroccan influenced family feasts. As always, Gordon is there to help the home cook at every stage - buying the right ingredients, preparation and serving and helping to co-ordinate the cooking of several dishes to arrive on the table simultaneously. This TV tie-in book takes all the dishes served on the programmes and arranges them into 25 menus, each featuring a starter, main course and a pudding, plus an invaluable timetable and all sorts of helpful culinary hints, such as carving and what to do when things go wrong. For those who want to pick and choose, there are alternative recipe and menu suggestions plus invaluable expert advice and techniques from Britain's top chef, making this a must-have purchase for all Gordon Ramsay fans.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2260 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

About the Author
Gordon Ramsay has earned an extraordinary 12 Michelin stars for his restaurants in London and New York. Now a celebrated television presenter too, his award-winning television series include Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, The F Word and Hell's Kitchen. His other bestselling cookbooks, A Chef for All Seasons, Just Desserts, Secrets, Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy, Fast Food, Healthy Appetite and 3*** Chef, are all published by Quadrille.

Customer Reviews

Back to Basics - Dining at the Table with Family and Friends
'I decided to launch my 'Sunday Lunch' campaign because I was shocked to discover how many families never sit down to eat together.....
Eating together is really important to me - in my house we sit down as a family at least once a week to share good food and lots of laughter. This is always my favourite day of the week.
Only 20% of families in the UK sit together on a Sunday to eat lunch - Let's make it 100%. GR'

The main aim of this chunky Gordon Ramsay book is indeed to get family and friends back to Sunday dinner type of dining, but don't be put off by the title reference to 'Sunday Lunch', because contained within are plenty of other recipes from the 'F Word', that could be enjoyed any day of the week!

Durable hardboard covers open to 255 colourful matt pages, split over 25 sections, interspersed with '5 Ways with' sections:-

The Mediterranean Flavours
Spring Greens
Winter Casserole
5 Ways with Cabbage

Chicken Chic
Easy Entertaining
Taste Sensation
Classic Sunday Lunch
5 Ways with Potatoes

Keep it Simple
Easy Barbecue
Seafood Special
Roast Lamb
Malaysian Curry
5 Ways with Onions

Salmon in a Parcel
Surf `n' Turf
Essence of Italy
Wild Food
Fast Food
Quick & Easy
5 Ways with Greens

Retro Dining
Sole Food
5 Ways with Carrots

Spring Chicken
Christmas Dinner
Pig Roast
Paella for a Crowd
Summer Entertaining

sandwiched between a recipe list (although this is hard to read with black ink on dark brown paper), an introduction and a 4-page section entitled 'Basics'.... finishing up with a concise index.

Easy-to-read, well laid out recipes - arranged as menus, which have clear guidelines on preparing ahead, as well as defined recipe benchmarks.

'The menus take the effort out of planning a balanced three-course meal and guide you on scheduling your time to ensure a stress-free meal.'
Easy to mix and match.

The selection 'ranges from traditional Sunday roasts to lighter summer fare, from easy 30-minute meals to Italian, Indian and Moroccan influenced family feasts'.
Emphasis is put on buying the right ingredients, the preparation and the serving as well as helping to co-ordinate the cooking of several dishes to arrive on the table at the same time - a skill even the most talented may not master at the best of times!

Typical of GR publications, the photography is split between food, some on-location shots of 'the chef', and one or two of the family.

A small taste of the recipes within:-

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb
Baguette and Butter Pudding
Duck Breast with Spring Greens & Gooseberry Sauce
Knickerbocker Glory
Gordon's Apple Pudding
Seared Beef Salad
Spiced Aubergine Purée
Honey Mustard Pork Chops
Pumpkin Risotto with Parmesan
Ginger Chocolate Cheesecake
Malaysian Curry
Salmon in a Parcel
Creamed Leeks
Tagliatelle of Wild Mushrooms
Italian Sausages with Lentils
Lemon Posset
Beef Wellington
Wild Garlic & Parsley Risotto
Mayonnaise
Sweet Flan Pastry

Pages 70/71 have 'Roast Beef with Red Wine Gravy', and......not forgetting......SIMPLY THE BEST.......'Yorkshire Pudding' recipe - in my opinion!

A highly enjoyable DVD is included with some editions of this title, from Optomen TV - showing Gordon's unfussy cooking style and presentation of his 'Antipasti Plate':-

Stuffed Courgette Rolls, Marinated Mushrooms, Beetroot with Roquefort, Whole Baked Salmon with Herbs and Caramelised Lemons with Pink Grapefruit Sauce, Passion Fruit and Banana Soufflé. (note the GR reference to a successfully cooked soufflé - 'the 'love handle' - the sign of a perfect soufflé!)

Without doing Gordon any injustice there is a faint hint of Jamie Oliver in his TV mannerisms and presentation, BUT not a mention of the real 'F' word, so suitable for all the family to watch.

Overall, a good first if new to Gordon's unique style of cookery writing, but an equally handy book to add to your GR collection, if already a fan.

Great tips, great recipes
I am a convert. I thought Gordon Ramsey's recipes would be too complicated and fussy - wrong! This book is excellent, so is Gordon Ramsey Makes It Easy. I am an avid cook and own a vast range of cookery books, so it was a revelation that within a few minutes of skimming this book, I had learnt a few tips that I have now adopted and they actually work.

Despite Mr Ramsey's fame, he is a no-nonesense chef and his enthusiasm and passion, got me going. I have since cooked a number of his recipes - all worked and all were delicious. I also agree about Sunday lunches and eating together as a family - whilst growing up, those lunches were a ritual and hold many happy memories - it is a great shame that for many, this time together with either family or friends, no longer holds the same appeal.

As far as Mr Ramsey being a self-promoter, what of it? If anyone had a modicum of his talent, and the opportunity, who wouldn't do the same? As for being in danger of over-exposure, I don't think he has much to fear. Unlike a number of other celebrity chefs, he hasn't given up what he does best - cooking. No, I don't think he has many sleepless nights worrying about that - if his bubble bursts, he is in the fortunate position of being at the very pinnacle of what he does.

Top Cook book
This is an excellent cook book that is a must for all home cooks. Where as some of Ramsays books have been very complicated & aimed at the very skilled cook this is a book that anyone can try. The dishes are interesting & inspiring & the various sections break the book down well.
Ramsays last book tried to do the same thing bust the dishe were bland and a little boring (a bit ainley harriotish!) Where as this book has some excellent reecipes that are simple yet very tasty i.e. vesison & chocolate sauce. If you have watched the F word or just like cooking buy this book it is excellent & a must have