Product Description

Jamie is one of Britain's best-loved chefs who has made cooking interesting and accessible, not only for a new generation but for all those who love good food. He believes in getting the most out of ingredients and making tasty, easy, sociable food with the minimum of fuss. Like his first two books, "Happy Days" is filled with fantastic recipes for different occasions. Whether you want healthy food, portable grub, one-pot meals, ideas for cooking for two or with kids, or food that is 'cheap as chips', this book has it all. As well as Jamie's favorite recipes, he looks at 'fridge friends' (all the lovely snacky things that can be kept in the fridge) and a chapter is dedicated to 'foody prezzies' - perfect for Christmas and birthday surprises.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12899 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Jamie Oliver's Happy Days With the Naked Chef is in the same mould as his other bestsellers: recipes for simple, comforting, homely food. This time, however, he has some interesting additions from his travels to Australia, New Zealand, America and Japan.

There are three new ideas in Happy Days With the Naked Chef. Jamie has included a chapter on "Comfort Food"--the kind of cooking Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson specialise in. He has recipes for Toad in the Hole, Fish Finger Buttie and Sticky Sausage Bap with Melted Cheese and Brown Sauce. In his "Quick Fixes" chapter, he has selected dishes where saving time and minimal washing up are the key ingredients. These include a Steak Sarnie and Chicken Breast Baked in a Bag with Mushrooms, Butter, White Wine and Thyme. He has also included a "Kids Club" chapter, which is offers inspiration for parents trying to get their children excited about food. The new additions don't dominate the book as the remaining two-thirds contain Jamie's standard Italian-style fare: simple salads, fish, meat, vegetables, breads and pudding. Don't miss the excellent recipe for Medallions of Beef with Morels and Marsala and Crème Fraîche Sauce. Jamie has also been travelling and you'll find recipes with pak choy, soy sauce and ginger popping up here and there--delicious! --Elizabeth Murgatroyd

Synopsis
"The Naked Chef" is for people who want great modern food but who also want things simple - people who work for a living, so haven't got time or energy to spend all night cooking. It is all about giving people confidence and getting them to feel at ease in the kitchen. This book presents recipes for different occasions, whether you want healthy food, portable grub, one-pot meals, ideas for cooking for two or with kids, or food that is as "cheap as chips". As well as Jamie's favourite recipes, he looks at "fridge friends" (all the lovely, snacky things that can be kept in the fridge) and a chapter is dedicated to "foody prezzies" for Christmas and birthday surprises.

About the Author
Having first studied at Westminster Catering College, Jamie Oliver went on to work with some of the top chefs in the country - namely Antonio Carluccio at the Neal Street Restaurant and Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers at the River Cafe. He is now running the restaurant at Monte's in Knightsbridge, London and is the face of Sainsbury's. He continues to write for the Saturday Times and GQ magazine. He is 25 and lives in London.

Customer Reviews

A great book you`ll use for many years
Don't believe the one star reviews - I've had this book for years now, I'm coming back to it again and again and I'm definitely not a beginner or a bad cook, even if I say so myself. The recipes I made all turned out well (apart from one time which was my own fault, I boiled the onions for stuffing too long, to find the exact point is a bit tricky) and they're definitely not all simple beginners' stuff. Try the pork fillet in Parma ham with the rhubarb, it's a great dish for entertaining. Of course, the book contains easy recipes (and those that look impressive are often easy enough to accomplish, if you follow the recipe) but perhaps that's just the good thing about it: beginners won't be frightened away. This is actually the book that got my brother in law cooking and he's by now an accomplished and very good cook!

Best of the Jamie Oliver recipe books
Out of all the Jamie Oliver recipe books, we use this one at home most often, if not all the time. There are so many yummy recipes which are all quite easy to make. Our biggest favourite is Jamie Oliver's Favourite Curry Sauce, which we always team with the coriander chutney. It's to die for. Other favourites are the scrummy warm rocket salad and the salami spaghetti. Enjoy!

Cooking for the layman
This is the third Jamie Oliver book I have bought and just like the others its both simple and effective.

For me Jamie's talent is in the way describes his recipes and how he explains how the dish should come together and each stage from the prep to the dishing up. This book isn't only about getting ingredients together and making a meal, here a very young Jamie gives helpful and practical advice on herbs, preparing a marinade and using stocks and sauces.

This book will have something for everyone. It goes from the simple to the sublime and many cases the skills you learn in one recipe transfer to another.

In short I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of good cooking.

Some people don't like Jamie Oliver but for me his books have helped me learn and enjoy cooking. I've went from being a novice to cooking for my girlfriend, my family and for my friends. If I can do it then why can't anyone else?