The Naked Chef Takes Off [Hardcover]

Affable Essex boy Jamie Oliver continues the British culinary invasion with The Naked Chef Takes Off, the smashing follow-up to his bestselling The Naked Chef. For Oliver, the young Food Network import, food is all about "passing the potatoes around the table, ripping up some bread, licking my fingers, getting tipsy, and enjoying the company of good friends and family," and cooking up "what real people at home really want." The thing is, "real people" picking up cookbooks are often seeking easy-to-follow recipes. But that's not Oliver's bag. The layout of many of his recipes may frustrate traditional-cookbook readers--instructions often appear as one big chunk of conversational text with nary an ingredient or measurement in clear view--but that's part of the charm of Oliver's cookbooks. His commentary, tips, and cooking steps come across in a very approachable, colloquial style and leave plenty of room for individual flair or improvisation. Oliver's enthusiasm for cooking is infectious; the recipes and chapter introductions spill out like a best mate who just can't stop talking about food and how much fun--and simple--it can be to whip up these spectacular dishes.

Oliver kicks things off by stocking your pantry with best-quality ingredients, and he's an apostle for fresh herbs, raving on about growing and drying your own at home. "Morning Glory" is a chapter full of dishes like Midnight Pan-Cooked Breakfast (bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, and eggs brought together in the "biggest nonstick pan available" and sopped up with buttered toast--a rustic one-dish cure for any oncoming hangover). "Tapas, Munchies, and Snacks" brings Slow-Cooked and Stuffed Baby Cherry Chili Peppers to the table (when you're done snacking on the chilies, you're left with a jar of terrific flavored oil, perfect for salads or pasta). There's Squashed Cherry Tomato and Smashed Olive Salad, and a Fragrant Thai Broth, infused with lemongrass, ginger, and lime leaves. Once you've mastered his basic risotto recipe you can turn out Shrimp and Peas Risotto with Basil and Mint, and likewise his basic bread recipe is the foundation for Chocolate Twister Bread. "Easy peasy" dessert ideas like Strawberries Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar or Malted Milk Balls and Ice Cream (bash a big bag of Whoppers into bits and sprinkle over quality vanilla ice cream) are a refreshing end to any meal. Now, be a "right little tiger" and get cooking--Seared Scallops and Crispy Prosciutto with Roasted Tomatoes and Smashed White Beans and other fabulous dishes await. --Brad Thomas Parsons

The young, hip Londoner (The Naked Chef) again brings his big personality to bear on cuisine that isn't "cheffy food, it's for normal people who want shortcuts and tips...." However, normal people may be put off by instructions as vague as the "2 good handfuls of arugula, 1 small handful of capers and 1 handful of anchovies" specified in the Slow-Cooked and Stuffed Baby Cherry Chilli Peppers. Also, simple recipes such as Crunchy Thai Salad are presented in descriptive text alone; ingredient quantities are left unspecified. Yet Oliver wields an adventurous hand in combining flavors, as with Monkfish Wrapped in Banana Leaves with Ginger, Cilantro, Chilli and Coconut Milk. Playful ideas also abound, such as Squashed Cherry Tomato and Smashed Olive Salad, in which the tomatoes are squashed by hand. On a more sophisticated note, there's Seared Scallops and Crispy Prosciutto with Roasted Tomatoes and Smashed White Beans. Oliver's Basic Bread recipe is adaptable enough for Chocolate Twister Bread, Pizzas and Chickpea Moroccan Flatbread. Desserts include Two-Nuts Chocolate Torte with almonds and walnuts and CrŠme Br–l‚e The Way I Like It, which is only an inch thick with a thin layer of crisp caramel. Venting his youthful spirits, he even tells how to spike a watermelon with vodka to intoxicate your "mates." Agent, Borra Garson. (Sept.)Forecast: Already a popular Food Network host, Oliver airs new episodes this year in conjunction with the book. Naked Chef has 100,000 copies in print, and for its sequel, Hyperion plans a $100,000 marketing campaign, including a five-city tour and confirmed appearances on Rosie O'Donnell, Late Night with David Letterman and Entertainment Tonight. Last year, the author made People's "Sexiest Man Alive" list. Sales should be brisk.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The title of Oliver's second book is apt indeed less than a year ago, the talented young British cook was unknown in this country. Now, however, with his own Food Network TV series and more than 100,000 copies of The Naked Chef in print, he's practically become a household name. ("Naked" refers to his style of cooking, "using the bare essentials of your larder and stripping down restaurant methods to the reality of home.") His new cookbook is, if anything, even more engaging than the first. It's not about "cheffy" food but simple but inspired recipes, presented with such charming enthusiasm that they are likely to lure even noncooks into the kitchen: Squashed Cherry Tomato and Smashed Olive Salad, Roasted Slashed Fillet of Sea Bass Stuffed with Herbs, and Chocolate Pots. Color photographs and a lively design further add to the book's appeal. Essential.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

". . . charm shines even brighter than the glossy pictures . . . recipes for dishes like paparadelle with mixed wild mushrooms are clearly written." -- People

". . . simple but inspired recipes, presented with such charming enthusiasm that they are likely to lure even noncooks into the kitchen." -- Library Journal

"Jamie Oliver is down-to-earth and contagiously passionate about food... I truly believe he is the Next Big Thing." -- Mollie Katzen, author of Moosewood Cookbook and Vegetable Heaven

"This is functional home cooking at its grooviest. . . he dispenses helpful tips and advice with boyish enthusiasm." -- Publishers Weekly

"Who's the hardest-working man in show business this year? We nominate 25-year-old British cook Jamie Oliver." -- Rolling Stone

Affable Essex boy Jamie Oliver continues the British culinary invasion with The Naked Chef Takes Off, the smashing follow-up to his bestselling The Naked Chef. For Oliver, the young Food Network import, food is all about "passing the potatoes around the table, ripping up some bread, licking my fingers, getting tipsy, and enjoying the company of good friends and family," and cooking up "what real people at home really want." The thing is, "real people" picking up cookbooks are often seeking easy-to-follow recipes. But that's not Oliver's bag. The layout of many of his recipes may frustrate traditional-cookbook readers--instructions often appear as one big chunk of conversational text with nary an ingredient or measurement in clear view--but that's part of the charm of Oliver's cookbooks. His commentary, tips, and cooking steps come across in a very approachable, colloquial style and leave plenty of room for individual flair or improvisation. Oliver's enthusiasm for cooking is infectious; the recipes and chapter introductions spill out like a best mate who just can't stop talking about food and how much fun--and simple--it can be to whip up these spectacular dishes. Oliver kicks things off by stocking your pantry with best-quality ingredients, and he's an apostle for fresh herbs, raving on about growing and drying your own at home. "Morning Glory" is a chapter full of dishes like Midnight Pan-Cooked Breakfast (bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, and eggs brought together in the "biggest nonstick pan available" and sopped up with buttered toast--a rustic one-dish cure for any oncoming hangover). "Tapas, Munchies, and Snacks" brings Slow-Cooked and Stuffed Baby Cherry Chili Peppers to the table (when you're done snacking on the chilies, you're left with a jar of terrific flavored oil, perfect for salads or pasta). There's Squashed Cherry Tomato and Smashed Olive Salad, and a Fragrant Thai Broth, infused with lemongrass, ginger, and lime leaves. Once you've mastered his basic risotto recipe you can turn out Shrimp and Peas Risotto with Basil and Mint, and likewise his basic bread recipe is the foundation for Chocolate Twister Bread. "Easy peasy" dessert ideas like Strawberries Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar or Malted Milk Balls and Ice Cream (bash a big bag of Whoppers into bits and sprinkle over quality vanilla ice cream) are a refreshing end to any meal. Now, be a "right little tiger" and get cooking--Seared Scallops and Crispy Prosciutto with Roasted Tomatoes and Smashed White Beans and other fabulous dishes await. --Brad Thomas Parsons

Jamie Oliver grew up in his parents’ country pub, the Cricketers in Clavering, where he started cooking at the age of eight, before studying at London’s Westminster Catering College. He then went on to work with some of the top chefs in England -- namely Antonio Carluccio at the Neal Street Restaurant and Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers at the River Café. He writes for the Sunday Telegraph and News of the World and has columns in magazines all over the world. Jamie is now running Fifteen restaurant, one of the best restaurants in London, and he started and continues to be involved with the Fifteen Foundation, which provides training and mentoring for disadvantaged young people. He lives in London with his wife, Jools, and their daughters, Poppy and Daisy.