Jamie’s 30 minutes, now fastest selling

BBC News is reporting that Jamie Oliver’s latest book, Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals, has become the fastest selling non-fiction title of all time.

Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals has sold 735,000 copies in 10 weeks, beating the previous record held by comedian Peter Kay’s memoir, The Sound of Laughter. Delia Smith’s How To Cook (Book 1) is the bestselling cookbook of all time, with more than a million copies sold. Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals, which contains recipes for 50 quick three-course dinners, was made into a television series for Channel 4.

I quite enjoyed the series, but I also enjoyed the Guardian’s attempts to cook his recipes in 30 minutes.

In his new book, Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals, Jamie proves that, by mastering a few tricks and being organized and focused in the kitchen, it is absolutely possible, and easy, to get a complete meal on the table in the same amount of time you’d normally spend making one dish! The 50 brand-new meal ideas in this book are exciting, varied and seasonal. They include main course recipes with side dishes as well as puddings and drinks, and are all meals you’ll be proud to serve your family and friends. Jamie has written the recipes in a way that will help you make the most of every single minute in the kitchen. This book is as practical as it is beautiful, showing that with a bit of preparation, the right equipment and some organization, hearty, delicious, quick meals are less than half an hour away. You’ll be amazed by what you’re able to achieve.

Regardless of how you feel about Jamie Oliver, if it makes people think more about what they eat and how they cook, that has to be better them then relying on microwaved freezer meals.

Buy Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals.

Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals

To complement his new TV series, and as might be expected, there is a new book from Jamie Oliver, Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals.

In his new book, Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals, Jamie proves that, by mastering a few tricks and being organized and focused in the kitchen, it is absolutely possible, and easy, to get a complete meal on the table in the same amount of time you’d normally spend making one dish! The 50 brand-new meal ideas in this book are exciting, varied and seasonal. They include main course recipes with side dishes as well as puddings and drinks, and are all meals you’ll be proud to serve your family and friends. Jamie has written the recipes in a way that will help you make the most of every single minute in the kitchen. This book is as practical as it is beautiful, showing that with a bit of preparation, the right equipment and some organization, hearty, delicious, quick meals are less than half an hour away. You’ll be amazed by what you’re able to achieve.

Buy Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals.

Jamie Does…

I do quite like books by Jamie Oliver and his most recent one is rather nice.

Jamie Does… is Jamie’s personal celebration of amazing food from six very different countries. Cheap, short-haul flights and long weekend getaways have become increasingly popular and within a few short hours of the UK there are new and exciting worlds of food waiting to be discovered as Jamie finds out. Each chapter focusses on a different city or region – Marrakesh, Athens, Venice, Andalucia, Stockholm and the Midi Pyrenees region of France. Classic recipes sit alongside new dishes that Jamie learns along the way. Alongside each recipe there is a beautiful photograph of the finished dish, as well as incredible reportage shots of Jamie’s experiences in each country. Jamie says: ‘The food I’ve embraced on each trip is a mixture of what you could call the clichéd star dishes – the many tagines of Morocco, the flamboyant paellas of Spain, the comforting risottos from Italy and the zingy fresh flavours of a classic Greek salad – and the recipes that I’ve been inspired to make after walking through the markets and soaking up the vibes of each place. What you’ll find in this book is fun, optimistic, escapist food you can actually cook and enjoy in your own home.’

Buy Jamie Does… from Amazon

Gordon Ramsay’s World Kitchen

I got a couple of cookery books for Christmas, one of them was Gordon Ramsay’s World Kitchen.

What do you fancy for dinner tonight? Italian? Chinese? French? With so many varieties of cuisine on offer in our globally-growing lives, Gordon Ramsay has put together an amazing book featuring his favourite recipes from around the world. Each chapter features a different country’s dishes that we love to eat, and would love to learn more about. Gordon delves into Middle Eastern, American, Thai, Chinese, Indian, Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, and even our own British. There are recipes for starters, mains and desserts. In addition, he explains certain techniques to go along with each type of cuisine. For example, he shows how to make Pasta, which is then transported into his recipe for Spinach, Ricotta and Pinenut Ravioli, and Curry Paste which is used for a Fragrant Green Curry with Beef. Also, each chapter begins with information on one of the best ingredients each cuisine has to offer, and five ways in which to enjoy it, like his Spanish-inspired five ways with piquillo peppers. Once again Gordon Ramsay provides an innovative range of recipes to be cooked every day, and no matter what you are in the mood for, this book has it covered. With stunning photography by Chris Terry, this is a fresh, modern addition to the ever-popular F-Word collection.

I was surprised by how “traditional” many of the recipes were, but then again maybe I eat too much world cuisine already? Nice recipes, great photographs.

Buy it from Amazon.

Caribbean Food Made Easy

I am not one to buy cookery books on impulse, but this book caught my eye in my local book shop and I decided to buy it. Like the ideas inside the book and nice pictures too.

Caribbean Food Made Easy

In the BBC2 programme, “Caribbean Food Made Easy”, Levi Roots travels around the UK and the Caribbean and reveals how delicious Caribbean food can be prepared at home with easy-to-prepare, mouth-watering recipes using fresh, healthy and readily-available ingredients. The show, made by BBC Scotland, will consist of four 30-minute prime-time shows from 8-8.30 pm, including 3-4 dishes per programme. The accompanying cookbook includes 100 delicious Caribbean recipes, including all of those that appear on the TV programme.

Buy it from Amazon.