Kitchen Heaven

The television series Ramsay's Kitchen Hell saw him stopping at nothing - and no one - in his quest to achieve the very highest standards, no matter what the venue or the dish. Now he brings all that formidable passion and unique advice to your home. With over 100 brand-new recipes - including some of the most accessible and delicious he has ever produced - Ramsay's Kitchen Heaven is a cookbook for everyone who loves food, from the complete novice to the more accomplished cook. The only quality Gordon insists upon is enthusiasm.

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A useful book where 'Tweaked' basics meet the more sophisticated........and the odd rude word in the narratives! - Rated
Cover quotes:-
`As seen on Channel 4', over 100 brand new recipes.
'Hellishly Good' Heat - `Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares' presented viewers with a vision of culinary hell. Now Britain's foremost chef shares the secrets of how it should be done - and allows us a glimpse of `Kitchen Heaven'.

For the large part this is a useful recipe and reference book where `tweaked' basics e.g. `Black Forest Gateau' mingle with the more sophisticated `Cold Chocolate Mousse with Lavender Ice Cream'; 'Puff Pastry Pizza' with `Twice Baked Cheese Soufflés`; `French Onion Soup' with `Smoked Haddock Soup with Quail's Eggs' and `Lasagne' with 'Pheasant Baked with Crepes'.


255 high quality, shiny pages split over 9 main chapters:-

Salads
Things on Toast
Vegetarian
Soups
Fish
Meat
Puddings
Vinaigrettes & Dressings
Sauces, Stocks & Basics

sandwiched between an introduction, `Essential Techniques' (including:- 'How to Poach an Egg', `How to Dry Salad Leaves' and `How to Fillet, Pin-bone and Skin Fish'), a two page glossary and a concise index.

Each chapter opens with a helpful tip, e.g. Salads - `The thing to remember with salads is not to fuss over them too much and always use the best, freshest ingredients you can get hold of.......and GR's experiences from the TV programmes:- 'Caesar Salad' is a great test for any chef to make properly as it really doesn't need much messing with...... After seeing the mess they made at..........., I gave the chef this recipe which is my interpretation.'

A recipe for the `Ultimate Caesar Salad' follows.

Opening the `Vegetarian' chapter is a quote, with the typical GR attitude, we have come to either love or hate:-

`I was mis-quoted a few years ago, so I want to set the record straight: I absolutely love vegetarians, adore them, and enjoy eating vegetarian food myself......
or
ahead of the GR `Cottage Pie' recipe:-
`This has to be my all-time favourite comfort food dish. My wife, Tana, and I go out and have dinner once a week, by ourselves. We usually go to the Ivy and I always order the same thing - `Caesar Salad' and `Cottage Pie`.
I'll just there with a dinky bottle of ketchup and one of Worcestershire Sauce and that is just it for me. Nothing more, nothing else, just my cottage pie.'


Throughout the book, each recipe is clearly laid out with the title and ingredients list in red type, followed by the method, in black type.

On location photography with pictures for a large percentage of the recipes, but not all, which may prove to be slightly negative to readers who like to see what finished product they are aiming for, in a less obvious to picture dish, e.g. `Crispy Duck Salad', 'Peppers in Red Wine' or `Lobster Roll`!

The book is interspersed with narrative sections, e.g. `Being a Waiter', `Turning Your Restaurant Nightmare into a Dream', `Putting Chefs on the Spot', 'Too Much Sleep' and `Making Mistakes'.
(Please be warned that there is some typical GR 'x'-rated language in these sections!)


Other Recipes include:-
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Croque Monsieur
Baked Asparagus and Parmesan Loaf
Fish Pie
Venison Pie
Marinated Duck Breasts
Turnip, Marrow and Potato Soup
Burger and Chips, (which includes a very nice `Onion Relish' recipe)
Whisky Bread and Butter Pudding
Lemon Confit
Taramasalata
Brown Chicken Stock
Calvados Rice Pudding with Caramelized Apples

You fu**ing bl**dy etc etc - Rated
The book from the kicthen version of South Park (i.e. lots of swearing) This book has a few great recipes in it. especially the banana soufle recipe, some of the soups & the fish pie is a great 1. overall a good book.

Interesting, but not for beginners - Rated
This is an interesting (if not a bit light on content) cookbook. A short word of warning though to less-than-confident cooks. Many of the recipes assume a reasonable level of culinary skill which may have some starters a bit lost - Delia Smith it ain't!

Not a great deal here! - Rated
Ramsay may be one of my favorite chefs, but this book really isn't worth the stretch. It dazzles you with fantastic pictures and interesting prose, but seems to be lacking on the recipe front. When I rate a cookery book I always have Nigella Lawsons "How to Eat" in the back of my mind. Not sure what Nigella offers in the cost per recipe ratio, but Ramsay falls well short of what I'd expect these days.

His restaurants are great though!!

He makes a fine dish.... - Rated
As one might now expect from Ramsay this is more than just a cookbook. Full of inspirational recipes to lure the reader to the hob; meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, aswell as a selection of sauces, puddings and things on toast.

Some amusing anecdotes, such as the kitchen porter with a fish phobia, who thought Ramsay's mackerel on toast was, 'the best thing he'd ever eaten'.

And the way to treat vegetarians? Stuffed courgette flowers and braised lentils with Swiss chard. Thats the way.