Happy Days with the Naked Chef

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

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Best of the Jamie Oliver recipe books - Rated
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 - Rated
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?

`Remember - Don't eat to live, live to eat - that's what it's all about.' - Rated
319 high quality, shiny pages, split over 13 chapters:-

Comfort Grub
Quick Fixes
Kid's Club
More Simple Salads
Dressings
Pasta
Something Fishy Going On
Nice Bit of Meat.....
...and Loads of Veg
The Wonderful World of Bread
Desserts
Bevvies
And, Finally......You Are What You Eat

sandwiched twixt an Introduction with a note about `herbs', and a concise index.
Finishes, as usual, with JO's `Nice One' - his `thanks' section.
Photography from David Loftus - JO, his family & friends, places, ingredients and for most but not all the recipes.

Rear cover quote from `Daily Express' -
`The food is simply explained and superbly presented, and it makes you want to cook very dish.'

The first chapter, `Comfort Grub' opens with `Toad in the Hole`, followed by `Good Old Steak and Guinness Pie'.. however `Newcastle Brown Ale' is not left out because it comes along in third place - `Beef Stew with Newcastle Brown Ale and Dumplings' - so you know that this is a typical JO book!
Epecially when you get page 39, `Fantastic Fish Finger Buttie'
and
`Sticky Sausage Bap with Melted Cheese and Brown Sauce`! `Just get 3 half-decent snags (that's sausages to us southerners) .........!'

and when you get to the following page:-

`Pancakes, USA style -'instead of being thin and silky like French crepes, they are wonderfully fluffy and thick and can be made to perfection straight away - my Jools goes mad for them'.......

then page 52 , with `The Best Steak Sarnie',

and page 194 - `Superb Roast Beef, Best Spuds and Huge Yorkies'
you know that it is also a book that will be hard to put down, simply because it is so easy to read!

Useful notes head up most recipes and there is a JO intro for each new chapter, e.g.:-
Quick Fixes
'This chapter is all about really fast tasty ways to eat good old chicken, steak, cod and salmon, time and minimal washing up being of the essence. I'm going to give you quick methods like frying or grilling, or my favourite, baking in the bag, which I started doing when Jools and I first moved to London six years ago.......I love making these little envelopes, or bags, with all the ingredients placed in the middle of them......the great thing is that you cook your meat or fish in the same bag as your vegetables and herbs which, in turn, gives you a great home-made sauce.'

Favourite Recipes:-
Superb Marinated Pork Fillet Roasted on Rhubarb
Whole Roasted Salmon wrapped in Herbs & Newspaper
The Easiest, Sexiest Salad in the World
Chicken Breast Baked in a Bag with Mushrooms, Butter, White Wine and Thyme
Wicked Baked Sardines
Classic Penne Carbonara
Kinda Spaghetti Bolognaise
Pan-seared Scallops with Asparagus & Baby Leeks
Layered Focaccia with Cheese and Rocket
Banana and Honey Bread
Sourdough Bread
Lovely Lemon Curdy Pud
The Best Hot Chocolate
Christmas in a Glass

Fantastic - Rated
I have all 6 of Jamie's books. I rate this as his 2nd best. I cook a jamie meal every single evening, he is an absolute star, i have never ever come across any other cook books where you can do a recipe from it every night of the week at reasonable cost, very little time and bloomin tasty! (jamies words) I fill in my diary up to 3 months in advance with one of the recipes from his books....good planning, i then go to the supermarket twice a week, buy the ingredients and away you go....no worrying what are we gonna have for tea tonight!! All recipes are simple, fast and quite often are based around the same ingredients, i have to say i very rarely have any waste. It makes my life easy.....and we are eating very healthily too, unless we do one of his puddings, but only at the weekend!

Yum! - Rated
There are only two chefs that give me the inspiration to cook and that’s Jamie Oliver and Gary Rhodes. Happy Days is Jamies usual style of book with wonderful illustrations and recipes that even I can master. His no frills approach to cooking sucks you right in and after drooling over the pictures you find yourself opening up the fridge to see what you can master. I like the twist and variations that Jamie gives traditional recipes and can’t wait to get a chance to try his ‘favourite curry sauce’.

There's a whole host of choices to choose from so whether you like lamb, beef, chicken, seafood or pasta you'll find something you'll love.