Jamie’s Italy is an Italian cookbook that is not only amazingly easy to follow but it offers a beautiful sense of Jamie’s time in Italy. Not being one to read or use cookbooks I decided to review this book based on the name of the chef only. I have recently delved into gourmet cooking and often look to the FoodTV chefs for help when the mood strikes me.
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Jamie Oliver, host of Oliver’s Twist, and the former host of The Naked Chef, is interesting and entertaining to watch and has a way of creating recipes that people of all skill levels and backgrounds can enjoy.
Cooking Italian, or rather true Italian, can be a daunting task for anyone. While any person cooking can add some Ragu, to some dried pasta, that’s hardly real Italian food. Real Italian food takes some work. There are numerous shows on the network that deal with Italian food. The biggest complaint is that the low experience cook will not understand the methods needed to make such delicacies. However Jamie is different. He understands the needs of both common cooks and gourmet chefs alike.
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I was not aware that Jamie Oliver cooked Italian foods until this cookbook was offered for review. I gladly took it and was impressed when I learned that Jamie traveled around Italy learning the true methods to Italian cooking. He met some new friends along the way, learned new methods of cooking, borrowed some of their recipes, and rolled all of his experience into this lovely 319 page, hardcover book.
While anyone can look through a book and determine whether or not the book is worthy of buying, which this one is, I decided to go the extra mile. While the pictures all look scrumptious enough to eat I wanted to see if the food would hold up. Together, Dominick and I went through Jamie’s collection of Italian recipes in Jamie’s Italy to pick out a dinner menu.
Sure, one dinner may not say much. However, this dinner was special. This dinner was being served to a mother (mine to be exact) who doesn’t like anything she’s unfamiliar with, which usually means gourmet, a child with autistic spectrum disorder and highly picky eating habits, a man who will not admit how picky he is, and myself (who loves trying new food…if I know what is in it).
We chose for me to make the following meal:
- Funghi al Forno Ripieni di Ricotta (Baked mushrooms stuffed with ricotta)
- Linguine alla Carbonara di Salsiccia (Sausage Carbonara)
- Insalata Caprese (Salad from Caprese)
- Macedonia di Frutta All’Amalfitana (Amalfi style Fruit Salad)
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The consensus was astounding. The mushrooms were a hit, with exception of the picky mother who isn’t a huge fan of ricotta. However, the child liked them (before then he’d scarcely eaten more than a nibble of a mushroom) and Dominick gobbled them up happily. Everyone agreed the Sausage Carbonara was truly excellent, the Insalata Caprese was delicious, and the Fruit Salad was a perfect blend of strawberries and oranges.
I made a point not to deviate at all from Jamie’s recipes. The only change I made was to add a little whipped cream to the fruit salad. All dishes were simple to make and written with straight forward instructions. Additionally, they pleased a family filled with different eating habits and they came out looking restaurant quality.
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Jamie’s Italy is recommended highly for Italian lovers that want to learn to cook their own meals. Whether you have tons of experience or none you will be able to follow this cookbook and make meals that are truly delightful for the entire family. As for us? Well, we already have our next meal picked out…thanks to Jamie Oliver and his excellent cookbook.
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises.
Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess.
She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.
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