Customer Rating: 
Summary: Jamie's Ministry of Food
Comment: I have just ordered this book as my dad got it for Christmas and loves it!! What I liked about it the most was that in some cases it gave you the basic receipe then listed below alternatives with say, beef, lamb, chicken.
The book must be good as my dad does not cook and since receiving it he has cooked rather a lot!
Customer Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC BOOK... CAN'T PRAISE IT ENOUGH
Comment: I bought this book as a small gift for by boyfriend at Christmas and we have already cooked at least 10 of the dishes in there! We both work full-time, yet both love to try new food and enjoy cooking for each other. We've tried the crunchy garlic chicken, the burgers, chicken stroganoff, roast veg, parmesan chicken to name just a few. The recipes are straight-forward, easy to follow, use ingredients readily found in all supermarkets and are quick! I get in from work around 6 and could easily have something on the table by 7. Really pleased with this book, the others will no just gather dust on the shelf! We've even got quite competitve, trying to out-do each other with our cookery skills! Don't hesitate buy it!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great for novices and a good refresher book for experienced cooks in a rut like me!
Comment: I'm not new to cooking from scratch but after years of doing things the same way and running out of ideas, I asked for this book for Christmas and it has improved my cooking no end. I'd got into the habit of doing spag bol or a curry or a roast and um... then running out of ideas. Since I got this book on Christmas Day I have made dumplings for the first time ever, made two casseroles the Jamie way and changed the way I cook chili. I've also updated the way I make a curry and noticed vast improvements. Nothing is difficult- the last thing he wants to do is put you off. He also shows you four variations on a basic dish- e.g a casserole with a pie topping, mash topping, a potato bake topping and the aforementioned dumplings. At the back are easy cakes and puddings and throughout are some fresh takes on ideas you may never have tried, or maybe, like me, you just needed the cobwebs blowing away from dyed in the wool cooking habits.
Tomorrow we are having fish pie the Jamie way, since my way involves about four saucepans and three hours of hard labour! You will also find that using these recipes you will end up eating more of your five a day fruit and veg and not really noticing, except that your food tastes better. Nothing is dificult to find , nor is it expensive. What makes this different from other cookbooks I own is that its simple, has lots of pictures of what things should look like at various stages, and doesn't ask you to go to a specialist spice shop for anything that you'll only use for one recipe. Jamie doesn't patronise and his enthusiasm is infectious.
This is already my favourtie cook book and I've got stacks of them! Highly recommended for cooks in a rut like me, students leaving home, or anyone (like me) who wants their kids to be healthy and for them to have fond memories of home cooking.
Customer Rating:
Summary: very satisfied
Comment: This is the first (and so far the only) Jamie book that I have, and I am extremely happy with it. I ordered it just before Xmas and I've tried some 4 recipes so far: they were all a success!
I am not a beginner cook nor a very experienced one and I found it great. I do think however that if someone has never kept a knife in their hands, this is a slight step too far, but I found it excellent for my level.
I have tried the "crunchy garlic chicken" using turkey breasts instead of chicken, and my boyfriend who normally doesn't eat poultry told me I could do it again, as it was delicious; then I did the "one cup pancakes" without the topping - I already knew how to make thin french-style crepes, but never tried the American style ones - and that was also a great success and a very easy to remember recipe: I passed it on to a friend; the third thing I tried was the "hardly any prep prawn stir fry" and I think it was one of the most delicious things I have ever made for myself! I loved it, mostly the fact I could make a wok-dish without using ready sauce, but making my own one... I repeated it at my in-laws, and they loved it too! The last recipe from the book was the "cracking burger" but that one I left to my boyfriend, who hardly ever cooks, and doesn't really like to cook: it was also very good, I only suggest to make the burgers a bit thinner than Jamie says.
beside these 4 recipes that we followed literally, I took quite some ideas from the other ones (for salads and curry rice for instance) and I think I will continue trying them out.
I also liked a lot the introductiory part on tools and must-haves in the cupboard, and his saving time tips!
I have many cooking books (15 or so) plus dozens of magazines and I am Italian, but I can assure you this one is so far in the top3 if not the best!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Brilliant...a must have cook book
Comment: I am so pleased with this book. It is my favourite in my cook book collection. It contains brilliant recipes that are easy to do and practical for everyday meals.
The Thai Green Curry and Sizzling Beef are yummy, I cant wait to try some more.
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