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Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life

Childrens Toy Shop > Food and Drink > Food Writers and Chefs
by: Jamie Oliver

September 06, 2007
an amazingly inspirational book. i have since planted veggies and nowonly buy seasonal produce. a beautiful book with recipes that work.
when will we see a full veggie cook book?

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Nigella Express

Childrens Toy Shop > Food and Drink > Food Writers and Chefs
by: Nigella Lawson

September 06, 2007
Nigella has once again proved that she wasn't an overnight sensation that would fizzle at the hurdle of catering for the masses. Nigella, like many of us is one hell of a busy lady and what busy people don't have is much time to prepare meals.
I have been a fan of Nigella for a very long time now and this book was purchased to add to my collection of over 40 cookery boooks. And of course this book did not disappoint in the slightest.

I can recommend the Naan pizzas for parents or students on the go. And if you have a load of children in your house at the weekend (this would be ideal for teenage sleepovers) the Frittata party! The totally chocolate chip cookies are simply too yummy to explain and the hokey pokey is yum. It's ... Read More:

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Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite

Childrens Toy Shop > Food and Drink > Food Writers and Chefs
by: Gordon Ramsay

May 02, 2008
Not a great book.

Note the apostophe in the title - this is Gordon Ramsey branded, but he only wrote the intro. The recepies are by his trusty side-kick Sarge.

The recepies themselves are all pretty simple, basic stuff - not what you would hope (or expect) from Gordon Ramsey.

Save your money and spend it elsewhere!

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Delia's How to Cheat at Cooking

Childrens Toy Shop > Food and Drink > Food Writers and Chefs
by: Delia Smith

February 15, 2008
I don't care to get into the controversy over whether or not this is part of this food movement or whether it sends the right message... all I wanted to know when I read it was whether Delia presented simple, day-to-day recipes that I could use when I was in a hurry and wanted something nice for the family.

Totally disappointed. Why? -- very simple: I do not need to spend money on a book to tell me to read the back of the packet of pre-packaged foods in the supermarket.

I don't have anything against the occassional use of a ready meal or a frozen ingredient, but why would I want to spend money for a batch of recipes that basically tell me nothing more than the information on the packaging tells me: open, pour, stir in a can ... Read More:

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Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food: Recipes from "The F Word"

Childrens Toy Shop > Food and Drink > Food Writers and Chefs
by: Gordon Ramsay

May 03, 2007
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

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Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook

Childrens Toy Shop > Food and Drink > Food Writers and Chefs
by: Jamie Oliver

October 05, 2006
You know the drill, you see a cookbook in the shop, pick it up and browse through, see about 3 or 4 recipes that grab you and head for the checkout... Then, when you get home and cook a couple you find the rest of the book overly complicated and ultimately it gets tucked away with the rest of the Gordon's, Nigella's etc etc to gather dust. Not so with the latest offering from Mr Oliver... I've bought most of Jamie's books and I've tried a fair few of his recipes over the years, but this book contains the best selection yet in my opinion. I actually bought this particular one for my husband as he'd promised 2008 would be the year he finally learnt to cook more than beans on toast! But I've also found it really comprehensive and easy to follow too. Our favourite ... Read More:

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Humble Pie

Childrens Toy Shop > Food and Drink > Food Writers and Chefs
by: Gordon Ramsay

May 01, 2007
Having read Hell's Kitchen I now feel that I understand Gordon Ramsay's personality a little better. His fanatical pursuit of perfection seems to be as a result of his difficult childhood. However I wonder if his constant use of the f word is entirely necessary as all it really shows is lack of vocabulary. This makes me feel that maybe nowadays he continues to use it for effect in print and on the small screen.
He is obviously very passionate about his restaurants and the meals they produce. He admits that the UK is still a long way behind the rest of Europe in terms of decent places to eat outside the big cities, a depressing but true fact. He hopes that things will improve slowly and that he has a part to play in improving the future eating habits of the British. ... Read More:

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The River Cottage Fish Book

Childrens Toy Shop > Food and Drink > Food Writers and Chefs
by: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Nick Fisher

November 19, 2007
Great book to accompany a great series. Hugh isn't the cleanest looking cook around but he's certainly one of the most enthusiastic. My favourite scenes from the series were where he was cooking 'spoots' for the two clam divers. A hot pan, flash fried spoots, a sprinkling of paprika and they were won over! I just wanted to wash Hugh's hair and give him a big pat on the head.

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How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking

Childrens Toy Shop > Food and Drink > Food Writers and Chefs
by: Nigella Lawson

October 02, 2003
Nigella Lawson goes out of her way to convince the reader that it is oh-so-easy to bake mouthwatering cakes and achieve a wonderful sense of satisfaction as a homey domestic goddess...unfortunately, after trying 70% of the recipes in her book and following them exactly, the only thing I feel like is a frustrated domestic failure. I don't know why everyone else raves about this book so much, but I suspect it might be just because it looks good on the shelf, and there's no doubt about it, the photos really do look wonderful. But I'm not convinced that all the positive reviewers have tried many of the recipes, and if they have I would love someone to let me know how I could modify them so that I too can feel like a domestic goddess?

I have tried the chocolate cake - made it ... Read More:

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Delia's Complete Cookery Course - Classic Edition: Vol 1-3 in 1v

Childrens Toy Shop > Food and Drink > Food Writers and Chefs
by: Delia Smith

March 05, 1992
Ths book is fantastic, I could not have got through my teens without it..
The things Delia can do with a Cucumber and a flacid piece of meat are tremdous and a must see..

The pictures and diagrams are particularly helpful and arousing