Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy
Having seem Gordon Ramsay on TV and also read his story in one of our other books reviewed this month, it becomes harder and harder to get a handle on the man. This book changes perceptions again - here he seems determined to show himself as a gentle, caring family man rather like a politician after our vote. Packed with photographs, almost all of them of his children being positively parented, Gordon beams cheerfully out of most of them, that 'been through a car windscreen' face hardly ever breaking into the trademark scowl.
The stated objective of his new book is to show people how to eat great food at home all the time, without spending too much money or hours in the kitchen. The book also features a very useful DVD which shows Gordon making the recipes. So, now you can cook along with Gordon at home. It's like having him in your house without the swearing.
With a selection of more than 100 recipes for every possible occasion - from breakfast through to dinner, informal and formal, for family and friends it certainly fits the bill for an everyday cookbook. As Gordon says, 'Above all, food is to be enjoyed . . .' however, he also understands modern time is limited. 'The solution is to choose dishes that taste great, are made from the best ingredients, but are simple in their execution.' The book includes yummy photos of the dishes along with an accompanying quote by Gordon such as 'I love this incongruous combination of lobster - the king of shellfish - with simple spaghetti and fresh tomato. It's a great fast pasta dish for a special occasion.' Tips on 'topping' the lobster are also included, it's best to lull him to sleep first by sticking him in the freezer apparently.
There's also a useful section on what's in Gordon's store cupboard and what should be essential equipment in any kitchen. As cookbooks go this falls into the Jamie Oliver section on your bookshelf - cool and trendy photos, light and easy to read text and simple instructions. What makes it stand out is the inclusion of the DVD, an excellent idea and one more cookery books should pick up on.
Tough Cookies
Simon Wright's 'Tough Cookies' engagingly chronicles the life stories of four chefs who fought (sometimes literally) their way to the top. Wright interviews Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, Shaun Hill and Marcus Wareing.
Perhaps unsurprisingly Ramsay's interview is as much a story of violent episodes
during specific working experiences, such as at Harvey's with the equally mercurial
Marco Pierre White, as it is of cooking. At Le Gavroche he cheerfully recalls
being literally kicked in the behind. 'Right in the f***ing crack' he says,
in a tribute to his assailant's accuracy. However the Ramsay that emerges
from these pages is a more engaging, likeable and interesting person than his
on screen persona might suggest.
On an even more thoughtful level Heston Blumenthal, the self-taught chef famous for his bacon and egg ice cream, red chili lollipops and other unusual food and now crowned chef at the Best Restaurant In The World, comes across as committed and yet unpretentious. As Wright says, ' There is this other side to his cooking, the playful side, the impish inclination to play tricks with our senses, and that is where he gets really excited.' The motto being don't knock the strange ice cream until you try it - you might be surprised.
Hill's story is a bit different from the other three since he starting cooking a lot earlier. His emphasis is on good, simple food and he is the enemy of meaningless pretension on the plate. Wareing on the other hand is famous for opening his own restaurant, Petrus and for having Ramsay as a mentor. Both have good stories to tell and Wright has a knack of getting past the man to the inspiration.
Similarities abound. Each chef had to put in long hours and go through intense training. The cooking world also seems a small one since some of the same people and restaurants feature in each of the men's stories. Particularly Marco Pierre White, who played a part in Ramsay's, Blumenthal's, and Wareing's lives.
This is a riveting account of what goes on in the kitchens of the big boys, even for those who don't have any experience in the food industry, except for eating out that is. Being a top chef is a hard job, and as Ramsay says, 'the simple truth is if you're not tough enough, you're not going to last.' This book goes some way toward cutting through the macho hype to reveal a world of passion for quality, a passion that only occasionally boils over.
"Harumi's Japanese Cooking"
Harumi Kurihara is often called the Japanese Delia Smith (or perhaps the Japanese
Deerya Smiff), although Harumi's behaviour at football matches after a few
glasses of Sake is not documented. By that they mean that she helps Japanese
people,
perhaps new to cooking, achieve results they can be proud of.
In this cookbook she brings her skills west to make Japanese cooking a little easier for everyone. Like most Western cooks she stresses variety, seasonality and presentation and suggests you can infuse a Japanese feeling into any style of cooking just by using tableware that complements a dish. For instance, 'In Japanese ceramics you can easily find plates with images of red maple leaves on, reminders of autumn, but if these are not available then maybe use a leaf or something from the garden, or a plate with autumnal colour running through it.'
Gardening
tips apart Harumi also includes a vital glossary of Japanese ingredients in
the back of the book to help chefs at home. And although you might be nervous
trying to cook a Japanese meal, she makes the process remarkably clear and
also makes ample use of Western ingredients, some of which would not be used
in Japan. For example some of her dishes use mayonnaise and dairy products
and
she is not shy of recommending the use of a microwave, seeing no reason why
tradition should mean harder work than necessary. And for those of us not blessed
with a local Japanese grocers, she also gives suggestions for substitutes if
the exact ingredients cannot be found. However, for those more determined to
stick to the recipe, the back of the book includes a list of Japanese food
shops in the U.K (not all in London by any means) with addresses and phone
numbers.
Each section of the book, appetisers and entrees, soup and noodles, rice, tofu, seafood, etc has an introduction which discusses the importance of each along with a little nugget of useful advice. In the section on rice, Harumi even includes a whole page about how to properly wash and prepare it.
With superb mouthwatering photography and recipes that seem eminently achievable, Harumi demystifies Japanese cooking and creates the confidence her dishes can be recreated in anyone's home.
