BOOKS FOR COOKS
Stripped down to the basics
"The Naked Chef Takes Off" By Jamie Oliver
(Hyperion, 2001, $34.95, hardcover)
1/2
Review by Barbara Burke
Special to the Star-BulletinWho is this guy? Did he dare to show the Full Monty while preparing a meal at 10 Downing St. for England's Prime Minister Tony Blair and guests?
Jamie Oliver, a k a "The Naked Chef," is one of the hottest personalities on TV's Food Network. For those interested, he cooks fully clothed.
The 25-year-old mate from Essex, England, will charm you with his boyish looks and enthusiasm for cooking. But don't let his youthful, laid-back attitude fool you. He has more than a decade of culinary experience that includes working at some of England's finest restaurants.
Oliver says he got his nickname from stripping recipes down to bare ingredients so home cooks can make them.
His second cookbook, "The Naked Chef Takes Off," is all about home cooking, not "cheffy food." It is about maximum flavor and minimum effort with loads of quick tips and accessible ingredients. His goal is to encourage instinctive, confident cooking in his readers.
Oliver's style may not be for everyone, especially a beginning cook. But if you don't mind somewhat vague ingredient measurements -- "a good handful of grated Parmesan cheese" -- or directions such as "add your sliced artichokes to the pan with a small glug of oil," then you're in for a real treat.
The following is a "lovely jubbly" (really nice), "easy peasy" (simple) dish. (You'll have to get used to "Naked Chef slang.") It calls for baby carrots, "but feel free to use fat old ones sliced at an angle, if you please," says Oliver.
Baked Carrots with Cumin and Thyme
1 pound baby carrots, preferably organic, scrubbedPreheat oven to 425 degrees. Tear off around 5 feet of aluminum foil, and fold it in half to give you double thickness. Place everything but the wine and seasoning in the middle of the foil. Bring up the sides and pour in the white wine. Season well. Fold or scrunch the foil together to seal.
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1 handful thyme leaves
4 large pats of butter
1 glass of Chardonnay
Salt and pepperCook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until the carrots are tender. You may need to cook for longer if the carrots are bigger than baby ones. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (using 1/2 cup fresh thyme leaves, 4 tablespoons butter, 8 ounces of Chardonnay, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper): 200 calories, 12 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 31 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate and 2 g protein.
Barbara Burke's cookbook reviews run every two weeks.
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