Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver, David Loftus (Photographer), David Loftus (Photographer), Chris Terry (Photographer), Chris Terry (Photographer)

From Barnes & Noble

Who would have suspected that quintessential Cockney Jamie Oliver would take a shine to Italy? But perhaps we shouldn't be surprised; the Naked Chef's preference for fresh organic food and international culinary culture would make him ideally receptive to Italian gastronomic traditions. Jamie's Italy brims with tempting recipes from every region and a full bounty of good cheer. Oliver's love of unpretentious home cooking translates into a heartfelt appreciation of Italian family, country life, and folkways. A generous feast.

From the Publisher

Bestselling author Jamie Oliver finally devotes an entire book to America's favorite cuisine -- Italian!

Italy and its wonderful flavors have always had a major influence on Jamie Oliver's food and cooking. In Jamie's Italy, he travels this famously gastronomic country paying homage to the classic dishes of each region and searching for new ideas to bring home. The result is a sensational collection of Italian recipes, old and new, that will ensure that Italy's influence reaches us all.

Italy has inspired Jamie Oliver throughout his career. His ambition has always been to travel across the country on a quest to capture the very essence of Italian cooking -- and to produce the best and simplest Italian cookbook for everybody anywhere to enjoy.

Jamie's Italy is the result of that journey -- and it's a land of plenty. As well as providing more than 120 brand-new recipes for everything from risotto to roasts and spaghetti to stews, structured as traditional trattoria menus, Jamie takes you all over Italy to cook with and learn from the real masters of Italian cuisine: the locals. Far from the standard "lemons and olives" version of Italian cooking, Jamie's Italy is a cookbook by the people for the people. From Sicily to Tuscany, it's about the local fishermen, family bakers, and, of course, the "Mamas," sharing their recipes and the tips that have gone into their cooking for generations. But it's not only mouthwatering food that Jamie brings back home: it's also the spirit that makes cooking and eating absolutely central to family life, whichever part of Italy you're in.

Bursting with the warmth and hospitality of real family life, this is both asuperbly accessible cookbook and a unique travelogue and diary, in which you'll find the authentic flavor of Italy and the people who live there. If you love quality food prepared with genuine passion -- you'll never want to leave Jamie's Italy.

Jamie Oliver grew up in his parents' country pub, the Cricketers in Clavering, where he started cooking at the age of eight, before studying at London's Westminster Catering College. He then went on to work with some of the top chefs in England -- namely Antonio Carluccio at the Neal Street Restaurant and Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers at the River Cafe. He writes for the Sunday Telegraph and News of the World and has columns in magazines all over the world. Jamie is now running Fifteen restaurant, one of the best restaurants in London, and he started and continues to be involved with the Fifteen Foundation, which provides training and mentoring for disadvantaged young people. He lives in London with his wife, Jools, and their daughters, Poppy and Daisy.

Publishers Weekly

Oliver, television's Naked Chef, may have been born in Southend-on-Sea, but he turns out to have an Italian soul in this collection of recipes from all over the Boot. As an outsider, Oliver has great reverence for the traditions of Italy, and he offers some surprisingly deep insight about how a lack of choice and a massive working-class population have kept those traditions alive. This is no sugar-coated fairy tale, however: Oliver doesn't hesitate to get down-and-dirty, as in a description of Palermo street food served by hand from a "chain-smoking, dirty-looking bloke," and he cogently explains why he insisted on including a "graphic and gruesome" photo of a slaughtered sheep. Indeed, Oliver enthusiastically encourages British and American readers to familiarize themselves with foods less common in their home countries such as rabbit. Nonna Giusy's Fish with Couscous reflects the African influences of Sicily, and Altamura Pea Soup with fresh peas and broken spaghetti perfectly represents the Italian genius for making something out of almost-nothing. Desserts include a simple Pear Sorbet with grappa. Candid photos such as one of Oliver's mentor's father, a 96-year-old who cooks for himself every day reinforce the personal feel of this collection, and the impression that Oliver has a deep affinity for Italian food, no matter his British roots. (Nov.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Oliver, a.k.a. The Naked Chef, got his start at London's River Caf , known for its contemporary Italian cuisine, but he's only recently been able to travel extensively in Italy. His new book is his enthusiastic, personal introduction to the "real" Italy, and he presents more than 100 recipes, many of them inspired by people he met on his journey from gamekeepers and winemakers to caf owners and home cooks. Most of the recipes are for casual, rustic dishes: The Best Shrimp and Parsley Frittata, Nonna Giusy's Fish with Couscous, Fried Crispy Polenta with Rosemary and Salt. Some of Oliver's "discoveries" about Italian cooking will not be new to anyone familiar with other good books available on Italian regional cuisine, from Carol Field's In Nonna's Kitchen to Mario Batali's Molto Italiano, but Oliver's exuberant style and mouthwatering recipes have won him many fans. For most collections. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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