Jamie Oliver serves up new cookbook

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JAMIE’S KITCHEN: A COOKING COURSE FOR EVERYONE, by Jamie Oliver, Hyperion Books, New York, 2003, $39.95.

It seems like Jamie Oliver is barely off the bookshelves these days. There’s another book by Jamie linked to another television show starring Jamie. It’s little wonder that in his home country of England, Jamie’s almost ubiquitous media presence has earned him his share of detractors. Too much chirpiness can be overpowering. Still, it’s obvious what makes him such a natural star. He remains cheeky, entirely unself-conscious, and seems like a generally nice bloke.

“Jamie’s Kitchen” – actually merely his fourth book, but that feels like a low figure – is another new direction from Oliver. Unlike his previous volumes, which were pulpit pleas for everyone to go and see how easy and fun great food can be,

this edition has Jamie directly involved with cooking novices. The television series this book accompanies follows Oliver’s quest to start a high-end restaurant in London’s trendy Hoxton area, staffed with unemployed youths who he attempts to train into chefs. It’s reality television with a point, and all the money goes to charity. It is therefore good that Fifteen, the restaurant, has become a success. Fifteen also is pretty darn expensive. Still, for those who can afford the flight to London or $13 for a bowl of soup, there is “Jamie’s Kitchen.”

Since it features food from Fifteen, “Jamie’s Kitchen” is a notch heavier on dishes that sound good on an upscale menu compared to his other books. Here’s your opportunity to use celeriac, rabbit or purple potatoes. Still, the approach will be familiar to owners of his other volumes, with instructions remaining sometimes vague as Oliver continues to insist on the importance of feeling your cookery, trying things out and not being afraid to fail. Mind you, that’s not his expensive lump of lamb that you just burned.

Regardless, more than most other cooking books, Jamie’s are inviting. Beautiful and simply laid out, “Jamie’s Kitchen” tempts you to have a go. The photographs of the food alone are inspiring in their bold simplicity. Categorized by cooking techniques, Oliver leads us through cracking salads, heatless cooking, poaching and just about every other way to cook you can imagine. Some priceless basics also are concisely covered such as how to make “the proper French side salad,” and how to build the perfect cheese plate.

Yes, several of these recipes require difficult-to-find ingredients, but I’m sure Oliver wouldn’t object to the occasional substitution.

For example, quick-time sausage cassoulet is basically the British favorite of sausage casserole gussied with wine and garlic. It’s possibly the perfect dish for a damp, cold evening and requires little complex preparation. If, however, you really want to try something new, try fresh mackerel cooked in pomegranate, lime juice and tequila with a crunchy fennel salad.

There also is a terrific chapter “Baking and Sweet Things,” where Oliver gets a little more concise about timing and measurements – “[Baking]’s a little like chemistry,” he notes in the chapter’s introduction. Inside are basic bread and pastry recipes and a heap of wonderful desserts such as baked pears stuffed with almonds, orange and chocolate in flaky pastry, and scrumptious baked figs with mascarpone, orange, pistachios and hot cross buns.

“Jamie’s Kitchen” is not quite like his earlier books. It does ask for more patience and more care than Oliver usually demands. But for fans of Oliver’s inimitable style, or those who want to push their culinary boundaries just a little, this book is a wise purchase.

Baked Figs with Mascarpone, Orange, Pistachios and Hot Cross Buns

Serves 6

9 ounces mascarpone cheese

1 handful of unsalted shelled pistachio nuts

4 tablespoons honey

Zest of 2 oranges and juice of

1 orange

Optional: 31/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

1 pat of butter

4 hot cross buns or currant buns

12 nice ripe figs (green or black)

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F . Put your mascarpone in a bowl. Chop up half of the pistachios and add to the mascarpone, along with half the honey, half the orange zest and the orange juice. If you like, you can also add the bashed-up chocolate at this point. Mix everything together and taste for sweetness – you may need a little more honey.

Butter an appropriately sized earthenware dish. Slice your hot cross buns any way you like into 4 or 5 pieces and lay these in the dish. With a sharp knife, carefully cut across the top of each fig, but not quite all the way through – you want to leave a sort of hinged lid. Poke your finger into each fig to make a little extra room, then spoon some of the mascarpone mix into the gap so it almost oozes out. Keep any leftover filling to one side.

Place the figs in, around and on top of the buns. Drizzle with the remaining honey and sprinkle with the extra pistachios and orange zest. Dab any leftover mascarpone mix around the buns in the baking dish, then dust the whole lot with some confectioners’ sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, until the bread is golden and crisp and the figs look yummy. Serve with some really cold creme fraiche or ice cream.

Quick-Time Sausage Cassoulet

Serves about 8

2 handfuls of dried porcini mushrooms, broken up

8 thick slices of bacon

Extra virgin olive oil

1 large bunch of mixed fresh rosemary, thyme and sage

2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 celery heart, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1/2 bottle of red wine

3 4-ounce cans of plum tomatoes

2 14-ounce cans of borlotti or cannellini beans, or use a mixture

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

24 chipolatas (small Italian sausage), or 8 larger sausages

1 large, stale bread loaf, crusts removed

1 small handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Put your porcini mushrooms into a dish, cover with 2 cups of boiling water, and allow to soak until soft. Heat a large casserole-type pan or roasting pan on the stovetop. Slice the bacon across into strips – called “lardons.” Fry in 4 tablespoons of olive oil until crisp and golden. Tie your herbs together with some string and add to the bacon in the pan with your onions, garlic, carrot, celery and bay leaves.

Drain the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid, add them to the pan and fry slowly for about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.

Add the tomatoes to the pan, breaking them up with a spoon, then add your strained porcini soaking liquor and the beans. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper before laying your sausage on top – all higgledy piggledy.

Break up your bread into coarse, chunky bread crumbs, toss with the thyme, a little salt and olive oil, and sprinkle on top of the sausages. Place in the oven for around 1 hour, until the sausages and breadcrumbs are golden and crisp. Remove the bunch of herbs, and serve with something like mashed potatoes or polenta.