And the winner is…
Posted: 28 May '10 by Kelly
Jamie Does.. Spain, Italy, Sweden, Morocco, Greece and France
A few weeks ago Niall and I announced a competition to win a copy of the ‘Jamie does…’ cookbook. We asked you to name Jamie Oliver’s alter-ego – the answer, of course, was ‘The Naked Chef’.
We’ve picked a name at random from the correct entries and I can tell you that the lucky winner is…. Alyson Taylor. Congratulations Alyson, a copy of the ‘Jamie does..’ cookbook is on its way to you – hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as we do.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter the competition. Remember, keep checking the Members section for more competitions and offers.
Categories: Competitions > Promotions
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Jamie Does..
Posted: 07 May '10 by Niall
Jamie Does.. Spain, Italy, Sweden, Morocco, Greece and France book cover
After weeks (and several small forests worth) of election pamphlets being forced through our letterbox, Kelly and I have stopped running to the door each time we hear another sheaf of paper being delivered. Pointedly ignoring the front-door for several hours, it was a nice surprise to find that Jamie Oliver’s new book “Jamie Does..” was sitting there waiting for us.
Narrowly avoiding lower back damage (it’s a whopping 360 pages – remember, lift with your knees) we sat down and took a look.
What’s in the book
Published to complement the “Jamie Does..” series on Channel 4, the book is a culinary tour of Spain, Italy, Sweden, Morocco, Greece and France. The recipes come thick and fast – Jamie’s versions of classic recipes from the regions and countries that he’s visited – from Moorish Pork Chops to Greek Lamb Fricasse to Spaghetti Vongole.
Jamie is a bit over-the-top for me sometimes (too many “pukkas”, “bootifuls”, and “yeah, mans”) but he does make very good television – “Jamie’s Italy” and “School Dinners” are two of the best and best-intentioned programmes I’ve ever watched – and good cookbooks too. They always seem to be perfectly pitched at the home-cook: the recipes are tasty and not too demanding, the dishes range from rustic mid-week family meals to recipes that could be used for a dinner party, and the ingredients can usually be tracked down even here in Northern Ireland. This book is no different, and it’s filled with some of the best food photography I’ve seen – it just makes you want to cook!
Obviously you’re not going to get an in-depth look at the different cuisines here, but “Jamie Does..” is a very good introduction. I really like the “essential ingredients” features where he introduces some of the ingredients that define the cooking in the different countries. The Spanish section, for example, includes pictures and descriptions of jamon, pimenton, green olives and chorizo, while the Swedish ingredients include mustard and dill, salmon and pickled herrings.
I know I didn’t know much about Swedish cooking before, but I’d be tempted to give some of these recipes a go.
Job done Mr. Oliver.
Details
- Title: Jamie Does.. Spain, Italy, Sweden, Morocco, Greece and France (hardback)
- Author: Jamie Oliver
- Pages: 360
- Publisher: Michael Joseph
- ISBN: 978-0718156145
- Cost: RRP. £26 (now £10.49 on Amazon)
- Where to get it: From www.amazon.co.uk
Our Verdict:
You should buy it.
The recipes are good, the book gives you an easy introduction to some very diverse cuisines, and the photography will make your mouth water.
Useful as a cookbook, and wouldn’t look out-of-place on your coffee table.
Chilli and Chocolate members:
Like to win a copy? Jamie Oliver has sent us a copy of “Jamie Does..” to give away. Visit the Members’ Section for more details.
Other information
You can find out more about the author by visiting the Jamie Oliver website.
Categories: Books for Cooks
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Pasta al forno with tomatoes and mozzarella
Posted: 29 January '10 by Niall
Pasta al forno
Pasta al forno means “pasta from the oven” and is a popular dish in Italy.
The method for making Pasta al forno is fairly simple and similar to those for lasange but you’ll see that it is much easier to make and needs far less cooking time.
This recipe for making this Pasta al Form con Pomodorino e Mozzarella is taken from “Jamie Oliver’s Italy” – although his was made with “orecchiette” pasta (“little ears”), we found this type fairly difficult to come by at last minutes’ notice, so we made ours with “conchiglie”, which resemble small sea-shells.
There’s a real rustic feel to this dish and it’s surprising hearty. I think it’s important to get the best mozzarella that you can lay your hands on – the “Taste the Difference” mozza that we tried was worth the extra cost and was a tasty, chewy treat amongst the tomato and pasta.
We served ours with a small rocket salad and home-made garlic bread made with ciabatta – delicious!
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5Image 6Image 7
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 500g of conchiglie pasta
- 8 fresh, large pomodorino tomatoes
- Some tomato puree
- 3 balls of mozzarella, sliced
- A wedge of parmesan, grated
- A handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper for taste
You also need a large bowl and a kettle full of hot water.
Method
- Cook the conchiglie in a large saucepan of salted water and drain thoroughly when done.
- Place a large saucepan over a low heat, add some olive oil, and add the garlic and onions, sweating them until they are soft and translucent.
- Half-fill the large bowl with the boiling water and add the tomatoes for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the tomatoes one at a time and run a finger firmly down the flesh – you should notice that the skin peels away easily. Remove all of the skin and set the tomatoes aside.
- When all of the tomatoes have been peeled squeeze them into the onion and garlic mixture, adding the soft flesh but disgarding the woody core.
- Reduce the tomato mixture and fully soften the tomato pieces.
- Squeeze some tomato puree into the tomato mixture and stir thoroughly.
- Add salt, pepper and fresh basil and remove from the heat.
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Empty the sauce into the drained pasta and mix thoroughly.
- Place some of the pasta into a casserole dish to form a layer of pasta that reaches half-way up the sides.
- Take some of your mozzarella and lay them on top of the pasta to form another layer.
- Place the rest of the pasta on top of this again.
- Complete the dish by laying the remaining mozzarella on top of the pasta, grating a good amount of parmesan on top of this again, and drizzling the top with good olive oil.
- Place the casserole dish in the oven and cook until the top has formed a golden crust.
- Once you’ve spooned out the portions grate a little more parmesan over the top (can you ever have enough?) and drizzle with olive oil.
Enjoy!
Categories: Featured Post > Italian Food > Main Course > Pasta > Recipes
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Win two tickets to Fifteen’s fundraiser hosted by Jamie Oliver
Posted: 06 October '09 by Niall
Big Night Out with Fifteen
We came across this posting the other day, and thought you might like to know. The Fifteen Foundation is running a competition to win two tickets to Fifteen’s fundraiser, “Big Night Out with Fifteen”.
The purpose of Big Night Out with Fifteen, which is in it’s fifth year, is to raise funds for Fifteen’s chef apprenticeship scheme for vulnerable young people. The programme was started in 2002 (you might remember the tv show “Jamie’s Kitchen) with the intention of inspiring disadvantaged young people – homeless, unemployed, overcoming drug or alcohol problems – and helping them to create careers in the restaurant industry. Chef Jamie Oliver has created the menu for the evening and there will also be surprise guests.
Although entry is completey free, we are encouraging people to donate £15 to the charity to help the programme.
All you have to do is answer the following question:
What date is A Big Night Out with Fifteen?
A: Tuesday 10th November
B: Thursday 12th November
C: Thursday 19th November
Email your answer (A, B or C) along with your name, email and contact telephone number to competition@fifteen.net. Entries close Friday 30th October 2009 at 17.00 GMT.
You should click here to read the terms and conditions.
Other information
- You can read more about the Fifteen programme
- You can read more about the competition
Categories: Things to do
