Jamie Does…by Jamie Oliver

hot on the heels of Jamie’s America comes this new tome, featuring ‘Jamie-fied’ versions of classic dishes from Spain, Italy, Sweden, Morocco, Greece and France. At first glance, it seems like fodder for food and travel fantasies rather than a cookery book. There are pictures of Jamie with gondoliers in Venice, Jamie surrounded by jamón in Andalucía, and Jamie with his ’shrooming basket in the Swedish forest. Look beyond the holiday snaps, though, and what comes across is his heartfelt love of food.

The chapter introductions are written in full-on, Jamie-style prose, from the point of view of an enthusiastic traveller who has fallen for the country’s food and wants to tell his mates. Many of the recipes are greatest-hits rundowns of classics, so there’s souvlaki and stifado from Greece, tarte Tatin and duck confit from France, and paella and patatas bravas from Spain. There are lesser-known local dishes, too, such as French-style chestnut crêpes and slow-cooked Moroccan lamb tangia.

Other dishes are Brit-inspired, such as fish and chips using Moroccan spices, and Swedish ‘prawn cocktail’, transformed with dill and soured cream, and served with fish roe on brioche. Not surprisingly, the chapter on Italian food, focusing on Venice, is one of the strongest.

The easy-to-follow recipes are written in Jamie’s trademark chatty style, and the visuals are almost good enough to eat. This is a reliable addition to the Jamie library – one aimed at helping readers navigate their way through known and unknown culinary territories.

Published by Penguin, priced £26. The accompanying TV programme Jamie Does… is on Channel 4 from 16 April 2010. You can

buy Jamie’s book at Waterstone’s

.

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