The Naked Chef - Jamie Oliver

Being keen on cookery I already had a large selection of cookery books and my parents could hardly believe that I wanted yet another to add to my already bulging collection piled on top of the fridge. The addition of "The Naked Chef" to the dull array of books was brilliant. I had watched his show nearly religiously since it started and was amazed by the young chefs modern aproach to cooking.

I'd never felt compelled to actually sit down and read any of my books, I generally just flicked through, found the recipe I wanted, used it and it went back onto the shelf. However, with this book it was a whole different story. I felt compelled to sit down and read the book from glossy cover to cover. The book is broken down into simple easy to understand sections, begining with a section about himself and how he got into cookery, then moving on to a useful list of what everyone should have in their store cupboard, working through advantadges of using fresh herbs in cookery and finally on to the different sections of foods. His love of food clearly comes out through the way he describes his recipes and talks about his food.

Whether you are a keen cook or just trying to learn the basics Jamie Oliver brings an exciting modern approach to cooking in one of the most amazing books I have ever used. It is now an essential item in my kitchen. I can't wait to get the next one.