thekuster 's review for:

Jamie Cooks Italy by Jamie Oliver

3.0

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Jamie's book is gorgeous, that's undeniable - the food photography, the mini biographies about the Italian nonnas along with their inspirations and Jamie's short descriptions; they're all eye-catching and thoroughly edited for maximum present-ability. Unfortunately, that polished approached, along with very particular and unfamiliar ingredients (ie. Gavi di Gavi white wine? Tip 00 flour? Scamorza cheese? Girolle mushroom?) make this recipe collection come off as entirely unapproachable and pretentious. Much more suited as a coffee table read for food envy than something I could actually use or draw inspiration from on a regular basis.

Recipes to Try (maybe if I'm feeling overly ambitious and with lots of substitutions):
- Tuscan Soup (Sausage, fennel seeds, bread, beans & veg)
- Strozzapreti (Mini meatballs & baked cherry tomato sauce)
- Tortiglioni (Freshly podded peas, guanciale, mine & pecorino)
- Cortecce (Hot smashed broccolini, pecorino, garlic & anchovy pesto)
- Forager's Chicken (Mushrooms, smoked pancetta, garlic, potatoes, thyme & wine)