39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For All Food Lovers, October 19, 2009
This review is from: Cooking for Friends (Hardcover)
Perhaps most famous in the U.S. as the host of "Hell's Kitchen," British chef and restaurant entrepreneur Gordon Ramsay shares his cooking expertise in his new book "Cooking for Friends." The book itself is filled with quality photos and split into nine sections: Hot and Cold Soups, Pasta and Grains, Fish and Shellfish, Meat and Poultry, Savory Pies and Tarts, Vegetables and Salads, Desserts and Ices, Chocolate and Coffee, as well as Basics. The recipes themselves are full of European flavor, which is not surprising since Ramsay is from the U.K. Each section starts off with a brief introduction by Ramsay, as well as a listing of all the recipes in this section. Through the introductions, we learn that Ramsay's soups recipes were influenced by his experience with the New England clam chowder, his love for pasta stems from the time he was trained as a chef in Sicily and Sardinia, while his creativity with chocolate dates back to his time working in Paris. Other food sections are influenced by Ramsay's lifestyle--such as the weekly pies his mother baked when he was a child or his wife's Tana's wish to have their children enjoy a rich vegetarian diet. The recipes themselves are unique, with many quite challenging while others fit for beginners. Some of my favorite recipes included lemon meringue pie, grilled vegetable lasagna, crayfish chowder, dark chocolate marquise, and wild mushroom barley risotto. The end of this book has an index structured by ingredients, which I found to be another helpful aspect of this book. So, for example if I want to cook something with bacon, I could look it up in the index and find the page numbers for the recipes that include this ingredient. Same for other ingredients like walnuts, cherries, cheese, celery, etc. Last but not least, this colorful book--embedded with not only images of the recipes but also Ramsay's family gatherings, looks like it would look good on a coffee table or make a great gift for any food lover.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Home cooking for foodies (and I mean that in a GOOD way), January 16, 2010
This review is from: Cooking for Friends (Hardcover)
I've watched Gordon Ramsay on several of his TV shows, particularly on BBC America. He can have Attitude -- oh boy can he! But he also demonstrates a passion for cooking, and his perfectionism very obviously comes from his desire to do things right. That inspired me to pick up his most recent cookbook, Cooking for Friends -- and I'm very glad I did.
Ramsay's cookbook doesn't fall into an easy classification. This isn't special-occasion cooking for impressing the boss (though several recipes would qualify) nor is it exactly family cooking (though again, several recipes fit into that category). It certainly isn't "30 minute meals" as some recipes require quite a bit of time; yet at least a few of the meals are simple enough for a weeknight dinner. I'd have to call this collection, "Recipes that Ramsay likes to make and his friends and family like to eat." Based on my experimentation, so far, I'd have to say that I LIKE that category.
Chapters are devoted to soups; pasta and grains; fish and shellfish; meat and poultry; savory pies and tarts; vegetables and salads; desserts and ices; chocolate and coffee; and basics (chicken stock, etc.). Around half have photos; that matters to some people. About 50 pages of the 260-page book are devoted to desserts and after-dinner treats -- a plus for some people, a detriment to others.
So far, I've made two dishes, both of which were outstanding. As Ramsay describes it, his pork tenderloin stronganoff is "a lovely, unfussy dish to make for supper," served over buttered pasta. It took an hour start-to-finish in the kitchen, with ingredients I mostly had in the house. My husband practically licked the plate. Ramsay's duck breasts with port and cherry sauce created an awesome sauce. (The flub was my fault. He called for 4 duck breasts, each 7-8 ounces; mine were nearly a pound each. Next time I'll pay more attention!) On my "I'll make this soon!" list are broccoli, Stilton, and pear soup; the weeknight-friendly pasta with bacon, peas, and sage; his Shepherd's Pie (assuming I can find a source for Branston Pickle). It's a British book so it reflects their common ingredients -- rather more lamb and venison than we can buy here, for example, at least at affordable prices. Yet I dare say that you can find most ingredients at your local grocery (Branston Pickle notwithstanding).
While none of his techniques are fussy, he definitely doesn't encourage you to take shortcuts. The duck dish has you reduce ingredients by half at least twice; you don't just dump stuff in a pot, give it a big stir, and serve it up. The effort does show in the finished dish, but new or impatient cooks may not care for this.
I do, however. Ever since I got this book, I've cheered on Ramsay's F-Word shows with more enthusiasm. This is a guy who cares about cooking things RIGHT. And my dinners show it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of the Best, September 5, 2010
This review is from: Cooking for Friends (Hardcover)
I have always loved Gordon Ramsay on television. I have not always felt his cookbooks translate well to American cooking. This one does though. I not only loved the recipes and the organization of the book (by course type and protein type mostly) but the photos and the commentary are also great. The book pulled me in from the cover and kept me enraptured all the way to the index. Duck with Port wine and cherry sauce, Pear Frangipane are both on my immediate must try list. Casual enough for everyday cooking and elegant enough for any special occasion, this is going to be my go to Gordon Ramsay cookbook. One caveat: make sure you read the cook's notes in the beginning. If you don't have a convection oven, all temperatures should be set 25 degrees higher than the recipe calls for.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
