Customer Reviews

Jam Today: A Diary of Cooking With What You've Got

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sometimes one needs to improvise to get things done. "Jam Today: A Diary of Cooking with What You've Got" is a blend of cookbook and memoir, about going to the cabinet and cooking with whatever one can find in there (instead of preplanning ingredients and other aspects). With no recipes, author Tod Davies comes to readers with a more practical approach to cooking for those who don't plan their meals weeks in advance. "Jam Today" is recommended reading for any who cook on their whim instead of reading a recipe.

I am amazed at how much this book has helped me become a better and calmer cook. Davies advocates using what you have to make your meals. How creative is that! And it is astonishing how much easier it seems to prepare supper when the pressure is off to reproduce something from a gourmet cookbook.

As other reviews have said, this isn't just a cook book but a philosophy.
How to live your life better, and enjoy good food! The author is thoughtful and
intelligent, and deals with family matters, the death of friends, and cooking
for dogs! This has to be the best book about food I've read - at least since
James Villas At Table.

It's not quite what I expected but it is interesting. There aren't 'recipes' per se, just narratives on how the author made various dishes. Comical at times.

This is a cookbook I actually read, like the whole thing. I just like the cook's attitude. She makes enjoying the moment a mission from the great witch. When she made these dishes, there was no time to take a picture of the food before enjoying it with her family. The stories of procuring, improvising and feasting are like a bunch of "Omnivore's Dilemma" mini-dramas.

I like this cookbook because it's not like an assembly line. It's more like an improv workshop. Each meal the writer throws together a mix of good ideas with whatever she found when she got home. It teaches more a knack for tasteful creativity than a bunch of instructions. A lot of the dishes build off leftovers, and change them pretty much beyond recognition. Makes it more of a game when you come home from work.