Notes about Recipes in this book

• Wild West rice

  • Jane on October 17, 2012

    Really not worth the time or effort. I admit I didn't have dill so subbed parsley which may have affected the flavor but I still didn't think it was great. The basmati rice was seriously undercooked after 45 minutes in the oven while the squash was quite soggy. I prefer my squash caramelized so I think I would cook the rice for longer and roast the squash separately then add it to the rice at the end. If I was going to bother making it again, which I probably won't.

• Fiery dan dan noodles

  • Breadcrumbs on March 15, 2011

    p. 42 - This made a wonderful, simple and extremely tasty meal that we absolutely loved! Prep is quick and easy. Greens are sliced, garlic and scallions are chopped and a lime is quartered for finishing. The remainder of the prep work is just measuring a few ingredients and dissolving a bouillon cube in some water. A couple of changes to note. I toasted Sichuan peppercorns in the dry pan before browning the beef, I added the garlic when the beef was almost browned so it would cook, and I used about 2 cups of broth so the dish was saucier than JO suggested. This dish smells so enticing as it comes together. The lime balanced out the sweet and salty flavours and really did finish the dish. Not a single scrap left. I was very glad we made this a bit saucier than Jamie might have wished; we really enjoyed the broth as well. I’ll definitely make this again . . . tomorrow even, it was that good! Highly recommend this one.

  • melissabazley on November 11, 2011

    An easy dish to make and good general flavour. I did things a bit differently to Sir Jamie. Towards the end of the beef cooking, I added the garlic, 1 chopped red chilli and the szechuan pepper. I fried it off until the garlic was soft & aromatic, then added the honey and stirred through for a few minutes. While the noodles and greens were cooking, I added the soy sauce & oil to the beef. Then drained the noodle mix and threw it all together in the wok I was cooking the beef mix in. Just before serving I added the spring onions and lime juice. Good savoury flavoured dish...I think it needs more szechuan pepper or something as mine was not so "Fiery".

  • Bloominanglophile on February 08, 2016

    This dish didn't work for us. It could have been my aged bouillon cube (can't remember the last time I used one). I only had baby spinach-- I do recommend using other green veg that has some tooth to it after cooking. My ground beef didn't get golden and crunchy, and I only added one tablespoon of honey as I was afraid of getting a sickly sweet dish with two. Instead of trying this again, I will refer to a different recipe.

• Best baked beans

  • ericam on September 16, 2011

    I agree with the previous reviewer, it feeds a lot more than what the recipe says. I also added brown sugar and a little homemade BBQ sauce. The recipe is fabulous but the dried chiles I used did not hydrate in time so next time, I'm using fresh chiles.

  • melissabazley on June 12, 2011

    This is a great recipe to feed loads of people...it would feed about 12 !!. I used 3 different types of beans instead of just the cannellini beans-borlotti & white beans-which worked super well. I also used brown sugar instead of molasses. I will definitely make it again.

  • FJT on January 25, 2021

    I've made these beans again and again over the years and they never fail to please. I don't put the molasses in (or any substitute) as I can't stand baked beans being sweet. You can make this with whatever chillies you have to hand (chilli flakes work well and I can't see why chilli powder wouldn't be just as good) and I often make it with just one tin of beans or whatever beans I have stashed in the freezer ... it's easy to scale the recipe up or down.

• Stuffed tomato tortillas

  • melissabazley on May 17, 2011

    A very quick, easy recipe. I tried them baked in oven and they were good. I also added refried beans on top of the avocado mixture. It added good flavour...I made some without the beans. They definitely tasted better with the beans. Nice served with salad

• Chicken on chickpeas

  • melissabazley on May 10, 2011

    Delicious and tender chicken. I marinated it for a day instead of just 2 hours. Difficult to get it crispy as the marinade is very wet. Delicious sauce, the star of the dish. I would make the sauce on it's own for other meat dishes. Great to serve with cous cous and greek yoghurt.

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on October 16, 2017

    Delicious and easy. Marinated the chicken approximately 6 hours and it was really moist and tender.

• Mountain meatballs

  • melissabazley on May 03, 2011

    Wow...the chilli sauce is incredibly delicious and so packed full of flavour. The meatballs are good too, but I would make them the small, usual size and not bother with the cheese stuffing. I used 1kg of mince instead of the 1.2kg and it was still plenty to make 8 giant meatballs. They took longer to cook in my oven as well. A fantastic recipe that will definitely be a regular over the winter months. A Jamie winner !!

  • JJ2018 on April 10, 2018

    This is a family favourite - made it lots of times and recipe always turns out great.

• Mexican breakfast

  • melissabazley on May 02, 2011

    this is TOTALLY delicious. SO tasty, easy & quick. Great for breaky/brunch or even for lunch. Could also chop in your favourite sausages. Fantastic recipe. I also served it with sliced avocado which went really well too

  • eeeve on April 21, 2019

    This tastes fab, great 'wow' dish to make as brunch for guests. Somehow the eggs always take much longer to cook than stated though.

• Chile cheese corn bread

  • melissabazley on May 15, 2011

    Easy to make. Great flavour, but not keen on the texture. Have had better cornbread..sorry Sir Jamie ;)

  • Rutabaga on March 30, 2014

    This was OK, but too dry and coarse... maybe I used the wrong kind of cornmeal? And I don't own a cast iron skillet, as recommended for baking. I hope to try again with some tweaks.

  • Frogcake on September 27, 2016

    Like others, I did not like the texture of this bread and my family found it to be bland (despite the jalapeño ) and dry. I won't make this one again.

• Rustic tortilla soup

  • melissabazley on May 02, 2011

    Easy to make and tasty. Not sure about soggy corn chips soaking away in soup, but great with crunchy corn chips added as you eat it. I also added a generous splash of tabasco sauce to spice it up a bit

  • Melanie on March 28, 2014

    I loved this soup which was very easy to make. Next time I wouldn't worry too much about heating the tortilla chips.

• Peach cobbler

  • melissabazley on March 02, 2012

    The recipe is absolutely delicious...I have made it a few times since first discovering it. My husband, who ABSOLUTELY HATES peaches but LOVES this recipe and actually asks for it !! I have made a few minor changes to the recipe - I used the zest of about 1/2 an orange & lime instead of the full orange/lime. I used stem ginger instead of fresh ginger. I highly recommend the stem ginger. I mix the vanilla, zests, OJ, brown sugar & ginger in the baking dish first before adding the peaches in, the mix thoroughly to coat each peach. I think you get a move even flavour that way. The peaches stay fresh and juicy when cooked & the pinenuts in the dumplings add a lovely crunchy texture. There is a great balance of flavours with the tang of the peaches, the sweet zesty, vanilla syrup & the creamy, buttery dumplings. Our new late-summer favourite dessert.

  • moppe on March 09, 2015

    Love love love it! However, I make it without the pine nuts (I just can't get to like them) and the ginger (but I will probably try it with ginger this summer).

  • raybun on August 08, 2020

    This was FANTASTIC! The lime and fresh ginger went so well with the juicy Ontario peaches. I used almonds instead of pinenuts in the cobbles, loved their flavour!

• Almond & pine nut cookies

  • melissabazley on September 27, 2011

    Nice flavour...I would like them with more chunky bits of pine nuts and almonds. There seemed to be too much butter in the recipe ??...maybe a bit less would give them a better texture. Not bad, but I've had MUCH better !!

• Velvet cupcakes

  • melissabazley on May 14, 2011

    Great little morsels, not very chocolatey though!! Great texture, very light and smooth. The icing proportions are not correct. I used the juice of 1/2 lemon and it was super runny. I ended up adding over another 200g of icing sugar just to get it semi-spreadable. I also put the icing mixture in the fridge to firm it up before spreading on the cup cakes. Excellent flavoured icing, however, looking at the photo, Jamie uses vanilla bean, not vanilla extract as listed in recipe.

• Burgers and sliders

  • melissabazley on May 02, 2011

    Delish burgers. Tasty, quick, easy and full of flavour. I love the ketchup/mayo combo as well. Very tasty & great with fries too.

  • FJT on July 26, 2021

    Very juicy burgers! Recommend.

  • Pamsy on September 09, 2019

    These are excellent burgers, due I think, to the sauteed red onion. Love the ketchup/mayo sauce as well. Probably the best burgers I've made!

• Waldorf salad my way

  • melissabazley on October 29, 2011

    This salad is brilliant. I have only eaten a few Waldorf Salads in the past and I really love this one. I love the light dressing instead of the traditional, more heavy mayo. The addition of the grapes & cheese adds another layer of flavour and texture. I'm not a huge fan of blue cheese, so I added chunks of brie instead, and it worked a treat. An excellent combo of crunchy, tangy, crisp, nutty, sweet ingredients...I think I will be eating this a lot over summer

• Deep-pan pizza

  • melissabazley on October 27, 2011

    The pizza dough is brilliant, half the quantity makes 2 big pizzas. I also mixed it in the Kitchenaid, rather than doing it by hand. The pasta sauce is also fantastic & quick. I actually simmered mine for about 15 minutes to concentrate the flavours. I used chorizo sausages and didn't bother skinning and squeezing out the meat. Instead, I fried the slices of sausage in the fennel, oregano & chilli. Great flavour. Not sure about caramelising the onion with thyme...maybe fresh oregano would be better. Overall a good pizza topping, but not my favourite.

• My NYC cheesecake

  • melissabazley on March 30, 2012

    This is a really easy recipe, and the actual preparation is fast. The finished product looks great and I love the meringue topping. It has a good citrus flavour and is not too sweet, with a smooth creamy texture. Mine took about 15 minutes longer than the recipe said to cook. I wouldn't call this a NYC cheesecake though...it's more a lime/lemon meringue pie/cheesecake. It's great served with vanilla icecream and fresh berries.

  • redjanet on December 27, 2012

    I made this one time for my parents when they were visiting (they're from NY and I live in London) as cheesecake is one of their favourite desserts. They're used to the more traditional vanilla-flavoured type, but this has a twist of lime which adds a refreshing tang. Overall, I liked it, though I have to admit that I didn't make the meringue topping as I just don't find toppings very necessary with cheesecake.

• A killer mac 'n' cheese

  • melissabazley on September 28, 2011

    Totally delicious...could use any combo of your favourite cheeses. I was too lazy to fry the breadcrumbs off separately, I just threw them on top about 15 minutes into the cooking time and they went golden and crunchy on top. Great week night recipe for the family. Very tasty :)

  • Rutabaga on March 03, 2015

    This was a tasty, satisfying mac 'n' cheese recipe, although I did make a few significant changes. One quart of milk seemed far too much for the bechamel, so I used only about 2 1/2 cups. I also added close to a pound of extra sharp cheddar to the sauce - mac 'n' cheese should always be about the cheese above all else! Instead of adding chopped tomatoes, I used a 14 ounce tin of diced tomatoes, along with their juices. I can see how, if your tomatoes were relatively small and not very juicy, you might want to increase the milk a little, but I still feel a full quart might be too much. The addition of sliced garlic to the roux was a good one; I'll definitely do that again. For the crust, I topped the casserole with panko crumbs mixed with grated cheddar, which browned nicely while the dish baked. Tomatoes, too, are a welcome way to change up the dish and cut the richness. The dish served five adults and one three-year-old as a main course, with about one serving left over.

• My Astoria soup

  • melissabazley on September 27, 2011

    A flavoursome soup. I soaked the bulgar wheat for an hour before using it. I only used 1 litre of stock & 300ml water to make up the right quantity. I love coriander(cilantro) so added that with the mint. The tortillas were delicious.

• Egyptian stuffed flatbread

  • melissabazley on November 06, 2011

    I made this recipe using shredded chicken. Instead of cooking them in the oven, I cooked them on my toasted/grilled sandwich maker...so much quicker and easier. A delicious snack for a lazy sunday afternoon.

• Southern sausage stew

  • melissabazley on May 20, 2011

    Good recipe, but not a favourite. The sauce part is nice, great ingredients, but is lacking something...needs more depth of flavour...maybe some balsamic vinegar or worcestershire sauce or something. I do like that it is quick & easy to make, a good family meal. Also good served with crusty bread instead of rice...or with both :)

  • Rutabaga on March 30, 2014

    Our family has really enjoyed this recipe as is, although I can see how a hit of vinegar could help round out the flavors. I like to make it with chicken andouille.

• Spicy meat gumbo

  • melissabazley on July 12, 2011

    This is a great recipe and so tasty. I used thighs & chicken breast because I'm not a huge fan of drumsticks. The chicken is soooooo tender at the end, it's soft & juicy as it's almost poached. Great flavour combo with different meats and also delicious with toast or crusty bread instead of rice. I think it would go well with mashed potato. Will definitely make this one again :)

  • lou_weez on July 17, 2019

    This was so good. Next time I would use chicken thigh fillets just for ease and to cut down the fat content a bit. I would also serve it with mashed potato instead of rice.

• Cajun alligator with sweet potato & salsa

  • melissabazley on February 15, 2012

    This is a totally fresh and very delicious, healthy dish. I made mine with chicken instead of crocodile/alligator !!! I also cooked the sweet potato differently...I peeled it and sliced it into 1cm pieces, then sprayed it with oil on a baking tray, sprinkled it with season all and roasted it for 45minutes until golden and soft. I stacked the circles of sweet potato, then the spicy chicken, then topped it with the tomato salsa. I didn't have a green tomato for the salsa, so just used an extra red tomato. I've added this to our favourites...will certainly be making this again.

• Sweet potato pie

  • melissabazley on October 15, 2011

    A delicious, flavoursome pie that isn't over the top sweet. I made a minor change to the method...I pushed all the sweet potato, after it was roasted, through a drum sieve to make it super smooth (I don't like lumps). You could use a potato ricer too. For the ingredients, I added 1/2 tsp cinnamon instead of a pinch. I'd also be tempted to add 1/2 tsp mixed spice next time as well. I sprinkled golden caster sugar over top of the pastry after egg washing it before final baking. Strongly recommend Jamie's pastry on pg 122. It's easy to handle, simple to make and fantastic flavour. I added the zest of an orange for this recipe and it goes perfectly. I served it with a drizzle of maple syrup & double cream....scrumptious. A great recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween...or just because you can ! :)

• Sweet pastry

  • melissabazley on October 15, 2011

    This is a brilliant sweet pastry. I used orange zest when I made the Sweet Potato Pie (pg 119) and it was absolutely delicious and has a great texture too. Nice and easy to work with which is a bonus...especially when you aren't great with pastry like me. I rolled the pastry out between plastic wrap for easy moving around :) I think it could be great with any zest, just match it to the pie.

• Mad dog salad

  • melissabazley on October 28, 2011

    My thoughts on cooked avocado...it should NEVER happen !! I believe God created it to be eaten raw !!! In saying that, this is still a good salad. It's quick & tasty & healthy. I didn't cook the avocados, instead I dressed them with oil, salt, pepper and ground cumin. For my taste, MUCH better :) The rest of the recipe I followed, except I didn't have any cress. I used a mix of fresh mint, parsley, coriander and rocket/arugula. The lemon dressing adds a fantastic tang and brings it all together. A delicious salad which would go really well with Mexican main dishes.

  • VineTomato on June 22, 2017

    Along with melissabazley, we are also not fans of cooked avocado - now and again it is okay, but we agreed raw was the way to go for this salad. The salad is okay. I thought the scotch bonnets added an interesting and different kick to our normal slice of red chilli - I'd not sliced them raw before, so that I will be doing again. The rest was a bit boring and not all that healthy with the dressing, cheese, pinenuts and tortilla chips - although it didn't ever claim to be that!

  • Rutabaga on March 30, 2014

    I like to make variations of this salad when I have both tortilla chips and avocados in the house. You can toss in any greens you like, or substitute lime for the lemon. The pumpkin seeds and pine nuts help make it a complete meal if you just want something light.

• Traybaked chicken

  • melissabazley on May 26, 2011

    This recipe is really tasty and so easy to make. I found that I needed to cover the tray with foil and cook for 20 minutes of initial cooking time to get the potatoes to start to soften. I also cooked it for 20 minutes longer than the recipe said. Really worth marinating the chicken overnight. Has a delicious tang that permeates the chicken. I will definitely be making this recipe again

• Awesome apple pancakes

  • melissabazley on May 26, 2011

    Yum...fast, simple, tasty & easy. Great thing to whip up for breaky or tasty snack. However, I didn't put the apple core in :) I also used buttermilk and so had to add a bit extra. Great with maple syrup too

  • Rutabaga on November 09, 2014

    I enjoyed these pancakes, which had a slightly crepe-like consistency, as the batter is fairly thin. Of course, the grated apple makes them bulkier than crepes. Unfortunately, my three year old decided he didn't like them; he apparently is opposed to any kind of fruit in his pancakes. And since my husband also prefers plain pancakes, I won't likely make these again soon. I tried drizzling some honey onto one side of the cooked pancake and flipping it over for a final sautee, as Oliver suggests, but this caused the subsequent pancakes to stick to the pan, even with added butter. It's a neat idea, but would work best in a non-stick pan (which I had not used).

• Cornish cowboy pasties

  • melissabazley on October 31, 2011

    The filling for these pasties is fantastic and flavoursome...I added 3 times the flour as it just didn't thicken up, despite cooking it for almost double the time with the lid off. I also added double amounts of Worcestershire sauce as well as a very heaped tablespoon of HP Sauce (British sauce) to boost the flavour. The pastry is delicious ( a little on the salty side...I'd use less salt next time) but I found it difficult to handle and it took forever to cool and seemed to drink in the flour while I kneaded it. It was super greasy and developed holes easily but they were easily patched up. The pasties taste sensational...just like buying them from a British bakery. For the sake of saving time (and saving your heart all that butter) you could probably use packaged shortcrust pastry instead...not as good a flavour, but easier and faster to work with. A very tasty pastry product. My husband just loves them !

• Cinnamon swirls

  • melissabazley on September 28, 2011

    Delicious, light and fluffy...excellent texture. I think next time I make them I would substitute the honey for brown sugar and mix the brown sugar into the butter & nut mixture. They are not overly sweet which is great. I ended up using golden caster sugar as I didn't have any demerara sugar. Very tasty breakfast/afternoon tea buns.

• Veal Parmigiana

  • redjanet on September 11, 2011

    This was great. It reminded me very much of the New York Italian style food I used to love growing up in NYC. I used pork escalopes as suggested instead of veal as it was MUCH cheaper than veal, but it still tasted pretty authentic as to what I can remember. I served it with spaghetti and it was VERY filling.

  • JJ2018 on April 10, 2018

    Used chicken instead of veal and it was still very nice

• 5 star pork ribs

  • Lillibet on July 02, 2011

    Ok but not really worth the effort. The 'Love me tender' ribs in the Leon book aer MUCH nicer, easier and has fewer ingredients therefore cheaper.

• My epic BBQ sauce

  • Lillibet on August 04, 2013

    Not keen - much too orangy - there are nicer and less complex sauces to make

  • FJT on September 14, 2014

    Loved the flavours - very spicy. Couldn't get it to thicken up very much though despite reducing it a lot.

• Venison & juniper stew

  • FJT on November 01, 2014

    Made with beef as venison wasn't available. Nice enough stew, but it didn't wow me. Not sure I'd bother making it again as I have other recipes that create a much richer stew.

• Southern red beans & pork

  • FJT on August 10, 2014

    Couldn't get a smoked ham hock, so I got an equivalent amount of smoked shanks .... Lovely flavor. Just be aware that you need a huge pot for this - took my Dutch oven and a large pan to accommodate everything. Will make this again, but maybe halve the quantity!

• Chili con Jamie

  • FJT on July 05, 2014

    This chilli has outstanding depth of flavour. Makes a lot of chilli - my large dutch oven wasn't big enough to hold all the brisket and sauce (that's never happened to me before!) so I split it over two pans. No regrets making the full quantity though - my guests loved it, it made great leftovers and as a bonus I've got two tubs of chilli in the freezer! This is definitely something I would make again!!

• Zucchini, mint, & farro salad

  • EmilyR on July 16, 2018

    Made this to get rid of garden veggies and it was a nice little meal. I added preserved lemons, which are always good. This is light, yet flavorful and filling.

  • Rutabaga on March 30, 2014

    I love making this dish for summer picnics or potlucks; the different elements really meld and it's a a unique, delicious way to use some of summer's abundant zucchini. I first made it with fine bulgur since I did't have farro on hand, and found the texture - almost like couscous - very appealing. Plus, the bulgur really soaks up the flavors. I've also made it with farro, which has a more assertive flavor and chew on it's own. Try both!

• Chipotle chile popcorn

  • Rutabaga on December 18, 2015

    So, I really don't need a recipe to make popcorn, but I tried Jamie's method of adding some butter and chile powder (I used a homemade chile powder made from a mix of dried peppers, cumin, and cinnamon) when the kernels start popping, and it turned out great. This is definitely a good way to go for wonderfully flavored popcorn.

• Stuffed zucchini flowers

  • Rutabaga on March 30, 2014

    I loved these stuffed squash blossoms, but the work (and extra fat) of deep frying them means I don't make them often, and that's probably a good thing. I used Spanish manchego and goat cheese because at the time I was avoiding cow's milk, and that turned out to be a fantastic combination. It's not a preparation that shows off the delicate flavor of the squab blossoms, but they still have presence.

• La Brea salad

  • Rutabaga on March 30, 2014

    This salad is beautiful and refreshing, but I discovered (no surprise, I'm sure) that it doesn't keep well. Make it to share and eat it fresh.

• Comforting turkey stew

  • Rutabaga on March 08, 2019

    All in all, I think this is pretty good turkey stew. What I didn't like about it had more to do with the fact that I used a leftover already cooked turkey breast from the freezer, so the meat was pretty dry. This also meant the sauce didn't cook down as much, so it was pretty thin. I also prefer fluffier dumplings, and these were quite chewy. But the kids ate it up, even the picky three-year-old. Made with fresh turkey, I can see this being a really satisfying winter comfort dish.

• Omelet Gordon Bennett

  • Rutabaga on June 01, 2014

    Smoked trout and eggs, individually, are two of my favorite breakfast foods, so I knew this recipe had to be good. This past year, when, in the land of smoked salmon, Trader Joe's started stocking smoked trout, I was thrilled. This is a perfect way to use it for breakfast, brunch, or a light supper. I decreased the eggs to 4 and used around 4 ounces of trout, as I was sharing with my three-year-old, who didn't even eat a quarter of it (although he did like it). I think a 10 inch skillet would be best, to ensure a thin omelet that doesn't take too long to cook.

• Candied bacon green salad

  • Rutabaga on November 08, 2017

    I made a pared-down version of this salad - no croutons, clementines, or mint. It was still very good, and my six-year-old loved the dressing. Since I didn't have clementines, I used grapefruit juice for the candied bacon (and I admit I also used turkey bacon), which turned out quite tasty, although it lacked the beautiful hard candy shell seen in the recipe photo. "How did you make this bacon taste so delicious?" my son asked. He's a fan!

• The amazing date shake

  • Frogcake on September 27, 2016

    Delicious and easy to make for breakfast. I have used almond milk in place of dairy milk.

• Chicken mole

  • JJ2018 on April 10, 2018

    Never again - I presume something went wrong as sauce was totally inedible and overwhelmingly chocolates.

• Green chili

  • JJ2018 on April 10, 2018

    Didn’t expect to like this but is actually really tasty and a bit of a change from other ‘wetter’ chillis - quite nice and fresh tasting

• Hyphenated Chef

  In an interview, Jamie talks about the rich diversity of America and its food.

  Full review