It is well known among my nearest and dearest that I indeed heart Jamie Oliver. So much so I named my first born son after him (Oliver AKA Grotbag)!
Not in the I-want-to-marry-him-and-have-his-babies type of way but more in the your-kind-of-cool-and-your-food-rocks-my-world kind of way.
I have all Jamie's cookbooks and I recieved Jamie's first book The Naked Chef for a birthday present in 2000 and so this my 10th Anniversary cooking with Jamie.
I think I like him for many reasons but one of the main ones is that I feel a kind of affinity with him. I haven't talked about my Dad on this blog (again for many reasons) but my Dad runs a pub in Essex in the UK. Like Jamie's Dad. They are not actually too far from each other and I spent the early part of my twenties working for my Dad in the pub and restaurant kitchen. So when Jamie tells a story about working in his Dad's pub - I get it. I relate.
I also think Jamie is one of the "good guys". He is uses his skills for good not evil and trys to educate with his food not just preach. He is a family man and has good morals.
OK Jamie just don't go and do a Gordon Ramsay on me now OK!!
But, back to the food.....
I have cooked many a Jamie Oliver dish from my library of books. But my two favourites are Jamies Ministry of Food and The Naked Chef. I cooked the most dishes from these books and they never fail to impress. Well impress me anyway. Even Hubby has cooked a few recipes from both these books with great success so he is completely OK with my adoration of another man.
I attribute Jamie for starting the whole "Celebrity Chef" phenomenon and proudly proclaim him the King of Celebrity Chefs. He also brought everyday cooking back to the kitchen. I also blame him for making the price of some foods sky rocket.
One of the first recipes I attempted from The Naked Chef was Lamb Shanks. Now you can get lamb shanks everywhere but back then before he made them fashionable again you couldn't find the bloody things anywhere. In the end I asked a butcher to cut some for me and they cost me $1.50 for 4 shanks - he was practically giving them away.
But I still heart JO. He is always my Go To Guy when I want some inspiration and I love actually reading his cook books. He has such passion.
And so I will passionately keep buying and reading his books and trying recipes that he has written. My loyalty will never be waivered and my foodie heart will always belong to Jamie!
My newest book I have just realised is not here....Jamie's America... it is on my bedside table!
