Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (Jamie Oliver's Food Escapes) knows that comfort is a subjective feeling; Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food, therefore, contains a wild variety of delicious dishes from many different countries and culinary traditions. The meals Oliver presents will take time and effort to prepare. The techniques involved, even if not hard in and of themselves, will at least require a fair amount of kitchen knowledge to complete, as well as a diverse selection of ingredients fully to match Oliver's intended result.
The book itself is solid and weighty, the 400 pages bound with an enticing material that begs to be handled. The photographs border on the delectably obscene; readers will ooh and ah over standouts like Ultimate Black Daal, Next-Level Steak & Onion Sandwich, Chicken Kiev and Devil's Double Choc Malt Cookies. Oliver's diverse dishes will comfort and sustain home cooks throughout the year, and he explains procedures with his hallmark candor and directness. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor