Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy

Gordon Ramsay, the Michelin starred restaurateur, television chef and author of best selling books, has joined his fellow authors and is now Making It Easy. Realising that we sometimes don't want to spend hours idling away in the kitchen, but still want to cook and eat great food, Gordon Ramsay has laid his recipes bare. He's stripped them down to the bare essentials, made them over with simple to follow instructions and hey presto, you can almost be as clever as he is.

It obviously isn't quite that simple as Gordon's readers don't have the years of experience behind them, nor the gift of combining flavours to make each ingredient sing for itself. Culinary success lies within these sumptuously photographed pages and as the chapters are grouped into meals and occasions, it's easy to find these fiendishly simple recipes.

Gordon has dispensed with general chat and the reader dives straight in. It goes without saying that he demands the best and freshest ingredients that you can afford. The recipes are refreshingly simple and in the majority of cases, the ingredients won't break the bank. He does use lobster in one but for a special occasion, it is more than worth pushing the boat out. Otherwise expect recipes that you know and love, the ones that you cook on a regular basis.

We give you the reasons why you should invest in Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy, having read, cooked from and enjoyed the fruits. Use Gordon's expertise to create meals with that ‘wow' factor. A lot can be said for honing your chopping skills. Neat uniform cubes looks so much more professional than irregular sized chunks. This is particularly the case with the super delicious butternut squash puff pizza, the neat golden cubes nestling under a layer of browned cheese. Whisk up instant broccoli soup for fast food or macaroni cheese made with Beenleigh Blue cheese and mushrooms.

What makes his scrambled eggs better than others? He adds a tablespoon of crème fraîche at the end of cooking. This gives the egg a creamy texture but it goes one better than that. The cold crème fraîche stops the eggs from cooking any more, so you are left with perfect eggs. Puddings are of the old-fashioned sort, the ones that Ramsay is particularly fond: trifle, steamed apricot puddings. Learn from a trick of his by pan roasting apples and pears. Core and slice the fruit, leaving the skin on. Heat a heavy frying pan until searingly hot. Toss the fruit in icing sugar and then throw into the pan in a single layer. Allow the fruit to caramelise and then turn. Don't overcook them though. Serve with a rich vanilla ice cream.

A salad that will see you through the summer is made with crab. Make a classic vinaigrette, adding the juice and seeds of passion fruits. Flake the white meat and combine with rocket, watercress, radicchio and cherry tomatoes.

With chapters on cooking with kids, cooking for crowds and dinners for two, Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy has all that it takes to make delicious food without having to fork out for a Michelin starred meal. All you have to do afterwards is squabble over who's doing the washing up. But the eating is more than worth it.

Publication details:
192 pp. Photography by Jill Mead. £19.99
Published by Quadrille
ISBN 1844001164
2005

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