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Jamie Oliver
Topic Started: May 18 2009, 04:22:38 PM (230 Views)
Melibeam
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I have Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food cookery book and have tried a few recipes from it recently. A couple of weeks ago I made his chicken tikka massala and it was terrible, really watery and tasted nothing like any tikka masala I have ever eaten, it tasted more like a thai curry. The first time I made it I followed the recipe exactly and used his recipe for the tikka masala paste too, it took me hours to prepare and was really disappointing. A few days later I made it again, this time using half a jar of pataks tikka masala sauce (which he also suggests you can use) and again it was way too watery, even though I did not add the water like the recipe suggests. Then a few days ago I tried to make his bolognese sauce and again it was terrible, really watery and not very nice tasting, again I cut down on the water as it looked watery enough without it. I have also tried making his chilli con carne from this book and again it was yucky.

From now on I am sticking to my own made up recipes, they are much nicer.

I am surprised because when I have made some of his dishes from his earlier books, they have tasted and looked really nice.

Anyone else having any problems with his recipes from the Ministry of Food book. I wonder if anyone actually tests these recipes before they put them into the cookery book :S
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catgirl
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Courageous Cuddly Kitty

have his books, but i'm dreadful as I usually use them for reference then make my own recipe up from it - but i've done that for years and the only recipes I stick to are for baking cos if you get that wrong then you can end with biscuits for cakes.
I wouldn't put water in spag bol. did you used tinned tomatoes - were they the cheap home brand type as they can be watery? I will dig out the book later and have a look at the recipe -see what you can change on it.
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Melibeam
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I did use tinned tomatoes, but that is what the recipe suggested, and they did not seem too watery. The recipe advises adding the tomatoes and then filling the tin with water and adding that too - very strange :yes:

I just find it hard to believe that this book also had a tv series, and states it can teach anyone to cook in 24 hours. Well if they try the dishes I have made, they will give up cooking forever :yes:
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catgirl
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Courageous Cuddly Kitty

I use tinned, but don't put water in unless sauce is looking too thick and then only a small amount. I will look later for you Mel.x
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Snappy
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Sexy Sizzling Schmoozer

I add a tin full of water to spag bol once I've emptied the tin then I add a bit of cornflour to thicken it up as Roy likes a lot of sauce (ooo er Mrs) recently though I've skipped the water and used red wine instead without adding the flour as Roy's not around so he can't moan about the wine taste (he hates alcohol in food)....and not a whole tin worth of wine I must add lol

I've never really liked any of Jamie's recipes but i've had a couple of his books but not this recent one.
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Tiredwithtwins
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Snappy
May 18 2009, 06:34:03 PM
I add a tin full of water to spag bol once I've emptied the tin then I add a bit of cornflour to thicken it up as Roy likes a lot of sauce (ooo er Mrs) recently though I've skipped the water and used red wine instead without adding the flour as Roy's not around so he can't moan about the wine taste (he hates alcohol in food)....and not a whole tin worth of wine I must add lol

I've never really liked any of Jamie's recipes but i've had a couple of his books but not this recent one.
:thumbsup: :yes:
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Melibeam
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Last night I made his salmon fishcakes from the same book, and they were ok, no great but ok :yes:

I seriously have my doubts that the recipes in this book were actually tested before it was printed :crazy:
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catgirl
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Courageous Cuddly Kitty

Melibeam
May 19 2009, 09:19:35 AM
Last night I made his salmon fishcakes from the same book, and they were ok, no great but ok :yes:

I seriously have my doubts that the recipes in this book were actually tested before it was printed :crazy:
like most of them probably. A few years back a magazine took a recipe from a few of celeb chefs books and got your average Joe to cook them. Results were not good from most of them. I never follow Deliah Smiths recipes.
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Tiredwithtwins
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im not keen on jamie oliver i must admit ... ive tried a few of his recipes but not that bothered.
i inherited a load of cookbooks from mum - nigella lawson, rick stein ... will probably sell them cos im not that impressed with any of the recipes in any of the books :no:
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catgirl
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Courageous Cuddly Kitty

Nigella, there's another one that bloody winds me up - can't watch her arghhhhhh - all that having sex with the food grrrrrrrr.
I like her recipes though
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Melibeam
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Nigella drives me mad too, but I do like her cakes :yes:
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ohippy
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Original Opulent Optimist

friends just started doing party plan for Jamie Oliver, apparently it's taken off big style
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Melbourne cockney
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Melibeam
May 21 2009, 09:13:57 AM
Nigella drives me mad too, but I do like her cakes :yes:
I've never heard them called that before :whistle:
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Hevs
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Miraculous Mamma Mod

I'm a shocker I've more recipe books than you can shake a stick at but never use them

I always add water to any mince dish and simmer it for ages. I also add homeade stock and tomatoes, its never watery, just saucy IYKWIM?
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catgirl
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Courageous Cuddly Kitty

Melbourne cockney
May 21 2009, 01:27:30 PM
Melibeam
May 21 2009, 09:13:57 AM
Nigella drives me mad too, but I do like her cakes :yes:
I've never heard them called that before :whistle:
:lol: :she:
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Melibeam
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Melbourne cockney
May 21 2009, 01:27:30 PM
Melibeam
May 21 2009, 09:13:57 AM
Nigella drives me mad too, but I do like her cakes :yes:
I've never heard them called that before :whistle:
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Melibeam
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My latest investment has been one of Kylie Kwongs chinese cookery books, and today I made her fried rice recipe and it was yummy :yes:

I had some for lunch and then the kids polished the rest off when they got home from school :thumbsup:
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moneypen20
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Bond's Beaut Bombshell

No one's as irritating as Delia. Patronising cow. I liked her books but watching her on the tv used to make me want to throw something at her.

I'm better now though.

Jamie's not aging well is he? Looking like my brother and he's 55.
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Hevs
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moneypen20
May 21 2009, 10:22:57 PM
No one's as irritating as Delia. Patronising cow. I liked her books but watching her on the tv used to make me want to throw something at her.

I'm better now though.

Jamie's not aging well is he? Looking like my brother and he's 55.
Its like Gordon Ramsey! He looks about 50 too, can't believe hes younger than me!
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Lynnj
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Don't you always find though that you buy a cookbook and only ever use 1 recipe from it. My favourite recipe book is one that the school in my old village in scotland made, every family had to contribute 1 recipe, it's the only book I've ever found really useful. If I want a recipe for something these days I google it and see what comes up, guaranteed to find loads to tried and tested easy and yummy recipes without the pretentious crap!
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catgirl
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Courageous Cuddly Kitty

Hevs
May 22 2009, 01:32:29 PM
moneypen20
May 21 2009, 10:22:57 PM
No one's as irritating as Delia. Patronising cow. I liked her books but watching her on the tv used to make me want to throw something at her.

I'm better now though.

Jamie's not aging well is he? Looking like my brother and he's 55.
Its like Gordon Ramsey! He looks about 50 too, can't believe hes younger than me!
It's the stress of woking in catering.


but with Gordon there is also the added stress of all the women on the side
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ohippy
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Original Opulent Optimist

I wouldn't mind being one of those :whistle:
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