Jamie's Comfort Food

by Jamie Oliver

A bold new book of timeless recipes for soul-satisfying food, a classic in the making from the beloved chef.

Jamie Oliver, a.k.a. "The Naked Chef," is an international superstar. The beloved chef's warmth, good humour and inherent populism-not to mention his yummy, wholesome and simple food-have ingratiated him with millions of home cooks the world over. From his hit television shows, broadcast in more than 100 countries, to his record-breaking book sales, from his multi-platform web empire to his tireless real-world work as an advocate for the return to real, healthful food in our schools and kitchens, he is an unstoppable force for good-his "food revolution"-and for good food.

Now, with Jamie's Comfort Food, Oliver treats cooks to an enticing array of new and signature dishes that embody his inspiring cooking style: incredibly delicious yet healthful recipes that emphasize flavour and freshness over labour-intensive preparation and that are as much a pleasure to prepare as they are to serve. A classic in the making, Jamie's Comfort Food is packed with recipes for timeless dishes that warm the heart, each accompanied by a beautiful full-colour photograph. The perfect book for any home cook-including newlyweds, single folks, families, beginner cooks and those entirely at ease in the kitchen-Jamie's Comfort Food, with its soul-satisfying recipes, encourages cooks of all levels to get back in the kitchen and reminds us of the inherent happiness in cooking and eating homey meals for and with those we love. Major web platform: Jamie Oliver has an incredible web media platform in place. His dedicated YouTube channel, FoodTube, which features demos and lessons from the biggest stars in the business (Mario Batali, Nigella Lawson and others) as well as hilarious guest appearances by huge Internet food stars (like the guys from Epic Meal Time), has over 400,000 subscribers. He has almost 4 million followers on, and the comprehensive website for all things Jamie, receives 4.5 million unique page views per month. His three mobile apps, Jamie Oliver's Recipes, 20 Minute Meals and Jamie Oliver Food Guide, have been downloaded thousands of times.

A timeless book for all season, yet perfect for the holidays. Comfort Food is an inherently classic subject not susceptible to the caprices of food fads and industry trends, and it is a subject that lends itself perfectly to the holiday season, when families gather to share meals and, for much of the country, the weather turns cold and the days grow short.
Jamie's Comfort Food is both a book that readers will want to purchase for themselves as they start planning holiday get-togethers and a fantastic gift book, released in exactly the right season.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Food and Drink, Cuisine

408 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Trevor "Jamie" Oliver, sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef and media personality well known for his growing list of food-focused television shows, his more recent roles in campaigning against the use of processed foods in national schools, and his campaign to change unhealthy diets and poor cooking habits for the better across the United Kingdom.

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Known as his best book. I'm a fan of Jamie Oliver every week we eat several of his recipes. Watch out for this book if you do not want to spend a lot of time cooking, although there is little overall time are to cook calmly. This chef has other very good books if you want to spend little time.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I'm not sure I agree that all of these would be my definition of 'comfort food', but none the less this is another good collection by Jamie Oliver. Glossy photos, some great looking recipes (that insanity burger is definitely calling my name) and a nice multicultural mix. Vast majority of ingredients seem accessible and obtainable, even for North America purchasing. I'll definitely be giving some of these a go!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie Oliver (and his team) have evolved into incredible cookbook writers. This is a beautifully laid out book with tons of photos. The steps are clearly laid out and ingredient lists are clear. The book really delivers on his promise of special occasion comfort food.

There are a lot of different cultures represented here (which is great) and in the intro to this book he mentions tracking down comfort food from around the globe. In some cases I would have liked to know the story behind the recipe or more about where it came from. This isn't an every day cookbook, and many of the foods are indulgent, but it's great for celebrations, rainy days and treats. He's got 'nutrition ninjas' now, so there is complete nutrition information for each recipe.

This would be a great gift or addition to any serious cook's bookshelf.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was written without having tried any of the recipes.

Wonderful design, great quality paper, gorgeous photos, nutritional information and a large variety of recipes are included in this cookbook. I'm a big fan of cookbooks that have a photo alongside each recipe because I'm a very visual person and I don't feel like I'm doing it correctly unless I can see the process or the finished product. This goes beyond having a photo for each recipe: some recipes have photos of the steps, which is a huge plus for people like me. Really delicious-looking recipes, as well, from pastas to curries to burgers to casseroles to pies, cakes, tarts—and even hot chocolate!

The main things I dislike are that some of the recipes are ones that I personally will never try, and that there are no alternative suggestions—I'm not a professional baker, but I don't want to buy self-rising flour (like in some of the recipes), so I'd prefer to have a note indicating the all-purpose flour + baking powder/soda combo equivalent.

Update (2016/08/24): I have now made the chicken tikka masala recipe like five times and it tastes delicious. I would highly recommend it!

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook is brimming with gorgeous photos of comfort food and nostalgia that made me think I was right back at home, curled up in my flat in London. Even though for me and my food allergy riddled body, I can't eat most of the entrees shown in this book anymore, the experience of looking through it was worth it. For those of us who love our cookbooks full of tempting pictures and personal excerpts from the chef, Jamie Oliver does it again. With the cookbook split into sections like Sweet Indulgence, Good Mood Food, Pick Me Ups, and Guilty Pleasures, there's a comfort food recipe full of nostalgia waiting for everyone!

Sarah M. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

[Elsabe Retief · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were thinking that Jamie Oliver has done all he can, think again! In this book he took all the food we know and love and cook regularly, gave some of them a twist that turns them from loved comfort to heavenly. Some recipes he just changed the order of layers, added an extra one and viola, a show stopper. His panettone take on bread pudding and his pear tarte tatin with bayleaves (!) is to die for. Not a baker of cookies, I could not resist those straight from the devil and aptly named as such, but these are diabolical.
Made the hot chocolate as a gift and it was swooned over, who ever wants to drink store bought over sweet hot choc after tasting this!
I have no idea how Jamie keep pulling tricks out of his hat to keep energizing and inspiring me.

[Alex Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of Jamie Oliver, I usually enjoy his recipes. His last two books were a bit hit and miss but for me this one is back on form.

The recipes are interesting and varied, and well explained. I have far tried the donuts, vongole linguine, the shawarma (slightly modified), and we are soon going to have the Gadu Gadu and Modern Greek salads.

I can really recommend this book as there really is something for everyone in it.

[Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

While i have never been a fan of Jamie Oliver's TV shows, Linda and the kids really like his restaurants, so they got me this cookbook for xmas. not only does it have a lot of very good looking recipes, it was also pretty entertaining to read. Oliver's descriptions of the meals and why they are "comfort" food to him are interesting and humorous, and really do add to the interest i have in making these recipes for my own family. i look forward to cooking from this book for years to come.

[Theresa Marsala · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a wonderful cook book filled with heartwarming stories from Jamie Oliver's childhood & stunning food photography by the extremely talented David Loftus. There are a few recipes I would try out but others do seem very complicated & labor intensive, but as he states in the opening- these are meant to be special meals for special times & special people. Definitely check it out if you're a big foodie or just love to see beautiful photos of delicious food.

[Justin Walshaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

"You'd be fuckin' smiling too if you could sleep in this fuckin' pie, mate" and other wonderful tips on turning food into elegant furniture.

[Bibliophilic Word Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great stuff in here.

Yes, it is a cook book that I picked up looking for one recipe. I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. I found many things now on my to-be-cooked list. From tricked up bacon sandwiches, to amazing bread (which is what I ended up making) it's got everything you need to satisfy that comfort food craving we all get from time to time.

Note: The recipes are involved and some require beginning a day, sometimes two, in advance. But, yes, yum!

Buy it new. Buy it used. Borrow it and never return it. You've got to have it!

[Rianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

37/52 books read in 2018.
13/20 bookshelf reads in 2018.

Part 6 of the "OMG I need to figure out what to cook for Christmas" search... 7 books in total to get through (at least).

Conclusion: Ok, maybe I know what I want? Of course it is the 4 hour recipe, but at least I have an idea of what kitchen/style to look for now (yes I will be looking for a quicker version xD).

Btw if you aren't sure if you want to read this cookbook, have a look at the desserts. Every single one of those cakes and puddings looks DELICIOUS!

My earlier reviews still stand.

7/45 books read in 2017.
3/23 bookshelf read in 2017.

Ik denk dat ik nog lang plezier zal hebben van dit boek. Het zit bomvol met klassieke recepten, soms wat opgeleukt met bijvoorbeeld biologische ingrediënten of een variatie qua smaken. Vooral de toetjes zien er super lekker uit!

EN:
I think this will become one of the staples of my cooking endeavours. It contains a lot of classic recipes, some with a fancy twist, but most just a little bit more organic or a variation on the flavour combinations. Especially the sweet section looks delicious.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

oliver starts the intro by saying that these are time and labor intensive recipes. that's fine by me- i love spending time in the kitchen, and as long as i go into the cookbook with that expectation, it works.

the recipes are not the most specific- he calls for ground pork but doesn't say what fat ratio to use, and he says "pats of butter" (how much is that?). personally i don't find this an issue; you can do what works for you and it'll be fine (it's cooking, not baking). if you need everything spelled out for you, this might not be the best book.

if gorgeous photography is a prereq for you to enjoy a cookbook, this one fits the bill. it's vibrantly colored and there's step-by-steps for some recipes (with at least one picture of the finished dish for each recipe).

only problem is that none of the recipes were particularly appealing to me. there was a wide variety (of cuisines and levels of decadence), and they all sounded tasty, but not enough for me to bookmark them.

and fyi, pork buns (pg 104) are chinese, not korean.

[Leigh Philips · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a certain generation, the “celebrity chef” was a new thing. Having a cookbook with a TV show tie-in was a novel idea – it allowed the chef to feel more like a friend, someone who’s super at cooking that you almost felt you had invited over to share their best recipes with you.

Jamie Oliver feels like that friend, partly because my brother has met and had dinner with him.

Well, when I say met – he had tickets to a live show Oliver was doing to promote one of his books, and he was an audience member selected to go on stage and order a pizza on the phone, while Oliver knocked one out from scratch in the time it took the delivery guy to get there.

So I was eager to crack into his latest book, having enjoyed (and still use) his earlier offerings. The book is beautifully bound with a woven cover, and sumptuous pictures of the dishes are packed into the pages, often given a sort of centrefold spread that brings “food porn” to new levels.

The attractive layout of the recipes makes them easy to read, and directions appear to be logically laid out (more on this later). And there are pictures – lots and lots of pictures. There’s even Golden Globe-winning British actor Idris Elba grinning at me from one page, apparently enjoying a dish of groundnut stew inspired by his Ghanaian roots.

There’s a lot of gloss and showmanship packed into every page. We even have the calorie breakdown of the dishes in the back, and extra tips are highlighted on each recipe page.

All this leads us to the crux – this isn’t your everyday weekday cookbook. While it’s called Jamie’s Comfort Food, which made me think “quick and easy dishes”, this isn’t what it’s about.

The tagline is “100 Ultimate Recipes – Treat The Ones You Love”, and Oliver is clearly celebrating the comfort of good food with good friends, and the dishes can take from 15 minutes to days to prepare. This can double up as the cookbook you go to to plan your party or weekend celebrations.

The book is overflowing with recipes and stories that “celebrates nostalgic memories, traditions and childhood favourites”. We’re given directions for making dishes like the “perfect” bacon sarnie, porridge, toasted cheese sandwich, pot noodle, chips, and how long a pot of tea should brew.

Having done my initial read, it was time to select a few recipes to try – ones that didn’t call for a fire pit (shawarma) or two days of brining and marinating (southern fried chicken).

So, baked beans it was. Yes, the humble, normally tinned variety. My first thought after a read-through and tallying up the grocery bill was, “RM30 for baked beans?” (A rough guess at the final total as some ingredients were already in the cupboards.)

This wasn’t quick either – about two hours from start to finish. So, not the kind of express cooking you’d do to get a fast lunch on the table. But that’s really the point. Taste-wise, it was lighter and less syrupy than the classic Heinz, though it could stand to kick up the heat a bit – Oliver calls for deseeded red chilli and Tabasco; next time I’ll leave the seeds in.

Yes, spoiler alert – next time. Because it is good – tasty, flavourful, and rather moreish. I could see this as a side dish if you have friends over and a BBQ going.

Next was Oliver’s pineapple upside-down cake. He includes desiccated coconut, coconut milk, and fresh pineapple caramelised in a pan prior to baking in the dessert. The flavour is nice, but not out of this world. I served a slice to a taste-tester and he described it as something akin to Aunt Bee’s Nyonya pineapple tarts from Malacca, while cleaning his plate and licking crumbs.

It was on to Oliver’s nasi goreng. I followed his recipe instructions to the T, and ended with a very reasonable dish. It’s best described as the type of Asian fried rice you’d get at a posh hotel say in London. It’s tasty, but very Westernised – again with the deseeded chilli – and not like what you’d eat at a local warung or Malaysian restaurant. My taste-tester thought it was all right, but he didn’t finish his dinner.

Finally, Chicken Kiev is something I’ve often read about but have never made. The recipe yielded a breast that was moist and juicy as you cut into the crispy breaded outer coating with a really delicious flavour. At 878 calories per serving, this isn’t something anyone should be eating on a regular basis. But for a festive meal, it certainly ticks all the boxes.

So, going back to the book design and directions – I really had to take back my initial impression with a more considered second opinion.

Having cooked with the book, I noticed the paragraphs in some cases contain two or three steps not always related to what you were working on at the start of the whole thing. It’s not a big issue, but it can make you lose your place if you’re not paying attention.

The layout is definitely better for reading than referencing while cooking. The other pet peeve that developed as I was using the book was Oliver’s deliberately unclear instructions.

But in some instances we have pictures to assist us (with rolling out pie dough), while in others there are no pictures to help at all. What we have instead are three pages of grinning children enjoying the finished dish – it helps with the mood, I guess.

Still, the book has a lot of good stuff. In fact, it’s laid out more like a nice book to browse while thinking about the delicious food you could make, before you finally go to the nearest satay shop – meaning, it’s definitely beautiful though not entirely friendly for whipping up breezy, comforting foods.

However, if you do throw a lot of parties or are a Jamie completist, this is absolutely something to consider adding to your kitchen library. If you’re more an occasional cook, then some of Oliver’s early works are a better bet.

This review originally appeared in print and online at TheStar.com.my, here: http://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/food/features/2014/11/16/some-good-stuff-in-jamies-comfort-food/#gfl6JsUbdEOUxJip.99<?a>

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not that one ever finishes reading a cookbook. . .but I'll go ahead and review this now, after skimming the whole book and making one of the recipes. This collection is a lovely read, brimming with photos of involved, indulgent recipes from around the globe, many of which require multiple hours of prep (and some of which Jamie notes that his nutritional team was "unhappy" about -- sign me up). The only drawback of the book is that the recipes are ordered fairly haphazardly into sections like "nostalgia" and "pick-me-ups" that sort of bleed into one another. Book ends with a series of pages of tiny baseball-style cards that break down the nutritional info for each recipe and a detailed table of contents. Overall 4 1/2 stars.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This cookbook is brimming with gorgeous photos of comfort food and nostalgia that made me think I was right back at home, curled up in my flat in London. Even though, for me and my food allergy riddled body, I can't eat most of the entrees shown in this book anymore, the experience of looking through it was worth it enough for me. For those of us who love our cookbooks full of tempting pictures and personal excerpts from the chef, Jamie Oliver does it again. With the cookbook split into sections like Sweet Indulgence, Good Mood Food, Pick Me Ups, and Guilty Pleasures, there's a comfort food recipe full of nostalgia waiting for everyone!

[A.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit over the top in terms of photographs (which felt suspiciously like padding to me). But the recipes look pretty solid and I like their international range: I've already made the feijoada one which certainly lived up to the comfort food billing and look forward to trying others in the book.

Mine is the Canadian edition, which has been edited for a Canadian audience. That's fine, but sometimes results in strangenesses like Jamie raving about Yukon Gold potatoes for chips. I don't think you can get Yukon Gold potatoes in Britain, so that was a bit jarring. (Guessing it says King Edwards in the British edition.)

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big and glossy. Probably suit someone who has mastered the basics and wants to move up a notch or two.
Not so good for the more experienced cook who will have already these dishes or similar in their repertoire and will know how to make meatballs, chicken pie, moussaka etc.
Having said that, I think Katsu Curry might well be on the menu this weekend.
Will no doubt sell well over Christmas but won't fly off the shelves like his earlier books did. Not a patch on the Naked Chef books he did a while back.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most gorgeous cookbook I've ever seen! It doesn't hurt that Jamie Oliver is already so attractive and the pages are peppered with glamor shots ;). His food is just so artfully prepared, which for English style comfort cooking is pretty unusual. All these recipes look nutrient dense and delicious, though not necessarily low calorie. I can't wait to try some of these.

My one complaint is that all of these recipes are intense/involved and require foods that may not be exotic, but aren't familiar. That's kind of Oliver's intention from what I know about him, however.

[Kirstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourite thing about this book is Jamie's tribute to old-fashioned oatmeal. Many mornings at our house start with oatmeal and all the fixings.

However, a lot of Jamie's recipes are not accessible to someone in my geographic region--I don't have a ready supply of fresh seafood and I don't have a good relationship with a butcher (for instance, the Beef Wellington recipe requires 3 1/2 oz of chicken liver).

In conclusion, while the pictures of the food are lovely and there are lots of interesting recipes, this is not a cookbook I would purchase.

[Kelsey van Dillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dus ik heb dit boek voor mezelf gekocht als cadeautje. Ik ben echt dol op Jamie Oliver en zijn boeken en programma's zijn echt superleuk. Dit boek is te mooi gewoon, echt een hebbeding. Als ik ernaar kijk word ik al vrolijk. De foto's zijn zo fantastisch! En ik heb nog geen enkel recept gezien wat er niet heerlijk uitziet. Kan niet wachten om wat recepten uit te proberen.
Oh en dit boek ruikt lekker nieuw!

[Naomi]

Well, let's just say Jamie Oliver's idea of comfort food is different from mine. I mean, whole lobster emerging from your dish of Mac & Cheese? This rural American cook would have trouble finding many ingredients included in these recipes. That said, the pictures are beautiful, and, if you want to try something a little off the beaten path this book may afford you that opportunity.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really "comfort food," per se, but a great collection of meals to use for entertaining with a few classics from the comfort pantheon thrown in.

The design work is among the best I've ever seen in a cookbook, and I appreciate the less edited descriptions to fully understand the "eccentricities," as Jamie says, of the preparation. Can't wait to start cooking and baking from this collection!

[Maxime · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do like a Jamie Oliver cookbook!
I have bought & cooked from a lot of his books so I was not at all disappointed. This book is really good value for money. Recipes are a joy to cook but be warned you have to make time.... comfort food means good food!!!

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually *love* Sir Jamie - fun guy, doing great things, not half-bad cook (;P)
This cookbook was a disappointment because of the layout, not the content. Orange on off-white...? Really.
VERY difficult to read. And that's not a comfort.

[Karen Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a big Jamie fan, and this doesn't disappoint.
Full a twists on old favorites, and some great ideas for food for a big crowd. And the photography is amazing as always. One of his best I think...

[Virginia]

Much easier to follow than his earlier cookbooks but I dont think I share a spice palette with the author. The two recipes I tried did not do it for me. Fun to read and gorgeous as this book is it will not be added to my cook book shelf.

[Png · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delicious read with beautiful photos to salivate over. Loved the diversity in his recipes, taking dishes from all around the world and putting them in one book; they're very encouraging to try out. Loved!

[Ninja Neko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwhelmed. Having read most of Jamie's books (and owning a few myself) there's not much new in here, I already have "Jamie" recipes for a lot of the dishes in this book. Could be a nice cookbook for someone who doesn't own any of his books already.

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent range of versatile recipes from many different cultures. However, some of these recipes feature ingredients that may be hard to track down without a good variety of ethnic grocery shops nearby. Nonetheless, a great cookbook of delicious food.