Leesfragment: Jamie Does

Onlangs is Jamie Olivers nieuwste, Jamie Does, verschenen, waarin Oliver Spanje, Italië, Frankrijk, Zweden en Marokko 'doet' en met zinnenstrelende gerechten opduikt. Vanavond bij Athenaeum de booktrailer, enkele spreads, een bladerfunctie en het voorwoord van de kok.

This cookbook will celebrate the vibrant food of six very different countries. Cheap, short-haul flights and long weekend getaways have become increasingly popular and within a few short hours of the UK there are new and exciting worlds of food waiting to be discovered as Jamie finds out. Each chapter will focus on a different city or region: Marrakech, Athens, Venice, Andalucia, Stockholm and the Ardeche region of France. The food in each chapter will be a mixture of classic dishes and new recipes inspired by the things Jamie learns on his travels. Beautiful reportage photography of the faces, places and ingredients will accompany each chapter. Jamie says: 'The food I've embraced on each trip is a mixture of what you could call the cliched star dishes - the tagines of Morocco, the flamboyant paella of Spain and the zingy fresh flavours of a classic Greek salad - and the recipes that I've been inspired to make after walking through the markets and soaking up the vibes of each place. What you'll find in this book is fun, optimistic, escapist food you can actually cook and enjoy in your own home'.

Booktrailer

Meer Jamie Does - o.a. fragmenten uit de Channel4-serie - is te vinden op de Youtube-account van Oliver.

Spreads uit Jamie Does

Enkele recepten zijn te vinden op de site van Oliver: jamieoliver.com.

Foreword

If I've learnt anything over the years, it's to follow my gut. After hopping on a £70 return flight to Morocco and spending a few short but brilliant days tasting my way through the markets and alleyways of Marrakesh, my instincts were telling me I had to take more of these trips. All those new flavours, sights, sounds and smells were like a breath of fresh air to me, and I came home excited and full of new ideas... which is were this book comes in.

That one trip gave me the push I needed to finally get round to seeing some of the other places I'd been hearing about for years. Athens and the Greek islands, Venice, the Midi-Pyrénés in France, sunny Andalucía in Spain and the absolutely beautiful city of Stockholm were top of my list. Each trip was short, sweet and packed with mind-blowingly good food. Jamie Does... is all about acting on that impulsiveness and discovering what's out there, just a few hours from your own doorstep.

First and foremost, I hope the recipes in this book excite you and becoma a part of your life. I've collected my own versions of each country's star dishes: the famboyant paella of Spain, exotic Moroccon tagines, zingy fresh Greek salad, lovely Swedish meatballs and some downright gorgeous French desserts. I've also included lots of lesser-known but equally incredible dishes - things I stumbled across in restaurants, tapas bars, back-alley street stalls and family homes. To me, they are proof that when you keep your eyes, and your mind, open you can unearth some real gems. If you've spent time in any of the countries I've covered here, chances are you'll come across recipes for things you may have eaten, and loved, on your own travels. If that's the case, I hope my recipes do the memories you have of that food justice, and help you to recreate them in your own kitchens.

Not only do I want this book to drag you out of any 'What shall I have for dinner?' ruts, I want it to inject you with a bit of impulsiveness, because the whole point of this book is to show how easy, how valuable, how exciting, it can be to hop in your car, on a train, bus or plane and fill up on other cultures. It doesn't have to be a long holiday, but I genuinely believe just a few days out of your comfort zone will give you optimism and positivity and get you ready to face the daily routine once you're back. So I also hope this becomes more than a cookbook to you: I hope it becomes a book that makes you want to jump up and visit these places too. They are there for all of us to enjoy.

Twenty years ago, these trips would have cost a small fortune and this book would have been considered elitist and upper-class. But thimes have changed, and everywhere you look, certainly in Europe, there are low-cost carriers and last-minute package deals that can get you to another country in less time, and for less money, than it costs to travel cattle class on the train to some British cities!

So if you can find a bargain, whether it's from London to Madrid or Manchester to Cornwall, go for it! Every now and then, looking elsewhere for inspiration is a brilliant thing to do. In a funny way, it even helps you to appreciate all the things that are great about where you live.

Pick a destination, go there, be open-minded and talk to the locals. Eat the things they eat and go where they go. You don't need to speak the language, just as long as you've got a smile on your face - people will be jumping over themselves to show you the stuff the're proud of.

Often, the things they'll be most proud of won't be the fanciest dishes on the menu - they'll be the simple, hearty stews they feed their families, or the spicy meatballs they stuff inside flatbreads. I love that, because one of the things that gets me out of bed every dat, and keeps me doing the things I do, is a deep personal belief that you don't have to have loads of money to feed yourself, or your family, like a king. I hate hearing people say otherwise because I know deep down it's not true. And from the simple country soups of France to the nourishing risottos of Venice, I was reassured once again that the simplest, most humble cooking is often the best.

So please, enjoy this book, have fun with these recipes, then go on your own short escapes. You can spend less money than you would if you were getting trashed for the weekend in your home town, and you'll have a head full of amazing memories. I've put together city guides for the places I went in this book. So if you're planning a trip, or want to let me in on some must-go places you've discovered, go tot www.jamieoliver.com/cityguides.

I guess what I'm saying is, when you come across something great and beautiful, never ever keep it to yourself. Write it down, take a picture of it, then take it home and make sure your family, your kids and your freinds hear about it. That's what makes the world go round. Enjoy it!

Love Jamie.