This is my first time participating in Weekend Cooking, hosted by Beth Fish Reads, and I’m very excited about finally participating because I recently had the pleasure of reading Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution cookbook and I absolutely loved it.  I loved it so much I felt that I HAD to share it with all of you.🙂

Jamie Oliver began his “food revolution” with the goal of changing the way people think about food – to teach people who don’t believe they have the ability to cook healthy and delicious meals how simple it really can be.  I picked up this cookbook because I’d seen his TV show earlier this year on ABC, and I was extremely intrigued by the premise.  Basically he traveled to Huntington, West Virginia, in order to redo their entire school lunch program and teach people in the community how to cook healthy, affordable, and delicious meals for their families.  He is so enthusiastic about his cause, and the stuff he cooks really does look easy and very good, so I couldn’t resist trying out the cookbook.

Let me tell you, this cookbook is a wonderful tool for those of us who aren’t experienced cooks.  And perhaps those of you who are experienced cooks might find some new and exciting recipes in here, too!  Personally I love simple recipes that can easily be tweaked to my own liking, and this cookbook provided me with just that.  Jamie Oliver gives the reader a diverse array of recipes for all tastes and cooking abilities.  The types of recipes in the book range from quick pasta dishes, to stir-fries, to curries, to cheeseburgers, to breakfasts, to everything in between.

So far I’ve made two recipes from the book – Spaghetti Bolognese and Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake.  The Bolognese sauce was what I was most nervous about, but it turned out beautifully.  I even tweaked it a bit to work with my preferences (for example, my husband absolutely refuses to eat onions, so I had to leave them out of the sauce) and it still turned out really, really delicious.  The Mac and Cheese was mouth-wateringly good.  It was better than any other mac and cheese I’ve ever had, and it had the added bonus of the cauliflower, which made me happy to introduce a vegetable in one of my husband’s favorite dishes.  Some of you have heard about my struggles getting my hubby to eat veggies (he’s really like a five-year-old in this aspect) so I was very encouraged when he loved both of these recipes, both of which included veggies.

I’m enthusiastic to make many more of Jamie’s recipes.  The curries in particular intrigue me, as I’ve never attempted to make curry before (always thought it was way beyond my abilities) but the recipes in this book make it look very easy.  This is a book I actually borrowed from my local library but I do believe I’ll be purchasing it soon because it really is that great a cookbook.

Jamie’s Food Revolution is a must-have accessory for any newbie cook like myself.  I learned so much from this book and I can’t encourage you enough to get it for yourself.  Jamie also has a website – JamieOliver.com – which contains tons of helpful cooking tips, recipes, and more.  I highly suggest you check it out and also – get yourself a copy of this book!