There is a certain child-like joy in pursuing things magical and even the slightest glint of a sign of it is enough to sustain belief in the most sceptical of us.
Jamie’s new book then is exactly that: a title that screams “Impossible”, an introduction that further seems to self-negate in the face of reality and ticking time. It claims that anybody, even the culinary-ly challenged can whip up a meal in precisely 30 minutes.
Well, it isn’t. How do I know? Because I have spent time in a kitchen and I know that a good meal is often based on simplicity as its main ingredient. Keeping that in mind, and with thoughtful creativity and variety, he manages to throw up some wicked combinations.
Each meal is set out on one page, starting with the pre-prep (aka mise-en-place), the ingredients and measures, and then a step-by-step modus operandi, which also incorporates the order of operations on a timeline. Simply put, it tells us not just a recipe of individual dishes but also the recipe for a complete meal. So you may attend to the main first and then swiftly move on to prepare a salad while the former cooks. The right side has pictures, which almost seem to visually mark out the key points of the meal-preparation process.
Because we may not have a kitchen as poised as his, Jamie advises us before every meal to prepare the tools of the day. He uses blenders plenty and often, and with reason. And then he also has some practical advise, like sticking all the cutlery in a pint glass, no need to lay the table formally every time, he reasons.
The recipes respect traditional cooking practices and do not try to be too nouveau. I liked the Cheat’s pizza and Pregnant Jool’s (his wife) Pasta. The range of salads is so exceptional that you could toss one alone on any given day and make a light summer snack of it.
The one problem that we in India trying to follow this book may face is this: availability of ingredients. Self-raising flour is not easily available in India, nor are the short crust pastry cases, it is also difficult to find various spice mixes and Proprietary yoghurts/biscuits/sauces. The consequent improvisations required, needless, will add to the overall preparation time.
The variety, as I already said is good, (in fact just the pictures of Jamie in a zillion baseball caps and casual get-ups was mindboggling enough) and the language simple and racy.
One last caveat: don’t use this book to try and beat the clock. It’s fine even if you take 45 minutes. The essence is that the book has some great techniques and tricks to help you understand cooking better and gradually become a chef in your own rights. Jamie promises us a learning and cooking (and eating) experience, which is to the point, and straightforward and in that, this book delivers. And then, it delivers deliciously. Like magic!
Sommelier Magandeep Singh is the author of Wine Wisdom