"TheNakedChefTakesOff" news and stories

I jumped on the Jamie Oliver train really late -- sometime in the last year. I was so annoyed at first that the "naked chef" moniker was used to make a not-quite-what-you-think pun that I didn't pay him much mind. Then I started watching him go to town on food using only a cutting board on his lap. I was hooked.

Behold my surprise to walk down the street the other day and find The Naked Chef Takes Off nestled on a discount table! I grabbed it, went home, and proceeded to drool all over the pages. Set up more like a visual conversation than a cookbook, The Naked Chef Takes Off tackles recipes often in paragraph form, often without even a list of ingredients. This cookbook is like calling up a chef friend and asking them what you should make. This isn't a stern collection of recipes cut in stone, but more of a helpful guideline to either fall or skim for ideas. And every step of the way, Jamie shares his two cents.

It all starts out with pantry basics and a brief how-to about herbs before dipping into breakfasts, tapas/snacks, salads, soups, pasta, seafood, meat and poultry, veggies, bread, desserts, drinks, and extra things like stocks and sauces. If you haven't checked this out yet, you should. If you have it -- what's your favorite recipe?