Converted.

You know when somebody finds out that there is anchovies in the dish you can see their noses turn up? well I used to be one of those people. I was even worse. When I read a recipe and saw anchovies in it I would quickly turn the page and never read the recipe again and pretty much skip over the page when I flicked through the book. Hmmm how things can change with a little trust. 


I was watching an episode of 'The Naked Chef' and Jamie mentions anchovies and how he never really liked them but now does. How you have to try them in dishes even if just a small bit the first time and that they are not fishy (like they smell...ew). So that is exactly what I did. I tried them, didn't dodge on them and you know what. I loved it. It gave the dish a subtle flavour with a different kind of salty-ness. Delicious!

I cooked them in one of Jamie's new recipes in his new book. I know I should be sticking to the book I chose to cook all the way through but I just couldn't help my self when I just walked... yes, I say just walked its because thats all I went to Borders for in my lunch break but before I knew it I was at the cash register with my shiny blue credit card in one hand and Jamie's 30 Minute meals in the other. I call it fate :)


Naturally, I was keen to see if his method of cooking in this new book was really revolutionary as he claims it to be. I had one problem... to complete these recipes you require a food processor, you all know that the only food processor my mum owns is tiny Oscar which doesn't slice and dice, only blends one cup at a time. Pft! I thought as I requested all the ingredients I required to make 'Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, crunchy salad and garlic bread'; a whole meal in 30 minutes (minus the dessert because I am getting fat as it is and don't need to add Silky Chocolate ganache to my already expanding bum). I got home after a sweltering day wearing way to many clothes for what the weather asked for and striped off into Tristan's sexy Hawaiian board shorts. I looked a tread in the kitchen I can tell you that much, unfortunately no pictures to show you though.


First things first, Jamie asks you to pre-heat your oven and get some water on the boil for your pasta. Done and Done, So far so good. Remember that I bailed on dessert so this probably should have taken me a little quicker but I blame the lack of food processor and the fact I had to use a crappy slicer which totally didn't work for me so I had the lovely boy do some manual labor in the kitchen and get it to work.


Half a loaf of half sliced thought ciabatta was smothered in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley and S&P and wrapped up in baking paper. It then went into the oven (no butter in the recipe so I think it should be rename as Cholesterol healthy GB) almost to be forgotten about, the best kind of recipe so far. The pasta went in the salted water and then the goodies for the pasta sauce went in a frying pan. The ten minutes it takes the pasta to cook completely disappeared and suddenly the pasta was done but I was still trying to get the stupid slicer to work. Stuff it, overcooked pasta tastes like shit so the fennel salad could wait. (This is when my lovely boy came and took over)


The pasta was mixed with the sauce and directed to the table, the fennel and radish salad was dressed and seasoned and also directed to the table and finally the almost forgotten garlic bread came out of the oven looking delicious and golden. 


A total success, Thank-you Jamie!


I cannot wait to try the other meal plans in this new book, maybe even with a dessert if my jeans allow it :)