Jamie's America: Easy Twists on Great American Classics, and More »

British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver earned his nickname "The Naked Chef" from his philosophy that the best approach to cooking is to strip it down to the bare essentials, using simple ingredients and techniques. His back-to-basics approach -- combined with his winning kitchen charisma on television -- have made Oliver one hot culinary commodity.

Jamie has long been fascinated by how vast and diverse America is, but his experience had been limited to only a few cities. All that changes with Jamie's America. This was his chance to see it all, and he couldn't wait to travel all over the country, in search of recipe gems buried in Americans' own backyards. As he says:

"I wanted to get to the heart of great American food ... I set off on what I knew would be a completely inspiring trip. I wasn't wrong ... From New York to New Orleans, the energy of Los Angeles to the big skies of Wyoming, I found what I was looking for: Some of the most diverse and delicious recipes I've ever come across!"

Now, in Jamie's America, he shares his discoveries. This mouthwatering cookbook contains 120 new recipes, gathered in New York, Louisiana, Arizona, Los Angeles, Georgia, and Wyoming, including My NYC Cheesecake (New York), Spicy Meat Gumbo (Louisiana), Traybaked Chicken (Wyoming), Rich Grits (Georgia), and Venison and Juniper Stew (Arizona). These are American recipes, to be sure, but each one has Jamie s imprint—his enthusiasm, his ability to extract enormous flavor from humble ingredients, and his respect for home cooks everywhere.

Publishers Weekly

Oliver returns with his 10th cookbook, this one a colorful and quirky look at down-home American cooking. Traveling to the cities of New York and Los Angeles, as well as Louisiana, Georgia, Arizona, and Wyoming, Oliver paints a somewhat unbalanced portrait of American cuisine. However, what he covers, he covers well, and, in many cases, he puts his own touches on American classics. From New York, he showcases Waldorf salad made with yogurt, and cheesecake topped with meringue. Louisiana's popcorn alligator and aioli and Arizona's rustic tortilla soup emphasize only a fragment of the multitude of ethnic influences that shape our food creations. The cultural differences between Georgia and Wyoming are shown in stark contrast with Southern pecan and apple salad, and mountain meatballs. Los Angeles's tuna in roasted salsa and Redondo mackerel wraps round out Oliver's culinary tour. Scattered among the many recipes and numerous color photos of each region are sidebars on region-specific cultural influences such as Chinatown, gator hunting, and campfire cooking. Uneven but still insightful, especially for Americans who have not journeyed to these areas, these dishes offer a glimpse into some of the best America has to offer. (Oct.)