NORMAL LIFE: Read Before You Start

It reminded me of my school days when you were instructed to read the exam paper instructions before the observing teachers would allow you to turn over the paper to start. What am I on about? I'll tell you what I am on about. It's that Jamie Oliver, and the way he overcomplicates things.

I bought Jamie Oliver's recent book, Jamie's Italy, for Bree for Christmas and, this weekend, we decided to make some of the dishes in it. Yesterday, we copied the ingredients we needed onto a piece of paper and rushed to the supermarket to buy what we needed (the stores are closed today because of the Epiphany). This afternoon, having read the instructions on how to make the dishes for the first time, Bree went nuts. "That will take hours," he grumbled and suddenly he felt very tired! I sensed that one of his famous naps were coming and I was left alone in the kitchen to prepare the food.

Given my lack of practise in the kitchen, I have to say that it was a good exercise because, with Bree asleep, I had to fend for myself. I must have spent four hours (yes, four bloody hours) making Hunter's Chicken Stew followed by Florentine Rice Tart. Seasoning and then marinating the chicken, frying it and then roasting it in a red wine solution which contained garlic, bay leaves and other herbs and spices took more than three hours, with the remaining time spent preparing the pasty and the rissoto filling for the Tart.

For the first time, I understood why England is facing an obesity crisis. Faced with chefs that think the likes of you and me have four hours to prepare a main course and a dessert, it's hardly surprising that people opt for the faster, cheaper and easier alternative. That's where Jamie Oliver is smart, though. The guy has managed to put the very fear of cooking into the hearts of ordinary folks like you and me, whilst managing to sell cookbooks at £20 a pop.

Having said that, though, the food was lovely. The chicken was a bit rich and the Tart was a bit too filling for my own taste, but what an experience it was. One thing I will do next time though is read the instructions before I start!