At the launch of Jamie Oliver’s new cookbook, Everyday Superfood, Bakul Kodikal, brand chef of the restaurant, prepares some favourites. Riya Sharma finds out that the dishes are easy to prepare and come with a description of the nutrients
When we think of a book launch, we usually assume a formal unveiling of the book followed up by a reading session or a discussion. But, this is the story of quintessential book launches which was not the case at everyone’s stop for relishing Italian cuisine at Jamie’s Italian.
With the launch of Jamie’s new cookbook, Everyday Superfood in association with Penguin, the event was followed by a cooking session from the wonder recipes of Oliver by their brand chef, Bakul Kodikal.
With the invite of the book launch came the potent question Will Oliver would be part of the book launch but many including us were left heartbroken when we were told that it is surely going to be a miss by the celebrity chef. But, their brand chef, keeping the brand name intact prepared some of the signature recipes from the book. “The book has been successful internationally and we hope that it will get the same response here in India as well,” said Caroline from Penguin.
After some formal greetings, Chef Bakul (as he is known) started the real business and we all only looked thinking that we ‘might’ be able to cook at least something close to what he was preparing.
Chef bakul started by preparing a superfood salad. If you are wondering about the name of the dish then we must tell you that it contains all the superfoods from proteins to carbohydrates. It had lentils, red rice, broccoli et al. everything that is a superfood. “You all know, we at Jamie’s are all about simple recipes. We believe in a simple theory- Feel, touch and understand your food,” said the chef. As he prepared the salad and served it, what followed was a ‘riot’ to click pictures of the salad and to at least try what he had prepared. Amid all this rush, the chef started gearing up for his next dish, lemon sole and Olive sauce sweet courgettes and jersey royals. If you look at the recipes in the book, then you will see how every recipe describes the superfoods and nutrition it consists.
This one, he prepared from the golden recipes of the legend himself. Chef chopped the vegetables in front of us and kept it aside. Next, he put garlic, onion and all other vegetables in the pan and put spinach leaves. And on top of it left the fish to cook. For then minutes, he left it and checked the temperature once while talking to us. As the dish was already listed in the book, everyone expected it to be as same as the celebrity chef. But, what turned out was no less than a delectable as chef Bakul himself confessed, “I am not Jamie Oliver. I need to be little different.” And, we completely agree with what he had said.
As the evening came to an end, we realised that not everything delicious has to take time and involve complicated procedure. The recipes are surely easy to prepare at home as chef Bakul demonstrated. So, when are you buying your copy of the bookIJ