Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes

There comes a time in the life of every celebrity chef when he must set out to travel the world with hopes of discovering international inspirations and additional revenue streams. So it is with Oliver in this collection, which explores the cuisines of Spain, Italy, Sweden, Morocco, Greece and France. There is a broad mix of classic dishes and new creations in the more than 100 recipes. So, grilled sardines appear side-by-side with shrimp-stuffed spicy fish with vermicelli, as do steak tartare and radish salad with cured duck, as do souvlaki and mighty meaty stifado (a variation of a classic Greek beef stew which here adds pork). A nicely designed 15-page section on tapas employs a blend of full-page and one-third page color photos, with most of the instructions kept short and sweet. Indeed, the work is as much a picture book as a cookbook, with photos accounting for about half the page count. While clearly in charge in the kitchen, Oliver could have added some depth to the true yet bland travel writing that appears at the start of each country-specific chapter. For instance, he says of Toulouse, “It’s really rural, and ridiculously pretty and quaint.” And of Stockholm, “The people are gorgeous and really know how to enjoy life.” (Oct.)