Martin O's, 02 Jan 2009
Having recieved this book as a gift I feel conned and did not even pay for it. The food is attributed to someone else and in a 270 page book there are approx 20 full page photos of GR, why? the "stylist" must have had a real headache deciding whether GR should appear in a white T shirt and blue shirt or vice versa in ALL of the photos (except for the 2 full pages of an empty table(?)).
The recipes are OK - roast tomatoes, pickled onions, shepherds pie, mixed grill......
One that will stay on the shelf until I do what he says he did with Delia's books

Cooking for Friends, 30 Dec 2008
I concur with other reviewers here who have said that there are rather too many mugshots of the Grand Cuisiner himself. It IS offputting to try and cook, for example, Artichokes Braised with Onions and Lardons, with the lardon himself staring out at you rather than a picture of the dish itself.
In addition I was somewhat disappointed when I decided to try out his method of making shortcrust pastry for some mini-quiches. Referring to the 'basics' section at the back he mentions the ingredients - butter flour, beaten egg and water etc, but in the method omits to tell you what to do with the beaten egg ! What a contrast with the cookbook I normally use - Julia Child's classic where she has gone to the trouble of six pages of instructions with line drawings and NO mug shots.
However, this book is in a different league and is aimed at doing things simply and straighforwardly. His recipes give inspiration, are simple enough to follow, and as he says, they are but a guide. It's a useful addition to my library - but I shan't be watching his TV show.


er.... is this a Gordon Ramsay authored book?, 09 Dec 2008
Firstly the recipies in this book are excellent and I've really enjoyed those that I have cooked so far.

However, the 1st page of text reads:

Food: Mark Sargeant
Text: Emily Quah
Photographer: Ditte Isager
Stylist: Christine Rudolph
Art Director: Patrick Budge
Publisher: Harper Collins

This begs the question what exactly did Gordon Ramsay do for this book? I think it has been mis-sold as a Gordon Ramsay book. There are indeed pictures of him in the book, perhaps an addition to the above should read:

Photographer's Model: Gordon Ramsay

I do recommend buying this book as the recipes are great, it is a shame that it seems to me to be mis-sold.

I love everything about this book, 16 Nov 2008
This book is full of inspiring and easy to follow recipes, delicious photography and lots of personal touches and anecdotes which make it a 'real' book. I like the way the dishes are made using accessible ingredients as sometimes celebrity cook books are full of ingredients which are difficult to come by or expensive. In fact I love the old fashioned and 'simple food' element, but above all the recipes are for 'proper' good food, ideal for family meals and social gatherings without days of worry and preparation beforehand.
A must have for everyone who loves to cook good food with simple, quality ingredients.

What's that all about?, 31 Oct 2008
I am usually not impressed by Gordon's "rushed" which he calls "high-energy" approach to cooking. Nevertheless his recipes are usually easy to follow and as tasty as it gets - if that's what you are looking for you won't be disappointed. Cooking books do not need anything else than that - so why have I rated it as 4 stars only? The simple answer is I do not like his non-cooking, not recipe related introductions and the title. On one occasion he's ranting about Delia's "cheat approach" which led him to donate all his Delia cooking books to a charity shop. My second "favourite" is the revelation that his wife has started to cook something vegetarian for the kids once a week. These statements are not only unnecessary they distract from the subject which is food. I do love cooking and great food but hey in the end it's food not world peace so stop ranting, argueing and self-praise. In my humble opinion the only absolute in the world of cooking is to COOK YOURSELF and avoid fast food/ ready meals. So it does not matter if you are using cheats and cheap ingredients if this creates the basic conditions to make you cook.
The other annoying point is the title. Nothing in this book relates to "cooking for friends", it's just a selection of recipes, which are suitable everyday and anytime.
To summarise: A decent cookbook with a misleading title but a good selection of very nice recipes written by a chef with an attitude.

Martin O's, 02 Jan 2009
Having recieved this book as a gift I feel conned and did not even pay for it. The food is attributed to someone else and in a 270 page book there are approx 20 full page photos of GR, why? the "stylist" must have had a real headache deciding whether GR should appear in a white T shirt and blue shirt or vice versa in ALL of the photos (except for the 2 full pages of an empty table(?)).
The recipes are OK - roast tomatoes, pickled onions, shepherds pie, mixed grill......
One that will stay on the shelf until I do what he says he did with Delia's books

Cooking for Friends, 30 Dec 2008
I concur with other reviewers here who have said that there are rather too many mugshots of the Grand Cuisiner himself. It IS offputting to try and cook, for example, Artichokes Braised with Onions and Lardons, with the lardon himself staring out at you rather than a picture of the dish itself.
In addition I was somewhat disappointed when I decided to try out his method of making shortcrust pastry for some mini-quiches. Referring to the 'basics' section at the back he mentions the ingredients - butter flour, beaten egg and water etc, but in the method omits to tell you what to do with the beaten egg ! What a contrast with the cookbook I normally use - Julia Child's classic where she has gone to the trouble of six pages of instructions with line drawings and NO mug shots.
However, this book is in a different league and is aimed at doing things simply and straighforwardly. His recipes give inspiration, are simple enough to follow, and as he says, they are but a guide. It's a useful addition to my library - but I shan't be watching his TV show.


er.... is this a Gordon Ramsay authored book?, 09 Dec 2008
Firstly the recipies in this book are excellent and I've really enjoyed those that I have cooked so far.

However, the 1st page of text reads:

Food: Mark Sargeant
Text: Emily Quah
Photographer: Ditte Isager
Stylist: Christine Rudolph
Art Director: Patrick Budge
Publisher: Harper Collins

This begs the question what exactly did Gordon Ramsay do for this book? I think it has been mis-sold as a Gordon Ramsay book. There are indeed pictures of him in the book, perhaps an addition to the above should read:

Photographer's Model: Gordon Ramsay

I do recommend buying this book as the recipes are great, it is a shame that it seems to me to be mis-sold.

I love everything about this book, 16 Nov 2008
This book is full of inspiring and easy to follow recipes, delicious photography and lots of personal touches and anecdotes which make it a 'real' book. I like the way the dishes are made using accessible ingredients as sometimes celebrity cook books are full of ingredients which are difficult to come by or expensive. In fact I love the old fashioned and 'simple food' element, but above all the recipes are for 'proper' good food, ideal for family meals and social gatherings without days of worry and preparation beforehand.
A must have for everyone who loves to cook good food with simple, quality ingredients.

What's that all about?, 31 Oct 2008
I am usually not impressed by Gordon's "rushed" which he calls "high-energy" approach to cooking. Nevertheless his recipes are usually easy to follow and as tasty as it gets - if that's what you are looking for you won't be disappointed. Cooking books do not need anything else than that - so why have I rated it as 4 stars only? The simple answer is I do not like his non-cooking, not recipe related introductions and the title. On one occasion he's ranting about Delia's "cheat approach" which led him to donate all his Delia cooking books to a charity shop. My second "favourite" is the revelation that his wife has started to cook something vegetarian for the kids once a week. These statements are not only unnecessary they distract from the subject which is food. I do love cooking and great food but hey in the end it's food not world peace so stop ranting, argueing and self-praise. In my humble opinion the only absolute in the world of cooking is to COOK YOURSELF and avoid fast food/ ready meals. So it does not matter if you are using cheats and cheap ingredients if this creates the basic conditions to make you cook.
The other annoying point is the title. Nothing in this book relates to "cooking for friends", it's just a selection of recipes, which are suitable everyday and anytime.
To summarise: A decent cookbook with a misleading title but a good selection of very nice recipes written by a chef with an attitude.

Sorry but it's rubbish, 26 Dec 2008
I like Gordon Ramsay - ok so alot of his recipes are a bit 'too fanciful' for me, but I usually just amend them for my taste. BUT this book - just do not like any recipes in it whatsoever, so as far as I'm concerned it is his worst book so far!! NONE of the recipes make me want to do them and I have lots of l/fat recipe book & full fat too, which I amend to suit me, so as far as I am concerned - not good at all!

Good Book, 21 Oct 2008
This is a great book, with some lovely ideas. I particularly enjoyed making the desserts. Kids food is good, as is the bbq section. The only problem i found was that there was rather a lot of seafood,which i dont like. but that's a personal issue, not a fault of the book!! i do like good hearty meals though, so maybe healthy options wasnt the book for me, assome of the recipes obviously arent as hearty as i would have liked.

Good book though, am pleased that Gordon's creating recipes that are healthier, as usual his recipes have lots of ingredients and are very rich and unhealthy!!

A dreadful waste of money!, 27 Jul 2008
Quite the worst book i have ever been given. Off to the charity shop with this one!

Very disappointing, 17 Jul 2008
Not a great book.

Note the apostophe in the title - this is Gordon Ramsey branded, but he only wrote the intro. The recepies are by his trusty side-kick Sarge.

The recepies themselves are all pretty simple, basic stuff - not what you would hope (or expect) from Gordon Ramsey.

Save your money and spend it elsewhere!

A Cookery Book You Will Use, 15 Jul 2008
I love cookery books but am also constantly told by my husband "why don't you cook from them?". Well this is one of those books that has recipes that are easy to follow and even though it is healthy it is also very tasty. I have cooked quite a few recipes from this book and they have all turned out beautifully.
As for the gentleman who mentioned his girlfriend was on Weightwatchers - I am also and have found some great new ideas to keep food interesting and tasty while reamining in the zone of "my body is a temple!"

Martin O's, 02 Jan 2009
Having recieved this book as a gift I feel conned and did not even pay for it. The food is attributed to someone else and in a 270 page book there are approx 20 full page photos of GR, why? the "stylist" must have had a real headache deciding whether GR should appear in a white T shirt and blue shirt or vice versa in ALL of the photos (except for the 2 full pages of an empty table(?)).
The recipes are OK - roast tomatoes, pickled onions, shepherds pie, mixed grill......
One that will stay on the shelf until I do what he says he did with Delia's books

Cooking for Friends, 30 Dec 2008
I concur with other reviewers here who have said that there are rather too many mugshots of the Grand Cuisiner himself. It IS offputting to try and cook, for example, Artichokes Braised with Onions and Lardons, with the lardon himself staring out at you rather than a picture of the dish itself.
In addition I was somewhat disappointed when I decided to try out his method of making shortcrust pastry for some mini-quiches. Referring to the 'basics' section at the back he mentions the ingredients - butter flour, beaten egg and water etc, but in the method omits to tell you what to do with the beaten egg ! What a contrast with the cookbook I normally use - Julia Child's classic where she has gone to the trouble of six pages of instructions with line drawings and NO mug shots.
However, this book is in a different league and is aimed at doing things simply and straighforwardly. His recipes give inspiration, are simple enough to follow, and as he says, they are but a guide. It's a useful addition to my library - but I shan't be watching his TV show.


er.... is this a Gordon Ramsay authored book?, 09 Dec 2008
Firstly the recipies in this book are excellent and I've really enjoyed those that I have cooked so far.

However, the 1st page of text reads:

Food: Mark Sargeant
Text: Emily Quah
Photographer: Ditte Isager
Stylist: Christine Rudolph
Art Director: Patrick Budge
Publisher: Harper Collins

This begs the question what exactly did Gordon Ramsay do for this book? I think it has been mis-sold as a Gordon Ramsay book. There are indeed pictures of him in the book, perhaps an addition to the above should read:

Photographer's Model: Gordon Ramsay

I do recommend buying this book as the recipes are great, it is a shame that it seems to me to be mis-sold.

I love everything about this book, 16 Nov 2008
This book is full of inspiring and easy to follow recipes, delicious photography and lots of personal touches and anecdotes which make it a 'real' book. I like the way the dishes are made using accessible ingredients as sometimes celebrity cook books are full of ingredients which are difficult to come by or expensive. In fact I love the old fashioned and 'simple food' element, but above all the recipes are for 'proper' good food, ideal for family meals and social gatherings without days of worry and preparation beforehand.
A must have for everyone who loves to cook good food with simple, quality ingredients.

What's that all about?, 31 Oct 2008
I am usually not impressed by Gordon's "rushed" which he calls "high-energy" approach to cooking. Nevertheless his recipes are usually easy to follow and as tasty as it gets - if that's what you are looking for you won't be disappointed. Cooking books do not need anything else than that - so why have I rated it as 4 stars only? The simple answer is I do not like his non-cooking, not recipe related introductions and the title. On one occasion he's ranting about Delia's "cheat approach" which led him to donate all his Delia cooking books to a charity shop. My second "favourite" is the revelation that his wife has started to cook something vegetarian for the kids once a week. These statements are not only unnecessary they distract from the subject which is food. I do love cooking and great food but hey in the end it's food not world peace so stop ranting, argueing and self-praise. In my humble opinion the only absolute in the world of cooking is to COOK YOURSELF and avoid fast food/ ready meals. So it does not matter if you are using cheats and cheap ingredients if this creates the basic conditions to make you cook.
The other annoying point is the title. Nothing in this book relates to "cooking for friends", it's just a selection of recipes, which are suitable everyday and anytime.
To summarise: A decent cookbook with a misleading title but a good selection of very nice recipes written by a chef with an attitude.

Sorry but it's rubbish, 26 Dec 2008
I like Gordon Ramsay - ok so alot of his recipes are a bit 'too fanciful' for me, but I usually just amend them for my taste. BUT this book - just do not like any recipes in it whatsoever, so as far as I'm concerned it is his worst book so far!! NONE of the recipes make me want to do them and I have lots of l/fat recipe book & full fat too, which I amend to suit me, so as far as I am concerned - not good at all!

Good Book, 21 Oct 2008
This is a great book, with some lovely ideas. I particularly enjoyed making the desserts. Kids food is good, as is the bbq section. The only problem i found was that there was rather a lot of seafood,which i dont like. but that's a personal issue, not a fault of the book!! i do like good hearty meals though, so maybe healthy options wasnt the book for me, assome of the recipes obviously arent as hearty as i would have liked.

Good book though, am pleased that Gordon's creating recipes that are healthier, as usual his recipes have lots of ingredients and are very rich and unhealthy!!

A dreadful waste of money!, 27 Jul 2008
Quite the worst book i have ever been given. Off to the charity shop with this one!

Very disappointing, 17 Jul 2008
Not a great book.

Note the apostophe in the title - this is Gordon Ramsey branded, but he only wrote the intro. The recepies are by his trusty side-kick Sarge.

The recepies themselves are all pretty simple, basic stuff - not what you would hope (or expect) from Gordon Ramsey.

Save your money and spend it elsewhere!

A Cookery Book You Will Use, 15 Jul 2008
I love cookery books but am also constantly told by my husband "why don't you cook from them?". Well this is one of those books that has recipes that are easy to follow and even though it is healthy it is also very tasty. I have cooked quite a few recipes from this book and they have all turned out beautifully.
As for the gentleman who mentioned his girlfriend was on Weightwatchers - I am also and have found some great new ideas to keep food interesting and tasty while reamining in the zone of "my body is a temple!"

Another Ramsay book where nobody tests the recipes, 05 Dec 2008
The first recipe I tried was for a sticky chicken dish, the glaze when made exactly to the recipe was incredibly runny and ended up broiling the chicken, it would never have worked given the amounts of ingredients specified. This same lack of attention was apparent in his wife's book of home cooking too. Very disappointing.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

Gordon Ramsay: Chef has to be one of the most sumptuous cookery books ever produced: massive and imposing, with a silver-embossed cover encased in a silver case. And the book itself, rather like its controversial author, represents something new in cookery books. Ramsay has, of course, made a reputation for himself not just for his considerable abilities as a chef, but as a short tempered martinet, tearing into his luckless students with expletive-filled rage. But that spleen is crucial to the man's philosophy (born out of a desire for perfection), and it is conveyed between the delicious-looking recipes presented here (cooking, as Ramsay forcibly reminds us, can't be made up as you go along -- you've got to work, work, work). The recipes themselves look absolutely amazing, such as pan-roasted fillet of John Dory with Cromer Crab, crushed new potatoes and a basil vinaigrette (and it should be noted that Quentin Bacon's beautiful photographs are a massive asset to the book, doing full justice to the visual appeal of the food).

In deserts, too, the aspirational appeal here is impressive -- perhaps most of us would not be able to turn out (without trial and error) a raspberry, lemon and basil millefeuille with milk ice cream that looks quite as breathtaking as it does here, but Ramsay's book is calculated to inspire us. Perhaps reading Chef is the perfect way to help us try to cook like Gordon Ramsay; for most of us, a spell in his restaurant kitchen would mean blood on the floor -- here we can learn from his cookery genius without having to put up with the tirades. What more could any aspiring chef want? --Barry Forshaw

Martin O's, 02 Jan 2009
Having recieved this book as a gift I feel conned and did not even pay for it. The food is attributed to someone else and in a 270 page book there are approx 20 full page photos of GR, why? the "stylist" must have had a real headache deciding whether GR should appear in a white T shirt and blue shirt or vice versa in ALL of the photos (except for the 2 full pages of an empty table(?)).
The recipes are OK - roast tomatoes, pickled onions, shepherds pie, mixed grill......
One that will stay on the shelf until I do what he says he did with Delia's books

Cooking for Friends, 30 Dec 2008
I concur with other reviewers here who have said that there are rather too many mugshots of the Grand Cuisiner himself. It IS offputting to try and cook, for example, Artichokes Braised with Onions and Lardons, with the lardon himself staring out at you rather than a picture of the dish itself.
In addition I was somewhat disappointed when I decided to try out his method of making shortcrust pastry for some mini-quiches. Referring to the 'basics' section at the back he mentions the ingredients - butter flour, beaten egg and water etc, but in the method omits to tell you what to do with the beaten egg ! What a contrast with the cookbook I normally use - Julia Child's classic where she has gone to the trouble of six pages of instructions with line drawings and NO mug shots.
However, this book is in a different league and is aimed at doing things simply and straighforwardly. His recipes give inspiration, are simple enough to follow, and as he says, they are but a guide. It's a useful addition to my library - but I shan't be watching his TV show.


er.... is this a Gordon Ramsay authored book?, 09 Dec 2008
Firstly the recipies in this book are excellent and I've really enjoyed those that I have cooked so far.

However, the 1st page of text reads:

Food: Mark Sargeant
Text: Emily Quah
Photographer: Ditte Isager
Stylist: Christine Rudolph
Art Director: Patrick Budge
Publisher: Harper Collins

This begs the question what exactly did Gordon Ramsay do for this book? I think it has been mis-sold as a Gordon Ramsay book. There are indeed pictures of him in the book, perhaps an addition to the above should read:

Photographer's Model: Gordon Ramsay

I do recommend buying this book as the recipes are great, it is a shame that it seems to me to be mis-sold.

I love everything about this book, 16 Nov 2008
This book is full of inspiring and easy to follow recipes, delicious photography and lots of personal touches and anecdotes which make it a 'real' book. I like the way the dishes are made using accessible ingredients as sometimes celebrity cook books are full of ingredients which are difficult to come by or expensive. In fact I love the old fashioned and 'simple food' element, but above all the recipes are for 'proper' good food, ideal for family meals and social gatherings without days of worry and preparation beforehand.
A must have for everyone who loves to cook good food with simple, quality ingredients.

What's that all about?, 31 Oct 2008
I am usually not impressed by Gordon's "rushed" which he calls "high-energy" approach to cooking. Nevertheless his recipes are usually easy to follow and as tasty as it gets - if that's what you are looking for you won't be disappointed. Cooking books do not need anything else than that - so why have I rated it as 4 stars only? The simple answer is I do not like his non-cooking, not recipe related introductions and the title. On one occasion he's ranting about Delia's "cheat approach" which led him to donate all his Delia cooking books to a charity shop. My second "favourite" is the revelation that his wife has started to cook something vegetarian for the kids once a week. These statements are not only unnecessary they distract from the subject which is food. I do love cooking and great food but hey in the end it's food not world peace so stop ranting, argueing and self-praise. In my humble opinion the only absolute in the world of cooking is to COOK YOURSELF and avoid fast food/ ready meals. So it does not matter if you are using cheats and cheap ingredients if this creates the basic conditions to make you cook.
The other annoying point is the title. Nothing in this book relates to "cooking for friends", it's just a selection of recipes, which are suitable everyday and anytime.
To summarise: A decent cookbook with a misleading title but a good selection of very nice recipes written by a chef with an attitude.

Sorry but it's rubbish, 26 Dec 2008
I like Gordon Ramsay - ok so alot of his recipes are a bit 'too fanciful' for me, but I usually just amend them for my taste. BUT this book - just do not like any recipes in it whatsoever, so as far as I'm concerned it is his worst book so far!! NONE of the recipes make me want to do them and I have lots of l/fat recipe book & full fat too, which I amend to suit me, so as far as I am concerned - not good at all!

Good Book, 21 Oct 2008
This is a great book, with some lovely ideas. I particularly enjoyed making the desserts. Kids food is good, as is the bbq section. The only problem i found was that there was rather a lot of seafood,which i dont like. but that's a personal issue, not a fault of the book!! i do like good hearty meals though, so maybe healthy options wasnt the book for me, assome of the recipes obviously arent as hearty as i would have liked.

Good book though, am pleased that Gordon's creating recipes that are healthier, as usual his recipes have lots of ingredients and are very rich and unhealthy!!

A dreadful waste of money!, 27 Jul 2008
Quite the worst book i have ever been given. Off to the charity shop with this one!

Very disappointing, 17 Jul 2008
Not a great book.

Note the apostophe in the title - this is Gordon Ramsey branded, but he only wrote the intro. The recepies are by his trusty side-kick Sarge.

The recepies themselves are all pretty simple, basic stuff - not what you would hope (or expect) from Gordon Ramsey.

Save your money and spend it elsewhere!

A Cookery Book You Will Use, 15 Jul 2008
I love cookery books but am also constantly told by my husband "why don't you cook from them?". Well this is one of those books that has recipes that are easy to follow and even though it is healthy it is also very tasty. I have cooked quite a few recipes from this book and they have all turned out beautifully.
As for the gentleman who mentioned his girlfriend was on Weightwatchers - I am also and have found some great new ideas to keep food interesting and tasty while reamining in the zone of "my body is a temple!"

Another Ramsay book where nobody tests the recipes, 05 Dec 2008
The first recipe I tried was for a sticky chicken dish, the glaze when made exactly to the recipe was incredibly runny and ended up broiling the chicken, it would never have worked given the amounts of ingredients specified. This same lack of attention was apparent in his wife's book of home cooking too. Very disappointing.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

A must for any foodie, 04 Jan 2009
As most of the reviewers I have to say that this book is one of my all time favourites. It's beautiful photographs, challenging and inspiring recipes makes this book a must for any foodie. The only other book that I have liked as much is the French laundry Cook Book. highly recommendable

Utterly Delicious, 06 Nov 2008
Quite simply the most delicious culinary book I have seen or read in ages. The photography is sublime, the content supreme and the whole read a pleasure. If the photography doesn't have you reaching for the pots and pans, nothing will. However the pleasure is complete when attempting the recipes which are well laid out, easy to follow and really make one feel that even a mere amateur, can, with guts and determination achieve culinary perfection by following the pages. Having read Gordon's biographies and been a keen follower of his tv shows (both good and bad), this motor mouthed chef definitely has something unique aside from his distinctly flowery language. Determination, skill beyond compare and the ability to instill in others, the same driving force that he instilled in himself to get where he is today. Perfection doesn't come easy, but this book is as near close to perfect as I have found in a culinary book in many years. In years to come it will doubtless become a collectors item.

Definate wife pleaser, 04 Nov 2008
If you're in trouble with the wife this book will buy you out of any hole you've dug yourself - she'll even end up cooking you something nice for dinner :o)

Stunning quality book, interesting layout & of course great food.

Beautiful and full of impossible recipes, 08 Sep 2008
It's a gorgeous book. No one will say anything less.

Most recipes are quite difficult or expensive for the home Chef, but this is a great insight into a 3 star Chef.

I say difficult because plenty of the recipes take a long time to cook and are very laborious, but 3 star cooking won't be easy.

I say expensive because truffles, foie gras and similar products pop up in Gordon's recipes quite frequently.

Not a regular book, 07 Jul 2008
This book is perhaps (I do not agree) beautiful, but it's place is not on a coffee table. It is NOT an art book.
I do love to read food literature in the kitchen or in bed, this one will not work there. I am disappointed at the format, huge, oversized and...pompous, so are the photos, most of them totally uninteresting. It should be more down to earth if it is meant for reading. Resize if considering reprint?

Martin O's, 02 Jan 2009
Having recieved this book as a gift I feel conned and did not even pay for it. The food is attributed to someone else and in a 270 page book there are approx 20 full page photos of GR, why? the "stylist" must have had a real headache deciding whether GR should appear in a white T shirt and blue shirt or vice versa in ALL of the photos (except for the 2 full pages of an empty table(?)).
The recipes are OK - roast tomatoes, pickled onions, shepherds pie, mixed grill......
One that will stay on the shelf until I do what he says he did with Delia's books

Cooking for Friends, 30 Dec 2008
I concur with other reviewers here who have said that there are rather too many mugshots of the Grand Cuisiner himself. It IS offputting to try and cook, for example, Artichokes Braised with Onions and Lardons, with the lardon himself staring out at you rather than a picture of the dish itself.
In addition I was somewhat disappointed when I decided to try out his method of making shortcrust pastry for some mini-quiches. Referring to the 'basics' section at the back he mentions the ingredients - butter flour, beaten egg and water etc, but in the method omits to tell you what to do with the beaten egg ! What a contrast with the cookbook I normally use - Julia Child's classic where she has gone to the trouble of six pages of instructions with line drawings and NO mug shots.
However, this book is in a different league and is aimed at doing things simply and straighforwardly. His recipes give inspiration, are simple enough to follow, and as he says, they are but a guide. It's a useful addition to my library - but I shan't be watching his TV show.


er.... is this a Gordon Ramsay authored book?, 09 Dec 2008
Firstly the recipies in this book are excellent and I've really enjoyed those that I have cooked so far.

However, the 1st page of text reads:

Food: Mark Sargeant
Text: Emily Quah
Photographer: Ditte Isager
Stylist: Christine Rudolph
Art Director: Patrick Budge
Publisher: Harper Collins

This begs the question what exactly did Gordon Ramsay do for this book? I think it has been mis-sold as a Gordon Ramsay book. There are indeed pictures of him in the book, perhaps an addition to the above should read:

Photographer's Model: Gordon Ramsay

I do recommend buying this book as the recipes are great, it is a shame that it seems to me to be mis-sold.

I love everything about this book, 16 Nov 2008
This book is full of inspiring and easy to follow recipes, delicious photography and lots of personal touches and anecdotes which make it a 'real' book. I like the way the dishes are made using accessible ingredients as sometimes celebrity cook books are full of ingredients which are difficult to come by or expensive. In fact I love the old fashioned and 'simple food' element, but above all the recipes are for 'proper' good food, ideal for family meals and social gatherings without days of worry and preparation beforehand.
A must have for everyone who loves to cook good food with simple, quality ingredients.

What's that all about?, 31 Oct 2008
I am usually not impressed by Gordon's "rushed" which he calls "high-energy" approach to cooking. Nevertheless his recipes are usually easy to follow and as tasty as it gets - if that's what you are looking for you won't be disappointed. Cooking books do not need anything else than that - so why have I rated it as 4 stars only? The simple answer is I do not like his non-cooking, not recipe related introductions and the title. On one occasion he's ranting about Delia's "cheat approach" which led him to donate all his Delia cooking books to a charity shop. My second "favourite" is the revelation that his wife has started to cook something vegetarian for the kids once a week. These statements are not only unnecessary they distract from the subject which is food. I do love cooking and great food but hey in the end it's food not world peace so stop ranting, argueing and self-praise. In my humble opinion the only absolute in the world of cooking is to COOK YOURSELF and avoid fast food/ ready meals. So it does not matter if you are using cheats and cheap ingredients if this creates the basic conditions to make you cook.
The other annoying point is the title. Nothing in this book relates to "cooking for friends", it's just a selection of recipes, which are suitable everyday and anytime.
To summarise: A decent cookbook with a misleading title but a good selection of very nice recipes written by a chef with an attitude.

Sorry but it's rubbish, 26 Dec 2008
I like Gordon Ramsay - ok so alot of his recipes are a bit 'too fanciful' for me, but I usually just amend them for my taste. BUT this book - just do not like any recipes in it whatsoever, so as far as I'm concerned it is his worst book so far!! NONE of the recipes make me want to do them and I have lots of l/fat recipe book & full fat too, which I amend to suit me, so as far as I am concerned - not good at all!

Good Book, 21 Oct 2008
This is a great book, with some lovely ideas. I particularly enjoyed making the desserts. Kids food is good, as is the bbq section. The only problem i found was that there was rather a lot of seafood,which i dont like. but that's a personal issue, not a fault of the book!! i do like good hearty meals though, so maybe healthy options wasnt the book for me, assome of the recipes obviously arent as hearty as i would have liked.

Good book though, am pleased that Gordon's creating recipes that are healthier, as usual his recipes have lots of ingredients and are very rich and unhealthy!!

A dreadful waste of money!, 27 Jul 2008
Quite the worst book i have ever been given. Off to the charity shop with this one!

Very disappointing, 17 Jul 2008
Not a great book.

Note the apostophe in the title - this is Gordon Ramsey branded, but he only wrote the intro. The recepies are by his trusty side-kick Sarge.

The recepies themselves are all pretty simple, basic stuff - not what you would hope (or expect) from Gordon Ramsey.

Save your money and spend it elsewhere!

A Cookery Book You Will Use, 15 Jul 2008
I love cookery books but am also constantly told by my husband "why don't you cook from them?". Well this is one of those books that has recipes that are easy to follow and even though it is healthy it is also very tasty. I have cooked quite a few recipes from this book and they have all turned out beautifully.
As for the gentleman who mentioned his girlfriend was on Weightwatchers - I am also and have found some great new ideas to keep food interesting and tasty while reamining in the zone of "my body is a temple!"

Another Ramsay book where nobody tests the recipes, 05 Dec 2008
The first recipe I tried was for a sticky chicken dish, the glaze when made exactly to the recipe was incredibly runny and ended up broiling the chicken, it would never have worked given the amounts of ingredients specified. This same lack of attention was apparent in his wife's book of home cooking too. Very disappointing.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

A must for any foodie, 04 Jan 2009
As most of the reviewers I have to say that this book is one of my all time favourites. It's beautiful photographs, challenging and inspiring recipes makes this book a must for any foodie. The only other book that I have liked as much is the French laundry Cook Book. highly recommendable

Utterly Delicious, 06 Nov 2008
Quite simply the most delicious culinary book I have seen or read in ages. The photography is sublime, the content supreme and the whole read a pleasure. If the photography doesn't have you reaching for the pots and pans, nothing will. However the pleasure is complete when attempting the recipes which are well laid out, easy to follow and really make one feel that even a mere amateur, can, with guts and determination achieve culinary perfection by following the pages. Having read Gordon's biographies and been a keen follower of his tv shows (both good and bad), this motor mouthed chef definitely has something unique aside from his distinctly flowery language. Determination, skill beyond compare and the ability to instill in others, the same driving force that he instilled in himself to get where he is today. Perfection doesn't come easy, but this book is as near close to perfect as I have found in a culinary book in many years. In years to come it will doubtless become a collectors item.

Definate wife pleaser, 04 Nov 2008
If you're in trouble with the wife this book will buy you out of any hole you've dug yourself - she'll even end up cooking you something nice for dinner :o)

Stunning quality book, interesting layout & of course great food.

Beautiful and full of impossible recipes, 08 Sep 2008
It's a gorgeous book. No one will say anything less.

Most recipes are quite difficult or expensive for the home Chef, but this is a great insight into a 3 star Chef.

I say difficult because plenty of the recipes take a long time to cook and are very laborious, but 3 star cooking won't be easy.

I say expensive because truffles, foie gras and similar products pop up in Gordon's recipes quite frequently.

Not a regular book, 07 Jul 2008
This book is perhaps (I do not agree) beautiful, but it's place is not on a coffee table. It is NOT an art book.
I do love to read food literature in the kitchen or in bed, this one will not work there. I am disappointed at the format, huge, oversized and...pompous, so are the photos, most of them totally uninteresting. It should be more down to earth if it is meant for reading. Resize if considering reprint?

Jumping on the bandwagon? , 29 Sep 2008
I fail to see the connection between this book and Sunday Lunch as an institution, and I never noticed Gordon campaigning for its 'revival' on any other platform than in this book (unlike Jamie Oliver, who gets a bee in his bonnet about e.g. school dinners but does follow it through).
The idea of creating 3 course menus and setting out a schedule of what to prepare when are very helpful, but leafing through it I didn't find that many recipes that the average family would happily select to cook and eat for Sunday lunch - pan seared foie gras? curried monkfish? clams with aioli? Bet the kids would love that! They look and sound lovely, and as a confident cook I'd have no qualms about attempting most of them, but as the basis of a 'campaign' for encouraging more families to share a weekly meal, this book doesn't stand up. It would need to be more child friendly and less daunting in its content and techniques. Rather than chicken with a morel veloute, perhaps roast chicken with home made stuffing and proper gravy, or something else less exciting but more approachable. As a collection of recipe this is more suited to meals you'd eat in the evening with friends.
And as far as including a DVD goes, there are so many full-page photos of Gordon throughout the book that I've seen more than enough of him without watching this as well. Had he produced a simple family recipe book that really spoke to the average cook a DVD of basic techniques would have been a useful extra, but since this book doesn't do that, I can't see the point of the DVD.
Should really lose the Sunday Lunch tag and be re-named Recipes from the F Word, as that's all it is.

A brilliant cook book for family gatherings, 04 Jan 2008
I have found this to be an extremely useful cook book and believe it delivers everything it states in the title - an excellent offering of Sunday lunch menus.

The summary of timings is extremely useful for planning what can be made ahead and I have lost count of the number of times I have made the beef casserole and mustard mash - excellent for a cold winters day. The range of recipes is varied and I have used some dishes such as beef wellington for dinner parties, which has added another dimension.

The recipes are both easy to follow and make which means it can be used by all wannabe cooks, irrespective of ability.

Overall, highly recommended.

Hooray for the Yorkshire Recipes, 19 Nov 2007
I've always had terrible trouble with my yorkshire puddings, until someone recommended this book to me. I bought it solely for this purpose, and it did indeed come up trumps and I have to say that my Yorkshires are now magnificent. It seemed a lot of money to spend just for this, but my family think it's worth it.
Luckily, emboldened by success I have tried many of the other recipes and have found them easy to follow and have had the same success. The creamy lemon desserts are particularly classy looking, but foolproof. The cauliflower soup is also excellent and a little bit unusual. A life saver if you're bored of cauliflower cheese.
I like the way this book is organised around menus, although I rarely do all the courses together, preferring to pick and choose what suits my family at the time. It is however, thoughtfully laid out with great tips and is a very accessible, user friendly book.

A great book with a very important message to encourage family eating, 10 Nov 2007
I think this book is nothing short of briliant The book is showing us to cook and sit down as a family, not just as Sunday lunches, but any meals that involve sitting down at the table.

As you would expect with gordon Ramsay, all the recipies are stunning, and they are all easy to follow, and all look stunning. They taste just as amazing. The book also includes an excellent DVD which has Gordon cooking a Sunday lunch menu.

The book is very well put together, with nice bold colours, and is a chunky book, which will prove to be robust overtime. Gordon ramsay's f word TV seris was brilliant, and this book just carries on from where that left off, in being a must own, and something anyone can use, and follow and get great results every time.

Quite Good, 30 Mar 2007
I was very excited about this book when I got it for Christmas being a big fan of Ramsay's. Maybe I am being harsh on my rating but it contains many recipies which I would not cook. I feel it is guided more towards more formal occasions. It does help with timing in that it give you a timeline for a set of starters, mains and deserts. Also the DVD is quite good. I just think that there are a lot better books which contain a mixture of formal and informal recipies.

Martin O's, 02 Jan 2009
Having recieved this book as a gift I feel conned and did not even pay for it. The food is attributed to someone else and in a 270 page book there are approx 20 full page photos of GR, why? the "stylist" must have had a real headache deciding whether GR should appear in a white T shirt and blue shirt or vice versa in ALL of the photos (except for the 2 full pages of an empty table(?)).
The recipes are OK - roast tomatoes, pickled onions, shepherds pie, mixed grill......
One that will stay on the shelf until I do what he says he did with Delia's books

Cooking for Friends, 30 Dec 2008
I concur with other reviewers here who have said that there are rather too many mugshots of the Grand Cuisiner himself. It IS offputting to try and cook, for example, Artichokes Braised with Onions and Lardons, with the lardon himself staring out at you rather than a picture of the dish itself.
In addition I was somewhat disappointed when I decided to try out his method of making shortcrust pastry for some mini-quiches. Referring to the 'basics' section at the back he mentions the ingredients - butter flour, beaten egg and water etc, but in the method omits to tell you what to do with the beaten egg ! What a contrast with the cookbook I normally use - Julia Child's classic where she has gone to the trouble of six pages of instructions with line drawings and NO mug shots.
However, this book is in a different league and is aimed at doing things simply and straighforwardly. His recipes give inspiration, are simple enough to follow, and as he says, they are but a guide. It's a useful addition to my library - but I shan't be watching his TV show.


er.... is this a Gordon Ramsay authored book?, 09 Dec 2008
Firstly the recipies in this book are excellent and I've really enjoyed those that I have cooked so far.

However, the 1st page of text reads:

Food: Mark Sargeant
Text: Emily Quah
Photographer: Ditte Isager
Stylist: Christine Rudolph
Art Director: Patrick Budge
Publisher: Harper Collins

This begs the question what exactly did Gordon Ramsay do for this book? I think it has been mis-sold as a Gordon Ramsay book. There are indeed pictures of him in the book, perhaps an addition to the above should read:

Photographer's Model: Gordon Ramsay

I do recommend buying this book as the recipes are great, it is a shame that it seems to me to be mis-sold.

I love everything about this book, 16 Nov 2008
This book is full of inspiring and easy to follow recipes, delicious photography and lots of personal touches and anecdotes which make it a 'real' book. I like the way the dishes are made using accessible ingredients as sometimes celebrity cook books are full of ingredients which are difficult to come by or expensive. In fact I love the old fashioned and 'simple food' element, but above all the recipes are for 'proper' good food, ideal for family meals and social gatherings without days of worry and preparation beforehand.
A must have for everyone who loves to cook good food with simple, quality ingredients.

What's that all about?, 31 Oct 2008
I am usually not impressed by Gordon's "rushed" which he calls "high-energy" approach to cooking. Nevertheless his recipes are usually easy to follow and as tasty as it gets - if that's what you are looking for you won't be disappointed. Cooking books do not need anything else than that - so why have I rated it as 4 stars only? The simple answer is I do not like his non-cooking, not recipe related introductions and the title. On one occasion he's ranting about Delia's "cheat approach" which led him to donate all his Delia cooking books to a charity shop. My second "favourite" is the revelation that his wife has started to cook something vegetarian for the kids once a week. These statements are not only unnecessary they distract from the subject which is food. I do love cooking and great food but hey in the end it's food not world peace so stop ranting, argueing and self-praise. In my humble opinion the only absolute in the world of cooking is to COOK YOURSELF and avoid fast food/ ready meals. So it does not matter if you are using cheats and cheap ingredients if this creates the basic conditions to make you cook.
The other annoying point is the title. Nothing in this book relates to "cooking for friends", it's just a selection of recipes, which are suitable everyday and anytime.
To summarise: A decent cookbook with a misleading title but a good selection of very nice recipes written by a chef with an attitude.

Sorry but it's rubbish, 26 Dec 2008
I like Gordon Ramsay - ok so alot of his recipes are a bit 'too fanciful' for me, but I usually just amend them for my taste. BUT this book - just do not like any recipes in it whatsoever, so as far as I'm concerned it is his worst book so far!! NONE of the recipes make me want to do them and I have lots of l/fat recipe book & full fat too, which I amend to suit me, so as far as I am concerned - not good at all!

Good Book, 21 Oct 2008
This is a great book, with some lovely ideas. I particularly enjoyed making the desserts. Kids food is good, as is the bbq section. The only problem i found was that there was rather a lot of seafood,which i dont like. but that's a personal issue, not a fault of the book!! i do like good hearty meals though, so maybe healthy options wasnt the book for me, assome of the recipes obviously arent as hearty as i would have liked.

Good book though, am pleased that Gordon's creating recipes that are healthier, as usual his recipes have lots of ingredients and are very rich and unhealthy!!

A dreadful waste of money!, 27 Jul 2008
Quite the worst book i have ever been given. Off to the charity shop with this one!

Very disappointing, 17 Jul 2008
Not a great book.

Note the apostophe in the title - this is Gordon Ramsey branded, but he only wrote the intro. The recepies are by his trusty side-kick Sarge.

The recepies themselves are all pretty simple, basic stuff - not what you would hope (or expect) from Gordon Ramsey.

Save your money and spend it elsewhere!

A Cookery Book You Will Use, 15 Jul 2008
I love cookery books but am also constantly told by my husband "why don't you cook from them?". Well this is one of those books that has recipes that are easy to follow and even though it is healthy it is also very tasty. I have cooked quite a few recipes from this book and they have all turned out beautifully.
As for the gentleman who mentioned his girlfriend was on Weightwatchers - I am also and have found some great new ideas to keep food interesting and tasty while reamining in the zone of "my body is a temple!"

Another Ramsay book where nobody tests the recipes, 05 Dec 2008
The first recipe I tried was for a sticky chicken dish, the glaze when made exactly to the recipe was incredibly runny and ended up broiling the chicken, it would never have worked given the amounts of ingredients specified. This same lack of attention was apparent in his wife's book of home cooking too. Very disappointing.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

A must for any foodie, 04 Jan 2009
As most of the reviewers I have to say that this book is one of my all time favourites. It's beautiful photographs, challenging and inspiring recipes makes this book a must for any foodie. The only other book that I have liked as much is the French laundry Cook Book. highly recommendable

Utterly Delicious, 06 Nov 2008
Quite simply the most delicious culinary book I have seen or read in ages. The photography is sublime, the content supreme and the whole read a pleasure. If the photography doesn't have you reaching for the pots and pans, nothing will. However the pleasure is complete when attempting the recipes which are well laid out, easy to follow and really make one feel that even a mere amateur, can, with guts and determination achieve culinary perfection by following the pages. Having read Gordon's biographies and been a keen follower of his tv shows (both good and bad), this motor mouthed chef definitely has something unique aside from his distinctly flowery language. Determination, skill beyond compare and the ability to instill in others, the same driving force that he instilled in himself to get where he is today. Perfection doesn't come easy, but this book is as near close to perfect as I have found in a culinary book in many years. In years to come it will doubtless become a collectors item.

Definate wife pleaser, 04 Nov 2008
If you're in trouble with the wife this book will buy you out of any hole you've dug yourself - she'll even end up cooking you something nice for dinner :o)

Stunning quality book, interesting layout & of course great food.

Beautiful and full of impossible recipes, 08 Sep 2008
It's a gorgeous book. No one will say anything less.

Most recipes are quite difficult or expensive for the home Chef, but this is a great insight into a 3 star Chef.

I say difficult because plenty of the recipes take a long time to cook and are very laborious, but 3 star cooking won't be easy.

I say expensive because truffles, foie gras and similar products pop up in Gordon's recipes quite frequently.

Not a regular book, 07 Jul 2008
This book is perhaps (I do not agree) beautiful, but it's place is not on a coffee table. It is NOT an art book.
I do love to read food literature in the kitchen or in bed, this one will not work there. I am disappointed at the format, huge, oversized and...pompous, so are the photos, most of them totally uninteresting. It should be more down to earth if it is meant for reading. Resize if considering reprint?

Jumping on the bandwagon? , 29 Sep 2008
I fail to see the connection between this book and Sunday Lunch as an institution, and I never noticed Gordon campaigning for its 'revival' on any other platform than in this book (unlike Jamie Oliver, who gets a bee in his bonnet about e.g. school dinners but does follow it through).
The idea of creating 3 course menus and setting out a schedule of what to prepare when are very helpful, but leafing through it I didn't find that many recipes that the average family would happily select to cook and eat for Sunday lunch - pan seared foie gras? curried monkfish? clams with aioli? Bet the kids would love that! They look and sound lovely, and as a confident cook I'd have no qualms about attempting most of them, but as the basis of a 'campaign' for encouraging more families to share a weekly meal, this book doesn't stand up. It would need to be more child friendly and less daunting in its content and techniques. Rather than chicken with a morel veloute, perhaps roast chicken with home made stuffing and proper gravy, or something else less exciting but more approachable. As a collection of recipe this is more suited to meals you'd eat in the evening with friends.
And as far as including a DVD goes, there are so many full-page photos of Gordon throughout the book that I've seen more than enough of him without watching this as well. Had he produced a simple family recipe book that really spoke to the average cook a DVD of basic techniques would have been a useful extra, but since this book doesn't do that, I can't see the point of the DVD.
Should really lose the Sunday Lunch tag and be re-named Recipes from the F Word, as that's all it is.

A brilliant cook book for family gatherings, 04 Jan 2008
I have found this to be an extremely useful cook book and believe it delivers everything it states in the title - an excellent offering of Sunday lunch menus.

The summary of timings is extremely useful for planning what can be made ahead and I have lost count of the number of times I have made the beef casserole and mustard mash - excellent for a cold winters day. The range of recipes is varied and I have used some dishes such as beef wellington for dinner parties, which has added another dimension.

The recipes are both easy to follow and make which means it can be used by all wannabe cooks, irrespective of ability.

Overall, highly recommended.

Hooray for the Yorkshire Recipes, 19 Nov 2007
I've always had terrible trouble with my yorkshire puddings, until someone recommended this book to me. I bought it solely for this purpose, and it did indeed come up trumps and I have to say that my Yorkshires are now magnificent. It seemed a lot of money to spend just for this, but my family think it's worth it.
Luckily, emboldened by success I have tried many of the other recipes and have found them easy to follow and have had the same success. The creamy lemon desserts are particularly classy looking, but foolproof. The cauliflower soup is also excellent and a little bit unusual. A life saver if you're bored of cauliflower cheese.
I like the way this book is organised around menus, although I rarely do all the courses together, preferring to pick and choose what suits my family at the time. It is however, thoughtfully laid out with great tips and is a very accessible, user friendly book.

A great book with a very important message to encourage family eating, 10 Nov 2007
I think this book is nothing short of briliant The book is showing us to cook and sit down as a family, not just as Sunday lunches, but any meals that involve sitting down at the table.

As you would expect with gordon Ramsay, all the recipies are stunning, and they are all easy to follow, and all look stunning. They taste just as amazing. The book also includes an excellent DVD which has Gordon cooking a Sunday lunch menu.

The book is very well put together, with nice bold colours, and is a chunky book, which will prove to be robust overtime. Gordon ramsay's f word TV seris was brilliant, and this book just carries on from where that left off, in being a must own, and something anyone can use, and follow and get great results every time.

Quite Good, 30 Mar 2007
I was very excited about this book when I got it for Christmas being a big fan of Ramsay's. Maybe I am being harsh on my rating but it contains many recipies which I would not cook. I feel it is guided more towards more formal occasions. It does help with timing in that it give you a timeline for a set of starters, mains and deserts. Also the DVD is quite good. I just think that there are a lot better books which contain a mixture of formal and informal recipies.

Read and then return to his cookbooks, 22 Nov 2008
This book was a present: purchased because I like autobiographies and cooking programmes. Whilst this book is not the greatest literacy piece ever written, it is an easy book to read which maintains the same energy & pace exhibited by Mr Ramsay himself. The story outlines his life and experience, peppered with his views on the people around him and the restaurant industry. This book won't earn Ramsay a literary award to run alongside his Michelin stars (which won't bother him) but it is worth the read and is readable - unlike some many other celebrity autobiographies.

Bloody phenomenal, 11 Nov 2008
As soon as i picked this book up and turnt that first page i was hooked, i couldn't put it down i was up until around 4 in the morning until i had read cover to cover. It is so well worded and put together it grabs hold of you and drags you in, its like you are there, you share his feelings. Some parts made me cry so much i had to stop reading until i got myself together. I definately recommend this read. I can't wait to get playing with fire.

A great read, 20 Oct 2008
Gordon Ramsay Humble Pie is a great piece of reading to really enjoy. Gordon Ramsay comes across as an outspoken, loud mouthed and rude individual on television. The book reveals a different side to the chef.

As readers, we learn a great deal about Ramsay's life. It is quite emotional and interesting read. Do you want to know about what inspired Ramsay to become a world leading chef with a CV boosting remarkable achievements on the culinary front? He is hugely knowlegeable about the resturant trade. What route did he take to become one of Britain's most profilic chef? What was his childhood like? What were the up's and down he experienced in life? As you read the details, you will be drawn deeper into the chef's life. As a reader, you will start to appreciate and understand the hardships he experienced to become a hugely successful chef today and a popular TV personality. The books will reveal a full picture of Gordon Ramsay, as you never discovered before.

In Pursuit of Perfection, 21 Jun 2008
Having read Hell's Kitchen I now feel that I understand Gordon Ramsay's personality a little better. His fanatical pursuit of perfection seems to be as a result of his difficult childhood. However I wonder if his constant use of the f word is entirely necessary as all it really shows is lack of vocabulary. This makes me feel that maybe nowadays he continues to use it for effect in print and on the small screen.
He is obviously very passionate about his restaurants and the meals they produce. He admits that the UK is still a long way behind the rest of Europe in terms of decent places to eat outside the big cities, a depressing but true fact. He hopes that things will improve slowly and that he has a part to play in improving the future eating habits of the British.
An enlightening read if you are interested in learning about how Gordon Ramsey came to be the man he is today, a successful chef and businessman.


A very much straight to the point story, 18 Jun 2008
This book was bought as a Fathers Day gift, it was a complete surprise and not a book I would have bought for myself. Wow what a surprise, many aspects of Gordon Ramsey's life really have been quite harrowing, but his drive and motivation is what really did it for me. The amount of training he put himself through starting again and again from the bottom and working his way up, if anyone deserves to be where they are today then he does. A good read.

Martin O's, 02 Jan 2009
Having recieved this book as a gift I feel conned and did not even pay for it. The food is attributed to someone else and in a 270 page book there are approx 20 full page photos of GR, why? the "stylist" must have had a real headache deciding whether GR should appear in a white T shirt and blue shirt or vice versa in ALL of the photos (except for the 2 full pages of an empty table(?)).
The recipes are OK - roast tomatoes, pickled onions, shepherds pie, mixed grill......
One that will stay on the shelf until I do what he says he did with Delia's books

Cooking for Friends, 30 Dec 2008
I concur with other reviewers here who have said that there are rather too many mugshots of the Grand Cuisiner himself. It IS offputting to try and cook, for example, Artichokes Braised with Onions and Lardons, with the lardon himself staring out at you rather than a picture of the dish itself.
In addition I was somewhat disappointed when I decided to try out his method of making shortcrust pastry for some mini-quiches. Referring to the 'basics' section at the back he mentions the ingredients - butter flour, beaten egg and water etc, but in the method omits to tell you what to do with the beaten egg ! What a contrast with the cookbook I normally use - Julia Child's classic where she has gone to the trouble of six pages of instructions with line drawings and NO mug shots.
However, this book is in a different league and is aimed at doing things simply and straighforwardly. His recipes give inspiration, are simple enough to follow, and as he says, they are but a guide. It's a useful addition to my library - but I shan't be watching his TV show.


er.... is this a Gordon Ramsay authored book?, 09 Dec 2008
Firstly the recipies in this book are excellent and I've really enjoyed those that I have cooked so far.

However, the 1st page of text reads:

Food: Mark Sargeant
Text: Emily Quah
Photographer: Ditte Isager
Stylist: Christine Rudolph
Art Director: Patrick Budge
Publisher: Harper Collins

This begs the question what exactly did Gordon Ramsay do for this book? I think it has been mis-sold as a Gordon Ramsay book. There are indeed pictures of him in the book, perhaps an addition to the above should read:

Photographer's Model: Gordon Ramsay

I do recommend buying this book as the recipes are great, it is a shame that it seems to me to be mis-sold.

I love everything about this book, 16 Nov 2008
This book is full of inspiring and easy to follow recipes, delicious photography and lots of personal touches and anecdotes which make it a 'real' book. I like the way the dishes are made using accessible ingredients as sometimes celebrity cook books are full of ingredients which are difficult to come by or expensive. In fact I love the old fashioned and 'simple food' element, but above all the recipes are for 'proper' good food, ideal for family meals and social gatherings without days of worry and preparation beforehand.
A must have for everyone who loves to cook good food with simple, quality ingredients.

What's that all about?, 31 Oct 2008
I am usually not impressed by Gordon's "rushed" which he calls "high-energy" approach to cooking. Nevertheless his recipes are usually easy to follow and as tasty as it gets - if that's what you are looking for you won't be disappointed. Cooking books do not need anything else than that - so why have I rated it as 4 stars only? The simple answer is I do not like his non-cooking, not recipe related introductions and the title. On one occasion he's ranting about Delia's "cheat approach" which led him to donate all his Delia cooking books to a charity shop. My second "favourite" is the revelation that his wife has started to cook something vegetarian for the kids once a week. These statements are not only unnecessary they distract from the subject which is food. I do love cooking and great food but hey in the end it's food not world peace so stop ranting, argueing and self-praise. In my humble opinion the only absolute in the world of cooking is to COOK YOURSELF and avoid fast food/ ready meals. So it does not matter if you are using cheats and cheap ingredients if this creates the basic conditions to make you cook.
The other annoying point is the title. Nothing in this book relates to "cooking for friends", it's just a selection of recipes, which are suitable everyday and anytime.
To summarise: A decent cookbook with a misleading title but a good selection of very nice recipes written by a chef with an attitude.

Sorry but it's rubbish, 26 Dec 2008
I like Gordon Ramsay - ok so alot of his recipes are a bit 'too fanciful' for me, but I usually just amend them for my taste. BUT this book - just do not like any recipes in it whatsoever, so as far as I'm concerned it is his worst book so far!! NONE of the recipes make me want to do them and I have lots of l/fat recipe book & full fat too, which I amend to suit me, so as far as I am concerned - not good at all!

Good Book, 21 Oct 2008
This is a great book, with some lovely ideas. I particularly enjoyed making the desserts. Kids food is good, as is the bbq section. The only problem i found was that there was rather a lot of seafood,which i dont like. but that's a personal issue, not a fault of the book!! i do like good hearty meals though, so maybe healthy options wasnt the book for me, assome of the recipes obviously arent as hearty as i would have liked.

Good book though, am pleased that Gordon's creating recipes that are healthier, as usual his recipes have lots of ingredients and are very rich and unhealthy!!

A dreadful waste of money!, 27 Jul 2008
Quite the worst book i have ever been given. Off to the charity shop with this one!

Very disappointing, 17 Jul 2008
Not a great book.

Note the apostophe in the title - this is Gordon Ramsey branded, but he only wrote the intro. The recepies are by his trusty side-kick Sarge.

The recepies themselves are all pretty simple, basic stuff - not what you would hope (or expect) from Gordon Ramsey.

Save your money and spend it elsewhere!

A Cookery Book You Will Use, 15 Jul 2008
I love cookery books but am also constantly told by my husband "why don't you cook from them?". Well this is one of those books that has recipes that are easy to follow and even though it is healthy it is also very tasty. I have cooked quite a few recipes from this book and they have all turned out beautifully.
As for the gentleman who mentioned his girlfriend was on Weightwatchers - I am also and have found some great new ideas to keep food interesting and tasty while reamining in the zone of "my body is a temple!"

Another Ramsay book where nobody tests the recipes, 05 Dec 2008
The first recipe I tried was for a sticky chicken dish, the glaze when made exactly to the recipe was incredibly runny and ended up broiling the chicken, it would never have worked given the amounts of ingredients specified. This same lack of attention was apparent in his wife's book of home cooking too. Very disappointing.

Disappointed, 24 Sep 2008
I bought this book because it's Gordon Ramsay and it was on special on Amazon. I found the book badly laid out and the pages too busy looking. The recipes are good but I've hardly used it because I don't like the look (or feel!) of the book.

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, 12 Aug 2008
Don't buy this book uness you're sure you like Gordon's style. As with most fast food stuff, it doesn't present a realistic timescale which can cover everything you need to put into a meal. I don't usually eat my carbo stuff separately from the rest, but find eg spuds are presented as a separate recipe. Most of the recipes need contstant attention to the main ingredients to get quick timing. Unless you're going for size 0 this is normal length cookery.

Great Tasting fast food, 28 May 2008
This is the book to turn to after a long day at work, but you want something tasty for dinner.Put away the takeaway menus, almost all the dishes in this book are quicker and tastier.Not to mention a whole lot better for you.Stock up with a few essentials, follow the recipies, and you can have great food on the table, and still have time to "play".
Excellent

Great book, 04 May 2008
I bought this book and received the Silverspoon as a gift.
I ended up making more from this one and sold the Silverspoon.
It's a great book. I tried many recipes and they are really tasty, easy to make (no exotic ingredients difficult to find as in others book) and overall quick. Believe me, I am italian and food must be tasty for me.

I went from starters to pudding and all was up to expectations. I recommend this book to anyone and will buy more from Gordon. He's is the n.1 in UK.

Buon appettito!

A must for any foodie, 04 Jan 2009
As most of the reviewers I have to say that this book is one of my all time favourites. It's beautiful photographs, challenging and inspiring recipes makes this book a must for any foodie. The only other book that I have liked as much is the French laundry Cook Book. highly recommendable

Utterly Delicious, 06 Nov 2008
Quite simply the most delicious culinary book I have seen or read in ages. The photography is sublime, the content supreme and the whole read a pleasure. If the photography doesn't have you reaching for the pots and pans, nothing will. However the pleasure is complete when attempting the recipes which are well laid out, easy to follow and really make one feel that even a mere amateur, can, with guts and determination achieve culinary perfection by following the pages. Having read Gordon's biographies and been a keen follower of his tv shows (both good and bad), this motor mouthed chef definitely has something unique aside from his distinctly flowery language. Determination, skill beyond compare and the ability to instill in others, the same driving force that he instilled in himself to get where he is today. Perfection doesn't come easy, but this book is as near close to perfect as I have found in a culinary book in many years. In years to come it will doubtless become a collectors item.

Definate wife pleaser, 04 Nov 2008
If you're in trouble with the wife this book will buy you out of any hole you've dug yourself - she'll even end up cooking you something nice for dinner :o)

Stunning quality book, interesting layout & of course great food.

Beautiful and full of impossible recipes, 08 Sep 2008
It's a gorgeous book. No one will say anything less.

Most recipes are quite difficult or expensive for the home Chef, but this is a great insight into a 3 star Chef.

I say difficult because plenty of the recipes take a long time to cook and are very laborious, but 3 star cooking won't be easy.

I say expensive because truffles, foie gras and similar products pop up in Gordon's recipes quite frequently.

Not a regular book, 07 Jul 2008
This book is perhaps (I do not agree) beautiful, but it's place is not on a coffee table. It is NOT an art book.
I do love to read food literature in the kitchen or in bed, this one will not work there. I am disappointed at the format, huge, oversized and...pompous, so are the photos, most of them totally uninteresting. It should be more down to earth if it is meant for reading. Resize if considering reprint?

Jumping on the bandwagon? , 29 Sep 2008
I fail to see the connection between this book and Sunday Lunch as an institution, and I never noticed Gordon campaigning for its 'revival' on any other platform than in this book (unlike Jamie Oliver, who gets a bee in his bonnet about e.g. school dinners but does follow it through).
The idea of creating 3 course menus and setting out a schedule of what to prepare when are very helpful, but leafing through it I didn't find that many recipes that the average family would happily select to cook and eat for Sunday lunch - pan seared foie gras? curried monkfish? clams with aioli? Bet the kids would love that! They look and sound lovely, and as a confident cook I'd have no qualms about attempting most of them, but as the basis of a 'campaign' for encouraging more families to share a weekly meal, this book doesn't stand up. It would need to be more child friendly and less daunting in its content and techniques. Rather than chicken with a morel veloute, perhaps roast chicken with home made stuffing and proper gravy, or something else less exciting but more approachable. As a collection of recipe this is more suited to meals you'd eat in the evening with friends.
And as far as including a DVD goes, there are so many full-page photos of Gordon throughout the book that I've seen more than enough of him without watching this as well. Had he produced a simple family recipe book that really spoke to the average cook a DVD of basic techniques would have been a useful extra, but since this book doesn't do that, I can't see the point of the DVD.
Should really lose the Sunday Lunch tag and be re-named Recipes from the F Word, as that's all it is.

A brilliant cook book for family gatherings, 04 Jan 2008
I have found this to be an extremely useful cook book and believe it delivers everything it states in the title - an excellent offering of Sunday lunch menus.

The summary of timings is extremely useful for planning what can be made ahead and I have lost count of the number of times I have made the beef casserole and mustard mash - excellent for a cold winters day. The range of recipes is varied and I have used some dishes such as beef wellington for dinner parties, which has added another dimension.

The recipes are both easy to follow and make which means it can be used by all wannabe cooks, irrespective of ability.

Overall, highly recommended.

Hooray for the Yorkshire Recipes, 19 Nov 2007
I've always had terrible trouble with my yorkshire puddings, until someone recommended this book to me. I bought it solely for this purpose, and it did indeed come up trumps and I have to say that my Yorkshires are now magnificent. It seemed a lot of money to spend just for this, but my family think it's worth it.
Luckily, emboldened by success I have tried many of the other recipes and have found them easy to follow and have had the same success. The creamy lemon desserts are particularly classy looking, but foolproof. The cauliflower soup is also excellent and a little bit unusual. A life saver if you're bored of cauliflower cheese.
I like the way this book is organised around menus, although I rarely do all the courses together, preferring to pick and choose what suits my family at the time. It is however, thoughtfully laid out with great tips and is a very accessible, user friendly book.

A great book with a very important message to encourage family eating, 10 Nov 2007
I think this book is nothing short of briliant The book is showing us to cook and sit down as a family, not just as Sunday lunches, but any meals that involve sitting down at the table.

As you would expect with gordon Ramsay, all the recipies are stunning, and they are all easy to follow, and all look stunning. They taste just as amazing. The book also includes an excellent DVD which has Gordon cooking a Sunday lunch menu.

The book is very well put together, with nice bold colours, and is a chunky book, which will prove to be robust overtime. Gordon ramsay's f word TV seris was brilliant, and this book just carries on from where that left off, in being a must own, and something anyone can use, and follow and get great results every time.

Quite Good, 30 Mar 2007
I was very excited about this book when I got it for Christmas being a big fan of Ramsay's. Maybe I am being harsh on my rating but it contains many recipies which I would not cook. I feel it is guided more towards more formal occasions. It does help with timing in that it give you a timeline for a set of starters, mains and deserts. Also the DVD is quite good. I just think that there are a lot better books which contain a mixture of formal and informal recipies.

Read and then return to his cookbooks, 22 Nov 2008
This book was a present: purchased because I like autobiographies and cooking programmes. Whilst this book is not the greatest literacy piece ever written, it is an easy book to read which maintains the same energy & pace exhibited by Mr Ramsay himself. The story outlines his life and experience, peppered with his views on the people around him and the restaurant industry. This book won't earn Ramsay a literary award to run alongside his Michelin stars (which won't bother him) but it is worth the read and is readable - unlike some many other celebrity autobiographies.

Bloody phenomenal, 11 Nov 2008
As soon as i picked this book up and turnt that first page i was hooked, i couldn't put it down i was up until around 4 in the morning until i had read cover to cover. It is so well worded and put together it grabs hold of you and drags you in, its like you are there, you share his feelings. Some parts made me cry so much i had to stop reading until i got myself together. I definately recommend this read. I can't wait to get playing with fire.

A great read, 20 Oct 2008
Gordon Ramsay Humble Pie is a great piece of reading to really enjoy. Gordon Ramsay comes across as an outspoken, loud mouthed and rude individual on television. The book reveals a different side to the chef.

As readers, we learn a great deal about Ramsay's life. It is quite emotional and interesting read. Do you want to know about what inspired Ramsay to become a world leading chef with a CV boosting remarkable achievements on the culinary front? He is hugely knowlegeable about the resturant trade. What route did he take to become one of Britain's most profilic chef? What was his childhood like? What were the up's and down he experienced in life? As you read the details, you will be drawn deeper into the chef's life. As a reader, you will start to appreciate and understand the hardships he experienced to become a hugely successful chef today and a popular TV personality. The books will reveal a full picture of Gordon Ramsay, as you never discovered before.

In Pursuit of Perfection, 21 Jun 2008
Having read Hell's Kitchen I now feel that I understand Gordon Ramsay's personality a little better. His fanatical pursuit of perfection seems to be as a result of his difficult childhood. However I wonder if his constant use of the f word is entirely necessary as all it really shows is lack of vocabulary. This makes me feel that maybe nowadays he continues to use it for effect in print and on the small screen.
He is obviously very passionate about his restaurants and the meals they produce. He admits that the UK is still a long way behind the rest of Europe in terms of decent places to eat outside the big cities, a depressing but true fact. He hopes that things will improve slowly and that he has a part to play in improving the future eating habits of the British.
An enlightening read if you are interested in learning about how Gordon Ramsey came to be the man he is today, a successful chef and businessman.


A very much straight to the point story, 18 Jun 2008
This book was bought as a Fathers Day gift, it was a complete surprise and not a book I would have bought for myself. Wow what a surprise, many aspects of Gordon Ramsey's life really have been quite harrowing, but his drive and motivation is what really did it for me. The amount of training he put himself through starting again and again from the bottom and working his way up, if anyone deserves to be where they are today then he does. A good read.

Misleading., 21 May 2008
Having just read Marco Pierre White's superb autobiography (Devil in the Kitchen)I thought it would be interesting to read GR's as a cross reference. The piece on the back was misleading. It inferred that this was a book that had soul/intimacy and insight. How far from the truth that is! GR seems to sneer at others whilst boasting at length and bigging himself up. He tries to come across as an everyman, for eg, he talks about leaving Aubergine and going for an interview taking his 'one suit from my sparse warddrobe' then goes on to say that at the time he was earning £75000... As a nurse on less than half than that it was irritating.
His anaolgy for common sense, using NASA's huge spend on finding a biro that worked in space whilst the Russians used a pencil is badly researched as that is a common urban myth. Pencils lead could break off in space and cause damage to delicate machinery. (Stephen Fry...)
The book describes basically the MacDonaldisation of 'Haute Cuisine' and GR makes it very clear that money is his God. Nowhere does a love of food come through, it's all about greed and being the biggest. He doesn't come across as someone who likes his customers, rather he manipulates them in order to make maximum profit. I will never eat in one of his restaurants as it is unpleasant to feel that all you are is a cash cow.
He sneers at Marco Pierre White very early on in the book, whilst in Marco's book he is gracious and gives Gordon his due as well as explaining why they fell out.
The difference between the two chefs from council houses is that Marco loves food and clearly has grace, humility and class, whilst Gordon comes across as a boastful, greedy, envious, materialistic, insecure man with no class or understanding of what's really important. His success is clearly due to the fact that he can jump on any band wagon and format it. I actually quite liked him before I read this book.

inspiring, 18 Mar 2008
Playing with Fire is a great book to read as you learn how Ramsey became famous through his rise and falls in the restaurent business. Although i feel that Humble Pie was more interesting as it retold his life. Still, Playing with Fire is still inspirational.

Good information, 17 Feb 2008
This could be any business. I am at the moment going through all sorts of emotions in buisness. One day things are up, one day things are down. It is good to read something which you can relate to.
Gordon writes about restaurants but it could be any type of business.
Before i got the book i didn't like Gordon Ramsey, don't know why? Just didn't.
After the book i admire Gordon, Good luck to you Gordon! I wish you all the best.

Much more illuminating than Humble Pie, 06 Jan 2008
I enjoyed this book, and found it offered greater insights into the character and values of the author than his previous title. As the focus is more on GR's business, he is able to describe his actual experience with a passion that makes it more authentic than the autobiography of last year.

GR is definitely at his most convincing and compelling when he's on his own territory - and this is something that he freely admits in the book. When he starts to stray into commentary on corporate customer service, government incompetence and tax and insurance procedures, he begins to sound little more than a grumpy old man with a thousand axes to grind.

The main weakness of this book is its structure - and the way the conclusion repeats more than it concludes - not such a good recipe for a chef!

It is also slightly irritating that some rather cliched examples are wheeled out to illustrate such things as the importance of lateral thinking. If you read a lot of business books you won't thank Mr.Ramsay for using the old NASA biro story again.

The most compelling bits of the book are about what they found when they dismantled kitchens like The Connaught and Claridges, and how they built them back up again to be so completely focussed on guest experience and satisfaction - including the loos!

GR comes across as an individual with extremely high standards, and a faultless commitment always to live up to his own expectations. It will be interesting to track his next steps, as this business book finishes with quite a cliff-hanger!



Was expecting a follow up to Humble Pie ..., 03 Jan 2008
I really enjoyed reading Humble Pie, alright it was very easy to read but sometimes it's just nice to read a book you don't really have to think about.

The thing I liked most about Humble Pie was the way it took you through Gordon's life and all the ups and downs he'd faced along the way, all written in his unique style!

I was expecting Playing with Fire to be a follow on from this and have been disappointed. Instead it's basically a list of all the restaurants he's opened, in chron