'Ultimate Home Cooking' by Gordon Ramsay

3 stars
Hodder & Stoughton, £25

Of the same ilk as Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Ultimate Cookery Course’ last year, this hefty hardback accompanies the 20-part Channel 4 series of the same name. Aimed at fairly novice cooks who won’t mind seeing yet another recipe for caesar salad or gazpacho, the 100 dishes cover a spectrum of meals and snacks.

The recipes are well edited and the photography appealing, but the hit rate wasn’t as high as we’d expect from Gordon Ramsay. The spicy baked porridge took nearly an hour to prepare and bake in an oven, so I’m not sure how many people will make it twice. However, other dishes were simple and effective – the grilled polenta with roasted tomatoes and goat’s curd was relatively simple to make, and very well received.

As introductory books go, there are many that would serve the budding cook better, but this aimed at devotees of the TV series; there will doubtless be many.

Guy Dimond, Time Out London Issue 2243 September 3-9, 2013