Well, I always knew that he was a great cook, but I like seeing it in print!

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Jamie knows a lot about cooking (though I don’t admit this to him very often because the man doesn’t need a big head and I like to run the show at home). Where I’ll follow a recipe- or make the same thing every Tuesday night for a year- he’s not afraid to push the boundaries, trust his instincts and years of experience and really work with the flavors & ingredients at hand.

He mixes things up, he improvises, he trusts the seasons and he’s pretty fearless. But he can only do all these things because he’s spent the greater portion of his life behind a stove. Oh yeah, and he’s a kick a@@ culinary instructor here in New York!

If you, or I, want to even come close to his level of expertise, we need a little help. (Some might say we need an ‘intervention.’) And that’s where Jamie and the oh-so-fabulous Cooking Light magazine step in with The Great Cook.

In The Great Cook, James guides the home cook through 35 cooking lessons and 110 mouth-watering recipes, all with step-by-step, beautiful photos. There are simple methods for mastering the saute, simmering, marinating, seasoning and essential baking.

Within the chapters, he shares indispensable tips and methods that he has collected throughout his career as a restaurant chef and culinary instructor and has now distilled and provided for the home cook.

We like to think of it as Jamie, the culinary expert, giving private personalized lessons to the reader in the comfort of their own home!

Click on the link, buy a case or two, and let us know what you think.

Until then, welcome Spring (yes, she’s here!) with this deliciously simple recipe from the cookbook- Sautéed Asparagus and Shrimp with Gremolata. Simple and delicious.

 

Jamie, THE GREAT COOK!
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
 
Ingredients
  • GREMOLATA:
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind $
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt $
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper $
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • SHRIMP:
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided $
  • 3 cups (1½-inch) slices asparagus (about ½ pound) $
  • 1½ pounds peeled and deveined medium shrimp $
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt $
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. To prepare gremolata, combine first 5 ingredients; set aside.
  2. To prepare shrimp, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 20 seconds. Add asparagus to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove asparagus from pan; keep warm.
  3. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 20 seconds. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper to pan; sauté 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle evenly with gremolata.