Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsNot as easy as it appears!
Reviewed in Australia on 29 June 2019
This has some great recipes, the only problem is that the principle of 5 ingredients should surely be that it is simple to prepare and cook..often it isn't - at least in Australia. Often at least one (of 5) ingredient is rare, unavailable or complex or all three. For example he uses "Umami paste" - wtf? No one in any supermarket, deli or fresh food/speciality shop where we live had heard of it; there is no recipe for it in the book - even on JO Himself's website! Not even any substitute(s) mentioned. Hard to find something on the web in general too...another recipe asks for Rosemary Foccacia...we simply don't have this stuff readily available. Me being the type of person I am actually spent hours making the focaccia (thanks Silvia Colloca), and a umami mixture - but I have time and motivation to learn and don't believe this is the message that this book is marketed to provide for most people. Anyway I suppose by buying and trying (it is very trying) this book I have contributed to his squillions and have learnt a bit! After this experience I won't buy his cookware or other products though..no way!
