Much has been made of Jamie Oliver, and his little cooking show, on the BBC in Britain, and the Food Network in the US. It's real. It takes place in a real kitchen in a real London apartment. It's real time, instead of the usual "here's one I made earlier" staged production. And yes, with hand-held cameras, there is a certain amount of jerking around. But this should not be new to American audiences; Woody Allen has been doing this for years, and nobody finds him irritating. (Okay, many people find him irritating, but not me.)
The bottom line is that this show is different from other American TV cooking shows, and in fairness, it is quite a shift from most BBC cooking shows. It's supposed to be. Once you get used to it differences, and focus on the food, you will surely enjoy this one as much as I do. The recipes are flexibile, simple to follow, and really work. And in a montage at the end of every show, wherein Jamie's friends, relatives, and other hangers on enjoy Jamie's creations, he demonstrates that food, despite its nutritional value, is also a helluva lot of fun.
