Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite.
Key Porter Books.
Toronto, Canada. 2008.
ISBN: 9781554701339.

The F Word is a television show featuring British (technically, Scottish) chef and restauranteur Gordon Ramsay. Ramsay, who owns a number of highly-respected Michelin star restaurants has featured in a number of "reality" cooking shows, including Kitchen Nightmares, and Hell's Kitchen. The recipes in Healthy Appetite are derived from Ramsay's BBC America show Gordon Ramsay's F Word. The concept of the show is simple; Ramsay works with celebrity cooks to prepare a three-course meal for 50 diners using recipes that can be prepared at home. The tricky part is that the diners get to decide if the food is acceptable, and whether or not they'll pay the bill.

Ramsay features fresh ingredients, and simple preparation. All the recipes have two sets of measurements; metric units and the American style of cups and spoons. The book is organized in terms of meals, breakfast through dinner, followed by chapters on barbecues, desserts, entertaining, and cooking for healthy kids. The recipes are clearly written in terms of procedures, with explanations regarding specific techniques where needed; these really are dishes that a moderately experience cook can prepare at home. Ramsay concentrates on fresh ingredients and flavor combinations, rather than elaborate techniques and exotic foods. I also like, very much, that the portions are intelligently sized; neither the micro sized bites of "nouvelle California," nor the over-large portions often served at restaurants. These strike me as accurate portions; a recipe labeled as "serves four" will really serve four quite nicely.

The breakfast items include a number of interesting uses of oatmeal, as well as muffins and eggs. There are lunches that are packable, "working lunches," as well as brunches. The food ranges widely in terms of inspirations for seasoning and preparations. I note French, English, Asian and East Indian touches, throughout. Entrees include items like "Red Mullet with Orange and Fennel en Papillote," a dish that also includes a bit of fresh chili; the "papillot" refers to the parchment the filets are wrapped in before baking. Interesting recipes include things like "Seared Ahi Tuna with Swiss Chard," "Penne Primavera," and "Chicken Burgers with Sweet Potato Wedges." There are some more not-in-your-typical-kitchen ingredients, like squid, lobster, and pigeon, but these are the exceptions rather than the rule.

The photography is lovely, and I note that the book credits Emily Quah for "text," which suggests that the book was a cooperative effort, based on the actual episodes of the TV show.