Let’s Cook Something Easy! May’s Cookbook Club Pick Is “5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food” from Jamie Oliver.
Hello, cookbook friends! I hope you’ve enjoyed cooking out of Barefoot Contessa at Home in April — I know I have. Everything I’ve made from the book this month feels special, even when it’s simple. Ina always manages to surprise me in that way. Take that lemony-arugula pasta dish, for example. It looks like it could be pretty plain, but then you make the cream sauce and — oh, that sauce! It’s the absolute best — it makes the dish feel special on a weeknight, just like she promised. The month might soon be over, but I’ll continue to use this cookbook for some time.
This all leads me to May. How is it already almost May? This month has gone by so fast, and also so slow. What is time? I apologize for the late-ness of this announcement — we had some technical difficulties, but I know you’re all going to be excited with our pick. For the month of May we are diving into 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food by the one and only Jamie Oliver! Read on to see why we chose this book, and how to follow along.
Want to follow along with Kitchn’s digital Cookbook Club? Here’s how to participate.
- Get the book! You can buy the book here or look for it at your local library; while many libraries are currently closed, you may be able to access a digital copy.
- Join Kitchn Cookbook Club Facebook group. This is our private space for all of you to talk about the book, ask questions, and chat about what you’re cooking. Click here to join! It’s very active.
- Share a recipe review on Instagram and tag with #kitchncookbookclub. Make a recipe from 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food. Post a photo of your dish on Instagram, with a short review of the recipe in the caption.
Why 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food Is Our May Cookbook Club Pick
I imagine for many of you, that grocery shopping and cooking has changed quite dramatically in the last couple of months. Maybe you were used to going to the grocery store every couple of days, and now you can’t. Maybe you only cooked dinner a few nights a week, and now you’re cooking all your meals. Before March I already cooked most of my meals, but I wasn’t used to meal planning at such a detailed level — mapping out every single thing I’d eat for two weeks.
I don’t want to say I’m tired of cooking, because it still feels like a privilege to be able to feed myself and buy the things I love at the grocery store, but I am a little worn out. It’s for this reason that we decided that Jamie Oliver’s 5-Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food would be a nice pick for May. If you want easy recipes with limited ingredients that are also delicious and satisfying, then this is the book for you to explore right now. A scan of the book reveals how creative and inspiring all the dishes are — you won’t be eating a boring sandwich for dinner, I promise.
Of course, another reason we chose this book is because, well — it’s Jamie! He’s so charming and fun-spirited, and we don’t get to talk about him nearly enough on Kitchn. In May we’re going to correct that and bring a little bit of his vivacious energy to our readers.
Get the Book
- Buy the book on Amazon.
- Find the book at your local library (While many libraries are currently closed, you may be able to access a digital copy.)
I have to admit that I’m a little bit of a Jamie Oliver novice. I’ve seen his show on TV, of course, and also follow along with his Instagram. So I want to know: What is it that you love about his recipes? And if you’ve cooked from this book, are there any favorites that everyone should know about? Let us know in the Facebook group.
Excited to cook something easy(ish) with you all this month!
— Ariel Knutson, Features Director