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Levi Roots Reggae Reggae Cookbook
After winning over the business minds of 'The Dragon's Den' with little more than a song and a smile, entrepreneur Levi Roots has since sold more than one million bottles of his 'Reggae Reggae Sauce'. Now Roots has his very own cookbook, showing you how to add Caribbean flavours to your own cooking.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 14, 2020
good simple guide to the tasty Caribbean dishes from his Grandmother's own hand and kitchen..worth keeping in the kitchen for tasty meals..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2014
Possibly the best part of this is the resume of his life in bite sized chunks spread throughout the book.
That's being a little unfair!
It's not great but for someone who has no other Caribbean cookbook it's an easy starter.
Caribbean cookery is fairly set in procedure, dishes using the same main ingredient often have the same basic preparation. As a number of recipes Levi gives the first two paragraphs of the cooking description are identical, it's only the latter parts that differ. This is all to the good, if you succeed with the one, you'll undoubtedly crack the other.
To my surprise, and his credit, this is not written entirely around his product. On many occasions in fact a similar product is mentioned or an either/or between his and another. Equally there are probably more recipes that don't use his product or anything similar, than do.
The downside. Whoever decided to run through the colour catalogue to print a different background colour for each page, plus another colour for some of the text, should be fired. Some colour combinations just don't work together, making some of the text difficult to read.
The only other time I've seen this technique was in the old OZ magazine, done to cut the print costs by allowing the printer to use up old inks.
There are some errors. One is in the section on cooking with plantain. In the ingredients section we're told to top and tail them and remove the skin. Then at the end of the cooking section we're told to remove the skin again. This instruction appeared in two recipes.
There are others, surprisingly his proof reader doesn't know the correct spelling for Tabasco!
One major mistake is in not warning people about Scotch Bonnet peppers. He states that the heat is in the seeds. I beg to differ, if you get the juice in your eyes, or anywhere else delicate you'll know all about it in the worst way! As they are used in many of his recipes I think a warning should have been given.
Do I recommend it, yes, it's a very good introduction to this style of cooking. It's well laid out and easy to follow. It's good value for money.
The drawback is that unless you live in London, one of the other cities or somewhere where there is a Caribbean community, you'll have major problems sourcing the ingredients, particularly the fruit and veg. But that's not his fault.
That's being a little unfair!
It's not great but for someone who has no other Caribbean cookbook it's an easy starter.
Caribbean cookery is fairly set in procedure, dishes using the same main ingredient often have the same basic preparation. As a number of recipes Levi gives the first two paragraphs of the cooking description are identical, it's only the latter parts that differ. This is all to the good, if you succeed with the one, you'll undoubtedly crack the other.
To my surprise, and his credit, this is not written entirely around his product. On many occasions in fact a similar product is mentioned or an either/or between his and another. Equally there are probably more recipes that don't use his product or anything similar, than do.
The downside. Whoever decided to run through the colour catalogue to print a different background colour for each page, plus another colour for some of the text, should be fired. Some colour combinations just don't work together, making some of the text difficult to read.
The only other time I've seen this technique was in the old OZ magazine, done to cut the print costs by allowing the printer to use up old inks.
There are some errors. One is in the section on cooking with plantain. In the ingredients section we're told to top and tail them and remove the skin. Then at the end of the cooking section we're told to remove the skin again. This instruction appeared in two recipes.
There are others, surprisingly his proof reader doesn't know the correct spelling for Tabasco!
One major mistake is in not warning people about Scotch Bonnet peppers. He states that the heat is in the seeds. I beg to differ, if you get the juice in your eyes, or anywhere else delicate you'll know all about it in the worst way! As they are used in many of his recipes I think a warning should have been given.
Do I recommend it, yes, it's a very good introduction to this style of cooking. It's well laid out and easy to follow. It's good value for money.
The drawback is that unless you live in London, one of the other cities or somewhere where there is a Caribbean community, you'll have major problems sourcing the ingredients, particularly the fruit and veg. But that's not his fault.
July 30, 2020
A cookbook come autobiography.
Spliced throughout the pages is the story of Levi Roots, from inheriting and developing a love of food from his grandma, to emigrating to London and becoming richer then Deborah Meaden; it's a sort of underdog story with a protagonist with the humblest of origins, so the narrative of his life is naturally engaging.
Anyway, the food:
What stands out here is that none of the recipes are complicated. You might have to source some of the ingredients, but as the cooking goes, all steps are simple enough.
Caribbean flood is all about the flavour, not complex and intricate cooking. As a step along the culinary journey into more exotic tastes, the Reggae Reggae Cookbook has got you covered.
Spliced throughout the pages is the story of Levi Roots, from inheriting and developing a love of food from his grandma, to emigrating to London and becoming richer then Deborah Meaden; it's a sort of underdog story with a protagonist with the humblest of origins, so the narrative of his life is naturally engaging.
Anyway, the food:
What stands out here is that none of the recipes are complicated. You might have to source some of the ingredients, but as the cooking goes, all steps are simple enough.
Caribbean flood is all about the flavour, not complex and intricate cooking. As a step along the culinary journey into more exotic tastes, the Reggae Reggae Cookbook has got you covered.
March 28, 2020
Love how it tells his life story between chapters. Some great recipes, really loved the patties (possibly the best pastry I've ever had).
September 2, 2021
better than the bible.
September 19, 2021
His Reggae Reggae Sauce is interesting
unusual is the malt vinegar, ginger and basil
to stand out from something like Busha Browne's Tomato Jerk Sauce
I admire his creativity and simplicity
unusual is the malt vinegar, ginger and basil
to stand out from something like Busha Browne's Tomato Jerk Sauce
I admire his creativity and simplicity
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews