james may oh cook book review

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James May: Oh Cook review – will this be a culinary car crash?

Can’t cook, will cook! This new series sees the Grand Tour presenter aim to brush up on his kitchen skills – all the while assuring us of his ineptitude

A nother week, another James May series on Amazon. It really does seem like it’s only been a few days since the last one, when he went top-bantering around Japan – though a quick glance at my records shows that it was in fact released in January .

This time round he is engaging in the culinary arts – barely – in James May: Oh Cook, the title a masterfully cunning play on his favoured expression when things go awry. In each episode, May assures us of his ineptitude in the kitchen (“I can’t cook – and welcome to my cookery show”), assembles some ingredients to create a couple of functional meals (it is not really cooking, and I say this as someone who fails to reach even May’s level of competence at least three days out of every seven), drinking a bit of wine, and doling out a few personal and historical facts as he goes. Rice noodles were invented as a way of stretching a poor harvest, while instant noodles were Japan’s response to being flooded with cheap US wheat to keep them from starving and turning to communism after the second world war. The parmesan grater he’s using is one he’s had since his student days (which suggests a greater degree of kitchen aptitude than pretended, but consistency of narrative is evidently not deemed a vital ingredient here).

The main element of May’s shtick remains the deconstruction of what’s happening, as it happens. He shows us the electric Lazy Susan the cameraman uses to get the final shots of the food in the round, and when the director has him cleave to a particular chopping position on the counter. He notes that the food will appear to have cooled quickly “via the magic of TV – it’s called editing”. He keeps in all the bits the other programmes don’t let you see, geddit? Look at the funny man having garlic picked out of his hair! Nigella wouldn’t let you in on that crazy moment! The fact that audiences are now so sophisticated that to show them the inner workings as if it were a treat for children makes you look more out of touch than cutting edge, does not seem to have struck anyone. But it does give the whole enterprise a faintly fin de siècle air. How long, you find yourself wondering, do we think the old chap will carry on? Would it be a kindness to tell him? Or should we all put on our bravest faces and continue the charade until he can no longer muster the energy himself?

I also wonder how much longer the gimmick of overtly advertising your own product has to run. The series ties in with a cookery book he is bringing out (or vice versa – I don’t know), which is referenced so often that the joke quickly loses whatever lustre it initially had. His publishing team is even part of the first episode (that’s why everything has to be on white plates, May tells us; book people demand it), sampling his Thai chicken noodle soup and sitting in the audience laughing at the self-referential gags.

It’s occasionally charming – and mostly slightly dismal. The remaining gimmick, of having home economist and proper cook Nikki Morgan being kept in a cupboard, brought out to help him with tricky bits, leans hard towards the latter. Still, you get the sense that May will banter on, a boat against the current, borne back ceaselessly into past glories. As long as he doesn’t pick Clarkson back up on the way, I suppose we should be grateful.

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Book Review: James May Oh Cook! Cookbook

James May has done a cookbook? The James May of  Top Gear  and  The Grand Tour  fame? Yep, that’s the one. Not only has he made a cookbook, he’s also got a TV show of the same name on Amazon Prime Video.  James May Oh Cook!  Is described as ‘60 easy recipes that any idiot can make’ and, as Mr. May himself shows you on the show, he’s right! 

It’s perhaps not all that surprising that James May has gone down the cooking route, given that May founded  FoodTribe , a spin-off from  DriveTribe , with his  The Grand Tour  co-stars Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond. It’s also the third show he’s done for Amazon, with the other shows being The Grand Tour and  James May: Our Man In Japan .  

The show itself was a fun watch. May isn’t exactly fond of the way that cooking shows are normally filmed, so he fills the time with his usual brand of random facts about things like history and his life. He also likes to show you the bits of television production that you normally don’t see, so you’ll see him talking to the crew and complaining about how long they’re taking to get the perfect shot when he just wants to eat the food he’s managed to cook. 

The whole point of the show, and the accompanying book (which, as May points out in the introduction, was written after the show was filmed), is to teach people who can’t cook the basics of making a satisfying meal. May himself says he can’t cook, often calling for the help of Nikki, a ‘home economist’, who appears from a cupboard (a joke that quickly gets old). But, to be fair on May, he does a pretty good job for someone who supposedly can’t cook. 

Each episode of the show is dedicated to various categories of meals, and the book mirrors this. For example, chapter one is all about brunch, so you’ll get recipes for a classic omelette to shakshuka. Chapter five covers curry night, while the final chapter is all about store-cupboard saviours. This latter chapter has recipes involving things such as Spam and sardines, to give you some ideas of what you can make from leftover basics in the cupboard.  

Unlike other cookbooks where recipes can be complicated and involve a thousand different ingredients that your local supermarket doesn’t stock, May does his best to keep things simple. He stresses that while fresh ingredients are obviously better, you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to and can use packet or frozen ingredients instead.  

I’m not a regular cook myself, as my wife is much better at it and we’ve got into the habit of her doing most of the cooking while I handle most of the cleaning. But this book is perfect for the likes of me, when I do get around to trying some of the recipes myself. However, my wife has done a great job at trying out some of the recipes, and most of them have turned out to be pretty great.  

Highlights include the very tasty black pudding hash (I only tried black pudding in the last few years, in Edinburgh of all places, and I’m a little annoyed that I avoided it for so long), the shakshuka and the sticky buffalo wings. We also tried the boiled egg with avocado and prosciutto ‘soldiers,’ but this was a disappointment. Nothing can beat toast soldiers dipped in egg. 

If you’ve watched the show and want to try the recipes out for yourself, then the James May Oh Cook! cookbook is a no-brainer. But even if you haven’t watched the show and you’re just someone who hasn’t cooked much and wants to get to grips with the basics, this is the perfect place to start. 

You can buy  James May Oh Cook!  On Amazon through this link *. You can also watch the show by signing up to Amazon Prime Video *. 

Please note:  Links to products on Amazon generate a commission that helps pay the costs for hosting this website.   These links have a ‘*’ next to them. Find out more in my disclaimer .

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Oh Cook!: The cookbook from James May with simple, easy recipes that any idiot can make. Hardcover – Nov. 24 2020

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Oh Cook!  is a foolproof manual packed with practical information and delicious recipes for even the most basic of home cooks. If, like James May, the sight of the kitchen strikes fear into your very heart and you can’t identify a spatula from a fish slice – this is the book for you.

**Accompanying a major Amazon Prime TV Series **

‘The silent millions of reluctant home chefs have been waiting for decades for Oh Cook! the cookbook that, finally, drives a blunt meat skewer through the burgeoning pseudo-intellectualism of foodie media.’ – James May

Oh Cook! is a foolproof manual packed with more than 60 delicious recipes for even the most basic of home cooks. In this TV tie-in, James May, star of Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour , Our Man in Japan and previous host of Top Gear , seeks to unpack the mysteries of cooking, unearthing the secrets behind the perfect poached egg, smooth custard and how to impress your friends and family with a cracking Sunday roast.

Taking readers on a culinary tour (around his kitchen), James builds upon his cookery skills, recreating dishes from his travels as well as rediscovering some nostalgic childhood favourites along the way.

Chapters include: Brunch Pasta Pub Grub Roasts Curry Night Asian Fusion The Great Outdoors Spongey Things

With Storecupboard Saviours (for when the fridge is empty), which includes recipes for his beloved Spam, as well as hints and tips, James May is here to prove that really anyone can cook. On his journey to becoming a more accomplished home cook, he makes use of some his favourite gadgets and ingredients and through a traditional process of trial and error, knocks together some surprisingly delicious recipes, so that you can avoid all the common pit falls at home.

• Print length 144 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Pavilion Books
• Publication date Nov. 24 2020
• Dimensions 19.9 x 1.7 x 24.1 cm
• ISBN-10 1911663151
• ISBN-13 978-1911663157
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‘Genuinely useful’ – London Evening Standard

‘Common-sense recipes aimed to give novice cooks the know-how to feed themselves enjoyably.’ – Waitrose Weekend

‘May’s kitchen shtick continues to be a mix of everyman bafflement and mild curiosity about more refined culinary techniques, only with a minor twist – May is now edging away from banter in the direction of practical advice, albeit offered without any real confidence.’ – The Guardian review of Oh Cook on Prime Video

Book Description

The cookbook from James May with simple, easy recipes that any idiot can make.

About the Author

James May is a writer and broadcaster. He’s best known for co-presenting  The Grand Tour  and  Top Gear , and his previous books for adults include  Carbolics and  Car Fever . This is James’s first official book for children.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pavilion Books (Nov. 24 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1911663151
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1911663157
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 740 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 19.9 x 1.7 x 24.1 cm
• #27 in English, Scottish & Welsh Cooking (Books)
• #27 in Brunch & Tea Recipes
• #28 in Pasta Cookbooks (Books)

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Oh Cook!: 60 Recipes That Any Idiot Can Make Hardcover – 4 November 2020

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 144 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Pavilion GB
• Publication date 4 November 2020
• Dimensions 19.9 x 1.7 x 24.1 cm
• ISBN-10 1911663151
• ISBN-13 978-1911663157
• See all details

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‘Genuinely useful’ – London Evening Standard

‘Common-sense recipes aimed to give novice cooks the know-how to feed themselves enjoyably.’ – Waitrose Weekend

‘May’s kitchen shtick continues to be a mix of everyman bafflement and mild curiosity about more refined culinary techniques, only with a minor twist – May is now edging away from banter in the direction of practical advice, albeit offered without any real confidence.’ – The Guardian review of Oh Cook on Prime Video

Book Description

The cookbook from James May with simple, easy recipes that any idiot can make.

About the Author

James was one-third of one of the most successful television programmes of all time - BBC's 'Top Gear' and he now co-hosts 'The Grand Tour' on Amazon. He has presented many solo projects on television - 'Toy Stories', BBC2's six-part series with annual updates, 'James May's Man Lab' which ran for three series, 'James May's Cars of the People' and, most recently, 'Our Man in Japan' on Amazon Prime. Other projects have taken him to the edge of space, forced him to share a caravan with Oz Clarke and seen him attempt to fly with a jetpack on his back. 'Oh Cook!' is James's first foray into cooking.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pavilion GB (4 November 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1911663151
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1911663157
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 19.9 x 1.7 x 24.1 cm
• 2 in English, Scottish & Welsh Food
• 5 in TV Shows (Books)
• 7 in Brunch & Tea Cooking (Books)

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I'm Obsessed with this British Cooking Show on Amazon Prime (Even Though the Food Sometimes ‘Tastes Like Rubbish’)

It's 2 a.m. on a Saturday and I’m watching James May, an English journalist and TV presenter, try to salvage his breakfast hash in a burnt frying pan. As he mixes the chunky boiled potatoes with broken bits of black pudding (a type of sausage made of pork’s blood and cereals), he utters, "This is one of the worst things I've ever seen." And I can’t help but agree. There’s nothing appetizing about the dark sausage and pale potatoes , but even so, May continues to stir this mixture as the camera zooms in for a close-up. I can’t help but wonder: Will that taste as awful as it looks?

I get my answer in a matter of seconds, after May takes his first bite with a fried egg and a few flakes of parsley. I can already tell from the look on his face, but without hesitation, he says his dish "tastes like rubbish," adding that viewers should not try this at home.

Readers, allow me to introduce you to Amazon Prime ’s James May: Oh Cook , one of the most refreshing cooking shows you’ll ever see. It’s not your typical, run-of-the mill cooking series, where every single dish is Instagram-worthy and everything tastes perfect. Rather, it’s an unfiltered look at a newbie cook who’s looking to hone this skill through trial and error. Basically, you should add it to your streaming queue right now.

Though May makes it clear that he is no culinary expert, he does believe that he can get there by experimenting with different types of foods, whether it’s spam and ramen or smoked fish in rice. Fortunately, May isn’t left to his own devices when he attempts to make these treats. Home economist Nikki Morgan literally stands by in his pantry in case he needs some assistance when things get a bit challenging.

What makes this show especially satisfying to watch is May’s transparency. It’s incredibly refreshing to see a culinary show that centers on someone who isn’t well-versed in cooking. And it’s way more intriguing to see episodes where the end result isn’t always perfect, where the appliances sometimes refuse to cooperate and where foods accidentally get burned to a crisp (even though you swear they were fine just a second ago).

But as much as I love May’s dedication and blunt commentary, these weren't the only things that hooked me about the show. I’m also fascinated by May’s extensive knowledge of certain foods and their history. For instance, before watching this series, I had no idea that instant noodles helped millions of people survive in Japan after the second world war, or that black pepper has more complex notes in its flavor compared to white pepper, due to the burnt outer layer. I started this show expecting to see some variation of Netflix’s Nailed It! , but what I got was a unique cooking series that doubled as a fascinating history class, offering so many tidbits of information that made me look at certain foods differently.

Given that I flew through the entirety of season one in one sitting, I’d say that this show will appeal to everyone. Whether you’re a master in the kitchen or you struggle to put together the most basic meals, you’ll definitely learn something new after watching it. (And for the record, May has confirmed that he’ll be preparing even more treats in brand-new episodes coming to Amazon Prime.)

Purewow Rating: 4.5 Out Of 5 Stars

On the surface, it feels like a silly show that centers on a mediocre cook, but there’s a whole lot more to the series than meets the eye. You’ll want to check this one out if you have a passion for all things food.

For a full breakdown of PureWow's entertainment rating system, click here .

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I’m Obsessed with These 3 British Cooking Shows (& None of Them Is The Great British Bake Off)

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Season 2 – James May: Oh Cook!

Where to watch, james may: oh cook — season 2.

Watch James May: Oh Cook! — Season 2 with a subscription on Prime Video.

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