Jamie Oliver is a food activist and a bit of a goof, but most of all he’s a chef who believes in making flavorful and nourishing food an everyday experience. In his latest book, Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes (Hyperion, $35), Jamie explores the foods of Spain, Italy, Sweden, Morocco, Greece, and France. With a focus on accessibility and levity, he cooks up a mix of local classics like Swedish meatballs and his own riffs on regional flavors, like Moroccan fish and chips. This is a great guide to the essential ingredients and dishes of the Mediterranean and an invitation to experiment with incorporating exotic flavors into familiar settings. With beautiful photography and concise and insightful descriptions of each country’s cuisine, Oliver invites us to forgo prestige cooking and have an adventure in the kitchen.