SITTING around the table with your family to enjoy a traditional home-cooked meal is fast becoming a thing of the past - but it won't be long before it makes a comeback if top chef Jamie Oliver, whose new book, Jamie's Dinners, is out now, has anything to do with it.

''When I wrote Jamie's Dinners I really wanted to tap into cooking for the whole family, whether your definition of family is your mates, your partner, your mum and dad, the kids, or whatever,'' he says.

''Obviously culture changes mean lots of families now have dinner in front of the television, which can of course be a real treat, but to do it every single night is a shame.''

Jamie says that his book, which took two and half years, is essentially favourite family recipes, using simple, accessible ingredients.

''I tried to avoid all the flashy, posh ingredients that are a chef's natural instinct because I wanted to do a modern day classic, incorporating wholesome cooking that absolutely anyone can dip into and have a go at.

''I've split the book up into chapters such as The Top Ten - we did a huge online survey about all the dishes that people loved the most and then I basically did my own versions of the recipes."

The Top Ten includes mouthwatering classics such as The Best Sausage and Super Mash with Onion Gravy, Simple Baked Lasagne, Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas and lots of innovative but delicious takes on The Famous Jacket Potato.

''And then there's the Five Minute Wonders chapter, so that all those people who tell me that they just don't have the time to cook can literally just go down to their local shops, pick up a bag of stuff, come back, and five minutes later, they have a plate of great food,'' he says enthusiastically.

When it comes to cooking for kids, Jamie - the proud father of Poppy Honey, two-and-a-half, and Daisy Boo, 18 months - says he's no stranger to trying to cater to their ever-changing taste buds.

''There is no one rule for kids - if there was, then all parents would be a lot saner,'' he says. ''From spending a lot of time with youngsters, I found that as they get older, their tastes change all the time and they get bored of stuff so parents constantly have to try new things."

But Jamie has discovered that if you can make preparing new food a bit of an event, by giving the kids some responsibility in the kitchen and making it fun and new, then you're laughing all the way to the dinner table.

''I do it with my kids at the weekend - we don't cook per se, we just have a great time,'' he says. ''We make a real mess trying out new things, we giggle, we make faces with the food, and now they actually get all excited about it and they've started asking me when we can do more stuff in the kitchen."

Jamie advises: ''Don't go over the top, just make it normal - like going to the local farmers' market with them, or maybe just giving them a bit of responsibility in the supermarket by saying, 'Go on, nip down there and get me the best bunch of bananas' or whatever.'' And this is a great time of year to get cooking for the family and try out new dishes, Jamie points out. ''You're into the season when mushrooms are just great and we're having our first frosts now, so all those lovely root vegetables like pumpkins, celeriac and squash are fantastic - everything starts getting a bit heavier for winter."

TASTY FISH BAKE

(serves four)

400g/14oz potatoes, scrubbed and finely sliced

4tbsp olive oil

1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 bulb of fennel, trimmed and sliced

1tsp fennel seeds

4 medium or 8 small fillets of trout, pinboned

285ml/1/2 pint single cream

2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

2 anchovy fillets

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 handfuls of fresh breadcrumbs

2 lemons, halved

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. First of all, parboil the sliced potatoes in salted boiling water for a few minutes until softened and then drain in a colander. Place a 20cm/8in casserole-type pan on a low heat, and add the oil, garlic, onion, fennel and fennel seeds. Cook slowly for ten minutes with the lid on, stirring every so often.

Take the pan off the heat. Lay your trout fillets skin-side up over the onion and fennel. Mix together your cream, Parmesan and anchovies, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and pour over the fish. Toss the potato slices in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and layer these over the top. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, sprinkling with breadcrumbs and a little grated Parmesan five minutes before the end. Serve with lemon halves and a green salad.

* Jamie's Dinners, by Jamie Oliver (Michael Joseph, £20)